The cruise to the Mexican Riviera cruise out of San Diego finally arrived – and it exceeded expectations 😊. We lucked out on the weather, except for a few snow squalls near the hotel in Romulus the drive was pretty straight forward. A few days later about 3 feet of snow was dumped on Michigan and Southern Ontario but by that time we were already enjoying warm weather onboard the cruise ship 😊. We arrived in San Diego without incident and checked in quickly to the Konigsdam. This was the first time we had ever booked an aft balcony cabin – it was a little bigger than normal and the balcony was centred over the wake of the ship; a great place to have room service bring us breakfast in the morning 😊. The Konigsdam is a beautiful ship – and the staff are amazing, always with a smile and quick service 😊. We spent most of the time on sea days either at the back of the ship (great pool, hot tub, and bar); or at the Casino (won about $600 US… lost about $600 US; no harm no foul 😊 ); playing trivia at the Billboard Bar; relaxing up in the Crowsnest; or dancing at B.B. Kings or the Rolling Stone bars (both bars had excellent bands). The first port was Cabo San Lucas – we had been there four times before but had never gotten off the ship 😊. This time round we took advantage of an included excursion and did a four-hour tour around Cabo and up the coast to San Jose del Cabo. It was a beautiful drive up the Sea of Cortez coast to San Jose and the city itself was a pleasant surprise – lots of historical building, churches, and an amazing little mall that had original statues and figures made of spare parts and junk – it would take the artist anywhere from one month to three months to build 😊 (a few pictures on the left). All in all an enjoyable day – but Cabo itself is a mess ☹; way too touristy and crowded with hotels and restaurants. In 1979 Cabo didn’t exist, the first time we saw it in 2008 the population was about 200,00; in 2024 the population is almost 500,000 ☹. The next day found us in Pichilingue on the Sea of Cortez – it’s the seaport that serves the capital of Baja California Sur about a thirty minute drive away – the marina at La Paz isn’t deep enough for the container ships so they (and cruise ships and ferries) dock at Pichilingue. La Paz is a pretty town with a large malecon (boardwalk) that goes around the harbour. Lots of great restaurants and bars, but not too touristy – a great place to relax 😊. The next port was Loreto, a beautiful town of about 20,000 that was the first mission in all of California back in the 1500’s. The town itself is very pretty – we would love to go back there for a couple of weeks; there are so many things that you can do there. It is situated halfway up the Sea of Cortez (Jacques Cousteau referred to it as the ‘Aquarium of the World’) and there are many islands nearby where you can explore with a catamaran, go scuba diving, or just relax on secluded beaches. Later that evening we celebrated Kelly’s birthday at the Tamarind Restaurant – the food there is simply amazing!! 😊 The next day was a sea day in the middle of the Sea of Cortez – it is about 254 miles between Baja and the Mexican mainland!! So we just hung out at the back of the ship by the Seaview Pool and relaxed 😊. The next day was Mazatlan – our favorite place in all of Mexico, we have been there many times (and have thought of retiring there). We took advantage of another excursion and went to…. El Cid Marina for the day!! We enjoy the resort so much that when we stop by on a cruise we just go back there for the day 😊. We know a lot of the staff and the vendors around there so it is almost like a homecoming 😊. So we just hung out by the ocean for a while and then took the water taxi over to the main resort and spent some time by the pools… and the iguanas 😊. Then we went back to the cruise terminal and hung out at the Green Bar with a few people we had met onboard the ship and had a few drinks … well, celebrating my birthday of course 😊. Our last port was Puerto Vallarta – we have been there many times as well – and spent the day walking along the Malecon, checking out the Saturday craft market, and checking the stores and bars in the Romantic Zone 😊. That night we went to Morimoto’s Pop-Up restaurant (in the Tamarind) with some friends we had just met and had an amazing dinner – check out some of the pictures on the left. The next two… and last … days were spent at sea heading back to San Diego – the weather was unusually cold, but a lot warmer than at home 😊!! After packing our bags we went to the Pinnacle Steakhouse – another outstanding specialty restaurant – and had an amazing meal. So all in all an excellent time and cruise and we are looking forward to our next cruise on Holland America’s Eurodam which will be a New Year’s Eve and Day cruise to the ABC’s – what a way to bring in 2025, celebrating New Year’s Eve at sea!! And of course, being on the Holland America Konigsdam will be an amazing time the service and the food is fantastic 😊!! … and then we come back for 18 days of rest back home..and then go on a New Year’s cruise on the Holland America Eurodam!! What a way to bring in 2025 – at sea 😊!! That starts next Monday and when we come back …. 11 more days until a cruise on the Celebrity Eclipse, also in the Eastern Caribbean 😊. So… a lot of cruises over December and January 😊 Doug the Dog seemed to enjoy his time at the kennel – but we don’t think he realizes that he will be going back so soon!! 😊
The inauguration of president-elect Donald Trump will take place in another month’s time – 20 January. Trump has already started make waves by threatening Canada and Mexico with 25% tariffs on his first day in office – unless they make concentrated efforts to curb the flow of drugs and migrants across their borders. Canada has already started to respond by investing over $1 billion dollars in strengthening their borders. On the other hand Premier Doug Ford of Ontario has said that if those tariffs are imposed Ontario will cut off all crude oil exports to the U.S. ☹ So a lot of sabre rattling going on – we won’t really know what will happens until Trump takes office in January ☹. He is still intent on brokering an agreement between Ukraine and Russia on ending the war – he probably has dreams of winning the Nobel Peace Prize – but his plans are still pretty vague. Although Putin has said that he is willing to compromise over Ukraine – which means nothing as he still envisions a new Russian Empire with himself ensconced as Czar – Ukraine will not consider any peace plans that doesn’t return all the territories that Russia illegally seized or annexed since 2014.
The war in the Middle East is still ongoing – Israel has escalated bombardments in Gaza as ceasefire talks intensify. In a stunning development President Assad of Syria was overthrown by the rebel coalition and escaped with his family to Russia. The end of Assad’s regime has added new complexities to the Middle East Crisis with ongoing hostilities in Gaza, violence in the West Bank, and the fragile ceasefire in Lebanon. Russia has begun withdrawing a large amount of military equipment and troops from Syria until they can negotiate a settlement with the new government in Syria that would allow them to maintain their presence in some of its key bases – notably an airbase in Latakia and a port facility in Tartus. There is speculation that the withdrawal will reposition supplies and troops in Libya in order to provide an outpost against NATO’s southern flank.
The war in Ukraine and Russia has escalated, both sides trying to achieve major gains before the inauguration of U.S. President-Elect Donald Trump in January ☹ The Russians have increased their attacks in the East and have gained significant success in capturing some villages in their attempt to capture Pokrovsk, an important crossroads and logistics centre for Ukraine. However their success comes at severe cost – an average of 1500 soldiers killed and or wounded daily ☹. North Korean troops have become involved in the war fighting on the Russian side – mainly in Kursk. However the poorly trained and led DPRK troops have already incurred heavy losses with over 100 dead and 1000 injured in combat against Ukrainian forces. They do not appear to understand the new development of drone warfare and don’t take precautions to shield themselves from armed drones and UAVs ☹. However, they are fearless and take the lead in assaults – they have managed to take over villages that the Russians have previously been unsuccessful in taking. The Ukrainians continue their hold on the Kursk region as well as bombing military installations and fuel depots deep into Russia. The Russians continue to increase their missile and drone attacks against all regions in Ukraine targeting civilians and the power grid infrastructure ☹. Putin made a sick joke the other day challenging the U.S. to a duel of missiles between the Oreshnik missile and the US-made air defenses. Putin said Ukraine could concentrate its anti-missile systems in one spot and try to counter the new Oreshnik missile. In response President Zelensky called Putin a “dumbass”. No truer word has ever been spoken 😊. This has become a war of attrition – both countries trying to hold onto or achieve new territorial gains to use as bargaining chips when Trump is inaugurated in January. On a brighter note the outgoing Biden administration has said that their financial and military commitments to Ukraine will last at least to the end of 2025.
As early December has seen us being on a cruise not a lot of home cooking has been going on – it’s mainly been simple dishes that use up any fresh ingredients in the refrigerator ; Chicken and Beef Curries; lots of Paninis – Pastrami and Montreal Smoked Meat; Steaks; BBQ hamburgers and sausages; Moroccan Chicken with Fennel and Orzo; Meat and Cheese Stuffed Ravioli with a Bolognese Sauce; and a few other dishes. However, the food on the Konigsdam was outstanding; in particular at the Tamarind, Pinnacle, and Morimoto (in Tamarind) specialty dinners. At Pinnacle we had Shrimp Cocktail, Lump Crab Cakes, and Lobster Bisque for appetizers; Filet Mignon with Fries and Asparagus with Hollandaise for the main course; and Key Lime Pie for dessert. At Tamarind we had Satay Sampler, Thai Scallops, Lobster and Shrimp Potstickers, and Tom Kha Kai for appetizers; Red Thai Curry, Panang Red Coconut Chicken, Thai Szechuan Shrimp, and Dan Dan Noodles for the main course; and Yuzu Cheesecake and Mango Posset for dessert. At Morimoto’s Pop-up dinner (at Tamarind) we had Fresh Tuna Pizza (see picture at left), Tori Ramen Noodle Soup, and Pork Gyozo Dumplings (see picture at left) for appetizers; Ishiyaki Buri Bop, Angry Lobster Pad Thai (picture at left), Shrimp Three Ways for the main course with side dishes of House Fried Rice and Wok Seared Bok Choy for side dishes; and for dessert Dark Chocolate Sphere and Baked Tofu Cheesecake (both pictures at left). All dishes were amazing!! 😊
On the Netflix front: We have finished a couple of series in the past ten days: Season 1 and all of Season 2 of ‘The Empress’ – a German historical drama based on the Austro-Hungarian Empire starting around 1853 with the marriage of Duchess Helene of Bavaria to the young Emperor Franz Josef and ending with Austria going to war against Napolean III and France and Franz Josef leading his troops. Beautifully filmed on location primarily in Vienna, well-scripted, and well acted, lovely costumes and beautiful architecture . A Season 3 is expected to follow within a year and possibly many more to follow based on the enthusiasm the series has generated 😊. We also completed watching Seasons 1 and 2 of ‘Maestro In Blue’, a Greek mystery drama series about a music conductor, Orestes, being hired for the renewal of the music festival on the island of Paxos. There is much romance, mystery, and intrigue as Orestes falls in love with Klelia - the daughter of the local mayor – and a ‘whodunnit’ theme as viewers try to deduce who killed Charalampos, the local villain and wife abuser, and how his murder came about. An interesting addition to the series is that at the beginning and end of every episode there is a short clip that shows how and who killed Charalampos adding a little more to the story until the final episode of Season 1 that reveals all. Season 2 takes place mainly in Athens and Corfu and ends with the just retired police colonel investigating all the people involved. Seasons 1 and 2 had 6 episodes each at about an hour long while Season 3, which will be released on Netflix in September, will only have 4 episodes that will finalize the series. ‘Maestro In Blue’ was written and directed by Christoforos Papakaliatis who also plays the main character Orestes.
On the NHL front – The regular season continues to plod along – the Toronto Maple Leafs are 21 – 10 – 2 tied for 2nd in their division with Florida – so they are having their usual pre-Christmas success – just wait for them to crash after the holidays, and the Seattle Kraken are 15 – 17 – 2 in 12th place in their division – no longer at the bottom of their division but not far behind 😊
On to golf … The PGA tournaments are in their Christmas break right now and won’t have any regular tournaments until mid January. There was the Grant Thornton Tournament that pairs the best male and female golfers on the circuit – Canada’s Corey Connors and Brooke Henderson finished in fourth place.
NFL news – The Seahawks after Week 16 are 8-6 – they won against San Francisco two weeks ago which put them back in first place in the NFC West but then lost last week against Green Bay which dropped them back into second place behind the L.A. Rams. …And then last night they lost to Minnesota at home ☹. There are two regular season games left – what it comes down to is this; the Seahawks have to win out and hope that the Rams lose both of their next two games – the Rams have the advantage over Seattle by having one the first game of their series. Geno Smith was injured in last weeks game and the backup QB Sam Howell replaced him in the 3rd quarter – what a joke – Howell was completely out of his depth and looked like a clown ☹. Geno has recovered enough to have a good game against Minnesota Vikings but just fell short ☹. They should have no problem beating the Chicago Bears next week – but it all depends on the Rams losing to the Arizona Cardinals next week; if that happens then it will come down to the final regular season game between the Seahawks and the Rams.
Have a great and safe month … Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays … we will see you in a bit!! 😊