My venture

So....next two ports were both in Israel.....haifa....next day ashdod....lets start with haifa..... Kim managed to get some time off....so we decided to go out for some lunch near the Baha'i Hanging Gardens......wow....on the way there....i was quite shocked...buildings were run down, dirty and just not looked after...quite sad cause some of the architecture actually looked good.....then we found the famous street from where you can see the garden and found a lunch spot...kim's choice...would not have been mine...but i have to admit....lunch was amazing....so im glad i buckled......we had hummus with beef strips and pita bread and a haloumi salad....man haloumi salad...wow...they were not shy with dishing out haloumi...and with it caramalized peacan nuts and roasted tomatos...and lets not go to the dssing of the salad...some sweet chilli dessing...amazing....here are some pics...the garden and the food.....Oh yes....let me not just talk about food...the garden was perfectly ma...

Wow....2 new ports in 2 days....love it....even though it wasnt the most amazing ports....who cares....im getting to see new places....spend time with amazing people...what more could i want....hmmmmm.... So where to start.....banu, a friend who grew up in germany but is actually turkish....her mom lives in alanya wanted to take us for lunch....so since i signed off and we knew we would see each other again....i had to have time off over lunch...cause that was whEre she wanted to choose where to go....but first...a pic from the port with the well known red tower...hmmmmm...not sure why...ill read up...and will let u know another time...after all...not last time im here...here is a pic From there banu fetched us, kim & me, with her mom....first she showed us the non touristy area of alanya....lets put it this way...she wanted to take us to a restaurant where u eat on the river...and yes...actually on....but somehow banu...hmmmm....forgot that it is out of season and it is closed....

So....back to the ship.....got to the ship sometime in the morning....me....not knowing quite what to do....best thing....go to personnel...but im not gonna bore you with all the knitty gritty details...of course im afternoon shift this first cruise and have some trainings and exman thingys to fill in....so i knew not much going out....one thing everyone..well almost everyone....has to do is complete 6 different routes to our individual emergency station.......that takes forever.....walking around the ship writing down door codes...oh well, now its done and signed my safety officer.....so this week....not so much going ashore cause lots of other things to do...... And to answer your question....and if you werent asking yourself this question....hmmmmmmmm.....yes, i had to work on my first day back.....was so good to see some familiar faces....nice to do some catching up...including going for some drinks at Bali Hai with my friend Banu.....thrn next day...no sea day...great news.....fi...

So....almost time to work again......hmmmmmm.....But first a few days in Venice....food food and Burano....The two days consisted of eating mozzarella, proscuitto, PIZzA and drinking beer, Spritz and prosecco.....fab 2 days... One just cannot compAre Italian pizza.....one night was proscuitto and funghi....here is a pic...divine....This wAs at a spot that kim and i always went to when in Venice....so def no dissappointment...... We also visited the Burano island....took us An hour to get there...small island known for lace...but we went there cause it is also know for all the colourful houses...def nice to go and see....but you prob spend about an hour there....so if you dont have a lot of time....dont rush there....but the colourful houses very cute....and of course...cappuccino...good....here are two pics from Burano.... Yes....to get to Burano you have to change vaporetta....on the way there we stopped at Murano....on way back some other place....then ended At San marco squ...

So....im in Rome...AGAIN.....and guess what....i still love it...but thats because i love food, proseco, wine and just to walk and wonder....and if u dont like those things....u will prob visit Rome once and then u have seen it..... My highlights in Rome and the rest of italy....have good cappuccino and cornetti for breakfast....then eat fresh mozzarella and either tomato or proscuitto with it..... later more macchiato...then aperitifo of course with peanuts and chips.....and then dinner....pizza, pasta....mozzarella, proscuitto....saltimboca...as long as it is italian...im good....actually very good....so......what did i do....i pretty much summarised it already....but i think Rome deserves some more details..... So....like i said...Rome did not consist of doing touristy things...but rather about relaxing....i wanted to show my mom the non touristy side of Rome...and man she loved it....i showed her the travestere area for dinner the first night....we had to take quite a stroll from ...

So....a few things to mention before talking about an amazing meal that Claudia and I cooked......whats worth mentioning....places to go and check out....first one i wanna mention...sandton sun, the sun deck....great....friday night...fab vibe and the snack and cheese platters r just fab....the cheese platters had dried mango, grapes, camembert, brie etc and the snack patters had fish & prawn skewers, beef skewers, mini burgers, olives etc....really good....so i think that is def worth a visit for sundowners and then a light dinner.....here is a pic.... The other place.....i finally managed to try out the Tashas at Nicol Way...and i must say ill def go back...service was great, very attentive....the waiter that was supposed to serve our table was busy as we sat down...so another one came...introduced himself and said he would take our drinks order but our actual waiter will be with us just now...wow..Attentive i thought....food...amazing...from omlLette to poached eggs to a mue...

So....arrival in hong kong.....hmmmmm.......we arrived at the hotel at 12:30am....man tired....so..next 3 days were spent shopping, eating and drinking fancy cocktails.....But check out how our luggage was loaded on way from airport..... Lets start with the eating.....so....first day...for brunch...dim sums....at this really local place where they come around with carts...you read what they have in the cart and then say yes or no....i tried a lot...surprised myself with some of the things....from pork buns to deep fried corn and shrimp dim sums to salted deep fried squid to....chicken feet....yes...lots of cartlidge...sandro loves them, mom didnt even try, fabienne said she doesnt like them....and i tried....nothing special...i wouldnt eat again....little chewy....also tried this ginger custard...and for dessert some sesame wobble cake and some mango soup...hmmmmm....loved some things...here some pics...First pic the shrimp and corn dim sum and deep fried salted squid, then the lady...