Friday, October 3, 2008

Mediterranean Cruise Day 4: Corsica, France

Thursday was an interesting day. We arrived at the island of Corsica, France to somewhat overcast skies, but it never rained. We had arranged for a half day tour called "Countryside Sampler" which sounded promising. Unfortunately it was a huge disappointment. The tour had three stops: a visit to a small Nougat factory, a visit to an essential oils facility, and finally a local winery. In my opinion, all three stops were worthless. Our tour guide rambled on endlessly (or should I say droned on). Views of the excursion tour that I do not recommend:
above: these are the views of the Corsican countryside we saw on the tour
above: more views from this worthless tour (but I'm not bitter)
above: I was really enjoying the visit to the essential oils facility.
above: a few interesting images from the winery
above: at the winery. These two dogs were the highlight of the entire day in Corsica.
All in all, I'm having a great time on the cruise. This is a smaller ship, with somewhere around 600 passengers, so it is a different experience from the larger ships we have cruised on with Princess. One nice advantage of a smaller ship is you get to know the passengers and crew better, which is nice. We were pleasantly surprised to see one of the crew from our Panama Canal cruise last year on this ship. Jose is one of the best bartenders we've met, and has a fun personality. He makes delicious martinis. In fact, it was Jose who took the first photo of me in what is now my "signature martini pose". I wasted no time in ordering a delicious Blue Raspberry Martini from Jose. Here I am enjoying a cold libation. A few of you asked for photos of the ship, so here goes:

Views inside the Pacific Princess:
above left: The ship's library is one of my favorite spots. above right: The main lobby area is nicely furnished.
above: You get the overall feel of the ship's decor from these photos. I feel very comfortable here, it's like being in your own home, or at the family estate.
above left: the hallways in the ship are elegant. above right: the card room is a great place for a few rounds of Gin. Well that's all for today. We next head to Naples, Pompei and Sorrento. Tonight is one of the formal events so I'm off to slip into my tux and enjoy some champagne. Thanks for stopping by today!
-Signore Ricardo Rockhill
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11 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 3, 2008 at 4:39 AM

    Mr. Rockhill doesn't look like he's enjoying himself in the 6th pic. Perhaps the wine helped? ;)

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  2. AnonymousOctober 3, 2008 at 5:23 AM

    It wouldn't be a cruise or a blog post without the martini pose...LOL!

    Pompeii... I'm some Jones-ing to go there... that place just fascinates me.

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  3. Empress Bee (of the high sea)October 3, 2008 at 5:48 AM

    oh rick i LOVE that shot of you at the essential oil place!!! too funny! and the ship looks wonderful.

    we are now on our way to new orleans for our cruise. but i shall keep up with you!

    smiles, bee
    xxoxoxoxoxoxoxxo

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  4. kenjuOctober 3, 2008 at 6:42 AM

    That's quite a nice ship! The one we went on couldn't hold a candle to that. Sorry about Corsica. You might have done better on your own.

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  5. AnonymousOctober 3, 2008 at 7:28 AM

    Hi Rick,

    I was going to lurk but I read your warning. Plus you have lots of nice animal photos. Is that a cat?

    I came to your site because you mentioned nougat and as I just did a post on French candy I thought you might be interested. But then I saw you dissing Corsica, land that I love. OK, I know it was just the tour and not the land, but you had to search to find those smoke stacks!

    Boy your boat ride looks great though. Have fun.

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  6. limeOctober 3, 2008 at 8:56 AM

    what a shame that the tours were not very interesting. that picture of you "enjoying" one of them cracked me up though.

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  7. Lola StarrOctober 3, 2008 at 10:09 AM

    Wow, the ship looks amazing!! I've never been on a real ship like that before, just smaller ones (like crossing the English Channel small). I didn't realize they looked like that. Cool! :)

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  8. captain corkyOctober 3, 2008 at 11:16 AM

    A good bartender is essential. Glad you're having a good time!

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  9. AnonymousOctober 3, 2008 at 11:23 AM

    Essential Oils looked like a real hoot. Hilarious. Thanks for the mid-day laughter Rick.

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  10. CherylOctober 3, 2008 at 5:15 PM

    What an adventure! You are the King of Cruise. How many are in your group?

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  11. OldLady Of The HillsOctober 3, 2008 at 10:35 PM

    That ship is fantastic, Rick...so legant and so beautifully appointed! And a Library, too!
    This is really a fantastic trip!

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Thank you kindly.