day 33 – day two, auckland, new zealand

netting over the grapes protects them from new zealand's enormous bird population

beautiful tasman sea coast where gannets teach their young to fly by pushing them off these cliffs

new zealand farmland (with future leg of lamb)

the leader of the cruise specialist tour group invited me to join them today on one of their private tours… they book all their stuff independently of the company shore excursions, so i did not have to appear in an official capacity, officially, tho i am always “on the gig” when in public especially if with guests… at least i didn’t need to be responsible for anyone other than myself!  we went on a very nice bus out of town and into north island new zealand wine country… we went to several wonderful vineyards  and had tastings, tours and lunch at the final stop – we also had time before the luncheon to dash out to the tasman sea coast to see where the gannets nest, a large sea bird somewhere between a seagull and an albatross… beautiful! 

thanks for all your advice on the don’t touch me issue – i think i will take it up with my cruise director, and i will request a small sign be put on the glass barrier behind me (it's there for a reason, but clearly doesn't) and it could politely ask people to refrain from startling the piano player by touching – requests can easily be made from the front or either side where i can see!

we sailed away at 5pm from auckland, and my cocktail hour was packed… tonight’s happy hour themed set was “can I have it in the form of a question?”, in other words, songs with questions as the title (who’ll stop the rain, what are you doing the rest of your life, etc.)… after two busy days of activities ashore, they were dropping like flies after 10pm… i actually wrapped nearly an hour early!  that’s ok, cause extra sleep is always ok on busy port days…  here is the port song of the day for auckland… i put the chorus as an intro first instead of the verse in case you are trying to synch up the syllables in your mind’s ear… enjoy!  -df

proprietess of keumu vineyards - family winery with new zealand's best chardonnay - look for it at costco! 

french oak barrels... the best!

lunch and wine tasting at the soljans estate

port song, auckland, new zealand

(to the tune of “the mexican hat dance” or “yakko’s world” from animaniacs… same melody)

we got here to auckland on sunday, i took a tour of the highlights

we saw the memorial war museum and the view from mt. eden crater’s heights

i couldn’t find anything funny about the history of waitangi day

so the main bulk of my auckland port song is about what happened here today

i had such a lov-ely monday in Auckland, about it i would like to sing

we drove through the country and it looked like something right out of the lord of the rings

with green rolling hills and the sheep and the cows it was quite a bucolic setting

the more wine i drank the more notes that i took so the details i’d not be forgetting

at keumu we met a nice family who makes some of the best wine around

the matriarch was very charming, with her kids and grandkids all around

we tasted of several bottles and i guess that the funny thing was

i’m glad that i hadn’t had breakfast because i copped a nice little buzz

we went to the next place and they popped some bubbly and i bought a bottle to drink

i liked every wine except one that tasted like the disposal of a kitchen sink

they have a bucket if you want to dump out what’s left after you’ve had a taste

you must be kidding, it’s wine and it’s free, and to pour it out seems such a waste

we drank lots of nice wines from north island at 3 separate places today

i am glad they had lunch at the last stop or i’d prob’ly still be in the bag

and i didn’t mention the gannets on the coast of the great tasman sea

we had extra time before lunch reservations so we saw them, how lucky are we!

our guide was martina she passed around silver ferns, seashells and fiber from flax

she put up with everyone’s tipsy shenanigans, was friendly and had all our backs

she found my camera when i left it behind and returned it to me, oh hooray!

if it wasn’t for her we’d be wandering round drinking wine ‘til well after sailaway

           

there are sparkling wines and full bodied reds from wairarapa out to hawkes bay

there are sauvignon blancs and syrah’s here, and award winning prize chardonnays

desert wines and cabernet merlot blends, or perhaps you’d prefer pinot gris

if you like some wine from the north of new zealand then our tour was the place to be!

here is to ellen, my cruise specialist friend here, who welcomed me to join their bunch

the wine tour was lovely, as were all the people, and it was quite a delicious lunch

i’m glad i learned so much today about wine, and i’m so glad to be on this cruise

it’s part of a musician’s tough job description to never turn down the free booze!

day 32 – day one, auckland, new zealand

i woke up even before the alarm, i was so excited to finally get to new zealand!  i got to be a crew escort on a guest tour of auckland highlights, so i had to show up early to pick up my numbered baton flag (so guests know which bus to get on since it matches their tour number), a bottle of water and the trip report to fill out.  i got outside, and it was cool and cloudy… feels like home!  our bus driver’s name was dennis, but if you want to sound new zealand, you have to pronounce it ‘dinnis.’  we left the terminal and started by crossing the harbor bridge with a great skyline and gorgeous harbor view…  the nickname of auckland is “city of sails,” and boasts one of the most beautiful boat harbors i’ve seen, the westhaven marina, which is the largest in the southern hemisphere… in the harbor there are tall ships with giant sails, beautiful luxury sailboats and yachts, and smaller boats as well… lovely! 

beautiful westhaven marina with auckland skyline under gorgeous gray skies

we drove by the famous rose gardens, and onto the war memorial museum, a fascinating place to be on this day, as it is waitangi day, the day when the maori people were kind of duped into signing their lands to queen victoria when they thought they were guaranteeing their rights… much difficulty and unrest ensued which lasted years and years, and has even recently been taken again to the highest courts in new zealand to dispute.  they had cultural and wildlife exhibits as well as the war memorial, and i could have happily stayed longer (i am kind of a museum nerd, especially when i am on the road)… we pressed on, however, and went to the top of mount eden, a dormant volcano and took in the amazing 360 degree panoramic view from the crater’s edge.  after driving down historic and charming parnell street, we headed through the shopping district and then back to the ship… three and a half hours well spent! 

crater of mount eden with auckland cityscape

i had lunch with a piano bar regular pal from arizona, and then did some work on a few new tunes and setlists… (still gotta work!) no nap today and then off to the gig.  tonite, rather than 8 and 10 o’clock shows, it was one 9:30 show only for which they brought on members of the maori tribe to do a traditional cultural show of song and dance including the fierce war dance called the haka…. very interesting!  you can probably watch an example of the haka on you tube, or if you ever saw the movie ‘invictus’ about the historic rugby game beteen new zealand and south africa and nelson mandela’s rule in south africa, you’ve seen it… fierce! 

on overnight port nights, things are a bit deserted as folks take in the auckland waterfront restaurants and nightlife and everyone who stays aboard goes to the one show they offer… and i just LOVE it when people walk by the lounge that is now, as a result empty, as they are also on their way to show, throw up their hands and look around at my empty room like i must have farted or something, and say something like ‘where IS everybody?’  easily one of my top 3 most annoying yet inevitable occurences on overnight port nights… my theme tonight was golden oldies, and i had a few sporadic bursts of people here and there with peak density from 7-8 for those who came back for free dinner at 8 instead of going out…

so excited because one of our guests who has a group of a couple hundred folks on board (they do their own tours independently of the company tours offered and knows me from other cruises as well as from back home as a wine bar constituent of bob’s and mine) has invited me to stand by tomorrow am in case they have an extra spot on a 6 hour tour (9-3) they are doing of new zealand’s wine country – 3 wineries/vineyards and lunch with wine tasting… i was like, ok, twist my arm!  i’ll let you know how that goes!  cheers for now!  -df

day 31 – at sea

a fairly typical sea day here… tho i have beg your indulgence and take a moment to vent about something that has really been bothering me (and ask for diplomatic solution suggestions)… no it’s not the heckler, as i said she’s been very nice of late and has been in regularly with her friends without further incident… in fact, i have to stop calling her the heckler now and call her the guest formerly known as the heckler… anyway, what’s bugging me, is in my top 3 least favorite things to happen on the gig - being touched while i am playing by someone coming up behind the bandstand where i can’t see them coming and them reaching over the rail behind me and touching me - while i am playing!  to have an unwanted touch from someone you don’t know is bad enough, and when you don’t know it’s coming, that’s worse, and when performing, it has nearly caused involuntary backward kung fu-like motions on my part – i would hate to send someone’s dentures flying because of a reflex reaction – i did get an apology from one guest who scared the crap out of me in the middle of a song, and i accepted that…

i played, though, in a dueling piano bar where i was actually encouraged to go ahead and bust someone with my elbow if they tried to grab me or my mic (lest i should have my teeth knocked out or suffer any other assorted indignities) - i have nearly jumped out of my skin a couple of times now by being startled by someone actually putting a hand on my head (super duper incredibly annoying)… this has never happened to me on a ship before, and suddenly on this contract, it has happened 3 times now… i am not sure if it is just a weird planetary alignment or what… i don’t think you should ever touch anyone unless it is an invited handshake, hug or something like that, and certainly not while they are doing their job – would you startle a surgeon or a landscaper or a painter?  granted, no one (but me, anyway) will be severely adversely affected if i am startled, the worst that might happen is i clam a note or stop my song, but geez!  please don’t touch the piano player! 

had a lovely farewell dinner with judy c and feel like i have a new friend and mentor in the world of music… how lucky!  got some great perspective from her on many things and some suggested listening that i will look forward to.  she also encouraged me to really focus on songwriting – i gave her some of my original stuff, and she thinks i should try to shop a few songs…  i think i will try to surprise her and come up with a couple with her in mind… i’ll keep you posted!  my set tonite was a beatles tribute and was very well attended!  i was surprised how many turned out, and a lot of sing-a-longers, too!

another great moment for me tonight, peter cousens did a farewell mainstage show and gave me a shout out before he sang billy joel’s piano man in each show and complemented me and my piano bar!  it was nice to know my boss was there and must have heard that! 

auckland tomorrow!  yay!!!  i mean, i know that weeks of beautiful ocean and tropical islands and sunsets is not so bad compared to what most folks in the states are dealing with right now, but it will be nice to do the next chapter of this journey, the beautiful country of new zealand. 

ciao, df

day 30 – at sea

was up at 9:30 with the scheduled fire drill (loud alarm clock!) and went to get a cup of coffee and do my daily writing… i see my writing teacher, one of my guest pals from the piano bar, amanda, and a few other folks… i always pass by the guy playing chess – i call him killer - had a game with him one day, and as we chatted about alaska, he asked If i’d heard of an artist named merko (merco?) and i was like, holy cow!  we got my folks a merko musk ox painting, i think, many years ago…. isn’t that where it’s from?  small world out here… judy came and found me and dropped some good players and things for me to check out on me… we agreed to have dinner tomorrow on her last night since she will be off in auckland the following day... miss her already!  she is a lot of fun!

played a little early tonite for the captain’s cocktail party… private party each week for a segment of our full 100 day guests with champagne toast and dinner at the pinnacle... nice!  got to see part of the first mainstage show which was a combination of our strings, our showband and our ship cast and crew in a big production number extravaganza… nice that they can put the players together for a bigger sound like that… the guests really enjoyed it.

tonite’s piano bar theme was “a moveable feast” featuring songs about moving (like shake it up baby) and food (like frim fram sauce)… because as much as they feed you on a ship, it’s important to move so you don’t pack it on!  haven’t weighed in lately – i will do it in auckland when the ship is docked and still, but i think i’m still doing fairly well – basically trying to make good choices, walking every day and drinking a lot of fluids… still can’t seem to get a normal routine as far as sleep; that’s ok, i think i’ll always be a little bit insomniac, but i get a lot done that way… it catches up every so often and i’ll crash for a longer time… it is nice to be rocked to sleep with the motion of the ocean!  the sleep i get is pretty deep, so maybe i just need less of it here…

mystery beverages re-bottled in unsealed reused containers... better than on the ground i guess!

i realized i neglected to include yeterday’s port song from tonga, so here it is…

port song for nuku alofa, tonga 

(to the tune of “i’ve got the world on a string”)

was gonna go out with pals patricia and loretta,

but loretta had a tour booked

and the cab driver’s prices patricia didn’t love

so she caught the free bus, i haggled with a cabbie,

talked her down a few some dollars

we rolled the windows down, and off to the coast we drove

life is a wonderful thing, we both agreed as we began to sing

to bob Marley on the radio, the cabbie’s name was ella don’t you know

i got some pearls on a string, i saw myself some blowholes,

and saw a mama pig and piglets

saw sacred giant bats like pteradactyls in the trees above

got dropped off at the market, i listened to the music,

damn, i forgot my melodica again

what a world where you can play music, with folks from all nations

i checked the marketplace out, the handicrafts and fruit stands,

the beverages, they creeped me out some

refilling old used bottles with mysterious libations

eggs are wonderful things, as long as they’re refrigerated i think

i’d be a silly so and so if i ate from those foodstands you know

guess i’ll have lunch on the ship, but i loved my tonga morning,

ella was friendly and i saw cool stuff

what a world what a life, this traveling i love

day 29 – nuku alofa, tonga

wild pig by tongan roadside

had a great day today in tonga… i was here in 2009 and went to the big market there, so today i wanted to do something else. i was going to go out with a couple gals, loretta, who is a piano bar regular (the one who has invited me to her dining room table a few times and is in my writing group), and pat, our writing group leader. we met up in the lido for coffee, and it was then that loretta realized she already had a tour booked, and because we had skipped feb 2, she had thought it was the next day, so we said farewell to loretta… pat and i looked over the map to see what was of interest to us and made our way past the free shuttle to the market over to the stand where the cabbies waited… they all offer tours, and we were trying to get a decent fare… pat wasn’t feeling more than 20 bucks, and they were asking 80. she opted for the free shuttle to the market so i bid farewell to pat, and found myself rolling solo…

i showed one cabbie my crew card and said i was not a well-heeled tourist, but a crew member on a break and that i didn’t need a whole island tour, i just wanted to go to see one cool thing, like maybe the ocean blowholes on the coast. she said 2 hours approximately, 30 bucks, and i said ok! her name was ella, and we took off with the windows down (tongan air conditioning) and the radio up. we drove through the town and saw the tombs of the kings and queens and made our way out to the country; i saw the farms where they grow yams and taro and bananas… they do not have modern farming equipment here and still work the land by hand and hard labor… and it’s hot out! saw a few wild pigs, one with a bunch of little piglets crossing the road before i could get my camera ready (made me think of gimli!), but I got one good snap of a big fellow off to one side! we went to the coast where the blowholes were, and the tide wasn’t way in, so they weren’t huge, but impressive nonetheless! there were a couple of tables there with souvenirs set up by locals (got something for mom!)… she drove me to a place where the giant bats, or flying foxes as they call them, literally hang out during the day… they are apparently a sacred critter here, though it is rumored that some people eat them anyway… she pointed out her house as we drove by, a tiny little box on some rough land… for work, she drives cab and her husband is a plumber. she said her 12 year old son hopes to be a doctor someday.

blowholes on coast - tide not so high... still cool

ella, my cabbie - they drive on the other side here...

painted tapa cloth in the market

on our way back, i told ella she could drop me at the market, then i could do a walkaround there and catch the shuttle back to the ship. i saw the handicrafts i had remembered from before, the painted tapa cloth, the wood carvings, the fruit and vegetable stands, the weird beverages sold in used soda and juice bottles… i had neglected to bring my melodica because when i went out, i had not intended to hit the market, but there were the musicians… damn! i keep saying i’ll never forget to take it and then i do… must make note to self and staple it to my forehead… was dubious about the meat and eggs they were selling not being refrigerated, and it made me nervous to try to lunch there, so i had late lunch back on the ship.

had a delightful dinner at the pinnacle with judy and the o’brians, our gracious hosts, and it was very entertaining… they know judy because they are regulars of hers in various new york venues… nice folks and it was fun to hear some good stories from everyone of their various travels and music and so nice to meet folks with a sense of humor and very down-to-earth and friendly in spite of being pretty well-to-do and worldly… i had the lobster…

tonight’s theme was called “let’s be frank” and was a collection of sinatra favorites… had a good crowd and my late nighters (statler and waldorf and the gal behind me at the bar and another couple) were present since we have a couple of sea days before we hit new zealand… ciao for now! -df

day 28 – alofi, niue

small island of niue

larry on sax, dan on guitar and craig on drums; don't know guy in green shirt...

hanging out on the ship today...

alofi is the only town on the very small pacific island nation of niue.  less than 700 people make it home, and there is not much here.  a lot of it was destroyed by a tsunami several years ago, and two people were lost as well as many buildings, their hospital, homes, etc… i had in-port manning today, so it was not an option to go over, and with only half a day there and not much to do, i didn’t think it was a big loss that i couldn’t go…

judy and i went over her show of the night before and i was able to tell her the stuff i really admired about her playing… after tonga tomorrow is a sea day and then i am going to have a session with her – very much looking forward to that!  i was also excited to be invited to dinner on tonga night (tomorrow) with a nice couple at the pinnacle grill (the fanciest restaurant on board) with judy and myself as their guests… cool!  i think that will be a nice way to visit... the last couple of times she has visited the piano bar, i have been a little nervous, but threw a few piano solos into the middle… i don’t usually do much of that on my typical night as they are not asking me to do jazz, they want me to sing songs of every stripe all night… anyway, judy said today, “that was for me, wasn’t it!  you were flirting with me!”  hee hee… yes the improv was for miss judy… anyway, glad she has popped by each night for a bit! 

my theme tonight was “never say never” and featured songs indicating a time stamp or reference, like yesterday, or today… speaking of time and days, it is also interesting to note that as we cross the international dateline tonite, feb 2^nd ceases to exist for us, and we go from the 1^st to the 3^rd… how will we know if spring is coming?  no groundhog day!  that bends my mind a little bit… we are truly time traveling now!  ciao for now, df

day 27 – at sea

the internet was quite slow today – sometimes it’s because of many people on it at once, sometimes it’s a weak signal or no signal altogether… i still marvel that from the middle of nowhere i can (most of the time) communicate with people all over the world… technology is amazing!  Go back and check day 2 of bora bora where there a few more pictures added…

with the unstable situation in the middle east, the suez canal portion of our voyage suddenly looks uncertain, though the captain said that they are not currently ready to announce a change in itinerary… i know behind the scenes they are making contingency plans, but will probably not announce anything official unless it becomes absolutely necessary… i had really hoped to make it to egypt, it had been a favorite travel destination of my nana’s, and this felt like a bit of a pilgrimage or homage of sorts… i guess we’ll just wait and see and roll with any changes since it is a bit out of my decision making jurisdiction. 

have met some very interesting characters… would love to go into more detail on some, but i don’t want to violate any company policies, so i need to keep it somewhat sanitized for public at large consumption.  It’ll all have to go in the movie, I guess… hee hee… i can say that i am enjoying so many of our guests and getting to know a few better and better… had dinner with my friend loretta’s table tonight; what a bunch of interesting folks, 8 of them, all from different places and traveling on their own; makes for interesting conversations.  the writing class continues to be challenging, and i am glad i am allowed to participate…

highlight of today was judy carmichael’s jazz piano mainstage performance – wow… she infuses so much dynamic range and sensitivity into a typically heavy, athletic, male dominated stride style that it was very exciting for me to watch – a very light or heavy touch by turns, a sensitivity, a sense of humor and absolute control over her instrument… it was awesome – i felt particularly good because i sold her on the idea of using my buddy dan on guitar when she asked me about who to approach to use from my knowledge of the players here… she was thrilled with his performance, and the drummer as well… the sax came up a little short, but i think he was a bit initimidated… anyway i was glad i had really chatted up dan to her, because they had a great time and sounded wonderful… he really rose to the occasion…

my theme night tonight was called “spooooooky!” and featured songs like old black magic, evil ways, devil may care, ghost of a chance… you get it… it was a fun set and well attended, then they all split early since we have a 7am port the next day tendering… i will be on ipm, so i will sleep in i guess… more tomorrow!  ciao, df