I haven't posted here in a while ...

Permalink

… mainly because I send off the occasional tweet instead. As if I am so busy I can't take the time to write more than 140 characters. :) I am going to start blogging again, I think. If nothing else, it will help keep my writing skills sharp.

We have done a fair amount of traveling in the last year. I just posted photos from our most recent cruise on Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas. Pics from other trips to follow.

Below is a picture taken at Orient Beach in St. Martin (the French side of an island that is half French and half Dutch). Looking forward to our next trip to this beautiful place.

Comments

All we can do now is wait.

Permalink

Dan and I voted around 1:30 this afternoon. We were told by a poll worker that 1200 people are registered to vote in our precinct and 600 had already voted, including 150 who were waiting in line when the building opened this morning. What does that mean? Maybe nothing, maybe a lot. We shall see.

Election 2012.

Comments

Sharing my love of Halloween and Hello Kitty ...

Permalink

… with my little angels.

Halloween Hello Kitty

Comments

Where do all the hippies meet? SOUTH STREET! SOUTH STREET!

Permalink

Spent the afternoon with my niece Janet visiting the Philadelphia Magic Gardens on South Street in South Philly. Took lots of pictures with my Lensbaby Composer lens (with Sweet 35 optic). Did some thrift store shopping on South Street, then had dinner at the Melrose Diner. Overall great day!

Photos can be seen here.

Magic Gardens in South Philly.
Mosaic artwork by Isaiah Zagar. Photo © Kathy Hand Spear 2012.
Comments

R.I.P. Misty "Mistella" Hand Spear

Permalink

Misty "Mistella" Hand Spear passed away on Friday, August 10, 2012. She was 17 years old.

Misty was born in Southern California and moved to New Jersey at the age of four. Eight years later, she and her family settled in the western suburbs of Philadelphia, where she spent the last five years of her life.

Misty is survived by her adopted brother Target and her human companions, Dan, Kathy, and Chloe Spear.

Misty was a beautiful tortoise-shell cat with a sweet personality. Her greatest pleasure was sitting on Dan's lap (always with her special blanket!) as he watched television. The living room will seem so empty without you, Mistella!

Misty Hand Spear
Misty Hand Spear. (4/1/95 - 8/10/12)

Misty sleeping on my old, fat monitor.
Misty sleeping on my old, fat monitor.

Yes, I like it up here. Why?
"Yes, I like it up here. Why?"

Comments

I don't understand why Jews will vote for Obama.

Permalink
Comments

Port #4: Olympia via Katakolon

Permalink

The final port of call on our NCL cruise from Venice to the Greek Isles was Katakolon, Greece, from which most passengers visited Olympia, the site of the early (776 B.C.) Olympic games. The ruins are about a 40 minute bus ride from the port of Katakolon.

I was surprised at what a cute little town Olympia is. Same goes for Katakolon.

Below is a shot of Oscar, my little traveling companion, sitting on some ruins in Olympia. The rest of my pictures from this port and our return to Venice can be viewed here.

Comments

R.I.P. Nora Ephron

Permalink
Because if I tell the story, I control the version.
Because if I tell the story, I can make you laugh, and I would rather have you laugh at me than feel sorry for me.
Because if I tell the story, it doesn't hurt as much.
Because if I tell the story, I can get on with it.

Nora Ephron’s character Rachel Samstat in "Heartburn" when asked “Why do you feel you have to turn everything into a story?”
Comments

Port #3: Mykonos

Permalink

Cruise ships anchored off Mykonos

After missing Santorini due to high winds, I was worried we might not be able to tender at Mykonos, either. Our itinerary listed Mykonos as a tender port but it turns out that they have room for two cruise ships and we got one of the spots. In addition to the two ships that were docked, there were at least 4 ships anchored nearby. In spite of that, it didn't seem as crowded as I expected it would.

Mykonos exists because of tourists -- cruisers, primarily. The town is filled with plenty of restaurants and shops to keep the tourists busy spending money. But you don't mind at all because as you wander around, you are just in awe of the place. It is so white and clean and the sky is so blue and the water such lovely shades of blue and green that it almost feels fake. It's like the Disneyland of Greek islands. But I mean that in a good way. :)

When you get off your ship, you take a 5-minute ride in a free shuttle bus. Once you are dropped off, you walk the equivalent of a few blocks to the town. When you are ready to return to your ship, you can take a taxi if you are too tired to walk back to the shuttle buses.

If you like to take photos, you will be in heaven in Mykonos. If you like to shop or sit at little outdoor cafes and watch people walk by, you will have a lovely time in Mykonos. If you want ruins, you can take a ferry or guided tour to the nearby island of Delos and get your fill of history. If you want museums, you will have to look elsewhere.

Bottom line: Mykonos = Cute! Cute! Cute!

Pictures from our visit to Mykonos can be seen here.

Next: Olympia and our return to Venice.

Comments

The Review Continues: Greek Isles #1 and #2

Permalink

Outdoor cafe on Norwegian Jade, looking out toward Santorini

Corfu is to a Med cruise what Gothenburg is to a Baltic itinerary: a nice enough city but probably included only because it is a convenient place to stop. Corfu has one claim to fame: Achilleion, the summer palace of Empress Elisabeth ("Sisi") of Austria. You can visit the palace in the morning, spend a little time shopping in touristy Corfu Town, and still make it back to the ship for lunch.

Santorini … well, everyone says it is wonderful. And I will have to take everyone's word for it, since the winds kicked up and prevented us from tendering to the island. Port of call cancelled! Yes, I was disappointed. And still am. Some of the passengers said well, we'll just have to come back. But I am less likely than some to return to Greece. Nothing against the place, but when you don't start traveling until you are in your 50's, you can only fit so many trips into the time you have left. There are a lot of places on my "to do" list and I would have to get to all of them before I head back to see what I missed in Santorini.

Pictures from Corfu and Santorini can be seen here. Mykonos and Olympia will be up in a day or two.

Comments