Thought about setting up a blog again, WordPress was not user friendly as a Blogger account, remembered that I had created a blog many years ago, March 2012, almost thirteen years ago. When I managed to find it, I was surprised that it was still up, but not running. When I reread it I thought what was I on, was I drunk, depressed or simply down [but not out].
I have decided not to delete, modify the posts but leave them as they are as a message to myself, not to be a such a Pratt.
Well, that was my thoughts, now what have I done over the past ten years?
Well, I am ten years older, 75 [and wiser?] so in theory I
have got 2 more years before I am in extra time, or 7 years if my revised
figure of 75 +/- 10% is right. But after losing three close friends along the
way, I believe that the time has come to live every day as your last, one day
it just might be.
I have had two decent holidays a Christmas cruise from Genoa
to Naples and on to Messina before heading across the Mediterranean and out
into the Atlantic bound for the Canaries. As we passed out into the Atlantic
and turned left [or should that be south] the weather started to warm up and
the roof over the pool was pulled back.
We had a visit to Funchal in Madeira, nice town, but hilly,
is was hilly some 20 years or so earlier but we were 20 years or so younger,
but still nice to visit, this time we had afternoon tea at the Reid’s. We then
headed to Las Palmas, Gran Canarias, were we took the option of a bus tour of
the island.
On leaving the Canaries we headed for Casablanca, in Morocco
[unusual destination for a Christmas cruise] again we chose the bus and walking
tour of Casablanca. Which was the old town Market and the Hassan 2 Mosque [on
of the largest Mosques in Africa] then back to the ship. The view from the ship
was overlooking the Casablanca container port.
Then back to Gerona, making one last stop at Barcelona,
always a good place to visit. I wonder if they will ever finish the La Sagrada
Familia? Then on to Genoa and the flight back home.
We had a holiday in Inverness and let the train take the
strain, traveling as far north a Thurso/Wick East as Aberdeen, west as Kyle of
Lochalsh and paid a visit to Eilean Ban and the Gavin Maxwell cottage [Ring of
Bright Water] if anyone can watch the film and not have a lump in their throat
must have a heart of stone. Also, south as far as Perth, a good weeks break and
all done by train and a five day Scotrail pass.
Then we did a cruise from Southampton a cruise around the Bay
of Biscay, visiting La Corona, Bilbao and La Rochelle before heading back to
Southampton.
As we had developed a taste for cruising, we celebrated our
forty years of wedlock by doing a 40-day cruise from Southampton to the
Caribbean visiting La Corona [again] on the way before setting out across the
Atlantic making land fall at Basseterre on St Kitts and followed the crowd and
picked up the tourist train that goes all around the Island.
Then onto Castries on St Lucia, short walk to town from the
cruise terminal very laid back, no pressure. Not scenic, but good people.
Then onto Aruba, Holland by the Caribbean, an Island not
very lush or green and more like a suburb of the US of A then the Caribbean.
But clean, if touristy, a bit like the US Virgin Islands, and a short walk to
facilities.
Then on to Montego Bay on Jamaica, were we moored off-shore
and then ferried in by the ships lifeboats, Dropped of at a shopping area with
sanitised shacks selling souvenirs, but little else, tried to leave the
terminal [gated area] we wanted to see a floating Jamaican restaurant
[recommended by friends] but the security guard would not allow us to leave the
compound, unless we used a bus/Taxi? Maybe she thought we would get mugged all
the other islands were not a problem.
Then on to Cozumel, a small island just of the coast of
Mexico, [was commandeered by the US In WW2 who built the runway. Laid out much
of the town and provided modern facilities, many US pensioners fly down and
winter, a laid-back place. But ferries to the mainland Playa del Carma [about a
1.5hr trip] then a bus trip to Tulum to see the Mayan ruins plus we had an hour
or so in Playa del Carman before we caught the ferry back to Cozumel.
Then on to New Orleans for a three day stay, on the way we
had to do some manoeuvring [ turn to port, then starboard, slow down and speed
up] this was to satisfy the US Coastguards that we had not been hijacked, strange
people the Americans. The boat moored at the cruise terminal right in the
centre of New Orleans, for all of us [inc the ship’s crew to clear the US
customs and immigration] not a problem but it took us 2 hours to pass customs.
But as I said right in the middle of down town New Orleans, not far from the
French Quarter. That was the good news, the bad news was the boat had to sail
back down the river to moor up. Not a big deal only about 1.5 miles to the
French Quarter along a fairly well-lit promenade, or a ten-minute taxi ride
back.
Had a great stay, good music, decent food, still think
Americans are strange people, but friendly and do speak English which is a
bonus.
Said goodbye to New Orleans, but would like to come back one
day, spend a few days then take a bus to Nashville. But the boat had other
plans, it was bound for Key West. Interesting place to look around. But very,
very touristy and very, very expensive, but for all that nice to see.
Next port of call was Port Everglades and a look at Touristy
Florida, probably the cruise capital. A local bus rude to the beach a few beers
and then back to the boat.
Next port of call was to port Canaveral and the Space
centre, always great to spend a day then back to the boat and overnight to Charleston,
a totally different side of America, quaint historical buildings slow pace of
life very much deep south and you certainly know which side Charleston
supported in the US civil war and it was not the north.
So, of we went bidding Charleston and the US goodbye and
heading of into the Atlantic back to Southampton, but with a stop at Ponte Delgada
in the Azores. As the boat docked next to town centre, we had a good look
around. All in all a good way to spend a fortieth wedding anniversary.
Then the dreaded Covid pandemic and things went on hold.
Christmas and New Year thoughts
Thoughts from sun kissed Bali, how do they celebrate Christmas? Indonesia is mainly Muslim, but Bali seems to be more mixed. Many people say that Christmas is where it is in the year because, we had winter celebrations after the winter equinox and spring is now on the way. Which is probably true, up to a point, better a modification, then to try to ban something that is popular. But does it really matter.
The Romans had Saturnalia in December. The Greeks had Dionysus, which the Romans changed to Bacchus. God of wine, fertility, and rebirth. Throw in the Roman God Janus and the Greek God Orthros [these are my favourites] Janus is depicted as being two faced and Orthros as a two headed dog. Some of the Janus busts show the same face looking different ways, or the face of a youth looking one way and a much older man looking the other way. What doe it symbolise? A youth looking forward to the future [full of ideas, plans and still not disillusioned], and an old man, his past behind him looking back to his past life. [was it a good life, a wasted life, did he achieve anything worthwhile] Or what most of us do now, simply look back on 2022 and think will 2023 be any different, or better. Then we come to Orthros, the two headed dog, or even Janus with the same face on both sides. Could it be a modern depiction of our two-faced politicians, or the political system.
But whether, you call it Christmas, Midwinterfest [the PC version] or Saturnalia, Dionysus, Bacchus it was a useful exercise. It brought people together [at that time a small, dispersed population] which achieved two things.
1] People knew, winter was coming to an end and spring planting, lambing was not far off. They knew what food stocks they had to feed both themselves and their livestock. Young healthy animals the basis of replenishing the livestock was kept, whilst the surplus was culled and eaten and shared out, it was winter and meat did not go off so quickly [No freezers in those days and sharing meant if you shared with others when you had a surplus, they may share with you in the future]
2] People meeting together meant the bonds of friendship was renewed, as communal farming and hunting was the norm. Not to ignore, that families within the area would form relationships, widening the gene pool and closer relationships within the tribe would develop, useful insurance against other tribes.
That is why we have festivals in the northern areas of the world, were we can see the seasons change. How does a country like Bali, on the equator, with little seasonal changes mark the change of year.
It does so with a mix of ideas, most people in Bal or of Hindu faith, who have many deities. Bali is also a tourist destination [so a money making area for Indonesia, so it is left pretty much alone to do its own thing] it also many temporary residents who stay for a few months, try to live cheaply and quietly to recharge both the spiritual and temporal bank accounts before moving on elsewhere.
