2009 Caribbean cruise - Orlando

We didn't think we would be able to afford a cruise during 2009, but Ralph found a good deal on a seven-day cruise out of Port Canaveral to the east Caribbean islands of the Bahamas, St. Thomas and St. Marteen. We had been to all those ports before but it had been a long time and we just wanted to relax by cruising again.
On Friday, Dec. 4, we flew to Orlando via Chicago, leaving at 6a SF time and arriving in Orlando about 6:30p. During the flight, Ralph broke out in a skin rash on his hands that kept getting worse. So once we checked in at the Hyatt Regency Grand Cypress hotel, we asked at the front desk for a nearby clinic. There was a place called Critical Care just around the corner, so we drove there. The staff was very helpful, but the two doctors who examined Ralph said his rash was beyond their ability to accurately diagnose or treat so they referred us to the nearest hospital.
Celebration Health was just a few miles away and the facility was very nice. A nurse examined him upon intake and agreed that he should be examined by a staff doctor. Within 20 minutes, they took Ralph and I to a hospital bed where a very smart doctor quickly examined him. While we were in the waiting room, Ralph's regular doctor called and said the rash might be caused by an allergic reaction to his standing meds, but the ER doctor disagreed.
A blood draw was ordered and an IV was inserted in Ralph's arm because he was a bit dehydrated. Then we just waited while blood draw was analyzed. Finally, the doctor returned and said the results showed that Ralph had an allergic reaction to something they could not pinpoint. She ordered injections of Benadryl and another antihistamine to counter the allergic reaction. Those meds made Ralph sleepy so he slept while I sat and monitored his vitals.
After an hour, the doctor returned and examined Ralph's hands. The blisters had gone down considerably so she discharged Ralph and prescribed Bendryl. We had arrived at the emergency room at 8p and left at 3a. Ralph slept until 11a on Saturday.
We had planned to go to Disney World, but there was no time and the weather was rainy and cold so we stayed around the hotel except for a visit to Mrs. Williams. Our hotel room was quite nice and the shower was enormous with a rain shower fixture. I just loved it as you can see from this photo that Ralph took.
From our room, you could see the lagoon around the hotel which looked great except for the bad weather.
The lobby was decorated with a huge Christmas tree which seemed a little odd in a place like Florida which probably never gets snow. There was also lots of Chinese sculptures and artwork which was just gorgeous.
Ralph slept most of the day while I explored the hotel and watched a little TV. We also had internet access, which we enjoyed very much.
By that evening, Ralph felt well enough to go to dinner so we went to Oceanaire, a seafood restaurant that I found in advance of our trip. It was hard to find, but it was very, very good. The waiter was friendly and excellent, the decor was beautiful and the food was delicious. On the waiter's recommendation, we ordered a mixed corn side dish which was very tasty. Of course, I tried to figure out how it was made so I could duplicate it at home. All in all, we were very happy with the place.
After that late dinner, we just went back to the hotel where Ralph went back to sleep and I watched TV and surfed the Internet.

Touring Italy

Once we disembarked from our cruise ship in Venice, we began our road tour of Italy.

Ralph and Philip's wedding - Our latest journey

On Saturday evening, Nov. 1, 2008, Ralph and I were legally wed in a mixed civil-religious ceremony at Terra Gallery in San Francisco before about 70 dearly loved family members and friends.
Ralph and I had a commitment ceremony in October 1997, but when the California Supreme Court ruled that gays and lesbians could legally marry too, we jumped at the chance to renew our vows and solidify our relationship. Because the court's ruling made our marriage possible, we prominently displayed a copy of the court's opinion, personally signed by Chief Justice Ronald M. George, alongside a photo taken on our recent Caribbean cruise.
It was rainy outside on Nov. 1 so we delayed the start of the ceremony until 6:30 p.m. to allow more time for guests to arrive. Virtually everyone arrived by that time.
Then our joint "bestest man," James Goldsmith of Brussels, began seating our family members and honored guests, starting with Ralph's aunt Ruth Norman of Chicago; Mrs. Jonelle Williams of South Carolina, the best friend of Ralph's deceased mother; Ralph's sister Joyce Norman of Maryland; and Philip's sister Alma Carrizosa of Pacifica. Ralph's other sister, Madeline Lindsey-Forde of North Carolina, was seated by her husband, Garth Forde, and their children, Cameron and Anika.
Then Ralph and I processed in and stood on a circular platform before retired Court of Appeal Justice Joanne Parrilli, a good friend of Philip's. Justice Parrilli, who conducted the civil ceremony perfectly, opened with a warm welcome and convocation. Our chosen colors were gold and cream, which were reflected in the decorations, ranging from the curtains to the lighting.
Our good friend, Deacon Jerry DiNoto of Palm Springs conducted the religious portion, reading two prayers we chose.
Perhaps the most moving part of the ceremony was Ralph and Philip's personal vows to each other. Each of us wrote our vows, which recalled how we met in 1995, grew to love each other, cared for each other in times of sickness and loss and thanked God for giving us to each other. We then exchanged rings as Justice Parrilli read the official vows. Our rings are simple gold bands with a raised infinity symbol, signifying that we love each other forever and ever.
We then each took two thin candles and used them together to light a large center candle, symbolizing our union. As we did, our pianist, Kevin McHugh of Oakland, played the Bach-Gounod version of the "Ave Maria," a song that Philip's mother used to sing in our church choir.
Justice Parrilli led the guests in a community vow to support our marriage and reminding everyone that they are now part of our family.
Deacon DiNoto then led a blessing of our marriage, draping a white and gold stole around us as our guests extended their hands in blessing over us.
Justice Parrilli then declared us "spouse and spouse for life" and everyone cheered!
Thereafter, our guests were served tasty hors d'oeuvres and beverages while we all mingled and visited.
In a few minutes, the curtains were parted to expose the rest of the gallery where a beautiful wedding cake designed by Ralph sat on blocks of ice in the center of the room. The cake was a series of off-set squares and topped with our initials, "R" and "P," was repeated at the corners of the ice blocks. The white cake was separated by layers of chocolate and strawberries and coated with marzipan frosting.
To the left was a scrumptious buffet dinner of shrimp, chicken, fish, salad and roasted potatoes and encircling the wedding cake were circular tables for guests to enjoy their meal and each other's company. Many people had never met before or had not seen each other in a long time, but united by their community vow, they socialized very, very well.
Once people were finished, Ralph and I cut the cake and sparking wine and sparking apple cider was served.
While guests enjoyed dessert, Ralph and I returned to the wedding platform where our photographer, Jeff Petry of San Mateo, took some formal photos.
Our guests told us that they were deeply moved by our ceremony and truly enjoyed the meal and beverages as well as the location, which is atop Rincon Hill overlooking downtown San Francisco.
More photos will be posted as we get them from Jeff Petry and friends, so we will let you know when they are available for viewing.
We appreciate everyone's good wishes and welcome your comments.

Philip and Ralph

Last stop - Croatia!

On Friday, Oct. 12, we sailed into Split, Croatia. None of us knew much about Croatia except that it was once part of Yugoslavia until it gained its independence in 1991. We would have liked to have seen more of the country, but we were on a mission.
Northeast of the city is the Krka National Park. It is famous for its waterfalls and knowing of Ralph's love for waterfalls and fountains, it was a must-see. The bus ride was fairly long, but well worth it.
The falls are formed by a series of travertine falls that run down the 73-kilometer length of the Krka River, broken up by deep blue lakes. During the summer, the pools below the falls are popular swimming spots, but in October, the water is too cold.
As we approached the falls, we came across several small produce stands where residents sold pomegranates, candied nuts, dried fruit and the like at a pretty fair price. We could not resist, bought several goodies and continued walking.

The park was not crowded at all, so we could set our own leisurely pace. The guide left us on our own to explore which gave us a great deal of freedom.
The falls were delightful - not that tall, but full and bubbling with gushing water. And there were fish floating around in the ponds that seemed quite happy. Ralph was in heaven! I took several pictures, but Ralph has better ones.

A series of stone and wooden bridges allowed you to cross over various parts of the river and see the various pools of water and falls at different angles. It was quite a long walk, but leisurely so we all enjoyed it.

I fell asleep on the bus ride back to Split. Back in the city, we went in search of Croatian ties which are said to be world-famous, but we didn't find the shop we wanted. Croatia is said to be the home of the necktie which were discovered by the French and claimed as their own.
Although we didn't find the tie shop, James and Ralph found a very nice pastry shop and we all got something good and sweet.
That afternoon, I went back to the solarium while the guys napped. Then James and I went for massages. Ralph had gone the day before and convinced James to get a hot stone massage while I opted for a lime-ginger scrub followed by a back, neck and shoulder massage. The masseuse was quite good and I felt perfectly comfortable lying nude before a woman. She noticed my crucifix and we discovered that we are both Catholic, so we had plenty to talk about.
Speaking of Catholic, Peter was a little under the weather when I went to Mass on Sunday so he missed the service. A couple of days later, Fr. Clyde Le Blanc spotted me in the solarium and asked about Peter. Once he heard Peter was well, he offered to say Mass in our cabin for Peter's benefit. I was honored that this priest went out of his way to do this, so I accepted and made arrangements for plain, white bread, a small bit of red wine and a white napkin to be delivered to our cabin. Fr. Le Blanc did not have his Sacramentary with him, but I had my Magnificat, which has all the prayers that a priest recites at the Mass as well as the Bible readings so we used that. Peter and I were very pleased.
The next day, we sailed back into Venice and got off the ship without a hitch. So much had happened in just one week and we still had a week to go.
(Next: The land tour of Italy)

Beautiful Corfu

On Thursday, Oct. 11, we arrived in Corfu at 7 a.m. We were a little late for our planned excursion, so the cruise line put us on another tour. What a blessing in disguise!
We first took a bus to a Byzantine monastery atop a hilltop. The island reminded Ralph and I very much of Capri, Italy, one of our favorite spots. The steep, rocky cliffs drop right down into the crystal clear, turquoise water and there were only a few sandy beaches. It's called the Bay of Paleokastritsa. It's definitely a place where I could spend an entire week, just relaxing on the beach and touring the island.

The Monastery of the Virgin was just breath-taking. The Roman Catholics have nothing on the Greek Orthodox when it comes to ornate church interiors. So many silver icons and delicately painted murals on the ceilings! The monks were cloistered in their cells so, of course, we saw none of them, but their devotion was obvious. Like many churches in Europe, the interiors were fairly dark so it was difficult to get good photos, but these will give an idea of what we saw.
We saw where they made olive oil using ancient wood and stone presses.
In an adjoining museum, we saw some of their priceless icons, vestments and holy books dating back to the 13th century.
I even saw a rose and gold and white vestment that I would have looked just fabulous wearing! Ralph just rolled his eyes and quipped, "Why don't you just become a monk!
The monastery was not on our original tour so we lucked out just by being late. It was quite moving and I'm glad we got to see it.


After leaving the monastery, we went to a mansion that was built in 1891 by a very special woman, the Empress Elizabeth of Austria. The views of the Ionian Sea were just spectacular! The grounds of the Achilleion Palace were gorgeous and decorated with marble and bronze sculptures. I even persuaded Ralph to pose with one sculpture where everyone had rubbed the man's toe.
I particularly liked the sculpture above on the left. (No, I did not pose for it! But I wish I had a body that beautiful.)
After the tour, we went into Corfu Town and had a delicious pasta and seafood lunch at an outdoor restaurant that the townsfolk like. As you can see, Peter was relaxed and quite happy as were James and Ralph.
We were done with the tour by noon and spent the rest of the day just relaxing and enjoying the ship. I went to the gym again, determined not to gain too much weight on the cruise. (To our surprise, when Ralph and I got home, we discovered that I gained no weight and he gained only a half-pound! Must have been all that walking around.)
That evening was the second formal night so we all got dressed up and posed for pictures before dinner.

On to Katakolon

On Wednesday, Oct. 10, we arrived in Katakolon and took a tour of the site of the original Olympic games. We had an excellent Greek guide who was so psyched about Ancient Olympia that she made the tour extra-special. We learned that the athletes (all male) arrived 30 days in advance of the games to train and were judged not only on winning their contests but their sportsmanship. Anyone caught cheating was dismissed and his name, his family's name and his village's name was inscribed in the granite. Too bad we don't do the same today.
There was one time when a woman slipped into the games, disguised as a man. She was caught, but the judges let her stay when they learned she had two sons in the games and both had been deemed Olympic champions.
We also saw where the recent fires closed in on the ruins and burned all the trees and vegetation. Only a massive fire-fighting effort saved the site of the ancient Olympic games from being damaged. As you can see on the left, there were no stands for spectators; they simply stood or lay on the slopes overlooking the flat area of competition
Our guide informed us that the Olympic torch is lit from the Olympic flame at this location every four years. The Olympic torch itself is a relatively recent innovation and was begun in 1936 because Hitler wanted something special for the Games in Berlin. (You may know that a African-American, Jesse Owens, spoiled the Games for Hitler by winning four gold medals and defeating the "superior race.")
In the adjoining archaeological museum, we saw some beautiful sculptures, including this one of Hermes.
We also learned how the Greeks developed what is now known as the S-curve for sculptures. Previously, nude sculptures simply stood ramrod straight.
But the Greek learned that if you had your model stand with most of his weight on one leg and the other leg slightly lifted, as if to take a step, the result produced much more life and movement. So now I pose with the S-curve!

Touring Athens

The next day, Tuesday, Oct. 9, we arrived in Athens at 7 a.m. We immediately joined an 8 a.m. bus tour of Athens, which took us by the Temple of Zeus, the National Gardens, the Parliment and the grounds of the first modern Olympics. The tour finished at the Acropolis atop a rocky hill overlooking Athens. It was quite a hike uphill but entirely worth it.
There we saw the ruins of the Parthenon, built in the 5th century B.C. as a temple to the goddess Athena. While little remains after the ravages of time and looting by the British, one can still get a historical sense of the glory that was once there, particularly from the porch of the maidens or Caryatids.
Much of the grounds is still undergoing renovation and preservation and was fenced off. As long as you stayed on the public areas, you could go wherever you wished. But if you stepped over the line or even stood on top of a granite stone as I did, a guard would quickly but politely wave you off.
Just below the hilltop is the Rock of the Aeropagos where St. Paul preached to Athenians in 51 A.D. To Peter and I, this place was very special so we climbed the rock. Unfortunately, neither of us had a homily at hand to preach to the tourists.
After a half-day touring Athens, we passed up an opportunity to do some shopping in Athens and returned to the ship. Some of us took a nap, some went onto the Internet.
I opted to go to the solarium, which was virtually empty and just warm enough despite the overcast sky. The large pool was cool and the jacuzzi was warm and it was a very peaceful place to read and listen to my iPod and read a good book.
As you can see, the solarium was nicely decorated sculptures and columns and plants.