WEDNESDAY, JUNE 26th AT SEA. And THURSDAY, JUNE 27th, 2013. NAPLES, ITALY

So, today at sea we will round the southern coast of Greece across the Ionian Sea and later tonight well round the southern coast of Italy and head up between Sicily and Italy through the Messina Straits toward Naples. We're quickly coming to the end of our odyssey.

Finished laundry and have pieces hanging all over my room. Went to choir but late and stayed in the back. I just had a funny feeling that the weeps would take over and I didn't want to embarrass myself or anyone who might misunderstand. Sometimes it's just the lyrics of a song, or other times it's a chord that just sounds ethereal or a chord that brings an old or new memory to the forefront.

But I suspect this time it's because I'm leaving in the midst of a commitment that I really enjoyed. Sure, there were cranky people from time to time, but in the end it's about something else entirely ...maybe it's our common goal of performance that drives us to try harder, to focus more, and work more diligently...to please each other and Alana and Alan. I think maybe when at sea for a certain length of time our sense of self changes a bit and music aids that correction in a good way. It also reaches our pleasure place and can even give giggles, like hearing Purple People Eater after umpteen years!

THURSDAY, NAPLES

In the morning, JM called and we met Alana and Alan and walked the city a bit, stopping to discover one of the modern wonders of the world...coffee and chocolate Naples style! What a joy to move through the busy morning traffic and just enjoy each others company! Sunny morning, light breezes, outdoor cafe, folks rushing to work, our chocolate delights! But JM was due to organize the confusion for the afternoon excursions and he needed to get back, so we scampered back to Mother Ship and prepared to launch ourselves on our very last tour...this time to Herculaneum and a chance to see and understand the volcanic devastation.

While Pompeii had 20,000 residents, Herculaneum had a mere 4,000. That meant our area to cover was much, much less and the day was lovely, so it was a pleasure to feel the breezes and hear the birds ...I guess I miss our birds! The city is in the middle of Naples, surrounded by apartment buildings and some greenery and gardens and lots of colorful flowers. Hovering over it is, of course, Mt Vesuvius. It was amazing to see all the mosaics and frescos and how fresh some parts look after more than 2000 years. JM took hundreds of pictures and I took a few too...see below.

We got back to the ship and started our packing although neither of us was in the mood for the task. We stopped after eight for a quick dinner and headed to Crooners for some relaxing music. Back to pack more, and back to Crooners to end the night. Shared some wine and champagne, chocolate and other sweets then said goodbyes half heartedly. The day was a brilliant one to remember.