day 102 - cadiz, spain

many narrow streets looking like they
are only for pedestrians, but watch out!

happy birthday to me!  happy birthday, also, to my big brother, dave!  hope your day was as cool as mine… i woke up kind of early, and since we weren’t docking ‘til 10am, we watched a movie and lounged… after some quality morning hang time, we got dressed and got off the ship.  it was palm sunday, and they told us that most stores would be closed.  this turned out to be partly true, apparently there are enough merchants interested in the 3 or 4 cruise ships worth of business here today, and many places were open.  we went for coffee and fresh oj and rolls at a cute hotel restaurant and kept walking around.  the cathedral of st. francis was closed til noon, and we window shopped and walked.  it was pretty much a perfect spring day, a little breezy, and very comfortable. 

we went to the central cathedral where morning mass was done and they were getting ready for the next one… gorgeous place, and we listened to the children’s choir sing for a few moments… we left before it started, bought some mercona almonds from a street vendor and went in various shops taking pictures… we got back to st.francis in time for part of the palm sunday service.  after, by lunch time, we found a nice outdoor courtyard restaurant in the shade and had a spanish feast… grilled wild mushrooms with sea salt and a little sugar, and, an odd but wonderful thing, the sugar and salt audibly crackled… artichokes with serrano ham and roasted vegetables, a beautiful salad with goat cheese, skirt steak and potatoes with chimichurri sauce, and spicy chorizo sausage.  a cold beer with all this and we went softly into a spanish food coma… we walked back to the port, back to the ship for a siesta, and realized with slight dread that we had dinner reservations at the really nice restaurant on the ship tonight.  we both decided to just eat a very light supper and drink champagne, and they surprised me by bringing a small mousse out with my name written in chocolate on the plate… very sweet!

plaza de las flores

cathedral

kids choir

best mushrooms i have ever had

beautiful...

when i showed up for work, i was amazed to find my bar staff and guests had decorated the lounge with balloons, an ice bucket with a bottle of mumms, confetti, party hats, chocolates all over the piano… the bar manager allowed happy hour two for one drink specials all night, and by the time folks had all arrived, we were rolling!  the place was jumping all night, and everyone was leaving little sticky notes on my wall with messages and emails… i got a bunch of nice cards and notes also… a barbershop group among the guests even sang happy birthday to me!  my theme was the stump the band game, “american pie,” and we did nearly a two hour round!  we had two different cakes, a few tributes, it was really great!  i was quite touched that all my regulars and even many of the just sometimes-y folks came… the bar did great last night, one of our best revenue nights ever, even with the specials… awesome!  i felt very special!  i need to write a thank you song for tomorrow!  they also put together a ‘fan’ list with contact info (saves me doing it on the last 2 nights!)…

great birthday party (even though i had to work!)!!!

what a great birthday!  bob spoiled me rotten today and i loved every minute of it… my guests really gave me a big warm fuzzy evening, and that was awesome!  got a plethora of well wishes on facebook from friends near and far, and i even get to continue celebrating when i get home with nino and johnny and my folks, ‘cause i missed my pop’s birthday, too…  wednesday will be bob’s birthday, and i intend to return the star treatment!  so grateful we get to have our anniversary together at sea on the way back to the states, too!  happy times! 

port song for cadiz, spain

(to the tune of “rainy days and mondays” by the carpenters)

it’s my birthday but i’m not feeling old

living well is an art, and you gotta stay young at heart

hanging around another lovely foreign town

sunny days and sundays cannot bring me down

both i used to hate when i was a kid

church days were a bore, it was saturdays we adored

and sunburn for me, always came too easily

sunny days and sundays used to bring me down

fuuny but i always seem to find myself with bob

nice to know somebody loves me

i can’t believe we travel and play music for our job

somebody up there sure must love me

i now embrace both sun and rain, it’s true

about wrinkles, i’m worry free - it’s part of being forty-three

i’d rather have fun, than worry when my birthday comes

sunny days and sundays cannot bring me down

we went out to some churches - i like them more than in yesteryear

and then we feasted for my birthday

mushrooms, artichokes and meat and salad and cold beer

so glad that bob is with me for my birthday

i can’t believe we’re almost around the world

the places we have stayed, so many friends and memories we have made

though over the seas we roam, with bob we make a home

having another birthday doesn’t bring me down

i’m lucky to be, here to see forty-three

wouldn’t trade places with anyone, not me