Today is a day of getting off earth and planting our feet firmly on the sea. Today we board the Carnival Vista to sail from Athens to Rodes Greece.It will take us a couple of days to get there. In cruise ship time, we have to travel at about 9kts to stay on schedule. So tomorrow will be a relaxing day at sea.

So today goes, up in the morning, coffee, clean up, pack the bags, move to the lobby, check out, get a cab and off to the cruise port. All part of the cruising ritual on a boarding day. Once there, it’s one step at a time. Get in line, go through security, get in line, get pictures taken for ID, go sit for a while, get in line then walk the plank to the ship. Once aboard, we head to the room, dump off our luggage and then head to the Atrium Bar for a sip of something to celebrate the boarding process and talk about our plans for the trip.

After that tradition, we walk to the Lido Deck to have lunch. We caught up with Pete and Iva there and had a good lunch, since we missed breakfast. It’s a wonderful thing to be traveling with these guys. Their laid back comfort is a pleasure to be around and well, Iva, along with Eva and Ava are always in rare form. (Eva and Ava are Iva’s alternate personalities.) We love them all.

So, after lunch, back to the cabin to unpack and get settled, nap and balcony time. Then time for 8:15 dinner. We have a table of eight new people to join us on a ten top round table. Good people, new company, new stories and friendships kindle. We also had a chance to visit shortly with Ken. We’ve sailed with him a few times before and we are looking forward to his singing and the wonderful way he runs his restaurant.

After dinner, Pat headed to the casino to pick up some money and I headed to the room to kick back on the balcony and watch the water pass by with a nice half moon shining down and turning the surface of the sea into diamonds and I knoded in and out in a dream. All was right.

Tomorrow is a day at sea. Sully is playing at the iMax theater, so I think we’ll take a trip to the movies. That’s a first for us, but I’ve wanted to see that movie, so since it’s available here on the ship, it will be an experience to be enjoyed.

I’ve also got a book that I’ve wanted to re-read, Cellini’s Dreamers Highway. Cellini is the street performers, street performer. He passed away a few years ago and is missed by many of us magicians. He was gentle, loving, strong and a classic street performer, taking control of his piece of sidewalk, sharing the magic with respect to himself and his audiences, and laying his hat down for support, which is the way he lived, graciously. So the read will make me smile, again and fill my heart with magic.

Sea day tomorrow…

Paul@CellGrasp.com

http://www.CellGrasp.com