St Kitts and Nevis are volcanic islands in the West Indies that constitute one country: the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The west side borders the Caribbean Sea and the east coast faces the Atlantic. About 98% of the residents are literate and the residents call themselves Kittitians.
St. Kitts
As we arrived Basseterre, there was a rainbow arching the sea and the black rocks and black sand that characterize this volcanic island. There is a scenic railroad ride that interested us because it would give us an opportunity to see the entire country. This one-of-a-kind narrow gauge railroad was built almost a century ago to deliver sugar cane from the fields to the sugar mills in the capital, Basseterre. It would have been fun riding in the open-air double-deck railcars through the rainforests and through the small villages and farms. Once again, Dennis was not up to the trip. There is a lot to do in St. Kitts and we hope to return to this beautiful island.
Rescue Drill
Once a week when in port, the ship trains the crew. We watched from our deck as the crew attempted to rescue the dummy or learned how to manipulate the lifeboats. It is a relief to know that everyone undergoes this training.
Our next two days are sea, so there will be little to report. Thank you for following us on this relaxing and restorative cruise.
Day 3 was a sea day and for us a day of relaxation and recuperation. Mom especially enjoys sitting in the hot tub and sunning herself.
After months of working on houses with little downtime, Dennis and I are having a difficult time to adjusting to the change of pace. Out of sheer exhaustion, we both took naps. Anyone who knows me well knows that this is a rarity for me and one I enjoyed without guilt.
When we awoke, the ship was docked in Willemstad, Curacao. Since both mom and Dennis have colds, we did not plan any excursion. While Dennis slept, mom and I sat in the Jacuzzi and enjoyed the Caribbean sunshine. Because Dennis and I have been working indoors for the last year, neither of us are tanned and must take precautions not to burn. Fortunately, our balcony is on the shady side of the ship and we can sit there and relax without worry.
In the afternoon, Dennis and I went to explore the UNESCO World Heritage city that reminded us of Copenhagen. We sat at a sidewalk cafe, sipped on Mohitos, and used the internet.
Dennis enjoying a Mojito in Willemstad, Curacao
In town, there is a pontoon bridge that connects the two sides of the city. A warning sounds when the bridge is about to open to let the boats through. You should have seen the tourists scurry to be on the pontoon when it slides open.
Pontoon bridge in Willemstad, Curacao
The evening entertainment was “The Barricade Boys.” This world leading super-group’s rendition of Queen”s “Bohemian Rhapsody” received a standing ovation.
Everyone is finally starting to relax, though mom and Dennis continue to cough.
I was very anxious as we boarded the plane for Aruba. Once out of customs, we took a taxi to the port. As we saw the ship in the distance, I pinched myself to be sure that this was finally happening. As I looked around Oranjestad, the capital of this tiny Dutch island, I could see Dutch-gabled architecture painted in tropical pastels.
At the ship, the crew was anticipating our arrival. A person from reception greeted us at the gang-plank and escorted us to reception. We were surprised to find out that we were upgraded to a room with a balcony.
After settling in, we unpacked and went for dinner. We toasted our arrival with Pain Killers. Dennis returned to the room to finish unpacking while mom and I went to see the presentation of “What the world needs now,” a musical production showcasing the music of Burt Bacharach.
We were all exhausted from the tension of the last few days and were in bed by 9:30 pm.
After working for about a year on fixing and selling houses, Dennis, Aurela (mom) and I decided it was time for a well-earned Caribbean vacation. It was to start last Friday but, when we got to the port, we discovered that mom’s suitcase with her medications was left at the house. The NCL port supervisor Dayron was most helpful with suggestions that might allow us to board the ship. We contacted Walgreens, but they could only provide an 11-day supply of meds for two of her many prescriptions. Strike one. DHL could not deliver her suitcase to a future port until Thursday, way too long for mom to be without her meds. Strike 2. The other suitcases were already on the ship and would sail without us. Strike three.
Mom is such a trooper. She wanted us to put her on a bus and send her home. I could just imagine sending this 90-year-old woman to the bus station with a sign tagged to her shirt: “Hello, My name is Aurela and I live in Sarasota. Please take me home.”
After spending six hours at the port, we watched the ship sail without us and then we crept along in Friday night traffic for five hours before returning home. It was a long and tiring day, but mom kept her spirits high and took the adventure in stride. The next morning, we tried to book a plane flight to the first port of call, Aruba. Success! At the moment, we are at an airport hotel, waiting to fly out tomorrow. With luck, we should be onboard the NCL Sun by 5 pm, and maybe we will look as happy as we did in the photo above.
I hope you will follow along as we enjoy this now 8-day cruise and to find out if our luggage is waiting for us in the cabin.
We started our busy day exploring LA at the La Brea Tar Pits. Dennis had wanted to see this ever since he had first learned about it as a child. As we watched the pit bubbled and rippled. At this world famous fossil site, more than one million bones have been recovered representing over 231 species of vertebrates.
Afterward, we explored three pavilions at LACMA (The Los Angeles County Museum of Art). There was a special Picasso and Rivera exhibition at the Broad Contemporary Art Museum that we enjoyed. We also visited the Resnick Pavilion and the Ahmanson Building. Having Tom share his art knowledge with us made the viewings all that more special.
Levitated Mass is the large-scale sculpture by Michael Heizer on the LACMA campus.
We walked beneath Levitated Mass, the 340-ton boulder affixed above a concrete trench. This world-renowned installation caused a ruckus when being transported to the campus.
Bronson Caves. Do you recall seeing the cave in Batman?
We toured several neighborhoods and then visited Griffith Park, a large municipal park at the eastern end of the Santa Monica Mountains, in the Los Feliz neighborhood of Los Angeles, In the park are the Bronson Caves which have been used in many movies and TV shows.
Echo Park Lake is in a hip LA neighborhoodParting photo.
We reserved a tandem bike from our hotel room. By the time we got to the beach, it was raining and only 54º F. Determined to try riding a bike built for two, we decided to try if for at least one hour. As we peddled, the rain stopped and we had an enjoyable ride. As Dennis said, “We didn’t end up in divorce court.”
The amusement park on Santa Monika Pier in the distance.
Along the coast, there is a concrete bike path known as “The Strand” that runs from Santa Monica to Redondo Beach–about 17 miles. It is supposed to be for bicyclists but we had to contend with pedestrians and joggers who were apparently misinformed as to the purpose of the path. We rode from Venice to the historic Port Los Angeles or the Mile Long Pier. Today nothing remains of the wharf except the historical marker. With the wind at our backs, we made go time on the return trip, finishing in a little over two hours.
Looking towards the historical Pier of Los AngelesGuatemaltiera Bakery and Restaurant
After dropping off the bikes, we strolled along Venice Beach. Since the wind was cool, we decided to return to the hotel. Once there, we walked to the Guatemaltiera Bakery and Restaurant for a snack. It was difficult choosing what to eat. I had a cookie that was delicious with the Guatemalan coffee. Dennis had strawberry shortcake and tea.
Dennis enjoying a Guatemalan cake
We drove through Hollywood on our way to the Santa Monica Mountains. We passed the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Hollywood Wax Museum, Ripley’s Believe it or Not Odditorium, and lots more On one corner a street band was attracting a large crowd and impeding the traffic
The Hollywood Walk of Fame comprises more than 2,600 five-pointed terrazzo and brass stars embedded in the sidewalks along 15 blocks of Hollywood Boulevard and three blocks of Vine Street in Hollywood, California
At sunset, we drove Mulholland Drive to see LA from above. We got to the Hollywood Bowl Overlook just as the sun was setting and the vistas were magnificent.
Hollywood bowl
Hollywood is split by the mountains. On the other side is The Valley. Unfortunately, it was too dark to get good photos.
Rose garden entrance to the Natural History Museum
The Natural History Museum (NHM) in Los Angeles is the largest natural and historical museum in the western United States, It started in 1913 as the Museum of History, Science, and Art. The main building alone is worth seeing It has massive marble-walled rooms and a domed and colonnaded rotunda,
We started with the Gem and Mineral Hall on the first level. I was fascinated by the variety of precious rocks, many found in California. We were lucky to see a special diamonds exhibit featuring four of nature’s rarest colorful diamond masterpieces. The star of this showcase was the Juliet Pink diamond, renown for its exceptional clarity, size, intense color grade, and lack of inclusions. Another of the featured gems was The Rainbow Necklace comprised of blue-grey (extremely rare), green-yellow, orange-pink, purple-pink, and brown-orange diamonds. Though the stones and settings were beautiful, I have never favored diamonds over other stones. But seeing these works of art was a great opportunity.
Tiger in an NHM diorama
The African Mammal Hall is a collection of dioramas portraying the animals in natural settings. I was surprised by the giraffe’s short body; I wondered how the animal did not topple over. I was surprised to see a honey badger among the displays.
Honey badgerThe Dinosaur Hall has 300 real fossils, and 20 complete dinosaurs and ancient sea creatures.The Age of Mammals Hall shows the diversity of mammals featuring a total of 240 specimens, including 38 articulated mammal skeletons.
The Becoming Los Angeles exhibit tells the 500-year story of how Southern California went from tiny pueblo to sprawling metropolis. I particularly enjoyed the 1939 city model of downtown Los Angeles.
The California Science MuseumSpace shuttle fuel tank outside of the California Science Museum
Although there were more levels to explore, we decided to visit the nearby California Science Museum. Entrance to this museum is free, but there was a charge to see the space shuttle Endeavor which is on permanent display. Since we had seen other shuttles, we decided to return to the hotel and then meet up later for a Korean dinner.
Kimchi
Tom took us to the International Food Court in Koreatown in downtown LA. It was my first time tasting Kimchi which is said to be one of the world’s healthiest foods. Kimchi is a reddish fermented cabbage (and sometimes radish) dish made with a mix of garlic, salt, vinegar, chile peppers, and other spices. It was an interesting experience. We all ordered different meals so I was able to sample spicy boiled pork, bulgogi, a barbecued beef dish, and Korean-style octopus and shrimp appetizers. For beverages, we had a Korean beer and a Korean rice wine which was sweet and fruity.
We left Long Beach on the Catalina Express for Avalon on the Catalina Island. In the background are snow-capped mountains. We passed the Queen Mary on our left and several cruise ships. Soon the ferry motors picked up speed for the remaining hour-long ride.
The weather was ideal with cloudless skies and warm enough for me to ride on the open upper deck without a jacket.
We passed a pod of forty dolphins. As I looked back towards Long Beach miles away, L could see an orange-brown mist hovering over the valley. It reminded me of the nicotine stains that mom and I would wash off the walls and furniture back when everyone smoked. I can’t imagine how the smog would look without the existing emissions control.
Dennis leaving the ferry, Catalina ExpressEntrance to the Casino which is not a gambling but an entertainment center. The Catalina Casino opened on May 29, 1929.and has been the venue for great entertainers, Broadway productions, and first-run motion pictures.The Wrigley Memorial & Botanic Garden is Santa Catalina Island, California, is a memorial to William Wrigley Jr. To get here, we had a 30-minute walk up Avalon Canyon from downtown Avalon.We were lucky to see The Catalina Island fox (Urocyon littoralis catalinae) a species indigenous to the island for at least 4,000 years. It is tiny, weighing only about 5 pounds.There are many unusual cacti in the botanical gardens. This is the Black Aeonium
View from the top of the memorial. In the distance is the snow-covered Mount Baldy, is the highest peak of the San Gabriel Mountains, and the highest point in Los Angeles County, California.
After returning to Avalon, we ate the Bluewater Grill before returning to the marina for our ride back to LA.
This morning we met our son Tom at his place of work. After checking out the place and meeting some of his fellow artisans, we went to Cafe 50 for lunch. This is a quaint retro eatery that has walls covered in 50s memorabilia. The menu was typical of 50’s dinner, but the back page listed about 40 different milkshakes. Dennis and Tom both had a strawberry shake for dessert. The waiter placed their cherry-topped beverage on the table and then returned with what was left in the blender. With such an ample serving, the almost waddled out the door.
We took our first LA metro ride to downtown LA. Tom really knows the city and took us to some interesting spots Here are some of the things we saw.
City Hall, built in 1928, is often seen in movies.Atrium at the LA Public Library
The LA public library serves the largest population of any publicly funded library system in the United States. The Tom Bradley Wing contains a number of art projects commissioned by the Department of Cultural Affairs. In the atrium, three massive chandeliers created by Therman Statom hang from the ceiling Eighteen feet in diameter and brightly colored they are fun to look down on from the third floor.
The building is a major architectural landmark in downtown LA. It was originally built 1926. In 1993, the Tom Bradley addition was added. Though there are free docent tours of the building and its art, we did it on our own.
We also visited the many parks in the area, the Bradbury Building and Union Station. We saw the country’s shortest, Angels Flight— that runs up and down the hill between Hill and Olive streets. It does not run often, but many of you may recognize it from the movie, LA LA Land.
After traipsing around in downtown LA, we stopped at the Grand Central Market for a quenching brew. This emporium has hosted food vendors & florists, plus game nights, movies & other events, since 1917. We stopped at the Golden Road and had a Back Home Stout. The beer was dark with a strong taste of hops and molasses. It also had an APV of 11.25%. Wow!
La Placita Church is one of the original Catholic churches in downtown LAEnjoying a refreshing beer at the Central MarketFrank Gehry-designed the Disney Concert Hall (on left) with striking steel architecture & pristine acoustics.Note the mountains in the background.Victor Clothing Company mural depicts Anthony Quinn in the 1964 movie “Zorba the Greek.” It was painted on the side of the Victor Clothing Building in 1985 by Eloy Torrez and was recently restored.So true, of Dennis towards me.
