December 8,2025
We docked at 7:00 am, way before we woke.
My first impression? We were looking at an Italian hill town…
It is a joy to begin each morning with a chat with Rex…I love him
So instead of circling “fruit” on the breakfast menu…looks like I circled “waffles with fruit”… yikes!
Timmy helped me out …
We passed through the lobby on our way off the ship…
I asked Tim to hop on the horse for a photo…he said “maybe later”… what has happened to him? He used to be such a good sport…
The Royal Clipper
A kind person did an excellent job with this photo of us 🩷
According to ChatGPT…there’s a small chocolate museum 8 minutes from the port. Direct quote: “It’s a flat, easy walk”. Oh my goodness…neither flat, nor easy…
…this is the not easy part…
…the not flat part…
Not only does the Island resemble an Italian hill town from the ship …it resembles one on land…steep, steep streets 😊…like really steep streets.
After about 15 minutes we arrived at our destination…thank you GoogleMaps…
Such an adorable venue.
Interesting bits of history…makes me want to do more research.
If you look closely, I’m pretending to grind the cacao beans…I was so authentic …a visitor began asking me questions about the various grades of chocolate…
Such a cool place…we loved it.
We bought ginger chocolate and 70% cacao…
Leaving the museum, we made our way to the Inner Harbor…dodging traffic and walking carefully… we are traveling in the season of mindful footing…
The Inner Harbor is an absolute delight…chock full of fishing boats and commerce that supports them.
Apparently the Hubbard family has a real presence here…
We walked along hoping to find a cafe or restaurant …
…as this is not a tourist area…no cafes…so Timmy found a shady spot
After a brief rest, we continued our walk, enjoying the activity and really cool boats…
…avoiding trip hazards…
My favorite photo…
I wish I’d begun taking pics of Hubbard’s enterprises signs at the start of our walk…there were at least two others.
Heading back to the ship, we took a slightly different route…similar steep streets, similar uneven surfaces.
We stopped on one particularly steep hill and as Timmy rested on these steps, this very friendly man stopped to chat. He was delightful- retired from “the tourist trade”. I asked his name and for a photo with Timmy. After several minutes Preacher was on his way and we continued along too.
…going up…
…going down…working off the waffle.
Back at the terminal we finally found some postcards…
I had to take this photo of the sign…what I really wanted was for Tim to climb up on the “N” …just SIT on it…not STAND on it…when he demurred… I said “I hope you’re not turning into a crank in your old age”. True story.
More pics of the Royal Clipper…isn’t she a beauty?
We made it back in time for lunch…I love that Serenity keeps Marketplace open till 2:00.
On the pool deck writing our postcards…most likely we’ll be home before the Bugs receive them…
We took a mini gelato break …
…then I decided to do some laundry…
… deck 10 laundry closed, so I headed to deck 11 and learned a whole new system.
…time on our balcony sorting through photos and reading…
I was there to see the pilot boat leave and hear Louis sing…
Timmy joined me for half a minute…
That’s the Club Med II
We had drinks in the Cove…it was sparsely occupied from 7:40-8:00…we were so busy chatting with Adam, that I forgot to snap a quick pic…oh well.
Here’s Rafael sharing photos of his new son…what a beautiful child…like really beautiful.
A serious discussion with John about our wine choices…
Thomas and Deniz…a wonderful team. We love them.
Joseph, Serenity’s newest Sommelier…
There really are no words to describe the expertise and experience that John Arias brings to the Sommelier team…it’s wonderful watching him mentor Joseph.
Slainte!
Swordfish carpaccio
Egg cooked for one hour with potato foam
Duck consume’ with duck spring rolls and Merlot gelee
The yummiest corn and chicken salad…ever
This wine, right here…amazing…as soon as I tasted it, it became my new favorite …once again…Sangiovese grapes for the win. ♥️ I am nothing, if not predictable.
One of the joys of dining later…time for friends to pop by.
Swordfish and roasted vegetables…plus I added some quinoa.
Sweet and sour pork with jasmine rice and bok choy.
As the night was winding down, Amenla stopped by…we reminisced about a Vintage Room many moons ago with Tilmar. IYKYK
Okay, so I usually have a frozen yogurt…but the grand Marnier soufflé is my favorite Waterside dessert.
Timmy choose the apple trifle.
…the perfick end to our day…
It was close to 10:00 when we left…too late for the 9:45 Comedy show …two rules when attending Comedy shows: 1. Never sit in the front row. 2. Never enter the theater even 30 seconds late.
As we said good night, I was relieved to note that there were still several other tables occupied with happy diners. (My only rule for any dining venue on board: Do not be the last guests to leave.)
Today is the anniversary of John Lennon’s death, and every year it still hits a tender place. I was only 29 when he was killed, but it felt like the death of my youth—like someone had suddenly taken away a piece of the world I grew up in. For years I couldn’t listen to his music without weeping. For those of us who came of age in the ’60s, his voice wasn’t just music; it was a compass, a comfort, and a reminder of who we hoped we could be. His loss was traumatic then, and it still echoes now. My favorite quote of his: “Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end”.
So a day of walking, a lovely meal and John Lennon still somewhere in the soundtrack. Thanks for following along. 🩵🩵🩵
