My venture

So....overnight Haifa and both days start work 5am....wow....so the first day during my rest hours...guess what...i slept...hmmmm....but second day....after finishing first shift at 10am...def was not going to be resting..the Baha'i gardens would be open for viewing until 12:00....so better rush....we were going to see the Shrine of Baha'u'llah, one of Haifa's most prominent landmarks, it is the Baha i Faith's second holiest shrine. It is the resting place of the Bab, who is regarded by Baha'is as the Messenger of God whose primary mission was to prepare the way for the coming of Baha'u'llah. Here some facts about the Baha i Faith....it is the most recent world's religion. It was born in 1844, and since then it has become the world's second-most widespread religion. Some of the principles include..... -abandonment of all forms of prejudice -full equality between sexes -recognition of the common source and essential oneness of the world...

Yes...it has been a while...and main reason...i moved back from nightshift into dayshift....with a promotion...man...when i heard i was so excited...the german translator aka german igs (international guest services) went on vacation and they didnt have anyone lined up...so they asked whether i would step up to the challenge...so exciting...so of course from one day to the next i was moved from nightshift to dayshift...and i have no complaints about that....so what has been happening....first we were in naples....i didnt have a lot of time off...so literally we went into naples and kim took me to a pizza place he knew and loved...Hmmmmm...chef must have changed cause first timenin Naples....pizza was not good...not as bad as in civvi...but it was bad....way way too much tomaonsauce and the dough was so soggy and wet...not great....and it just seemed like it wasnt cooked long enough...in my opinion...the tomato base still tasted like it had just been poured out of a tin without having ...

So...as mentioned...we had overnight in Istanbul....i of course could not go out at night....nightshift....but so what...was a chilled night on the ship....i mean nightshift wise....i was looking forwArd to another day outside with no time pressure....first thing after nightshift....3.5hrs of sleep...just to freshen up a little..... Around lunch Kim and I left the ship and took the tram....yes...compromise...one way the tram and walk back....we took the tram to Haiga Sofya....i was not in the mood to sight-see today, done enough yesterday...walking around, relaxing and enjoying is what i needed....so no...we didnt go inside the Mosque....(we have two more Istanbul's....then def going once)....we walked the streets...stopping for a kebab wrap and then slowly making our way towards the river....many stops along the way...the first...my favourite choc shop which also serves fab cappuccino....as we sat down...the waiter brought us a bowl of mini chocs....they were like Maltesers or ...

As im nightshift..i have all day to explore...of course...i have to sleep...but i can work around it....so...today i decided to take a tour....which included Topkapi Palace and Harem, Blue Mosque and Grand Bazaar...i will chat more about the first two cause the other two i have seen and talked about before...but i did learn some new facts..which might interest you....hahaha..... So...on the first day we normally arrive in Istanbul only after lunch, so tour dispatched at 13:00, which for me was perfecto cause it allowed me to sleep for a little bit....the tour guide was very good....on the way to the palace she explained a few things about Turkey....here are some facts... - Before 380AD the capital of the Roman Empire was Constantinoples (which today is Istanbul).....in 380AD however, the Roman Empire was divided into East and West and Rome and the Vatican became the capital of the Western Roman Empire while Constantinoples became the capital of the Eastern Roman Empire.... - The...

So...once again.....back on the ship....and once again....Norwegian Jade....the places we would visit would be the same as last time...my first cruise's itinerary is as follows: embarkation Civitavecchia, then a sea day, Katakolon (Greece), Piraeus (Greece), Izmir (Turkey), Istanbul (Turkey), Istanbul (Turkey) (yes...there is an overnight there), sea day, sea day (yes....two sea days in a row), Naples (Italy) and back to Civvitavecchia...... As we got onboard i had the regular safety exam and collected my schedule...what....i start nightshift tomorrow....hmmmm...normally nightshift is half way through contract...hmmm....strange...oh well, i guess i need to make the best of the situation.....first day back flew by....there is a lot of new people on the team which is good and bad....ill let you know later during the contract whether it is more good or more bad...hahaha.... Not going to go into all details...first few days were hectic...an accident happened on board and unfortuna...

So....day 2....like i said...started off with some good cappucchino and a chat about what we should do....how about a stroll towards the Castello d'Angelo....which is near the Vatican....we both had never been inside...so that sounded like a plan...walked down Via Nazionale...of course stopping at various shops...from typical Italian food to kitchenware to painting shops....and then towards the fresh produce market....a small stop just to show kim....i just love all the various pastas they sell...the colours...shapes....and all the vinegars and dips and fresh produce and not to forget....truffles.....from whole, to chopped to dips...never ending....so before i write endlessly....here some pics....first me in a typical deli food shop...then some market pics....and then...i have to add an "artistic" pic...we all know how much i love buildings...such a cool terrace... Funny enough.....we didnt make it to the Castello without Kim wanting another coffee....we found...