Everything happens for a reason.
Chances are you have heard and/or exclaimed this expression at some point - it is a common salve for when things don’t go quite the way hoped or planned, usually after a perceived negative outcome, and often for something that feels important - e.g. you didn’t get the job you were hoping for. Sometimes it feels a bit flippant to me - especially when the positive alternative outcome has yet to appear.
But quite often, some very cool things come out of everything happening for a reason. And sometimes, cool surprises and discoveries just happen on their own, reason or no reason. All about being in the moment and open to what is around you. That is what this past week has been about for me.
As we had an overnight in Trieste, and as H. would only be with us for a few more days, it felt important to go ashore for a nice meal. Don’t get me wrong, we have had plenty of nice meals onboard! But as crew, there is always something special about an overnight port and going ashore for dinner.
We ended up at a pizza restaurant on a big piazza that was clearly aimed for the tourist crowd. Not our normal go-to, but we were all a little cranky and there was a table free outside under big awnings. We could see that the rain was coming, and we thought we’d be fine at that table. Servers were not in a hurry to take orders, and, when after 20 minutes, the wait staff started closing down the umbrellas and awnings, all the customers scrambled inside. Unimpressed thus far, we, however, left in search of somewhere else to eat. The rain hit before we found a place, and after a few wet attempts to find a highly rated, didn’t-require-a-reservation restaurant, we literally stumbled upon a blink-and-you-miss it place called Mood.
Only eight tables inside. We could have a table for drinks and snacks for 30 minutes and then someone had a reservation for that table. A round of drinks later, we were offered another table and could stay for dinner. We had gotten there just in time, as others who came in were turned away due to reservations. We had a delicious dinner, enjoying the local wine recommendations, and enjoying the “mood” of Mood. Starters were called “Sharing is Caring,” mains were “Hungry AF,” and desserts were “Happy Endings.” Not the place to go if the innuendos will offend you, as they extend to the decor and ambiance, but otherwise a great spot to eat.
Other delightful surprises this week:
On the tender boat the other day, I thought I saw Matty B, an old colleague who is now a corporate trainer for the company. Then I thought he was one of the performers. We saw him a few days later onboard and turns out it was him! We had actually run into each other about a month ago in Juneau, Alaska. Fun to have a hello halfway around the world. Glad he is doing well.
And as Dirk and I settle into Oosterdam, we are still meeting so many crew which we have sailed with before. It’s a big family out here.
Speaking of settling in, I was searching in Trieste for a hit list of items to make the cabin more like home. Most folks on land have their favorite big box stores or online sites. On the ship, if crew are on an itinerary that repeats, they find their favorite shops, too - just a little more globally and usually not mega-stores. Sometimes it takes a little more effort to find what you want, but if you have the time, this can be fun. My old market in Piraeus is still around, and I now know of 4 different stores for home goods and stationary supplies in Trieste (as well as I now know the neighborhood to look in Kusadasi). As these ports will be regulars for us over the next couple of years, this is all good to have in the back pocket.
This time in Piraeus we docked at Terminal B, so I was able to find out the information for the X80 bus from this terminal. I have updated my previous post with what I found.
Also, this Piraeus it was time for H. to head home. I rode with him to the airport and then took the metro back to Piraeus, with my memory telling me I needed to change trains to get to the port. Happy surprise is that the blue line (line 3) has been extended to Piraeus, so now you can take the metro all the way from the Athens airport to Piraeus port without changing trains. And, there is even a stop one past the port stop (Dimotiko Theatro), so it is less of a walk to the terminals than the Piraeus port stop. From what I read, this was just completed in October 2022. Nice.
Lastly, there are a lot of cats in Greece and they often look a little sad and dusty. As I was walking to Terminal B in Piraeus, I decided to not hug the water but walk the hills of Piraeus. I walked past a little public park where just inside the fence someone has put several little kitty shelters with food and water bowls. What a lovely random act of kindness and community.
(Other) Wellness Round Up
Movement: Fitbit says I am walking in 7,600-18,667 steps a day - tick, done! This next week’s goal is to get the Couch-2-5K back up and running (pun intended) and start sneaking strength training back in,
Sleep & Stress: Stress is definitely lessened from last week, which is influencing sleep in a good way. I am averaging about 7.5 hours of sleep/night, so I think we can say tick, done, for the sleep!
Nutrition: The fruit onboard has been gorgeous. And, happily, the ship has been bringing on (or preparing) all those healthy Mediterranean diet items. Yum. I am not eating as many veggies as I would like, something to work on. But we got the scale set up again and my weight is down a bit. Yippee!
Hydration: Ooooh, this is an area that needs improvement big time.
As I have been writing this week’s post, we have been sailing into Istanbul. I think it has been 10 years since I was last here. I forgot how beautiful the sail in is. I don’t think these photos truly capture it, but I look forward to new delightful discoveries here in Istanbul.
That’s it for now. Bon Voyage & Bon Appétit!
Updated August 25, 2024
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