Note to Readers:

Like any travel, journeying inward provides unexpected pleasures in about equal measure with painful discoveries. Writing has always been my way of expressing my inner self and securing a place for important experiences in my memory. This blog will include some antiques worth re-considering, some pieces written intially for only one reader and new reflections on my world as it continues to unfold.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Cruising....#1


Cruising is such an odd way to travel. The elaborate design of the cruise ship creates a world within which we are encapsulated in luxury and comfort. Three tier dining rooms, and ice rink with a show (!), a room steward neatening up after us three times a day, entertainment and activities to suit every taste. A total disconnect is created with our real world selves (much needed by some) but unfortunately also from most of the hordes of people around us. Cruise lines have gone for bigger and bigger ships, so they’ve become a city afloat, and like a city, individuals become anonymous faces


in the crowd. I suspect it would be a wonderful way to travel with a group of family or friends, but as a couple, it’s actually hard to find others to interact with beyond the random dinner partners assigned to our table. For that reason I requested a large table hoping to meet a bunch of other people,only to have a mix up at last minute that sat us at a table for 6 with only two others in residence. An elderly mother with COPD and her adult son. They were lovely to talk to, but not what we’d hoped for in sharing our interests or wanting to join us for activities. Those we did meet on excursions seemed to be either younger folks headed to more active sites in a group of friends, or older travelers who complained when their every need wasn’t instantly accommodated.





I enjoyed the relaxation, the visits to ports, the time to read in a lounge chair undisturbed, and the time spent with Terry in conversations we never have time to share at home, but parts of this trip made me nostalgic for camping and for bed and breakfast inns where everyone talks to everyone else….a very different type of travel indeed. I returned rested and relaxed, but wishing I’d had more time in some places and more people who’d left an impression. More on those who did....in another entry.

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