An Opening

Well, looks like next year's vacations plans are solidifying. Jeff and I got an email from Desiree yesterday saying that a spot has opened up on the Paramount Deck for the RSVP Danube River Cruise for next year. It was a quick decision - it was the room we wanted to be in, it just matches, and yes. I was just going to write an email to Jeff when there he was, calling me, telling me we should go ahead and do it. And then we did it. A couple of hours later, we get a confirmation and we are in. It was essentially a quick and painless process. And I never really looked at the ship website before, but I finally did (after booking the cruise, curiously) and now I am doubly excited because it looks like a glamorous ship, and the itinerary looks wonderful and all in all it looks like another trip of a lifetime. But then again, all the trips e take, we make sure they are trips of lifetimes. It will be the very first RSVP for us, and it would be kind of interesting, as we have done Atlantis before and we want to compare and contrast. Will it really be a calmer, more subdued crowd? I guess we will find out in July!

"Now and then it's good to pause in our pursuit of happiness and just be happy."

— Guillaume Appollnaire

Where I Belong

To say the past two weeks has been glorious won't give justice to that word.  This is my last London photograph, this time around. And I say that because I made a statement to Mike and Chris before I left them at Paddington Station - I will live in London. I don't know how, or when, but at some point in my life I will. It is just one of those things I know with certainty. Even Mike agrees that it is a place where I belong - everything in it just suits me, and I can't even explain why. I have always said that there are places where you just click, and London just fits me to a 'T.'  It broke my heart to leave, but I know the Universe has a plan for it and me to be together again.


Reason can answer questions,
but imagination has to ask them.
~ Dr. Ralph Gerard

It Won't Be Photoshopped In Copenhagen

In two weeks, there will be taken pictures of these spots in Copenhagen... and Jeff and I will be in them

PS - It won't be Photoshopped

Planning Mode

I am doing more planning for our Baltic cruise, which is really close now. Two weeks to go! I posted our tours the other day, and thanks to the folks at Cruise Critic boards, we got a great price for four tours. We are playing $399.00 for four tours: two days in St Petersburg, a day in Berlin, and tours of Talinn and Helsinki. That's a fantastic deal, considering NCL charges almost $300 for  just one day in St Pete's.  Sweden is trickier - it's a tender port so people are suggesting we get the on your own tour from NCL which gets us to the center of town, and then everything is apparently within walking distance from there. We'll see, maybe we can spring for a full tour if only for convenience's sake. I mean, we have already saved money, so that may justify a "splurge." But seriously, I am so looking forward to another cruising experience. I need this vacation after all the life-changing experiences I have gone through. It would be nice to get away from it all, to be able to just chill. As much as I enjoyed my NY "fix," it was tiring, and this upcoming cruise promises to be a "real" vacation, so bring it on!

"One is not always happy when one is good; but one is always good when one is happy."
— Oscar Wilde

The Tours

DAY 1    8.00AM-6.00PM

08.00 am Meet at the ship

08.00-10.00 am City sightseeing tour. Subway ride

10.00-11.00 am Drive to Peterhof 

11.00-12.30 pm Walk in the Peterhof Lower fountain park and the Upper gardens

12.30-01.00 pm Lunch at a local place (optional)

01.00-02.00 pm Drive to the Tsars’ Village (summer residence)

02.00-04.00 pm A visit to the Catherine's Palace with the Amber room and a walk in the park

04.00-06.00 pm Drive back to the city. Shopping opportunities 

06.00 pm  Return to the ship or optional evening activities, for example ballet, folklore show or a canal boat ride

DAY  2        9.00AM-5.00PM

09.00 am Meet at the ship

09.30-10.30 am A visit to Peter and Paul's fortress and cathedral

11.00-12.15 pm A visit to the Yusupovs' Palace

12.30-01.15 pm Lunch: traditional Russian meal (optional)

01.30-03.30 pm The Hermitage museum

03.45-04.15 pm Excursion in the Church of Our Saviour on the Spilled Blood

05.00 pm Return to the ship

GERMANY/Berlin Classical tour (12 hr)

7:00am – Pick-up at the ship in Warnemuende

10:00am – Arrival in Berlin / Meet your guide

10:00am to 12:30pm – City sightseeing of (West) Berlin, including the Charlottenburg Palace, the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, the Ku’damm, the Tiergarten and Victory Column, the Reichstag, the Brandenburg Gate, the site of the Hitler Bunker, and the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe (Holocaust Memorial)

12:30pm to 1:30pm – Optional lunch (German meal with a great German beer, if desired)

1:30pm to 4:00pm – City sightseeing of (East) Berlin, including Potsdamer Platz, the Berlin Wall, Checkpoint Charlie, Gendarmentmarkt, Unter den Linden, Bebelplatz (Book Burning Memorial, Humboldt University, State Opera House), Neue Wache Memorial, Museum Island, and Alexanderplatz (TV Tower and Red Town Hall)

4:00pm – Departure to Warnemuende

7:00pm – Arrival in Warnemuende / Return to the ship

NOTE – Times and locations may vary depending on several factors, including when your ship arrivals and leaves, as well as interests of the groups and traffic in Berlin. Also, there is often time at the end of the day for something extra, such as a bit of time for shopping or one museum, as described below.  Please let your guide know what you might be interested in doing.  

ESTONIA/Tallinn walking tour (3 hr) 10.00 am - 01.00 pm

   This tour is a good compromise for those who do not want to stay on the ship and who do not want to walk in Tallinn on his own. You'll be accompanied by a knowlegable and professional English-speaking guide who will be glad to share his or her knowledge of the history and of the every-day life of Tallinn with you. She/he will also give you tips on where to buy great souvenirs, where to eat after the tour ends if you wish to try local food, and will point out the way back to the ship.

   You will meet your guide at 10.00 am before walking from the pier to the gate of the Old Town (15 minute walk). Old Tallinn is neatly divided into two districts: Lower Town and Upper Town (also known as Toompea or Cathedral Hill). During the sightseeing tour of Lower Town you will see the Great Costal Gate, St. Olaf Church, and many merchant houses. You will see and learn about the fortifying walls and towers that surround the city and which in the 16th century made Tallinn's defense system one of the best and most powerful in Northern Europe. You will also get a glimpse at and photo opportunity of the Church of the Holy Spirit (built in 1316). The next part of the tour will take you to the Toompea (the Upper Town), where from its hills you will enjoy a beautiful panoramic view of the Lower Town, its towers and steeples, and picturesque red-tiled roofs. You will stroll through the narrow cobble-stoned lanes to the Dome Church, also known as St. Mary's Cathedral. It is one of the oldest churches in Estonia - originally built 780 years ago (brief optional visit at 1 EUR/person). You will have a brief visit inside of the impressive Russian Orthodox Cathedral of Alexander Nevsky, built in the style of churches in 17th century Moscow and whose interior is full of mosaics. Finally you will descend to visit the Town Hall Square, back in Lower Town, the central intersection of the town's network of cobble-stoned streets and alleys, and have a glimpse at the impressive Gothic Town Hall, completed in 1404. The tour will end on Viru Street by the Viru Gates. Now you have about 4 hours on your own to spend in the old town. If you wish to return to the ship immediately, please let your guide know about your needs and he/she will point out the way back to the ship. 

Notes: This tour involves a lot of walking. Comfortable shoes are highly recommended. Please note that the itinerary is approximate. Some inside visits may not be possible due to privately-booked special events.

FINLAND/Panoramic Helsinki Tour with a vehicle (3 hr)  10.00 am - 01.00 pm

Experience by vehicle a panoramic glimpse of Helsinki, "the White City of the North." You will begin by heading to the city center, passing the Uspenski Cathedral on the way, for a photo-stop at Senate Square, where one can see the elegant Lutheran Church, and the interesting mix of East, West, and simply Finnish influences pervading the city. You will drive down Mannerheim Street, the main boulevard of the city, passing the City Hall, Parliament House, and Finlandia Hall, the convention center designed by famous Finnish architect Alvar Aalto. Continuing on you will see the Olympic Stadium, used for the 1952 Olympic games and the Opera House.  You will stop at Sibelius Park for a unique photo opportunity of the monument of 527 steel pipes honoring the great Finnish composer Jean Sibelius, before continuing on to the famous Rock Church, a one-of-a-kind modern-day structure build entirely into bedrock and quarried stone. Finally head to Central Station - the heart of Helsinki - where the tour will end. You will have the option to stay in the city for dinner or shopping or to return to the ship. 

A Night At The Cosmo

Well, how was your Fourth Of July? I spent mine at The Cosmo. Cosmopolitan Hotel on the Strip, that is. Actually we are still booked till tomorrow but I went home tonight. I figured I did not want to go to work tomorrow coming from there. I might as well go home, sleep in my bed, and rest up for the week ahead. besides, I don't gamble anyway, and they do, so they will have better use of the room over there. It was a pretty good time, and our room had a grand view of the Ceasar's fireworks, and their fireworks were pretty awesome. But i am such a party pooper that I just went straight to bed after, and well, that's just how I am anyway. I walked around Miracle Mile this morning, and got a massage at one of the day spas over there. That was my splurge of the week, I guess. I don't need anything else, simple things and all that. And on to brighter side of things, it looks like I am feeling better, and what do you know, I am starting to smell things again. I can't stand being sick, although I still need to work on my sleeping patterns, but I guess that is business as usual. 

One can never consent to creep
when one feels an impulse to soar.
~ Helen Keller

In August

Well, it's now sealed...our Baltic Cruise in August. Jeff and I made our last payment to NCl today, because Sunday is technically 90 days from our sail date, and this makes us set. This trip starts and ends in Copenhagen, Denmark and stops at Berlin, Germany; Talin, Estonia; St. Petersburg, Russia; Helsinki, Finland; and Stockholm, Sweden.  We were attracted to the very interesting itinerary, and I have never been in any of those places so it should be an eye-opening vacation for me. The ship isn't the newest - Norwegian Sun - but I am sure it's going to be great. Sometimes we are spoiled because for the past couple of years we have only gone to the newest Celebrity ships, but the real deal in this trip for us is the itinerary, and we got the deal of a lifetime, so all systems go. Now on to the plane ticket, but I will just be using miles this time around so I should be fine. I mean, we still have 90 days to go. I cannot wait. I am truly excited.  I really could use a nice vacation just about now, and my back is starting to desperately want a massage. IF I took a holiday, took some time to celebrate, it would be so nice. 

"I am open to the guidance of synchronicity, and do not let expectations hinder my path."

- H.H. the Dalai Lama

Shots In Los Angeles

The Summer 'Fix'

Yesterday afternoon, I finally found it: The Airline Summer Sale, from Southwest Airlines, which will begin to fly to Newark. All other airlines' fares are hovering on the $500 - $600 range, so it was a welcome surprise to find fares from $99 and $129 range each way.  Of course, space is limited and the flights are on the "unpopular" time frames, but who cares. I got a round trip for $280.00, with the fees (By the way, what the hell is the Sept 11 Security fee?) so I thought it was a pretty sweet deal. But first, I needed to check with the office, just in case. I am pretty sure it would not be a problem, but I wanted to ask to be polite. I got the ok, and then got busy, and then we went to dinner last night at South Point, so I just said to myself that I would book the flights when I got home. Cut to: me crying because there were no more seats for those cheaply priced flights. I was quite upset last night, but resigned to the fact that maybe those were really not for me. I read that the sale was supposed to end last night. I went to sleep with tears in my eyes.  Then I woke up this morning pretty much accepted to the fact that I am not going. But then, I searched again, hoping against hope, and what do you know - there they were, the same exact CHEAP flights that I was looking at yesterday. I closed my eyes, and pressed "Purchase," and before you know it, I was sending out this email:

Hey Guys, Gals, Trannies and Hookahs !

Looks like I will be keepin it fab in NYC July 21 - 25. 

(Thank You Southwest Airlines Summer Sale)

If you are getting this email, then you are part of the illustrious

and super-exclusive group of people I wanna see while I am there!

So pencil me in - I wanna see you as the Great Galactic Star 

returns to the soil where she was made famous!

Hope to see ya!

"Treasure your relationships, not your possessions."

- Anthony J. D'Angelo

The Silverton

Two Buffets

At The M

Here I am at the buffet at M Hotel, allegedly the best buffet in Las Vegas!

Things I Learned After My Second Sailing On The Solstice

1. The Solstice, a little more than a year after I sailed her, has lost none of its lustre. The service is impeccable, and the rooms peerless. But, I must say, that the entertainment was horrid. The Cruise Director was ineffective, was nowhere to be found, and was not amusing when he was on. And a big majority of the choices were sub-standard: the jazz singer sang flat, the party band was a singing cliche. I never thought I would say this, but I was almost missing Matt Yee! On a related side note, I hear that Matt is now performing at the new Allure Of The Seas. 


2.  The food was fantastic, as always but I spoke to the Maitre'D and he did say that the menus for all Solstice-style ships are pretty much identical. So even though I love most of the choices (the Lamb Shank done Targine style is yummy as ever) I have tried most of the menu. But then again, I glance at most dishes and still see sa lot that are new to me, and I just end up confusing my own theory. 


3. Whenever I mentioned to someone that I was a past Atlantis cruiser, their eyes light up. No wonder. Apparently,  the crew loves Atlantis cruisers - they say they are most generous, most fun. The gays are tough, but fair. Plus, they make way more money on Atlantis cruises, apparently.  A bartender/server makes $1000+ a week. And how is this for trivia: the most ordered beverage on an Atlantis cruise: Grey Goose. 

It is impossible to be negative
while we are giving thanks.

~ Donald Curtis

London Calling

My allergies are attacking me full-blast right now. Is it the weather, the falling leaves? As I say, even a leaf has a reason for falling....and I have been thinking about London lately. What triggered it first was when I saw "Hereafter," and the movie was partially set in London. One of the characters is a big fan of Charles Dickens, and on a whim decided to take a trip to London to go to the Charles Dickens House/Museum. I thought to myself, that would be an awesome activity to do. Then, I just finished reading the book "One Day," and that, too, was set in London. Aaaargghh - I think the city is sending me a message! I think the last time I was there was in the late 90s, and I have no even been on The Eye yet...so I would say I am due for another visit. London is still one of my favorite cities in the world, and any chance for me to visit would certainly be most welcome. I was speaking with Jeff this evening and he agrees that he is due for a trip there as well, so what do you say? I am claiming this one, for sure: I will be there soon. When London calls, I just gotta answer..YES!


And speaking of... I just started watching WILDE again. It's the 1997 movie which is the biography of Oscar Wilde. I remember vividly seeing this movie years ago, but I think it's so weird that while watching it now on DVD, I scarcely remember anything from it - almost every scene is so new to me, as if I was watching it for the very first time. Is this old age or what? And Jude Law looks so young and fresh here. Remember when he was the next huge thing? 

"He lives the poetry that he cannot write. The others write the poetry that they dare not realize."

- Oscar Wilde