Monday in Messina...sort of

Monday, July 8, 2013: No sightseeing, no big events, but a nice day for relaxation and onboard exploration. Although we could have, we chose not to get off the ship to explore Messina or visit Mt. Etna, Europe's largest and most active volcano, which dominates the Sicilian landscape. Most recent eruptions were in 2001-02, 06 and 08.  Instead, we enjoyed the scenic view of the mountains and the bustling cityscape from our floating home.

I was more inclined to pursue leisure activities and avoid walking on my still tender, swollen feet. I am saving them for what will be a strenuous walking tour of Athens Wednesday. Carol offered up her compression stockings, which I readily accepted and that made a huge difference in addressing the swelling that began with the plane trip over.  Once again, I am the beneficiary of her wisdom.  She wore the stockings during the long flights to avoid the edema that I now was suffering. In any event, all of us were content to remain on the ship.

Sofie spent much of the day in the Adventure Ocean activity center for children, which she greatly enjoyed. It provided a nice break for Hapny and Aron. Carol went for a swim while I journaled with intent to post on the weblog. Even with Carol's help, it has been frustrating trying to get the paid internet service to cooperate with my smart phone and her tablet. We spent way too much time trying with no success (as of this writing), but we'll try again Tuesday, which is a day at sea on the way to Greece.  I'm still struggling to orient myself on this gi-normous vessel. There are 14 or 15 levels referred to as decks and keeping forward and aft straight has proven to be a challenge when we're docked.

We've enjoyed some fine dining and I've started collecting the ship's commemorative plastic stemware you get when you order the drink of the day.

Cruising certainly is conducive to the consumption of alcohol. I've had no problems sleeping on the ship. We leave the A/C off and the balcony door open to enjoy the breeze and the lullaby of the sea as the boat pushes through the waves.

 

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