Day 13: Talkin’ smack over gin rummy on the Caribe deck

After a short day of shopping, drinking and dining in the nothing-much fishing town of Katakolon (“Gateway to Olympia!”), we’re quietly hanging out on our balcony, reading books and writing letters when a gang war breaks out next door.

Or at least that’s what this titanic gin rummy tiff sounds like. Gram (in her 80s) and Daughter (in her 60s) are throwin’ down cards and disses with the kind of reckless abandon that would make Tupac and Biggie cower. We’re seriously concerned that somebody’s gonna get capped.

Ten days into a 12-day cruise, it seems, folks are getting a wee bit testy. The buffet’s getting a little gamy, every Greek ruin’s starting to look like one more pile of rocks, and Toga Night is just a distant memory. (OK, maybe that last one is a positive development.)


Or maybe it’s just the hangover from Athens. Yesterday’s stop there went great – lengthy but entertaining walk to the train station (including this street corner in the port city of Pireaus, where they really DO let sleeping dogs lie), easy subway ride, impressive vistas, fascinating street life, stellar Greek salad.

But then we hit the Acropolis, which these days looks more like Uptown Dallas than the cradle of civilization. Apparently, the powers that be (Zeus? Hera?) got tired of all those rocks crumbling and decided to rebuild the whole darned thing. So it’s bristling with cranes, raw rock and construction workers. Add in the thousands of tourons crawling over it (including us), like ants on a glob of potato salad. De-lish!

Uh-oh. Gram’s just started her victory dance! Call it the icky shuffle.

PS: And the caption contest winner is... Mike Jackson, who contributed "Monkey see, monkey do-do." Strangest entry from Dave: "The dingo at my baby!" Mike'll get a luxe prize when we get back.