Today is a sea day so I wil try to catch up with my notes.  So. Back to Sunday in Trinidad and the visit to St Benedict's Monastery in the hills.  The original church is an historical landmark, but is no longer in use, having been replaced by a much larger structure,  The main attractions of the sprawling property are the views and the cooler than Port of Spain climate (kind of like Tucson compared to Phoenix).  The seminary has been closed down because they cannot find five live preisthood candidates in all of the Caribbean.  But because the Benedictines are noted for their hopitality, the guest house and retreat are busy all year.  At the conclusion of the guide's talk, we were treated to a taste of tea and various sweet breads in the guest house dining room.

The drive back to the city was highlighted by several police chases and blocked roads, but we still managed to return to the ship in time for a late lunch--at which I had the misfortune of the company of two gentlemen from Chile (part of the LGBT) group who complained incessantly about everyhting connected with the cruise and the shore excursions.  Another reminder why I choose to dine alone.

I broke my dine-alone rule again for dinner, but this time with much more pleasant results.  Patrick, a retired banker, who currently lives in the Chicago area, and I shared a table and a bottle of wine in the Pinnacle Grill, the ship's specialty steak and seafood restaurant.  Although the food in the Rotterdam Dining Room is always good, the steaks in the Pinnacle are quite extraordinary, and worth the extra charge (on which I get a discount for my 3-star Mariner membership).  Wonderful lobster bisque to begin with and tri-flavored creme brulee for dessert added to the pleasure of the evening.

Monday

Last night's sailing from Trinidad to Tobago takes 2.5 hours by ferry, but the Maasdam slowed down to 6 nms per mile so that we wouldn't arrive until morning.  Scarborough, the chief city, is much more tropical and slow than POS and therefore very pleasant to walk around.  The city tourist board offers a free walking tour with an excellent local guide, who is really knowledgeable in all aspects of Tobagan life, and was especially helpful as we go through the small but well-tended botanical gardens.  Monday is a quiet day in the street markets, but there are still enough stalls for browsing through the local items as he guides us back through the streets of town and down to the ship.

I am off to the third formal dinner tonight (Tuesday), so I'll continue my reporting tomorrow.