In November of 2023 I went on a Viking repositioning ocean cruise, starting in Barcelona and ending in Florida. It was a 2-week cruise, with 10 of the days completely at sea. We did make daytime stops in Madeira and St. Maarten, both places I hadn't seen before.
One of the things I really like about the cruise was the chance to really get to know people on the ship. In this case, I had the opportunity to play bridge every day but one. I don't get a lot of chance to do that in my at-home life, so it was a wonderful experience. There was a group of about 10-12 passengers who met the first night and would play each morning. It wasn't always all of the group, but there were some regulars - I was one. I was actually able to catch up with one couple from the cruise in Key West; one of the couple was an every day regular.
I also really enjoyed Torshavn, one of the bars on the ship. Every night there was music, sometimes the ship band, and other times one of the other musical acts in the early evening and then the band to close. I met a bunch of people in the bar, where we sat, and talked, and drank, and danced. One couple in particular became friends. After leaving Florida after Key West, I headed to Biloxi to visit them for a few days.
This was personal, not so much about the place. However, I do have a few pictures to share.
The water-facing side of K&K's house, the back yard, the otter, and sunset from the back porch.
The Ocean Springs Community Center and Walter Anderson's murals:
Down by the pier with Kathleen.
The over 2,000 year-old tree by the Mary Mahoney's Old French House Restaurant. This was a wonderful lunch experience. The restaurant started as a house built in 1737. It was owned by the Frasier family until 1820. The home went through several owners after that, and remained a residence until 1962, when it was acquired by Mary Mahoney. The restaurant is now on its third generation of management under the family. I had one of Mary Mahoney's 'Distinctive and Notable' dishes, Queen Ixolib, a lightly seasoned fish filet stuffed with shrimp and crabmeat au gratin. It was superb! (And if you are wondering about the ixolib fish, just read it backwards!)
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