Sat Feb 15 and Sun Feb 16, 2025
Hi Folks! This trip was a great success! We got to get away from the rainy, chilly weather of the Carolinas last week (though rumor has it snow is in the forecast!), we got to visit some new ports in the Caribbean, and we got to attend Kathy’s twin nieces’ 40th birthday party and see lots of her extended family. Fun trip all around!
On Sat Feb 15th, it was a breeze getting off of the ship in the morning. Since we were in no hurry, we decided to be one of the last ones off the ship and were at her sister’s by 11 to help with the party preparations. The party turned out great and all the homemade food was amazing.
Kathy is of Cuban descent so the Cuban food was flowing! We had Picadillo (ground meet with tomatoes, olives and red peppers), Arroz Imperial (yellow rice, shredded chicken, peas and cheese) and a yummy Cuban Sandwich appetizer. For dessert we had Flan (custard with carmalized sugar), an Italian Ricotta Cheescake (a nod to the only Italian there!), and Kathy’s “Better Than Sex” cake (Need I say more!!).
Not only was the Cuban food flowing but the Spanish language was prominent. OK, I took Spanish in High School and College but I couldn’t keep up! But I had a great talk with her cousins who grew up in Havana, Cuba but have lived in the States for years. They go back twice a year to see family and I think we might go with them sometime. How fun it would be to visit Cuba with a local!
We had the party at one of the twins’ houses and it was decorated so festive. I included lots of pics! It was such a beautiful night I could have hung out by their pool the whole time!
On Sun we got up super early to fly back home. With all the high winds and rain around Charlotte and the surrounding area in the morning, lots of flights were delayed or cancelled. Luckily we snuck our way on to a standby flight from Miami to Tampa to Charlotte.
That’s all for now! You get a slight reprieve since we won’t be traveling again until early April. But that one will be fun. 18 nights to the Baltics region visiting the countries of England, France, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Estonia, and Sweden. Can’t wait! Hope everyone’s having a safe and fun President’s Day Weekend!
The Wandering Italian 