We're back!

We enjoyed our last days onboard the ship. On Sunday evening, we finally saw our first sunset. Every other evening we either missed it because we were busy or the sun disappeared behind the clouds long before it reached the horizon. We never managed to catch a sunrise, though.

Monday, being a sea day, was gorgeous. We spent some time enjoying our balcony and then we packed. Since we had been away for so long almost all of our clothes needed to be laundered, so there was not much need for being careful in the packing process. We didn't buy too much either, except for the infamous candy and all the olive oil soap we purchased in Cannes, so we were finished long before dinner. We had our final dinner in Chops, which was a relaxing, unhurried way to finish the cruise. After a drink in the Champagne bar, we headed off to bed for a final night's rest at sea.

Tuesday morning the wake-up call came at 6:30 and it was all hustle and bustle around the ship. We managed a fairly leisurely breakfast and then left the ship about 35 minutes earlier than we had planned because we thought the truckers' strike in Madrid might spread to Barcelona. Luckily it didn't so we were at the airport and checked in about four hours before our flight. It's a good thing the Barcelona airport is so large with many shops and cafes, or time certainly would have dragged. The plane left about 15 minutes late, but other than some turbulence once or twice, the flight was smooth and we arrived about 30 minutes ahead of schedule. All of our luggage made it back from Europe, and our neighbor, Ted, was already at the airport ready to load up the car and take us home.

We arrived to find that Ted and Lori's daughters, Brieanne and Nicole, had made us a Welcome Home banner. Considering all the things the family did for us while we were gone (removed frogs, frog eggs and dead chipmunks from our pool, cut our grass, fed our fish, watered our plants), I'm sure they were glad we were home so we could take over our chores again! Thanks so much!

We also arrived home to an interior temperature of 90 degrees, since the northeast is experiencing a heatwave and the temperature was 97 when we landed. I had turned off the heat just before we left, because the daytime temperatures were in the 50s but the nights were still in the 40s. It never occurred to me to turn the air conditioning on. We also found water leaking near the curb in front of the house, so the water company is supposed to come sometime today to fix it (thank goodness it's their problem and not ours). The pool water is cloudy, but I think after a good vacuuming and some chemical adjustments, it will be ready for swimming.

I managed to get in 10 hours of sleep last night, but I think I've also caught a cold, so it will be early to bed for me again tonight. Tomorrow morning I have my CT scan and then it's back to the office. I see Dr. K on Friday morning for the scan results and to make my new chemo schedule. I see the NJ oncologist on the 18th, and with any luck I'll be able to start my treatments closer to home for the summer while my boss is working from his place in Montana.

It was a fabulous vacation despite the weather, and we both agree that Paris was the best part -- although dinner with Captain Lindegren was pretty special, too. We'll have to try to get back to Paris in the not-too-distant future, but we'll have to deal with those credit card bills first. Ouch! It was so wonderful to spend days on end not thinking about treatments or scans or blood draws or doctor appointments. It was possible to put all that aside for 20 days and just enjoy life: good company, good wine, good food, good destinations. I'm a lucky woman.

Bon voyage to Melinda and Ward, who leave for their Liberty of the Seas sailing tomorrow, and to Lydia A. and her family as she makes the final preparations for their trip to Paris followed by a northern Europe cruise. We wish you all safe travels and smooth seas!