Christine's Journey Begins!

Hello from Toronto! I boarded the Clelia II at 4:30 p.m. at the former Rochester Ferry pier here in Toronto. I was met with a warm welcome, serenaded by a small drum and bugle corps and given ice cream even before I made it onboard! The cruise director, also a “Christine” but from France, met me with open arms and a big smile. My cabin is on the Leto deck (sounds like the “Love Boat,” I know), warmly furnished in mohagany with lots of mirrors and interesting built-in cabinets and closets. After a short meeting between the tour managers (French Christine, Brian, Janice and Elizabeth) and the two lecturers (me and Evan from Columbia University), we got to experience our first fun: the mandatory safety drill! After an alarm was sounded, we were all instructed to report to the main lounge after retrieving our life vest from our cabin. It was a bit humorous to watch 80+ people (most of whom are over 80!) trying to figure out how to get into their bulky flame orange life jackets! After we all passed the drill, I explored all five decks of the ship and just in time to see a large schooner (tall ship?) passing by, the “Kajama.” Several Tall Ships are traveling through the Great Lakes this summer, currently in Bay City, Mich., July 15-18. I’m hoping we pass more of them on the cruise this week! My dinner companions were Nancy Nelson and her son Paul Treuer from Duluth, Minn. Paul had some great stories of his own, including circumnavigating Lake Superior in a kayak in the early 90s. The food was tasty, as expected. I had red snapper over wild rice, along with a bamboo shoot appetizer, potato soup w/ coconut and peppers, salad, and apple strudel for dessert. Whew, off to bed now. We are still at the dock in Toronto. We set sail at 3:30 a.m. for the Welland Canal.