Escape from Rochester - Returning home through Washington Cherry Blossoms

Ishrod and Marilyn

Once we cleared customs and border control, we claimed our car and drove north to stop and visit friends in Orlando.  Musheer and Ishrod Hussain moved to Orlando about a year ago.  They had lived for 40 years in Holly NY.  Marilyn and Ishrat met in the Holly schools where they both worked and became good friends.  Musheer is a retired general surgeon.  They have a lovely home and they were gracious hosts.  In fact, we had somehow given them the impression that we would be staying at least overnight with them.  Nonetheless, we shared a nice lunch and a long visit and left with the promise that next trip we would make sure to stay with them and explored Orlando.

Tom and Bill

We drove north to the other side of Jacksonville where we stayed the night.  The next day we drove to Centreville VA just outside Washington near Dulles airport to stay with Tom and Sara.  Without any advance planning, the cherry blossoms were still visible.  The last time we tried tog et to Washington to see them, we were too late.  A heavy wind storm the week before basically stripped the trees.  While not at their peak, we did get see them and had a great visit with Tom and Sarah.  Tom's kids, Bill and Katie, also stopped by for short visits.

Sarah and Marilyn

It was great to visit with them and to experience the beginning of spring.  For the previous three weeks, we had been enjoying summer and easily slipped into thinking that it was summer everywhere.  As we drove north, we experienced the change of seasons in four days.  From the bright blooms and heat of summer, to the blossoming of spring and the activity of birds who have been here all winter but we always think of as harbingers of spring.

Jefferson Memorial trhough the cherry blossoms on the Tidal Basin

Sarah prepared two delicious meals...with Tom's help, of course.  Our first night we salmon off the grill and the final night pot roast which had been slowly cooking while we were downtown.  Sarah served some absolutely heavenly bread pudding--warmed with vanilla ice cream--the first night.  Thankfully, there was enough for the other two nights of our visit.  At least I had some every night.  I think Marilyn was trying to get into a Weight Watcher frame of mind.  You can click here to view photos of the DC visit.

One final note on our cruise.  We were very impressed with the friendliness and energy of the crew members who took care of us.  The Stateroom Steward, Menino, was cheerful every morning and often brought smiles with his towel animals complete with one of our sunglasses.  Who knew towel animals were a thing?

On our last day sailing, we signed up for a special tour...and Bottomless Brunch--of the galleys that provided our delicious food.  We saw some of the specialty displays including some of carved melons.  The skillful use of the different colors of the melon created a work of art.  The tour was given by the Director of Food & Beverage Training.  These are his full time duties.  He is from Bulgaria and has been with Royal Caribbean for 15 years.  One of our waiters told us that he works till at least 10:00 at night and several times during the week he then has training classes.  This commitment to quality and system to support that commitment was impressive.  We had the same waiter and assistant waiter for all five nights and we felt like we were family.  We gave them big hugs on our final night.  Obviously we are not sophisticated travelers but we do know when are treated well and valued.

Balaji Langote (India) our waiter

Marilyn with Dennis Matthew (India)
our assistant waiter.

Marilyn has much more to say about these two young men.  She actually began referring to Dennis as her grandson and was worried that he wouldn't make his way in life successfully.  He was shy, we thought, but had a nice sense of humor much like Marilyn's late father, Bob.  By the way, his English names are the result of his family being Roman Catholic and living in an area that is traditionally Catholic.  For more about the Catholic Church in India, click here.



We are now back in Rochester waiting for the first sign of spring here.  We were greeted with a colony of happy crocus and so we know there will be more, a lot more, to come.