TO: List@mborsuk.com

DATE: Thursday, 13 May 2004

 
Hi,

I'm back in Boulder. Amazing how the overseas flights seem to get longer. Arrived home at 10 pm last night after getting up at 5:30 am Rome time. Long 26 hours of continuous traveling. Well, lots of sitting.

Thanks to all who e-mailed me during the 24 day cruise, Barbados to Rome. It was great to keep in touch. Trip was great, especially the continuous 7 day crossing from St. Lucia to Madeira. Passenger count on first leg was only 137 mostly long time repeaters, all with smiles during the wonderful sea days. Maybe due to there being 275 crew members to serve us. Nice to see so many familiar faces, and all of them with smiles. Crossing was smooth seas and warm weather.

I will be putting up a picture album. Here's a few pix, of me. Album will be more scenic. Due to some requests, I've attached to this e-mail my "trip reports" during the cruise. (file: trip-reports.htm attached). Had a lot of fun writing them and keeping in touch.

Hope to talk to all of you soon.

Mike

 
Cabo Girao cliffs, Madeira Portugal. Highest ocean cliffs "in Europe" guide said although island is closer to Africa than Europe
 
Sorrento Italy with Silver Whisper about to sail into my ear and Vesuvius in background. Pompeii is behind my hat. Mountain didn't go off for me. I was bummed.
 
Notice I'm NOT trying to hold up a poorly built structure--somewhere in Italy I believe. Picture taken day before yesterday.
 
This morning back to pop tart and a cable bill. Notice snow on deck and 32 degrees F on May 13th! Bummer.
 
 
Below is a "bonus" picture prior to my editing down my 300 trip pictures and making an on-line photo album. It's from a week long street fair in Seville. This is an annual event for the locals only, but our tour guide let us walk through. Many of the citizens of Seville Spain dress up and ride horses to essentially an dining event--1000 temporary restaurants (that's a thousand, really) each sponsored by a family or business. The Sevillians know what's important. Note the traditional 1850s garb with the horsemen drinking beer and the horsewoman talking on her cell phone. Modern telecommunications in action!
 

 

People must have been taller in the old days. Notice old anachronistic door bell at right below. (At new Picasso Museum in Malaga).