Thursday

Another bright, sunny day began with a jump off the dock directly across from our house into our own little lagoon/cove into the crystal clear warm water. There is something special about a short splash and swim before breakfast in the morning.

After breakfast we went back to Baby Beach. We had no trouble finding it this time and claimed a wonderfully spacious tiki hut. We stayed from about eleven in the morning until mid-afternoon, just relaxing and playing in the water. Arnold, Mike, and I took a drive back to the supposed fish camp we had found on Tuesday. In addition to not having running water or electric power, the shacks had no floors, just the natural beach sand. And there still weren’t any people there. It was difficult to figure out the purpose, but very interesting as a photo event for us. The beach along the shoreline is reef-like — very rocky — so water shoes would be a good idea here.

We also explored some of the amazing rock formations near this beach area. They were probably a quarter mile from the water, but it looked like the ocean had at one time beaten against the rocks, undermining them in some places, leaving caves and jagged pieces of rock hanging down. The formation was at least 30 to 40 feet high. The land was flat leading up to the base of the rocks, so it appeared that the ocean had receded quite a bit. Also, the rock looked to us like hardened lava, yet there isn’t a volcano on Aruba. Very curious!

Unfortunately, when we got back to the rental house we discovered that the dive bag with Arnold’s and my snorkel gear and water shoes was stolen from the front porch while we were gone. We had left it on the front porch, so our mistake, but it was really a shame. It was a wakeup call for us to be more careful.

We dropped Lisa, Kaley, and Torrey off at the house after our day at the beach while Arnold, Mike, and I continued on to the grocery store to get the fixings for another dinner at home. It was another smorgasbord — beef tenderloin (which Mike rolled in sea salt, pepper and coffee grounds), steak, pork kabobs, hamburger for Kaley and ribs for Torrey. A feast complete with the usual adult beverages. Early to bed for me (10 p.m., as usual). No idea when the others hit the sack. Mike was mixing up another batch of his famous “Ritas” when I fell asleep.

The chip-and-PIN system is already in wide use in the British Isles, Scandinavia, France, Switzerland, Belgium and the Netherlands. The rest of Western Europe is making the switch this year. Even our close friend Canada will convert by 2015. So far, U.S. banks have not committed to any conversion. Automated machines in Europe may take your U.S. credit card if you know the PIN number. Make a point to ask your bank for the number before you depart.

If your U.S. card is rejected, there’s usually a solution. Cash still works and you can get it from any ATM, which has no problem accepting magnetic-strip debit cards. Of course, you can just stock up on foreign currency before you go.

Fortunately, automated payment machines at parking garages and tollbooths often have a cash option. At train stations, you can buy your ticket with euros, rather than charging it at a ticket machine. If the gas station has an attendant, he may be able to take swipe your credit card and have you sign the receipt – the old-fashioned American way.

At most hotels, restaurants and shops U.S. magnetic-strip cards can still be used in the new chip-and-PIN card processors, but that will likely change in the very near future. Then those venues will stop accepting the old-style cards.

There are other reasons that European merchants prefer cash. Some less-than-scrupulous owners prefer cash in order to under report income to reduce their tax payments. For others, the very high commissions charged by credit-card companies cut deep into the small profits of mom-and-pop businesses like boutique hotels and restaurants and souvenir shops. For these reasons, you might get a discount for paying with cash or be charged a fee for using your credit card. Some just don’t accept credit cards at all.

So it pays you to give up the plastic and change to an all-cash regimen when going to Europe.

“The past 10 years have been the best in America’s aviation history with 153 fatalities. That’s two deaths for every 100 million passengers on commercial flights, according to an Associated Press analysis of government accident data.

The improvement is remarkable. Just a decade earlier, at the time the safest, passengers were 10 times as likely to die when flying on an American plane. The risk of death was even greater during the start of the jet age, with 1,696 people dying — 133 out of every 100 million passengers — from 1962 to 1971. The figures exclude acts of terrorism.

Sitting in a pressurized, aluminum tube seven miles above the ground may never seem like the most natural thing. But consider this: You are more likely to die driving to the airport than flying across the U.S. There are more than 30,000 motor-vehicle deaths each year, a mortality rate eight times greater than that in planes.”

You can read their entire article at http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/safer-fly-deaths-record-low-15265870

It’s reassuring to know that U.S. airline travel continues to make strides in safety.

A Mediterranean cruise doesn’t have to mean the Riviera coasts. There are fascinating places to visit along the African shore to the south. Smaller ports often have less tourist traffic and serve up new and exotic experiences. Ships may visit Tunisia and Morocco, as well as Corsica, Sardinia, and Malta. Western Mediterranean voyages can include Turkey, Rhodes, Crete, Cyprus, and Egypt

Northern Europe has its own attractions. Cruising the Baltic Sea on a Baltic capitals cruise lets you visit such ports-of-call as Helsinki, St. Petersburg, Tallinn, Estonia; Stockholm, Gdansk, Copenhagen, and Oslo. A Norwegian fjords cruise is a perfect way to see those spectacular fjords. It can be a thrifty alternative for food and lodging in often pricey Scandinavia.

When you think about voyaging in Europe, don’t forget the United Kingdom and Ireland. These islands aren’t of the sun and surf variety, but the cultural experience and shore excursions are fascinating.

Usually, mainstream lines stick to the most popular destinations. More exotic sailings may be offered by the premium and luxury lines. Smaller ships can often visit less common ports than mega-liners, being able to navigate shallower waters and dock at smaller piers.

So get started! Bring your sense of exploration and adventure to your travel agent and find a cruise that everyone hasn’t already done. One that scratches your particular itch.

Now that the in-flight meal is extinct, many hotel kitchens are stepping up to offer meals to go. Others provide a selection of snacks that beat airport and airline selections for quality and variety.

Some luxury hotels have begun lending athletic shoes and clothing so that guests don’t have to lug (and pay for!) that extra bag. Others will store wardrobe for frequently returning guests, laundering them after departure so that they are fresh and ready upon return. Guests whose wardrobe has increased during a stay may be helped to avoid baggage charges with boxes to ship excess items back home.

In some locations hotels are opening their own lounges for guests to freshen up on arrival or to while away the time before departure. These may include wet bars, Wi-Fi, electronics charging stations, showers, children’s play areas, and refreshments. Other airport innkeepers offer half-day rates for long layovers or delays to relax in the privacy of a hotel room instead of sitting around the terminal.

Most of these services come at a price, of course, especially airport services for departing guests. Still, the cost is often less for comparable airport services (such as lounges and expedited security or customs). And other offerings are otherwise unavailable at any price.