Two Days in Tahiti - Part One

We have returned to Tahiti! Not originally on the schedule but due to the cancellation of Raietea and Rorotonga, not to be confused with Tonga, we have returned to Papeete. They had to take us some place to avoid the Mutiny on the Orion! we are happy to be back where we were so warmly welcomed as the first cruise ship in two years from the U.S.A.! Adrienne wanted to go to the Pearl Museum and maybe also buy some black pearls and stop to get vanilla. She mentioned it at breakfast and Carol and I said sure, we could all go thogether. There were no tours offered and we thought about hiring a driver but decided against it as we have a tour tomorrow that will complete our visit quite well. Then I said, let me check. We are after all in FRENCH Polynesia and it is SUNDAY! And sure enough, thanks to the free WIFI, we discovered that everything is closed in this Catholic country. The Pharmacie would open for a few hours at 2:00 p.m. So Adrienne decided not to go out at all and Carol and I left about 10. On the way to the gate of the pier, we met Sue. Who was heading out to find sunscreen as she lost hers at the pool. When we told her that no stores were open but at 2:00 she decided to walk with us. The very bustling city had a beautiful Sunday calm. It is obviously family time. A mother knealt with her child beside the seaside to watch the fishies swimming in a sort of aquarium glass set into the ocean. The little girls pink bike lay next to them. So many men were dragging coolers to the gates of the Marina. The women held them open and shut them tight before walking down the boardwalk to where their tall masted sailboat or catamaran was tied up. The boats came from all over- England, France, and Germany were well represented. A few were from the States. They all were beautiful yachts, perhaps rentals, or maybe private judging by the clientele. A middle aged couple was walking their black and white dog on the decorative pavement. Of course I asked in my best broken French if the dog was friendly and could be petted. The puppy was excited but sat upon command, which I understood and can pronounce but not spell. It was so nice to stroke his shiny head and shake hands good bye with him. Some of the pavement is stone that is set as tiles and every so often one had an impression of a sea animal in it. A shiny black stone pavement swirled along side and through the grey stone. A very interesting pattern making you think of the sea even though it is not a blue walkway. In some places there is a pinkish marble - like paving of large squares. Sue and I turned back at the first playground where preschoolers chased each other around the slide. There are three such set-asides in the park. Sue was struggling a little with the heat and more so the humidity. Carol continued on to nearly the end and went just past the pennisula lighthouse. Back on board there are never a lot of activities on port days. But this was such a nice blend of the two possibilities. We had dinner in the very fancy Chef's Table. It was a Journey Through Time Menu. The theme idea is key here. Representing Greece, the lamb loin was elegantly presented on a dollop of pureed yams. Delicious. Surprisingly the White Port was very good. And I am not a wine fan but it was smooth and unusual, especially for a Port. Lindsey Hamilton gave an excellent Broadway Review with a special tribute to Stephen Sondheim. Photos of him were on screen as she movingly performed Send in the Clowns. She flies out tomorrow to her next cruise ship, we will miss her. All in all a very nice chnage of pace today.