Could they possibly put more stuff in the little country of Monaco? The pictures of this area from the sea don’t do it justice. The land is covered by a building, road, walkway or some other kind of land use. Amazingly the buildings are built on solid rock and are high rise buildings.

The country was set up for the Formula One series beginning this week so that limited some of the things we could do. We also saw the French Riviera all the way to Nice, nine miles to the east. The country of Monaco is only .73 square miles and its population is 30,000 people but each day about 40,000 more people drive into this tiny country to work. Their official language is French and they have very close ties to France.

The day was beautiful. The ride in from our ship by tender was calm and uneventful. I noted that the mountain behind Monaco was shrouded in clouds much of the day but it was bright sunlight where we were.

This is a great place to visit. Then back to the ship. At 5:30p.m. we sailed away heading to the port of Rome, Civitavecchia.

Surrounded by the beauty of Portoferraio at 4:30 p.m. Monday. I’m sitting on our balcony on our ship the Prinsendam. The water, the islands of this Tuscan Archipelago, the sky, the sail boats, and the ferries plying the water all combine to make this one of the most picturesque places I’ve ever been. I cannot adequately convey how gorgeous this place is.

We toured Portoferraio earlier today returning to our ship at 1 p.m. We rode through most of the town on a miniature touring vehicle, a replica of a train and its cars. We toured the harbors, looked at sail boats, walked tiny backstreets, and soaked up the ambiance of the island. It was a total package of beauty. I may never get back here but I will never forget this place. I am grateful to have come this way.

Another day in paradise. It just doesn’t get better than this. We soaked it all up.

I think Jimmy Dukes is being discharged today and he will be staying on the Seminary Campus. I’m praying for him as he continues his rehab. I’m also praying that Retia will be ready to travel to Orlando soon so that Jason and family will be back together and Jimmy and Retia will be with them for their continued healing.

We have our disembarkation briefing tonight after dinner. Time to pack for our transfer on Wednesday morning early. Tomorrow will be our final cruise day. While I will be sad to leave this wonderful experience I am beginning to look forward to turning another page on our travels and being in Rome for a few days.

We are praying for you. Please keep praying for the Dukes. Also, pray for New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and our leaders there. What a great work our school is doing in the kingdom.

The weather kept us out of the Naxos harbor and instead we went to Messina. We sailed into the Strait of Messina early in the morning on May 16 (Saturday) and docked in the harbor. Messina was quite an interesting city. We walked the city center including the Cathedral. It rained most of the time we were out walking and when we got back to the ship it decided to rain harder. The day was overcast right up until we got ready to leave and then the sun came out.

This morning we sailed into the port of Naples and docked about 7:30am. Our panoramic tour met at 9:30 and we toured Naples for three hours. We had several picture stops and spent 45 minutes at Piazza Plebiscito.

We enjoyed both Messina and Naples. Messina is an industrial city on the island of Sicily and did not have much in the way of archaeological sites but our walk was fun and the people we met were nice. Naples is the third largest city in Italy. Rome and Milan are larger. Naples has a bit of everything. It is reputedly the birthplace of pizza. Their harbor is busy and the tours they offer are varied. Although without the heritage of Rome, Naples has much to offer. We were pleased with the overview and will in the future if given an opportunity would love to visit Naples again.

Praying for you. Clay

This has been a very restful day. We had a Mariner brunch for those who including this voyage had sailed with Holland America 25 days. I was amazed that we were in that group but we were. Some of the folks had sailed more than 750 days with Holland America. Wow that is a lot of days sailing. The Prinsendam Captain had a few things to say and then we had brunch. The folks we sat with were from Hastings, England (the battle of 1066 AD); Dallas, Texas; and the west coast.

The Prinsendam is a very nice ship to sail on. It’s size is something many of the folks prefer-small size compared to some of the mega-ships now sailing the seven seas. We have enjoyed both the large and the small ships.

We had an engine failure last night but we never knew it and they had it fixed by early morning. The ship never slowed down.

Our original port, Naxos, has bad weather including fog and high waves so we changed our port for tomorrow to Messina, Sicily. We are looking forward to it and will enjoy walking around the port town.

We are nearing the end of our sea voyage and are looking forward to our traveling across Italy from Rome to Austria and winding up in Reutte, Austria. We plan to visit a lot of small towns in that area and in Germany, especially Oberammergau. I am a bit apprehensive about driving in Rome but think that taking it easy and not getting up tight will overcome my anxiety. Also, I’m asking the Lord to give me a good experience on the roads out of and then back into Rome.

I’ve kept up my 10,000 plus daily steps program so far every day. Pray for me to be able to maintain this when we are traveling by auto thru Italy. We plan to stop enroute on our trip and spend at least four days in Venice. That holds a great deal of interest for us.

Blessings to you and your family. Clay

Paul is a determined man
Skilled and tough
Always kind to others
Demanding of self
Hard working and strong
Gifted in successful living

A planner and an adventurer
Fair with others
Able to get things done
At the same time not creating a mess
Paul loves his wife and children
Expressing His love in multiple ways

He is open to others suggestions
He thinks through His options in life carefully
Aware of the past and preparing for the future
He lives life by personal moral standards
Wise in well doing
Paul seeks the best right now

Mercy please, this sin in me
Casts a gloom and pain
Lift me up and draw me out
Help Jesus, I need You to cleanse me

Forgive me, we always discuss my sin
There is so much to talk about
Every day sin renews its sway
Action-reaction-pain

Glory to You, Lord Jesus
Equip me to carry on
Even when I sin again
Your love will return me home

Today is no different
The problem is always me
Change me Lord to be like You
Defeat this sin in me

Ibiza is the third largest of the Balearic Islands. Ibiza Town is the administrative center. The fortified town is perched dramatically above its natural harbor. Charles V built the fortifications in the 16th Century. The castle is the centerpiece for d’Alt Vila, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The squared off, white homes are built close together. They literally spill down the side of the mountain from the fortifications all the way to the harbor. The streets between the homes are very narrow and are lined with cafes and shops.

Phoenician merchants established the town in 654 BC although there is some evidence of earlier societies. Our time on the island was spent visiting Ibiza Town, d’Alt Vila, St Joseph, and St Antoni. It sprinkled on us all day. The first comment our guide made was don’t worry about the clouds because it never rains here.

It was a very quick day. I barely got my 10,000 steps in and then it was time for dinner. Our ship pulled out of Ibiza at about 5:00 pm and as we had dinner we were able to watch the island disappear as we set sail for Taormina some 700 plus sea miles away.

Tonight at 10:30 pm they had a choclate extravaganza. Yes we went. Yes we took pictures. Yes I did partake a very small amount. It was good.

We have noticed that there are some significant pluses to being on a small ship like the Prinsendam. You can find folks that you chat with easily. You get to know a few more people. We are enjoying our cabin and the routine of being at sea. It is comfortable and enjoyable.

Blessings. Clay

We arrived at Almeria and docked early this morning. The day started out foggy but developed into a beautiful, sunny day. We traveled by bus to Cabo de Gata Natural Park and then visited Nijar, a picturesque village featuring white-washed houses and local handicrafts. The shops in Nijar had really nice pottery and local weavings but both were too heavy to carry along. The interaction with the people of the area was good. There are a lot of British and German residents in this area. Also, since the economic downturn there is high unemployment.

Our cruise days are winding down. Only five more days and we will leave the ship in Rome. This continues to be an excellent experience. We are very grateful for this opportunity. Amazingly there hasn’t been a lot of free time. We’ve participated in many of the ship board events and gotten to know by sight many of the folks on the cruise.

Tonight we finished our evening meal and headed back to our cabin. There is event in the Queen’s Lounge that is very good but we opted to relax tonight. The waves and wind are still high. Oh my I am grateful it wasn’t like this crossing the Atlantic.

We have monitored Jimmy’s situation. I noted that he might get out of the hospital on May 18. That would be great. We are continuing to pray for both him and Retia. Also, for Jason and Eric and their families. This sure puts a lot of pressure on them.

We are also praying for graduation and all of the things going on at the end of the school year. All of our folks have worked so hard this year to make everything work out well.

I talked with Mel Jones this week. Our house leader left. Please add Mr. Martino to your prayer list. Mel is doing such a great job and I am praying for the Lord to raise up the right person to take Mr. Martino’s place.

We miss our precious children and grandchildren. I wish that all of you could be with us.

Blessings on your day. Clay

Monday we were planning to visit Portimao, Portugal but the tides and wind kept us out of the harbor area and we had a sea day. We were looking forward to visiting this bustling fishing village but it was not to be so we enjoyed our sea day. It was very relaxing and went by all too quickly.

We docked at the Port of Cadiz early this morning about 6:30 a.m. Cadiz is a big seaport and is the capital of Cadiz Province Spain. This city was one of the few in Spain able to withstand a siege by Napoleon. The city was originally named Gadir by the Phoenicians in 1100 BC when it was their trading post, later controlled by the Carthaginians and then by the Romans.

The old central quarter of Cadiz is famous for its picturesque charm. We walked thru the center of the city. Rode a bus around the outside of the city. When we finished our touring we walked back across the city to the port. Carol shopped in several of the stores. I enjoyed the sight seeing and ambiance of this beautiful Spanish port city.

We sailed out of the Port of Cadiz at 5:30 p.m. Carol took pictures and I just stood a watched as we sailed away towards tomorrow’s destination Almeria, Spain.

What is significantly notable about today is that we are completing two weeks of our cruise today. This has been and continues to be a great experience. The luxury in traveling by ship to sightsee is remarkable. This is so much fun! Also, the time passes so fast.

Tonight we enjoyed walking on the promenade deck after dinner. Chatting and walking for forty-five minutes seemed like no time at all. This cruise is a special experience. Carol and I are both enjoying every aspect of it.

At the moment as I write we are passing the North African landscape and entering the Straights of Gibraltar. The map says we are close to Morocco. The Captain said we will pass Gibraltar about midnight, three hours from now.

What a day. Thank you for your prayers. We are faithfully remembering you. Blessings Clay.

I was intrigued about crossing the Atlantic Ocean by ship. I had read about people crossing the Atlantic. Some enjoyed it very much and others absolutely hated the experience. Carol and I decided that we would try it. I think it has turned out for us to be a very good experience. We have enjoyed the people we have met on the ship. The staff of the Prinsendam have gone out of their way to make our trip enjoyable.

Our cabin is small but very functional. We have a king size bed and it is really comfortable. The rocking motion of the ship seems to add to the relaxation of a good nights sleep. Our bathroom is a one at a time bathroom. The shower is superb. Folks spent time making sure that the cabin was comfortable and we are enjoying it.

We have developed a schedule during the week that we are happy with. We have a simple breakfast in our cabin, lunch in the Lido Restaurant which is the casual restaurant, and then dinner with friends in the main dining room. I like the freedom we have for meals at breakfast and lunch and we both enjoy a more structured meal at dinner time. The food is fabulous and we have both been careful how much and what we eat.

Yesterday when we docked in Lisbon, we realized that we had indeed crossed the Atlantic. The seas were mild to moderate all the way across. In talking with some of the staff they said we had one of the smoothest crossings they had experienced. We have thoroughly enjoyed our Atlantic crossing.

Amazingly we haven’t felt like time was dragging. The time change three different times was at noon so those three days were shortened. Then the night after we left the Azores the time changed at 2 a.m. I think we still have to lose one more hour by the time we get to Rome but that is nine days from now so we still have quite a bit of sailing left.

I’ve read several good books on my Kindle. Each day Carol and I both have used the gym for exercising. I’ve kept up my 10,000 steps per day program. That was tough at first but after a few days the routine was set and I found it much easier to maintain. The movement of the ship has become part of our own movements. When we were off the ship in Lisbon I found myself still rocking. That was odd being on solid ground.

We befriended two couples on the ship and have had dinner with them each evening. After the first two nights we were able to get table 304 and have had dinner at that table and with that group of waiters since then. The don’t give you a reservation if you choose the at leisure dining but the the head steward sent us reservations today and has reserved that table for us.

Ken and Jan Sorenson from Boulder, Colorado; and Paul and Carolyn Cooper of Corfino, Italy are the two couples we dine with. Both couples are retired. Paul and Carolyn are expats who live part of the year in Italy and part of the year in the U.S. Both couples are world travelers and we have enjoyed getting to know them and hear about their travel experiences. Paul and Carolyn travel each Spring from the US to Italy and in the fall from Italy to the US by ship. They have found it to be an inexpensive way for them to carry all their stuff back and forth.

I think the only negative about our trip is being out of touch with Jimmy and Retia. We are praying for their continued healing and are already looking forward to seeing them when we get back home. Enough about us. Blessings on you and your family. Sincerely Clay.