So Far Behind...

Since I can't sleep due to mosquitos, I thought I might as well try & be productive. I haven't blogged in so long, I don't really know where/how to start. I told myself I wasn't going to spend so much time on a personal blog, but rather focus on my photography. Of course, that meant I would work through the Photoshop book so I would be a wizard at editing all those wonderful images. Naturally, that hasn't happened. So, I won't give you a play by play, but I'll try to give a Reader's Digest version of the past few months. It may be choppy & a little disorganized, but then, so is my life!


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The last I blogged, Jaco & I were still in South Africa. I had decided to go to Europe for 10 days on my own. Jaco had waited a VERY long time for his new passport. Home Affairs took so much sweet time, that he wouldn't have time to make his flights to the ship, since he still needed to apply for a visa. My flights had been booked previously & to change them last minute to fly to Gibraltar would have been very costly. So, we decided that I would go off on a little adventure of my own.


Two days before my flight, I picked up a few rough guides - one for Italy & one for France - and booked a rental car. I also booked the first two nights of accommodation at Camping Fabulous just outside Roma. Beyond that, no plans were made. Yikes!


We bought a cell phone on the way to the airport and a GPS in Dubai during a 10 hour layover. (I thought it would have been fun to see Dubai with Jaco. Never again.) Speaking of Dubai. Man, I just gotta say it. I just don't get this whole 'drape yourself in fabric' thing. I mean, seriously? How is it that the men are able to wear white & only 2 towels in some cases (one around the waist & one around the shoulders) and the women have to wear black & cover every last inch of skin. Hull-oh? The desert is hot. The sun is intense. Black vs. white? Someone's getting the raw end of the deal. I'm all for equality. I don't handle suppression well. I was so uncomfortable being in that airport. Say what you want, but I'll take my Western freedoms any day. And besides, if it's so wonderful to live life in a sheet, why are they all coming to the Western World? (Sadly enough, still in their bedsheets!)


Anyhow, I better hush up before someone gets the wrong idea. One last thing... I see that Quebec is the first in Canada to approve a burqa ban. Of course, the article was written over a year ago!


Happily out of Dubai, I landed in Roma. I had been there before, so I planned on only spending one day there. It was a full day! I managed to see the Colosseum, St. Peter's, the Spanish Steps, Trevi Fountain, the Pantheon, and yes, my feet were sore by the end of the day!


I picked up the rental car the next morning. I had rented a sub-compact car, as I wanted trunk space to keep my suitcases out of sight from would-be thieves. The car company didn't do a walk around with me, just handed me the keys & sent me to the parking area. I didn't recognize the brand of car - Astra - and as I walked through the parkade, I spotted a station wagon. Oh please no! My first time driving in Italy, I wasn't feeling ready for a big car in crazy traffic! I hit the unlock button on the key chain & sure enough, the lights on the station wagon winked back at me! Great! I got along fine with the beast. Well, after the GPS & I got acquainted. 


Our first 20 minutes leaving the airport & getting onto the Autostrada around Roma was a challenge. I felt like I was in an episode of The Office, as the GPS sent me on the wrong exit! I was going in the wrong direction! Towards Naples! I had visions of standing in my underclothes with nothing in my hand but the rental car keychain! 


I managed to get turned around & headed towards Firenze. The traffic was a little hectic. Three lanes. Far left is 130 km/h. Middle lane is 90 km/h. Far right is 60 km/h. God bless you if you need to pass someone! The drivers also like to straddle the lanes. They are apparently as indecisive about lanes as I am about which lip gloss colour I should get!


I parked outside of Firenze & took the train in. I wasn't going to brave city parking on my first day! I climbed the 400+ steps up the Bell Tower at the Duomo, had gelato on the Ponte Vecchio, hunted down my favourite boot shop & told them where my last pair had traveled to (didn't buy a new pair, fyi!), and then headed out of the city to try & catch a Tuscan sunset. 


The sunset was incredible, but no chance I could find a spot to pull off the road & shoot it! ARGH! And then, I was left in the dark to try & find my accommodation for the evening. 


I think I'll leave it at that for now...


xxxx Maria & Valentina

Day 113 - Montserrat Erupts & I Clean the Kitchen

I woke up at 0645 to bright lights & silence. Mom was up & at it & had every light in the house on. She was no where to be seen. She was at the other end of the house in her bathroom. I stumbled into the kitchen half awake & proceeded to start turning off lights until I made it back to my bedroom in darkness. Last week I told her to remember to turn out her office light when she leaves, in order to save power. I'm not sure. Maybe this is some sort of reverse psychology on living green.


In any case, I saved power until the late morning when I finally got up. My neck has been kinked the past two mornings. I'm not sure why, perhaps Valentina has me doing tricks in the middle of the night. :o)


I managed to clean the kitchen & sort out some paperwork. I called the bank to try & organize a few things, but the lady on the phone got nosy about my trip to Mexico & 20 minutes later, she learned her lesson to never ask personal questions if she's on a limited time schedule! :o) We had a few good laughs, although she didn't help my finances any!


I called a few friends today & had a wonderful chat with my friend Joanne. She is doing really well on her program & I am so happy for her! She is spending this coming Christmas in Dubai with her daughter, who recently married & now lives there. I told her Jaco wanted to spend Christmas in SA, so perhaps on my flight over I could stop in Dubai for a few days & see her! How fun would that be! Joanne has this incredible talent of making me laugh gut-wrenchingly hard. I don't know how she does it, but every time we chat, it happens. 


Today was shot no. 6. Yes, I missed a day. Yesterday was late all around & I'm paying for it today. My throat is tickling & my nose is running. Let's hope I nip it in the bud! In any case, that leaves me with only 5 shots to go! Yay!


Oh, yesterday I forgot to mention, along with my email from Jaco with the CV, I also received an email from my friend Ami. Ami was my roommate when I worked on the Coral Princess. When we met, it was a total Forrest Gump scene when I boarded the bus to go to the ship. All the seats were taken until I got to Ami. I asked if the seat next to her was taken & we were inseparable from that moment on! Ami & I used to go to the gym on a regular basis & one day I was running on the treadmill next to her & when my 20 minute stint was up, I said I was finished. She asked how far I went & I said 1.5 mi (or so).  She said, 'WHAT? You're going to quit now? But you're so close!'
'So close to what?'
'5K!'
'No, I'm only 1.5.'
'No, Silly! 3.12 is 5K!'
'Really?' I asked in disbelief.
'Yeah!'
'Oh!'


So I popped the treadmill back on & did my first ever 5K run! I was so proud! I felt such a sense of accomplishment! Ami was the first (& only) person to ever get me running. Why did I tell you all this? Well... This is the email she sent me. I'm still a puddle when I read it...

Hi cutie,

I'm running in a 10k in May in support of cancer research and I was wondering if you would be okay with me putting 4 Jill C on my shirt because I would like to run in honor of you and your fight. I'm so proud of you and how strong and brave you are and that you have stuck to your guns in regards to your treatment. Even if your name is not on my shirt I'll still be thinking of you while I'm running and using you as inspiration to get me to the finish line. Let me know what you think and let me know how you are doing. 

X

Ami

Needless to say, I've never had anyone do anything like this for me before. I feel absolutely floored. I don't stop to think of myself as doing anything out of the ordinary. I guess I feel like everyone out there who has the same thing as I do would be doing all the same things as I am! The research, the questioning, contacting survivors & trying all sorts of crazy things to make life work! I am speechless, but as far from emotionless as I have ever been! Wow. Thank you Ami - you have no idea how much this means to me!


I also heard from Jaco. Twice. I had checked his flight departure time when I got up & thought I'd already missed him. But then he called about 2 hours later. Apparently the volcano on Montserrat was erupting & the visibility was affecting flights out of Barbados. His flight got canceled. He was now on a flight at 2100 this evening. Then he calls me at 2200. That flight got canceled & he's now stuck at the airport until tomorrow morning! Poor fella! He hardly slept the night before, he won't sleep tonight & he can't sleep on a plane & he has a good 24-30 hr journey home! Worst of all, because his flights were canceled, instead of flying business class, where he could try to sleep, he's been bumped to economy! I think he needs a good luck travel charm!


Speaking of travel... I'm such a nerd! I put the new 'Who's Online?' thing on the blog & I'm so excited! I've had people all over the States, Canada, England, Norway (!), & Africa check out the blog! Yes, I know, it doesn't take much to amuse me! Thanks for giving it a read!


Alright, I'm sure there is more news I am forgetting, but I'm pooped & need to get some shuteye. Have a wonderful weekend & feel free to update me on the Olympics... I don't have TV out here & I would love to know the scoop! (Not the bad news though - I already heard that!) Go Canada Go! 


Love & Gold Medal Hugs,
Maria & Valentina
xoxoxoxoxoxoxox


No pictures from today, so here's a few from SA last April. Enjoy!

Henko, Jaco's Nephew, in his new Flames jersey!

What a handsome man! I'm so lucky!

Our B&B on a citrus grove near Addo, South Africa

Grenadilla blossom