The early Fall trip is over; we are in our winter quarters in CA. I thought I'd post some thoughts about the trip just ended.
First, airline travel is no longer fun. This isn't an original thought, but I am freshly reminded of its truth. The airlines blame us, others blame deregulation, I'm not sure where lies the fault. However it just seems to get worse and worse; mobs of tense, frustrated, uncomfortable passengers being herded from place to place in long lines, or waiting where there is inadequate seating. At least on international flights you still get fed, albeit poorly. Domestic flights are worse. Planes are flying full, seats are crammed together, both seat room and knee room are at a premium, and much of the equipment has been flying so long it is looking as tired as the flight attendants.
On a happier note, the DrsC find cruising a relaxing, low-stress way to travel. Ambiguity is low, amenities are high, and there are a variety of activities offered for one's amusement. The food is ample in quantity and variety, quality is somewhat less stellar although seldom terrible. We tend not to suffer from mal de mer so that isn't much of an issue. There is something magical about this huge luxury hotel cruising across the seas, all the while generating its own electricity, distilling its own drinking water, processing its own sewage, feeding a couple of thousand hungry tourists and another thousand plus crew, staging entertainment in multiple venues every day and night, running a casino, an art gallery, a variety of shops, a library, many bars, a gym, a spa, an Internet cafe, and a medical clinic. Like on an aircraft carrier, most of the jobs are being done by young people; relatively few make it a lifetime career.
An interesting contrast I experienced in Greece. Over the last decades Greece has experienced occasional episodes of anti-Americanism, sometimes violent episodes. No doubt some of it dates back to resentment of Harry Truman's aid to the anti-communist forces in Greece at the end of World War II. However, all of the Greek people I met or dealt with were very pleasant and helpful. One suspects the anger has been directed more at "official" American policies and personnel rather than at American tourists.
