Part 2 September 2017 Vacation : Maine!

As a desert rat, I rarely get to the Northeast.  Here I was flying out and back into JFK from my Italian vacation and it occurred to me that maybe I could follow my friends, Susan and John back home to Bailey Island, Maine.  I know, I can be bold.  I asked and they welcomed the idea!  So here's how that worked out.

I was pretty careless booking the flight from NYC to Portland, Maine.  Looking back, it would have made sense to build in a LOT of time.  My flight out of London arrived an hour and 40 minutes late at JFK, landing about 9:20 PM.  Needless to say, I missed the last flight of the night into Portland, Maine and had to rebook for the following morning.  I spent the night in JFK airport and took the shuttle to LaGuardia at 6 AM.  I reached the calm and beautiful airport in Portland, Maine about 10:30 AM, giving us all day to begin Patty's introduction to the state of Maine.  Now, I admit that my parents likely had in the state as a toddler, but who remembers those days?

My Maine hosts, Susan and John.

Izzy and Brodie...aren't they cute? 

Yes, I did plenty of this once I got to their house!  They did too since they came to the airport twice to fetch me!  Oh, the joy of traveling internationally.

So, after settling in I just settled in some more!  I thoroughly enjoyed making myself at home, mostly relaxing and looking at the incredible views from decks at their home.  I got a kick out of a neighbor.  Each sunset he stepped to the back of his property, closer to the water and sounded a conch!  I was told to be glad I wasn't there when he had the cannon!  The funny thing was that we could  occasionally hear a response from the other side!

Notice the pretty fog in the distance.

My first night there Susan prepared Maine lobster, of course!
One day we cooked gazpacho and canned pickles!

During the week, Susan and I enjoyed a Girls Day out and made our way to Rockland by way of Moody's Diner in Waldoboro, Maine where we had the traditional lobster roll.

We stopped in Thomaston at the Maine State Prison Store where I bought souvenirs stamped as such. 

The site was used in 'The Shawshank Redemption' book.  However, I learned later the movie was done in Ohio with sets made to look like Maine.  Oh, Hollywood! Once in Rockland we visited the Farnsworth Art Museum where we saw Wyeth (NC, Andrew or Jamie) adorning many walls.  

Later in the week John would join us for a trip to the most magnificent farmers market I have ever seen in Bath, Maine.  I discovered husk tomatoes and corn sprouts!  These folks in Maine have it going on!

I was graced with four days of sun and 3 of fog, making the place quite eerie! A walk in the nearby cemetery....I came across a few headstones that read, "Lost at sea." Oh, my! 

On my last day there, Susan showed me Land's End and Giant's Stairs and McIntosh Lot. 

(www.hhltmaine.org)

The hurricane season was just starting to show in the Northeast.  The water was very choppy making for beautiful splashes.

It was warmer than it looks.

It was a choppy sea that gave big splashes.

Foggy scenes of the island the day before I left.

Lobsterman statue at Land's Ending

This was all of the fall colors I would see.  I returned to Rim Country and found about the same in my own back yard!

Fun fact....Maine has a higher percentage of elderly population than Arizona!

Here is a sampling of Susan Ferraro's fiber art work and space. 

What you cannot see is the three dimensional aspect of her pieces.

She aims to please and you can reach her here: artisancsf@comcast.net

Now, my Maine vacation would come to an end but I got a surprise at the airport.  I volunteered on an overbooked flight and got $$$ for the next adventure!  Follow up with me in a month!!

"Instead of trying to make your life perfect, give yourself the freedom to make it an adventure, and go ever upward." Drew Houston

September 2017

Well, just pinch me.  I have seen Italy!

I joined friends in Rome for a sailing on the Royal Clipper, one of the sailing vessels in the Star Clipper fleet. (www.starclippers.com) It all started with a tease from a fellow sailor of my March 2016 Clipper cruise in the Caribbean. I jumped at the chance to vacation with Susan and John, along with family members, Jim, Margaret, Alice and Jeannie.  I would come to be introduced as an adopted cousin!

I flew out of Phoenix August 30 on a redeye to JFK.  I spent that day with my nephew, Max Baker and significant other, Desiree.

I conquered another bucket list item! We, all three walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.

By late afternoon I had found my way back to JFK for a flight to Dublin.  Because I failed to pack my outlet converter properly, I restricted myself to the airport for the 8 hour layover.  Lots of folks to visit with AND cider to taste....too early for Guinness for me!

My next leg took me from Dublin airport to Rome, arriving late.  Because of the late arrival  I opted for the hotel transportation pick up. 

I was ready for a good night's sleep at the Best Western Universo.  This is a very nice hotel in the heart of the city and only a 3 minute walk from where the rest of the gang was staying.

After breakfast we took a Hop On, Hop Off bus to see the sights of interest. 

We sat outside for lunch and got our arranged bus to Civitavecchia at 3PM.

From L to R: Susan, John, Alice, Patty, Jeannie, Margaret and Jim.

We were all excited to set foot on the Royal Clipper!

We were greeted with a cocktail and light refreshments then led to our rooms.

 

Mine was what I would refer to as a MOLE HOLE, but, hey....I booked a single!
No windows and a very interesting bed.....

We would sail at 10PM with just a few sails up.  The water was CHOPPY!  Sails go up to the music from the movie 1492, a very moving piece.  It's quite the experience to watch the crew get the sails up to this music.  The sea was pretty rough and a lot of the water in the two pools would splash out onto the deck.  A few first timers had a rough night and would be missing at breakfast!

Morning would find us at Ponza, the largest island of the Italian Pontine Islands archipelago. The island is suspected to be the subject of Homer's Odyssey.  As it was Sunday, many shops would close from noon on.  It's charming and has a lot of history.

After dinner entertainment in the bar was a fashion show done primarily with crew, but splashed with some fun guests.

Monday morning found us anchored at Sorrento, Italy. 

It is a lovely coastal town sitting high atop granite cliffs. Others would take an excursion while I would wander about finding I Giardini di Cataldo, a lemon grove complete with Lemoncello stand.

 Tree poles used to limb into the trees.

 Gleaners move from tree to tree using poles.

Found an exhibit of Marc Chagall and photo display of Sophia Loren's work in Italy. This was at a former residence, a charming villa known as Villa Fiorentino Sorrento.

Here is the Chiesa di San Francesco church dating  to 14th century.

I kept walking up, up, up......

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Finally, I would treat myself to a magnificent outdoor lunch of ravioli and red wine at Hotel Minerva.  The stunning views of Bay of Naples held me captive a few hours! If you look closely you can see the Royal Clipper.


The next day, Tuesday would have us traveling through The Strait of Messina about sunrise. Here is John contemplating the view.

It separates mainland Italy from Sicily. 

Now in picturesque Amalfi, Italy Margaret and I would make our way to Museo della Carta Amalfi, a paper museum.

I realize that doesn't sound all that exciting, but it is centuries old and built into the mountain, using natural spring water to run the mill.  The interior is definitely cave like! Almalfi's charm is real and didn't fail in the "WOW" factor.  However, it was definitely a tourist destination and crowds were also very real.

Later that evening those who had sailed with Star Clippers in the past were treated to a champagne reception with the Captain.  I was pretty amazed to see nearly half of those sailing had done so in the past!

Captain Brunon Borowka is from Poland.

The returning crew Patty, Susan and John at Captain's reception.

Wednesday at Taormina, Italy would have me on my first excursion. I took a bus, a tram and off-road vehicle to Mt. Etna, 11,480+ feet.  I was told to bring a jacket and was happy to have one with a hood!  It was cold and windy!! The inhabitants of the area are quite creative with the planning and preserving of the area.  In the 2002 eruption a path for lava was designed by dynamite ahead of time.  The buildings in the area are naturally very sooty looking and the landscape intriguing.

After dinner entertainment was local folklore, "Gruppo Folk Naxos" with traditional dances and music from Sicily.

We arrived Thursday at Lipari, Italy.  Lipari is the largest of the Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea.  My traveling companions and I took a bus trip around the island viewing lovely beaches, a pumice mining area complemented by obsidian.

Refreshments!

Entertainment after dinner would be a funny talent show.  Again, mostly staff but sprinkled with some talent from the guests. Some observant guests would also see the action of Stromboli....a small Italian volcanic island in the Tyrrhenian Sea.  Unfortunately, I would not be among the observing....too much fun!

Friday was a day of rest and relaxation on board as the ship sailed straight back to Civitacecchia.  There would be mast climbing and spa treatments for some.  Me, I enjoyed relaxing in a lounger and taking in the sights of the sea.

 

I bid my travel mates farewell after leaving the ship in Civitavecchia.

I had my last night close to the airport in Fumicino.  I had a leisurely stroll through the city center, taking in the harbor by the Tiber's mouth. 

It was a good thing that I did my walk about when I did as the day I checked out was a miserable and rainy day.  I found the entry to the Best Western Rome Airport to be completely soaked. 

As Hurricane Irma was making news in the US, I took a minute to wonder just how large this hurricane was! It would be the only day of poor weather.  What a blessing!

Part 2 of my September travels soon!


"The winds of God's grace are always blowing.  It is we who need to put up our sails." 
The Bhagavad Gita