Cruise Chronicles – Days 10 & 11 – My Unfortunate Incarceration

Day 10 was a welcome day at sea. We were sailing west toward Warnemünde, the German coastal town that would be our gateway to a long guided tour in Berlin.

Warnemünde, Germany (18 May 2019)

A full day at sea was just what I needed. After five consecutive days off the boat touring on sore feet, it was fine to just sit more, read, write and chill. The gray day got progressively worse and by dinner time, it was raining and foggy. Before going to a terrific show of Broadway song and dance routines, we did the buffet. It was one of the formal nights where folks dressed up for special meals so the buffet deck was sparsely populated. We had one of the primo window tables and enjoyed a leisurely meal.

Decades ago, I not only taught invertebrate biology but ever since, have demonstrated how to eat them at every opportunity. The night’s buffet selections included shrimp and mussels…the first time they were available. I joked to Beck, Frank & Suzanne that this was maybe the second time since “The Great Mussel Disaster of 2010” that I have finally returned to this tasty bivalve. I’ll spare you the details but in 2010, I experienced a truly Gothic reaction to bad mussels.

You know where this is going…

Not long after we settled in, it was déjà vu all over again. Like last time, it was violent but brief and when it was over, it was over. Once the demons left my body, I slept comfortably and woke up with no lingering effects. That’s the good thing about food poisoning…it’s wicked until your body expels it all but once you’re empty, you feel pretty good…comparatively.

The Crowded Docks of Warnemünde, Germany (18 May 2019)

Under the category of ‘No Good Deed Goes Unpunished’, the following morning, as soon as the ship’s medical center was open, I reported the poisoning. Instead of thanking me, they said my gastrointestinal upsets were symptoms of norovirus and per the protocol the cruise line signed with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, I must be quarantined in my cabin for 24 hours. 

You’re welcome. 

Norovirus has many other symptoms, none of which I had but ‘Rules is Rules’ and I was confined until the following morning. Our Berlin tour was cancelled.

Warnemünde, Germany (18 May 2019)

Some of you are old enough to remember the fun TV series ‘Designing Women’ (1986-93), about an interior design business in Atlanta. The staff consisted of interesting, progressive, funny women who were assisted by Anthony. He was the only African-American in the business and he referred to a gap in his resume as his “unfortunate incarceration” …hence the title of today’s post. While Beck enjoyed her stroll around town, all my images were taken from our cabin balcony. That’s your Day 11 story.

Upon our return, I wrote to Princess corporate offices (with a copy to the CDC). I suggested that on such a big new boat, they should have the resources to test me and confirm the infection. I resented that they defaulted so readily to the CDC protocols and that was it. A rep from the company called later to sympathize with my plight and said my suggestions would be “passed along”. In other words, ‘Rules is Rules’ and “We’re sorry you had a bad day.”

Good thing this happened in Warnemünde. It was no big deal to cancel the Berlin excursion. Beck has already been and I was OK missing it. If this were St. Petersburg, I might have rappelled down the side of the ship rather than miss the Hermitage museum.

Ostsee Bowling, Warnemünde, Germany (18 May 2019)

The final insult of my unfortunate incarceration…right across from my balcony was a bowling alley…the only one I’d seen in all of Europe. It would have been fun to visit.

So near yet so far.

Cruise Chronicles – Day 9 – Tallinn, Estonia

Another day, another country. After the behemoth was berthed, we walked up the hill and through the thick walls into Old Town Tallinn…because, back in the day, if you were going to have a safe settlement, it needed to be on high ground behind big, impenetrable walls.

Tallinn was founded in 1154 and it is said much of the Old Town section looks as it did 600 years ago. The capital city of over 400,000 has about a third of the entire country’s population. The nation’s land area is a bit smaller than Vermont and New Hampshire combined.

Field Trip Day in Tallinn, Estonia (16 May 2019)

I love these scenes. Little school kids in their bright safety 

vests walking the streets paired up holding hands. 

Old Town Tallinn, Estonia (16 May 2019)

We were the first of four (Count ‘em, FOUR!) cruise ships that visited Tallinn that day. Since we were the first, we got to Old Town before the rest of the tourist hordes descended on the neighborhood.

In 2015, Beck was here with Kittie, her business partner and my twin sister from another mother (we share a birthday). They took the ferry from Helsinki for a delightful day trip with fewer tourists, easy shopping and quaint discoveries.

Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, Tallinn, Estonia (16 may 2019)

This Russian Revival church was completed in 1900. 

Nevsky was a 13th century prince who repulsed invaders and 

was canonized by the Russian Orthodox Church. As you might 

guess, Estonia was firmly in the Russian Empire in 1900.

We wandered through the Old Quarter as it got increasingly congested as the day progressed. There were fewer places to sit and relax and there were more and more tour groups following their leader’s colorful umbrella or flag on a stick.

Old Wooden Clock, Church of the Holy Ghost,

Tallinn, Estonia (16 May 2019)

The church dates to the thirteenth century. 

Originally a Catholic Church, it is now Evangelical Lutheran. 

This wooden clock was added in the late 1600’s.

We Welcome Tourists, Tallinn, Estonia (16 May 2019)

No doubt, the place has its charms. Especially as Americans, we need to appreciate how the city has retained its ancient, authentic character. Heck, in the U.S., we’re lucky if there are any dwellings left from our earliest days let alone entire neighborhoods or districts.

Old Town Fortifications, Tallinn, Estonia (16 May 2019)

To continue the saga of the bad feet, flip flops were the most comfortable foot wear I had but walking on uneven, old cobblestone streets took its toll on the dogs. I’d include a photo of my feet for effect but it would frighten young children and disturb our more sensitive readers.

Tallinn, Estonia (16 May 2019)

Happy ending to Day 9. Here’s an example of how finely tuned the cruise industry’s marketing is to a certain older demographic that comprises a significant percentage of the passengers. I’m sure they’re aware that these ancient, hilly European streets have been torturing some of us. So, what do I find slipped under the cabin door today? Discount deals on fancy foot treatments in the ship’s spa. Count me in. The seaweed mud and exfoliation did nothing for me but the massage was heavenly.

Tomorrow, we are in Germany and have a tour planned for Berlin.

On the Passing of Ray Nichols

The Contemplative Camper (1985)

We lived in New Orleans for fourteen years and Ray and Bev Nichols were a big part of our lives. In the 80’s, we spent a lot of time together. Holidays, birthdays, weekend camping trips to their land on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain and vacations away. We worked hard during the week and played hard on the weekends.

Three weeks ago, we heard shocking news. Ray didn’t want anyone to know he was ill and then three weeks later he was gone.

Ray was a Human Resources manager at the electric utility company I worked for and he hired Becky. They were a great recruiting team and he happily taught her everything he knew about “personnel management,” as it was called back then. They left the utility to form the Crescent Group and provided management services to New Orleans clients before we moved to Maryland. Together, they helped me be a better supervisor.

We just returned from New Orleans where a ‘Celebration of Life’ was held for Ray. In the 30 years since we moved away, Ray devoted much of his energies to civic engagement and community improvement. After Katrina, he supported many young professionals in their efforts to make New Orleans and Louisiana better.

The Celebration included photographs projected onto multiple screens across the venue. Almost all the shots from the 80’s were ours and a few of them are included here.

When the time came for people to take the mike and contribute a story or an appreciation of Ray, I had to add a more distant memory. The biggest laugh I got was recalling the Contemporary Art Center fundraiser he and Bev took me to. The theme was “Bourbon and Burlesque.” Craft bourbons everywhere and classic tassel-twirling tootsies everywhere else. I said I knew no one else who could drive that well that liquored-up.

Ray on the Upper Mississippi River (August 1985)

In the summer of 1985, we drove from New Orleans to Wisconsin and tried to do as much as we could along the Mississippi River. There are some high bluffs on the Wisconsin side of the river that provide a fine vantage point.

Trees Feared Him (Camping, 1986)

Ray and Bev owned a few acres of undeveloped piney woods land on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain. When it wasn’t stinky hot, we would load up his truck with everything that would be fun to have in the woods…big tent, coolers of food and drink, chaise lounges, hammocks, a boom box. You get the picture. Here is the Great Hunter showing a tree who is boss.

Despair in Halifax (October 1987)

One of our favorite adventures was a wonderful trip to Nova Scotia. The overnight ferry from Portland, Maine dropped us off in Yarmouth and for the next couple of days, we reveled in the peak fall colors and rocky coastal scenery. After all, we lived in New Orleans where autumn isn’t nearly as spectacular and the nearest natural rocks of any kind are hundreds of miles to the north.

Then we arrived in Halifax. We thought that would be an ideal place to stop for the night…get some better accommodations, have more eating options and appreciate the sights of the provincial capital. There we were on the ramparts of an old colonial fort and Ray was despondent. After all the open road and autumn splendor, he wanted nothing to do with a city. Bev tried to console him but he was not going to be happy until Halifax was in our rear-view mirror.

Ray Defending Nova Scotia (October 1987)

While visiting an old French colonial fort, Ray thought it only appropriate to light off his small canon with a French Bic lighter.

Ray’s Postponed 60th Birthday Party, New Orleans (12 October 2007)

Ray turned 60 in 2005, five weeks after Hurricane Katrina changed everything in New Orleans. It took two years to make life right enough to celebrate. Bev arranged a very special lunch in a private room in the classic French Quarter restaurant, Galatoire’s. Ray invited only women guests and requested that they all wear hats. I was included only because he wanted me to photograph it all. Tough assignment.

Later That Day, Ray’s Postponed 60th Birthday,

New Orleans (12 October 2007)

After the lunch at Galatoire’s, a few of us repaired to Mimi’s in the Marigny, a fine bar on Royal Street beyond the French Quarter. The tropical look of the Coffee house across the street made me want to give the shot an antique sepia tone. Ray and Bev’s fancy duds aside, it made me think we were in Havana or some other exotic tropical locale.

During my run as a manager and evaluator of environmental professionals, I learned from both Beck and Ray. I’ll always remember one of Ray’s classic dictums –

‘First class people hire first class people.

Second class people hire third class people’

Does that observation remind you of anyone we know in Washington?
Who do third class people hire?

Ray’s Hat at Galatoire’s (12 October 2007)

Rest in peace, Ramon.

Cruise Chronicles – Day 8 – The Hermitage Museum

The Hermitage Museum (Winter Palace),

St. Petersburg (15 May 2019)

It would not be right to simply include the Hermitage Museum along with the rest of what we saw on the second day in St. Petersburg. The place is too vast and too special. I could write a series of stories on this museum alone. It has such an amazing history on top of the magnificence of the collections on display. In terms of gallery space, only the Louvre in Paris is larger but the Hermitage has the greatest number of paintings in its collection. The museum is a complex of five buildings, the Winter Palace being one.

Catherine II (“the Great”) continued what Peter the Great did before her when he founded St. Petersburg as his “Window on the West.” She embraced the Age of Enlightenment when science, art, philosophy and reason flourished in western Europe. She wanted to expose insular Russia to new ways. And she had the means to do it.

The Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (15 May 2019)

The Hermitage name derives from roots implying ‘recluse’ and ‘living alone’ and was intended to convey exclusivity. It was the royal family’s Winter Palace, completed by Peter the Great’s daughter, the spendthrift, Elizabeth. She died before it was completed. It continued to be the residence for the Imperial Family until 1917 when things went really bad for the occupants.

The Jordan Staircase, Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (15 May 2019)

No, the staircase is not named to celebrate the great basketball player. Back in the day, the Czar would descend these stairs to perform an annual ‘Blessing of the Waters’ on the banks of the Neva River. Christ’s baptism in the River Jordan was recalled and the ever-self-important royalty adopted the name.

Peter the Great Hall, The Hermitage Museum (15 May 2019)

In 1833, Czar Nicholas I had a memorial throne room 

built for Peter the Great. With more area than my bowling 

alley, it is still referred to as ‘The Small Throne Room.’

Now, the Winter Palace residence has become the gallery. I have been fortunate to have been through many of the world’s foremost art museums. I could do a series on them. (And I thought when I started blogging, I would run out of topics to address…). The Met, Rijksmuseum, Louvre, Prado, Uffizi are all wonderful spaces. Many of them have grand galleries with soaring ceilings but they can’t match the Hermitage for over-the-top opulence. This was a royal palace first…done up as only the Russians can do it. Every floor, wall and ceiling is detailed and decorated.

Ornate Décor of the Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (15 May 2019)

All the artistry is not just inside frames and on pedestals. 

The design and craftsmanship go up the walls and across the ceiling.

War Gallery of 1812, The Hermitage Museum (15 May 2019)

The War Gallery of 1812 holds portraits of the 

332 generals who fought to defeat Napoleon.

So determined and able to afford to build her collections, Catherine had emissaries in the western European capitals look for sales and situations that could result in sales. In this way, she bought estate collections and struck deals with individuals who were in financial straits. Some purchases included hundreds of paintings…a dozen Rembrandt’s here, ten Rubens’ there...she cashed in on art like no one had before or since. Through her life, Catherine acquired thousands of paintings, books, drawings and coins and then built additional palaces to house them all.

The ‘Raphael Gallery’, Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (15 May (2019)

The Raphael Loggia or Gallery is a replica of the 

Renaissance installation in the Vatican in Rome.

Doing St. Petersburg through a full-service tour package was so worth it. For our two-hour highlight visit, we (along with many other tour groups) were allowed in an hour ahead of the official museum opening. Our guide hustled us through the Winter Palace in a way that maximized the number of galleries visited and art works observed. When we left later that morning, the line of regular visitors waiting to get in stretched forever.

Royal Chapel, Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg (15 May 2019)

I have seen a few classic churches and chapels. Spanish and Italian Catholic Cathedrals and Baroque extravagances. I do not remember seeing as much gold anywhere else. The Russians don’t do gold accents or framing. They just make everything gold.

The two hours in the Hermitage was the highlight of the entire vacation for me. Against my long-held position that I would never set foot in a police state like Russia or China, there I was. The lure of the history, culture and art here was too much…not to mention how ridiculous it would have looked if I stayed on the ship while everyone else went ashore. No regrets.