GRAND CAYMAN — Here’s where Mitt banks so it must be good. But I got splinters from shaking hands with these bankers. It was 84 and humid when we landed in Georgetown.
JEWISH IMMIGRATION TO CARIBBEAN
In Willemstad, Curacao there are about 115 Jewish households. Mikve Israel-Emmanuel, now a Reconstrucionist congregation, is the oldest synagogue in continuous use in the Americas. Another synagogue on this island, Shaarei Tsedek, a modern orthodox congregation, shown here. www.snoa.com
“SAWDUST IN YOUR VEINS”
SARASOTA, FLA. —Childhood memories were brought back for me at the Ringling Circus Museum which features a billboard from the Cole Bros. Circus which the Zarkin Family attended in Spokane in the 1940s under the big top.
Prominent at the museum is the poster for the Demille epic “The Greatest Show on Earth” (1952) that glorifies the golden age of circuses, but is a schmaltzy mess with Charlton Heston chewing up the scenery with Betty Hutton. Jimmy Stewart as a criminal clown saves the life of Heston’s character and no doubt they chatted about far right politics between takes.
WASTING AWAY IN MARGARETAVILLE
KEY WEST — One of our mates from the ship, William, might be here in the Green Parrot Bar, and was a running joke because he never returned to the ship. The cruises dump about 20,000 gawkers on this tropical island party town which clogs up the historic area.
ENTERTAINMENT AT SEA
(We rubber necked our way through the galley where they feature a walk in oven which is a great idea.) A highlight was the jazz band concert where trumpet player Yuri from the Ukraine did a boffo rendition of the cha cha hit “Cherry Pink”. At another show, former Letterman Mark Preston, did some old hits from the ‘50s, but was beyond his prime. The Boogey Nights dancers and singers did a great show with just the right pacing, costumes and scenery.
Schooner Bar had the Viking-Seattle game on and we saw the very sad end. This bar featured an annoying loud trivia game.
BAD BOY WITH BENTLEY GRILL
Alamo surprised us with an upgrade with this new Chrysler 300C which had every gizmo imaginable including a moon roof and leather interior. We rode in style for a week in Tampa Bay.
