Eagans in the 1920 Federal Census in Rochester, NY

In the 1920 Federal Census for Rochester, three entries show my Eagan family in Rochester. The first is for my grandmother, Elizabeth, and my father living with my Aunt Mae's family; the second is my Uncle James with his family; and the third is my grandaunt Sarah, my grandfather's sister.

The first entry is spread over two sheets. The first at the bottom shows the family of Edward J. O'Brien, my Uncle Eddy's father.  The family was living on Campbell Street in Rochester and there was (1) my Uncle Eddy's brother, George, (2) my Uncle Eddy and Aunt Mae (Edward J. and Mary), (3) my cousin Eileen (who later became Sister John Edward, a Franciscan Nun), (4) my grandmother, Elizabeth Clarke Eagan, and (5) on the second sheet, my father, Austin E. Eagan. My father's occupation is listed as an "assembler" at an "auto factory." If I could guess as to the "auto factory" I would guess the James Cunningham Co. on Canal Street. Both his father and uncle had worked at Cunningham.

Eagans and O'Briens in 1920 Federal Census in Rochester (1)

Eagans and O'Briens in 1920 Federal Census in Rochester (2)

The next entry is for my father's brother, James, and his family which in 1920 was living at the Eagan house at 85 Prospect Street. The entry at line 34 lists James, his wife Mary and a daughter Eugena. Note that Mary and Eugena were born in Kentucky. I believe that Eugena was not James' daughter as she was born about 1910 and at that time James was in Rochester. I believe that James met and married Mary when James was in Kentucky in the Army in World War I.

James Eagan Family in 1920 Federal Census in Rochester

 

The final Eagan census record for Eagans in Rochester for 1920 is for my grandfather's sister, Sarah Eagan. She is found on line 83 as a "lodger" with a family named as either Hiles or Hiler on Plymouth Ave. South. Sarah was a clerk in the Rochester City Clerk's office. She died at St. Ann's Home in 1944.

Sarah Eagan in the 1920 Federal Census in Rochester.

Eagans in the 1910 Federal Census in Rochester, NY

The 1910 Federal Census finds my great-grandmother, Mary Tierney Eagan, at 108 Atkinson Street in Rochester and my grandmother, Elizabeth Clarke Eagan, at 85 Prospect Street. This first sheet lists my great-grandmother and my grandaunt, Sarah, at line 21. This entry notes that my great-grandmother had come to the United States in 1847. In addition, it notes that she had had 10 children but only three were alive. These three would be my grandfather, Stephen, my grandaunts, Sarah and Catherine Jane (King).

Mary Tierney Eagan in the 1910 Federal Census in Rochester

 

The next sheet shows my grandmother, Elizabeth Clarke Eagan, living at 85 Prospect Street. In addition, the three children living at home were Mary (my Aunt Mae), Anne (my Aunt Nana) and my father, Austin.  The census entry notes that my grandmother had been married for 25 years and that she had had 7 children but only 4 will still alive. These 4 would be the three living at home and my Uncle James. The Rochester City Directory noted that James had gone to Cincinnati the previously year but he would be back in 1911. My grandfather was not listed in the census for 1910 although the City Directory lists him as living with his family on Prospect Street. I believe that he was working then at the James Cunningham and Sons on Canal Street. Cunningham was a manufacturer of carriages and automobiles.

Elizabeth Clarke Eagan in the 1910 Federal Census in Rochester

Mary Tierney Eagan in the 1905 NY State Census

In the 1905 NY State census my great-grandmother, Mary Tierney Eagan, was living at 108 Atkinson St. in Rochester with my grandaunt Sarah.  My great-grandfather, Patrick, had died in 1903. This entry asked how long since a person had immigrated to the United States. My great-grandmother answered, 59 years. The Eagan entry is at line 40 on the left side page.

Mary Tierney Eagan in the 1905 NYS Census in Rochester

Patrick Eagan in the 1900 Federal Census

In the 1900 Federal Census my great-grandparents, Patrick and Mary (Tierney) Eagan, were listed living on Atkinson St. with their daughter Sarah. No occupation is listed for my great-grandfather as he is then seventy-two years old. (He will die three years later.) The census for that year asked when an individual immigrated to the United States. Unfortunately, that year is not filled in for either Patrick or Mary. (It will be shown in the 1910 census for Mary.) The census did ask how long a person were married; Patrick and Mary were married for 48 years so they married about 1852. I have not been able to find my grandfather, Stephen, in any of the census records for that year although I do know that he and his family was living in New Haven, CT.

The census record for Patrick Eagan spans two sheet. Patrick and Mary are the last two entries on the first sheet and daughter Sarah is the first entry on the second sheet.

Patrick Eagan's family in the 1900 Federal Census (1)

Patrick Eagan's family in the 1900 Federal Census (2)

Eagans in the 1880 Federal Census

In the Federal Census for 1880 my great-grandfather Patrick was found in Rochester, NY and my grandfather Stephen was found in New Haven, CT. The family in Rochester consisted of my great-grandparents, Patrick and Mary, and my grandaunt, Sarah. Since the 1870 census, Catherine Jane was married to John King and both James and Mary Anne had died. Note that the Eagan family was living on Atkinson St. (the house is still there) although the Rochester City Directory lists their home as on Prospect St. I suspect that Prospect St. location was still Patrick's grocery store. The Eagans are found on line 28.

Eagan Family in the 1880 Federal Census for Rochester, NY

The Rochester City Directory notes that my grandfather Stephen had moved to New Haven, CT. In the 1880 Federal Census for New Haven Stephen was living at a boarding house run by a woman by the name of Kate Reynolds. Stephen's occupation is listed as Carriage Blacksmith. He worked there at the New Haven Carriage Company. He is listed on line 32 on the census sheet.

Stephen Eagan in the 1880 Federal Census for New Haven, CT

Patrick Eagan in the 1870 Federal Census

Today we have a copy of the Eagan entries in the 1870 Federal Census for Rochester, Monroe County, NY. The Eagan entry is toward the bottom of the sheet and, as a result, it goes over to a second sheet. In 1970 the Eagan family was still living at 55 Prospect St which in addition to the family home it was a grocery store run by my great-grandfather.  In addition to Patrick and Mary, five children are listed: Catherine, James, Stephen (my grandfather), Mary Ann and Sarah. The census was taken in June and Mary Ann died in September of the same year.

Eagans in the 1870 Federal Census (1)

Eagans in the 1870 Federal Census (2)

Patrick Eagan in the 1865 NY State Census

Between the Federal Census held every ten years, New York State conducts a state census. Here is the Eagan family entry for the census taken in 1865. They are on the second sheet (on the right) and household number 20. Note that the name is spelled "Egan." In addition to my great-grandparents, Patrick and Mary, their four children then are listed.  The oldest, Catherine Jane, is listed as born in Orleans County. She was born in Medina. The rest were born in Rochester. James died in 1872 and Mary Ann died in 1870. My grandfather, Stephen, was eight years old at that time.

Patrick Eagan in the 1860 Census

Here is a copy of the record for my great-grandfather, Patrick Eagan, and his family in Rochester in the 1860 Federal Census. At this time the Eagans were living on Prospect Street at the corner of Prospect and Atkinson Street.

The Madness of Airline Fares

Yesterday I was checking on American Airlines flights from Miami to Barcelona, Spain in November for our two week transatlantic cruise to Ft. Lauderdale. I was most interested in the number of flights each day to Barcelona rather than the cost because we will fly on stand-by passes. (It paid to have a flight attendant in the family!)  I knew that there was a difference - sometimes a substantial difference - in the fares between round-trip and one-way trips.  Ready for the difference? A one-way flight from Miami to Barcelona (via JFK) is $2830 per person. A round-trip flight from Miami to Barcelona and return (again via JFK) is $399 per person! Madness!!

Death Certificate for Francis G. Maloney

Another document from the Civil War Widow Pension records for Francis Maloney and Sarah Weed Maloney Hawkins. This is the death certificate from the office of the County Clerk of Jackson  Co., Michigan.

Today's Civil War Pension Records

The first document today is an affidavit made on September 27, 1920 where Sarah Weed Maloney Hawkins describes Francis Maloney's physical characteristics. In addition she states that she has no document containing Francis' signature.

This second affidavit made on July 12, 1912 states that she married Francis Maloney on May 10, 1866 in Leoni Township.MI and the only living person (in 1912) who witnessed the wedding was Albert Helmer. (An affidavit made by Albert Helmer is found here.)

Additional Assorted Civil War Pension Records

This first form is from the Bureau of Pensions containing information pertaining to Francis Maloney's dates in Federal service with the 54th Infantry Regiment, NY National Guard.

This letter from the Bureau of Pensions asking for a tracing of the signature of Francis Maloney. In a later document my great-grandmother states that she has no tracing of his signature.

This last document for today is an affidavit from Albert Helmer of Parma, MI (near Jackson). Albert, probably another cousin of Sarah Weed Maloney Hawkins, states that he was a witness at the wedding of Francis and Sarah.

Civil War Pension Affidavit of John and Belle Helmer

This is an affidavit of John and Belle Helmer, a brother and sister and cousins of Sarah Weed Maloney Hawkins.  Sarah Weed's grandmother (my third great-grandmother), Lena Harter, married Philip Helmer after the death of her first husband.  The affidavit, as a number of others, states that Sarah Weed married Francis Maloney and, following his death, married John Hawkins.

Additional Maloney Civil War Pension Affidavits

Here are additional Civil War Widow Pension records from the National Records. My great-grandfather, Sarah Weed Maloney Hawkins, received a pension based on my great-grandfather, Francis G. Maloney, serving in the Civil War in 1864 when his NY National Guard regiment was mustered into the Union Army. She applied for the pension following the death of her second husband, John Hawkins. This first document from the County Clerk's Office of Jackson County, MI stating that they were not able to locate a record of the marriage of my great-grandparents. Later we shall see affidavits from persons who attended to wedding.

The following is an affidavit from George Johnson of Leoni Township, MI who knew both Sarah Weed and Francis Maloney. He also states that he was acquainted  with Elder Hodgkins who married my great-grandparents.

This last affidavit (the last for today) made by Francis Maloney's sister, Minnie, and one of his brothers, Thomas, states that Francis did not marry anyone other that Sarah Weed and they were never divorced.

Maloney Civil War Pension Affadavits

Some additional records for the Widow's Pension that my great-grandmother received as a result of my great-grandfather, Francis Maloney, serving in the Union Army during the Civil War. In this affidavit, my great-grandmother, Sarah Weed Maloney Hawkins, states that she had no sons or any other relatives that served in World War I.

 

This next is a request from the government that probably precipitated the above affidavit.

In the next affidavit, my great-grandmother states that her second husband, John Hawkins, never served in any branch of the Armed Services.

Another Civil War Pension Record Form

Another of the forms included in the Civil War Widow pension records of my great-grandparents provided to me by the National Archives.

Army Discharge for Capt. Francis G. Maloney

This is the Discharge record for my great-grandfather, Francis Maloney. He was a member of the 54th Infantry Regiment, New York National Guard and commanded Company "I" of the regiment. Later he was promoted to Major and served as the Regimental Major. The 54th Infantry Regiment was mustered into the US Army in July 1864 and was mustered out in November of the same year. The 5th Regiment served as guards at the Prisoner of War camp in Elmira, NY.

Widow's Pension Records for Sarah Weed Maloney Hawkins

Quite a few years ago I requested copies of Civil War Pension records of my great-grandfather, Francis Maloney, from the National Archives. The records are for the pension that my great-grandmother, Sarah Weed Maloney Hawkins, received when her second husband, John Hawkins, died in 1919. The pension was granted in 1920. Here is the cover sheet for the records from the National Archives:

My Favorite Airline

As I have mentioned earlier, when flying especially in Europe I try to find the cheapest flights and this generally turns out to be EasyJet. Next summer we plan to take a two week cruise along the coast of Norway. This cruise both starts and ends in Amsterdam in the Netherlands. After we would like to take a ten day cruise up the Elbe River from Prague, Czech Republic to Berlin. Therefore I wanted to see what flights from Amsterdam to Prague and Berlin to London (we assume passes on American Airlines from Miami to London to get to Europe and back). On Kayak the cheapest flights are on Lufthansa and for two of us it would be about $450.  On EasyJet is is $155. What a deal!

New 'Countries Visited' Map

Here is my new 'Countries Visited' map following recent cruise:

create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide

President Obama's Announcement - Abbreviated Version

Back Home

Arrived at Port Everglades (Fort Lauderdale) on Tuesday morning after a wonderful five or so weeks away. Although we visited a number of countries that we have seen before, we added six new countries to our list: Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Egypt, Jordan and Israel. Now I have to upload our photos to Flickr. That may take a bit.

We come home and find that Donald Trump is in the "news" as a possible candidate as President of the United States. Once more it proves my point that we are a nation of morons!

Funchal, Madeira

Wednesday April 20, 2011 2:10 PM (10:10 AM EDT)

Yesterday we were on the island of Madeira in the city of Funchal. This
port off the northwest coast of Morroco is our last stop before we head
across the Atlantic toward Fort Lauderdale. This is, I believe, our
third visit to Funchal. Most transatlantic cruises stop at least one of
three island groups before hitting the continent, the other two being
the Azores and the Canaries.

This was the first time that we opted not to take the cable car to top
of the island but rather we took the "hop-on hop-off" bus that takes a
couple of hours tour around Funchal and nearby villages. This gives you
a view of the entire area from different spots.

This again was a short visit as some of the others on this cruise.
Because of a storm in the Atlantic, the Captain chose to leave the port
at 3:00 PM and to sail around the bulk of the storm. As it turns out the
storm is not as strong as predicted although today the seas are rough.
We'll make it though! Now for six days of rest and relaxation (plus Bingo).

Spain - Cartagena and Cadiz

Monday April 18, 2011 11:45 AM (5:45 AM EDT)

Today we are in the Atlantic where we will land tomorrow morning at
Funchal on the island of Madeira, a part of Portugal. Yesterday we were
in Cadiz, Spain and on Saturday we were in Cartagena also in Spain. Both
of these ports we have visited on a number of occasions. In both towns
we just walked from the ship and strolled along the streets and watched
people. Yesterday we 'camped' on the steps of Cadiz's Cathedral with our
laptop and checked Nancy's Yahoo mail (193 emails!) and listened the
voicemail messages on Vonage. It takes too long and too expensive to do
those things on board the ship and its WiFi service.
show
Just an update on Friday's post concerning the Roulette tournament.
After the preliminary rounds I moved down from forth place to sixth
place. Still enough to qualify for the finals. After four spins I was
probably third in number of chips left but was lucky on the fifth spin
after betting all of my chips, most on number seven. Even today in the
casino the results of the tournament - "Patrick 1st Place." And the
prize was $175. Not too shabby.

Rome, Italy

Friday April 15, 2011 3:05 PM (9:05 AM EDT)

Yesterday we docked early in the morning at the port at Civitavecchia,
the port city for Rome. It was cold (low fifties) and looked like rain
but later in the day became quite nice. After an early breakfast we took
an bus tour to the site of early Christian catacombs. Although there is
a legend that early Christians hid in the catacombs to avoid capture by
pagan Roman soldiers, such is just that - legend. The catacombs were
burial sites for Christians. The one that we visited was the Catacombe
Domitilla. There are additional ones in the same area south of Rome.
Unfortunately, no photos are allowed in the catacombs.

Following our visit to the catacombs we traveled further south, crossing
the ancient Appian Way, to Castel Gandolfo, the Pope's summer residence.
When I had always read of the Pope staying in Castel Gabdolfo in the
news I always picture it as high on a remote hill, secluded by itself.
As you can see from the enclosed photo, it is at the end of the street
in a small town.

From the Papal residence, we went to what used to be an old farm house
high in the hills. Today it is a restaurant, winery, pizzarea, etc. for
lunch. The location is called Mount of Tow Towers although the two
towers no longer stand. During the second World War the Germans occupied
the area and they used the towers as a look out point. At the time of
the landing at Anzio, the towers were shelled and demolished by the allies.

Today is a day at sea as we sail for Cartegena, Spain. This afternoon is
a roulette tournament and yours truly is currently number four in the
tournament. In 30 minutes, the top six players will contest for the
finals. We'll see.

Naples, Italy

Wednesday April 13, 2011 11:00 AM (5:00 AM EDT)

Yesterday and today we are in Naples, Italy. Yesterday we traveled to
the ruins of Pompeii and today we are sticking close to the ship because
of the weather . . . it is raining. We had planned to take a tour of the
city on the "hop-on hop-off" bus but the rain and the temperature (58
degrees) has put the kabosh on that. In lieu of that we walked over to
the terminal and wandered through its shops and had an espresso.

Yesterday we went to visit the ruins of Pompeii as it had been more than
twenty five years since we had been there. It is still in ruins! I would
have included a photo or two with this post but I am composing this post
in the ship's library and I have yet to copy yesterday's photos from our
cameras to the netbook. (Our cabin is currently being cleaned.) I don't
know the original size of Pompeii but it was quite large and only a
portion of it has been excavated. It is quite an interesting site and
the portion that has been excavated shows a rich port city of almost two
thousand years ago. A large portions of some homes remain and a large
"shed" contains pieces of furniture and utensils are there. Also are
bodies (encased in hardened lava) shown as they were struck down by the
eruption of Mount Vesuvius.

This afternoon at about 5:30 PM we will leave Naples and sail up the
coast about 150 km to Cittevecchia, the port city for Rome where we will
spend the day tomorrow.

Athens, Greece

Monday April 11, 2011 12:10 PM (5:10 AM EDT)

Yesterday we were in Athens, Greece. We arrived at the port of Piraeus
early in the morning and after breakfast we boarded a bus to travel to
Athens itself for a tour. This was our third time in Athens so most
places were familiar to us. The tour consists of a bus tour of the
downtown area and the Plaka area where a number of excavated site are
found. In addition we also climbed up to the Acropolis to see the
Parthenon. Being a Sunday it was very crowded all the way up and down.
The weather was nice although a bit breezy but a very nice way to spend
part of the day.

Today we are on our way to Naples, Italy where we will spend two days
and then on to Civitavecchia, the port city for Rome. This morning we
also booked a cruise for next June that will be two weeks up and down
visiting the fjords of Norway.

Kusadasi, Turkey

Sunday April 10, 2011 4:55 PM (9:55 AM EDT)

Friday and Saturday, the 8th and 9th of April, we were in the port of
Kusadasi in the western part of Turkey on the Aegean Sea. For the first
day we did very little other than a stroll of the seaside portion of
Kusadasi.

On the second day we took a tour sponsored by the American Express
Mariner Club. We motored from the port to Ephesus for a quick look at
this 2,000 year old city a portion of it excavated. We opted not to take
a longer tour to Ephesus as we spent time there twice before on cruises.
From Ephesus we drove a short distance to the small town of Selcuk, the
site of the ruins of the ancient Temple of Artemis. Very little of the
temple still stands although a couple of columns are still there. On the
top of one column is a nest of storks. In fact we noticed quite a few
(maybe a half dozen) nests perched on top of columns and unused chimneys.

Also in Selcuk we visited the Basilica of St. John the Apostle. Based on
an item in the New Testament, locals note that St. John was there and
legend has it that he is buried here. The tomb in the Basilica is
clearly noted but the tomb site is of fairly recent origin.

From Selcuk we drove to the town of Sirince for a wine tasting and then
lunch. All in all a nice day. When the bus returned to the ship we were
dropped at a large carpet shop near to the ship. We and quite a few
others opted not to visit the shop and hoofed it to the ship. Shopping
is not for us.

Jerusalem, Israel

Thursday April 7, 2011 6:45 PM (11:45 AM EDT)

Yesterday we stopped at one of our "extra" ports added as a result of
the cancellation of two of our Egyptian ports. We arrived very early in
the morning at the port of Asdod in the southern part of Israel, After
breakfast we boarded a bus for Jerusalem to spend the day. The drive
from Ashdod to Jerusalem was about an hour and just prior to stopping in
Jerusalem we swung around and stopped to overlooked the city of
Bethlehem which is just a short distance south. From atop one of the
hills it was difficult to see much other than the border fence as
Bethlehem is controlled by the Palestinian Authority.

From Bethlehem we returned to Jerusalem and left the bus just outside
the Jaffa Gate, one of the eight gates in the wall of the Old City.
Jaffa Gate is an entrance into the Armenian Quarter of the Old City.
There we strolled the market of that quarter stopping at one point on
Muristan St. at the site of the old Hospital of St. John of Jerusalem,
run by the Knights Hospitaller in the 12th and 13th century.

From there we entered the Christian Quarter. (The Old City comprises
of four quarters controlled by four religious groups: Armenian,
Christian, Jewish and Muslim.) In the Christian Quarter we visited the
Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the site according to legend the site of
the burial of Jesus. Many of the sites in the Old City were pointed out
to Helena, mother of Emperor Constantine, by locals in the fourth
century. Whether these sites were truly the locations concerning Jesus
we'll never know. The church contains a stone slab purported to be the
stone where Jesus was laid out to be prepared for burial. This is shone
in the photo. In addition there is a shrine in the church that leads
down to what is supposed to be the tomb of Jesus. People wait for over
an hour to view it. We did not have the time in our tour to go down.

From the Christian Quarter we entered the Jewish Quarter which is much
more 'modern' than the other quarters as large portions were destroyed
before Israelis recovering of Jerusalem in the Six Day War. After
strolling through the Jewish Quarter we exited the Old City through the
Zion Gate and headed to lunch at the Olive Tree Hotel. As the name
implies, it is near the Mount of Olives.

Following lunch we went to the Home of the Last Supper which is outside
the Old City walls. This was one of the sites pointed out to Helena and
it very well have been the site of the Last Supper. It is a normal size
room on an upper floor and very bare. From there we motored up the Mount
of Olives where you can see city laid out and the eastern wall of the
Old City and the Dome of the Rock on Temple Mount. On the side of the
Mount of Olive are a number of large Jewish cemeteries. Jewish families
pay a premium to be buried on this site as it is the closest spot where
when the Messiah returns to Jerusalem he will enter the Old City through
the Golden Gate (the only gate never opened) which is just at the foot
of the Mount of Olives.

From the top of the Mount of Olives we went down to the Garden of
Gethsemane where Jesus was apprehended by Roman Soldiers. There, next to
a large olive grove is a Church of Gethsemane and next to it another
smaller church believed by members of the Greek Orthodox Church to be
the burial spot of Mary, mother of Jesus. Some Christians believe that
Mary is buried in Ephesus and others believe she was ascended into
heaven. In this church is also a tomb purported to be the tomb of
Joseph, the husband of Mary.

From Gethsemane we reentered the Old City and went to the Western or
Wailing Wall. This is a remaining wall of the Temple Mount and the only
portion left of the Jewish Temple destroyed by the Romans. Jews pray
before the Wailing Wall and insert paper slips containing prayers in
cracks between the blocks of the wall. There are actually two separate
portions delineated by a mesh fence - one fairly large section for men
only and a much smaller section for women only. When done praying at the
wall Jews are to leave the area backward, never showing their back to
the wall although we saw most just turning and walking away.

Jerusalem is a city of antiquities and archaeological sites. Inside one
building next to the Wailing Wall is a large cut out portion of a wall
covered by plexiglass and inside a portion of an ancient arch. Where is
this archaeological site? In the Men's Room right next to the urinals!

Suez Canal

Thursday April 7, 2011 12:05 PM (5:05 AM EDT)

I am a bit behind on describing our cruise so I had better catch up. On
Monday April 4 we sailed up the Red Sea and into the Gulf of Suez,
arriving about 5:00 PM. Because transiting the Suez Canal is allowed
only during daylight hours - as opposed to the Panama Canal - we
anchored at the entrance to the canal along to a number of vessels which
were also transiting the canal to get to the Mediterranean Sea. These
ships would constitute a convoy going north up the canal. Because
shipping in the Suez Canal is only one-way, the north bound convoy goes
only as far as a large lake, moves to the eastern portion of the lake
while the south bound convoy passes.

In the morning of Tuesday, the 5th, we entered the canal at Port Suez at
about 6:00 AM followed by a number of ships following us up the
southernmost man-made portion of the can up to Little Bitter Lake and
then into Great Bitter Lake where we waited as southbound traffic
passed. The two sides of the canal couldn't be more different. As going
north the land on the western side is developed and farming land as
shown in the photo. This side is in Africa. The eastern side of the
canal, the Sinai Peninsula, is desert and is in Asia.

After waiting for the southbound traffic to pass we continued north into
Lake Limsah (also called Crocodile Lake) and then into the northern,
much longer, man-made portion of the canal up to Port Said and then into
the Mediterranean Sea. We arrived there about 5:00 PM during Bingo
where, by the way, we won $46. (We won an additional $46 on the
preceding Saturday.)

Because of the narrowness of the canal and the consequent one-way
traffic, only about 50 ships pass through the canal on a single day.
However, even if a ship may have to wait a few days (and some do) the
time and cost savings outweigh the alternative of going around Africa.
According to the Captain, the average fee to transit the canal is about
$205,600. I believe he was referring to a cruise ship the size of the
m/s Amsterdam.

Petra, Jordan

Monday April 4, 2011 12:05 PM (5:05 AM EDT)

Yesterday was another very long day. Early in the morning the Amsterdam
after sailing up the Gulf of Aqaba from the Red Sea arrived at the port
of Aqaba, Jordan. About 8:00 AM we boarded buses to head for the ancient
city of Petra. Along the way we traveled through the Jordanian desert
where we spotted numerous Bedouin camps in their large tents and their
flocks of sheep and goats. In addition to seeing the Bedouin camps we
stopped to looked at a small white building (the photo will be included
in the Flickr set) atop a mountain that purports to be the burial site
of Aaron, brother of Moses.

After about a two hour drive we arrived at the site of Petra, an ancient
Nabataean city discovered in 1812 by a Swiss researcher. The city,
hidden for centuries by high cliffs, has not been fully excavated but is
a 52 square mile city in total. Entrance to the city is through a one
kilometer ravine (after walking a half kilometer path) between huge
boulders of various colors. The first photo shows the path of the
corridor to the city buildings. Along the way are carvings on the rock
walls and numerous caves high up on the walls. As you walk out of the
corridor you are presented the huge Treasury Building, the building's
facade carved in the rock. The Treasury (al-Khazeneh) is the tomb of an
important Nabataean (I don't know his name).

Following the trek down the corridor and pass the Treasury we followed
the path back and had lunch at the hotel at the entrance. After lunch
and resting at the hotel we headed back on the bus for another two hour
drive. Along the way we did stop to do what most cruise ship excursions
do . . . shopping. What a waste of time!

Egypt

Saturday April 2, 2011 7:15 AM (1:15 AM EDT)

This morning we are docked in the port of Safaga, located on the east
coast of Egypt on the Red Sea. Outside of the Amsterdam there are
probably three dozen semi trucks unloading all sorts of "stuff." This
includes beds, mattresses, bicycles, doors, all types of household items
and I don't have a clue as to what they are doing with it. They are
loading all of the stuff on hand carts and will probably take it
someplace but I don't know where. (UPDATE: Our tour guide informs us
that these are Egyptian families coming back to Egypt from Kuwait.)

In a little bit we will be heading on a bus to the city of Luxor to
investigate the Valley of the Kings. It is about a three and a half hour
bus ride to Luxor so it looks to be a long day.

Monday April 4, 2011 8:30 AM (1:15 AM EDT)

I started this post two days ago but have not got back to it as these
last two days have been long and busy. As I noted in the previous post,
early in the morning of the second we started out for Luxor which is
west of Safaga and across the desert near the Nile River. The drive is
he about three and a half drive. Our first stop near Luxor was the
Valley of the Kings, the burial sites of ancient pharaohs. Unfortunately
no photos are allowed in the Valley of the Kings area. We visited three
tombs - Ramses II, Ramses IV and another whose name I forget and cannot
find my map of the tombs. The tombs are brightly decorated with
hieroglyphics and it is amazing that they are so easily read after a
couple of thousands of years. The tomb of King Tut, the boy king is open
but it costs to visit it. I do not know why would pay extra for seeing
it as most of the treasures have been removed and are found in different
museums.

After our visit to the Valley we had lunch aboard the riverboat
Dahabeyas on the Nile River and then on to the Karnak Temple (not to be
confused with the Johnny Carson character with the same name). This
photo is at the entrance to the temple. Originally there were huge doors
here at the entrance. Everything at the temple is huge! Only as portion
of the temple and associated facilities have been excavated but it was a
huge place.

New Itinerary (Again)

Friday April 1, 2011 6:55 AM (Mar 31 11:55 PM)

Last evening while having Martinis before dinner, the Captain went on
the PA system and announced that the US State Department had eased
travel restrictions for some of the Egyptian ports along the Red Sea. As
a result, the m/s Amsterdam will make a stop in the port of Safaga
tomorrow before heading up the Gulf of Aqaba to Jordan. This is good
news for us as Egypt was the primary reason for taking this particular
cruise. This will give us an opportunity to visit the city of Luxor and
the Karnak Temple. Also we will be able to go to the Valley of the
Kings. Things are looking good.

On the Red Sea

Last evening we left the Arabian Sea and entered the Red Sea. We will be
sailing on the Red Sea for the next two days until we reach Aqabq,
Jordan. Sea days are spent reading, napping, gambling, bingo, etc. But
not in that particular order. In addition, there is generally a lecture
dealing with something about the area that the ship is sailing. This
morning the subject is the Red Sea.

This afternoon we will be playing Bingo and hope that our luck will
finally change today. So far, no luck at all. Later on before dinner
there is a cocktail party put on by the American Express Travel hosts.

That's it for now.

Salalah, Oman

Wednesday March 30, 2011 8:20 AM (12:20 AM EDT)

Yesterday we were in the port city of Salalah, Oman in the western part
of Oman and maybe an hour drive to Yemen. After breakfast we took a tour
bus to visit Mughsayl Beach, a wide white sandy beach overlooked by high
cliffs. In addition to see the scenery at the beach area, we had hoped
to see some of the spectacular blowholes. Unfortunately, it was nowhere
near high tide when the blowholes generally occur. Maybe the next time.
(I'm somewhat limited in the number of photos because the slow satellite
link to get to the internet. As it is, two photos take forever and I'm
paying $.60 per minute for internet time.)

After leaving the beach area we stopped to see a Frankincense tree (as
in Gold, Frankincense and Myrh). That is a Frankincense tree along with
our guide in the first photo. The tree is cut, the sap runs out and
after a time it hardens. It is used for perfume. At one time it was
worth its weight in gold. After that we motored to the purported burial
site for the Prophet Job. Whether or not there actually a Old Testament
Prophet Job, there is a picture of his tomb above.

After visiting Job's tomb we motored to the Al Hosn Palace, the
residence of Sultan Qaboos, the ruler of Oman. Although Muscat is the
capital of Oman, the ruler lives in Salalah. Nearby the palace is the Al
Hosn Market and it appears that most of the shops are for tailors. There
were shop after shop of tailors on each street and alley.

Muscat, Oman

Sunday March 27 12:59 AM (4:59 AM EDT)

Today we are in the port of Muscat, the capital of the Sultanite of
Oman. We left Dubai yesterday at about 10:00 AM and we cruised very
slowly until about 5:00 AM when we arrived at Port Sultan Qaboos. We
cruised very slowly because it is not a long distance between Dubai and
Muscat.

After breakfast at about 9:00 AM we took a shuttle bus into the small
port town of Mutrah and wandered around. In addition to the many mosques
in Mutrah, the biggest attraction is the souk, or market. There they had
everything for sale - shirts, veils, skull caps, brass items of all
sorts. In fact, it was possible to purchase a brass lamp, as in Aladin's
Lamp. We passed on this though. We are not shoppers. The photo here is
an old fort that looks down on Mutrah and was probably erected to
protect the harbor from thieves and pirates. I don't know how old it is.

An item I neglected to mention earlier is the age of the passengers on
the Amsterdam. I know that the average age of passengers on Holland
American cruise ships is generally older than most cruise lines. This is
generally because the length of the cruises are longer and older folks
are retired and can be away from home for longer periods of time. This
cruise is longer than most, it being 110 days, although we are only
cruising for the final 33 day leg of the cruise. That being the case,
the folks here are old and I mean old! I suspect that when Nancy and I
came on board the mean age of the passengers dropped between 10 and 15
years! We are just kids on this cruise.

Thats it for now. We will leave Muscat at about 10:00 PM and sail for a
couple of days to Salalah, another port in Oman.

Still in Dubai

Friday March 15, 2011 4:27 PM (8:27 AM EDT)

Our three stay in Dubai was certainly interesting. Everything in Dubai
seemed surreal and too big. When we saw resort development such as
Atlantis on the Palm (the artificial jetties and islands in the shape of
a palm tree in the sea) they all had (or would have) 500 godzillion
hotels with 100 godzillion restaurants and 50 godzillion water parks. It
was all very interesting but at the same time unreal. It prides itself
on becoming THE tourist center of the Middle East . . . and I suppose
would like to include Europe. Every building is unique such as the
hotel in the shape of a sail boat shown in the picture.

This morning after breakfast and reading the newspapers we checked out
the hotel and took a cab to the cruise port. I don't know how many folks
were joining the cruise here in Dubai but there did not to seem very
many. This is our third time on the m/s Amsterdam and everything seems
the same. Later on at dinner we should find from our table partners how
well the cruise has gone. Yesterday while waiting for a dhow cruise on
the Dubai Creek we met a couple from Tampa who have been on the cruise
from the beginning in January. According to them folks were not pleased
with some of the itinerary changes and dropping the Egyptian ports. We
will have to see how it turns out.

One of the ports added to the itinerary is Ashdod in Israel. There we
planned to take a ship's tour to include stops in Jerusalem and
Bethlehem. Unfortunately, there was a bombing in Jerusalem on Wednesday
so we will see what if anything changes because of that. Also this
morning I read in the International Herald Tribune that there were
rockets launched from the Gaza Strip and they flew over Ashdod. It seems
that the entire Middle East is going to hell. I'm sure that the Captain
of the Amsterdam will only stop at that locations that are safe.

Tomorrow, Saturday, we will again be in Dubai (we have been here since
Wednesday) until 10:00 AM when we leave here and head for Muscat in Oman.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Before I talk about Dubai, I must mention a bit about the Doha Airport in Qatar, our lay-over point in flying from London to Dubai. The airport is very large, modern and comfortable. As with most airports in the Middle East there is a mosque in the airport. (Actually two mosques, one for men and one for women.) We have been to large mosques in Casablanca and they have large washing facilities for hands, face and feet before the prayers. In the airport the closest they have is the men's room. In the couple times I used it (we were there for 5 hours) there were men washing in the sink of the hands and face. The last time in there, there was a gentleman washing his feet in the sink. No foot baths in the mens room!


We arrived in Dubai early Wednesday morning about 3:00 AM and after going through immigration and customs we got a cab to the hotel. Arrived there about 4:30 AM after the cab driver had to stop at another hotel to find directions to our hotel. It is a small (and I mean small) hotel inside a cultural center with only six rooms. Different and very nice. It was originally the home of the grandfather of the current ruler of the UAE. Because we had been travelling all day and night we were tired and just as we crawled into bed at 5:00 AM the calls for prayer from about a half dozen mosques started, all with loud speakers. We have found that in Dubai a wake up call is not necessary.


Both Wednesday and Thursday we travelled all over the city in the "Big Red Buses" and saw quite a bit of Dubai. There is construction everywhere on office buildings, hotels, shopping centers, entertainment centers, etc. There is a lot of money in Dubai and have found that a large parts of the construction is being done by different members of the royal family. Although the capital of the UAE is Abu Dabi, the ruling family lives in Dubai. More about Dubai after we get on the ship. It is now 6:50 AM on Friday morning.

Doha, Qatar

After two days in London we are now in the Doha, Qatar airport waiting for a 1:00 AM flight to Dubai. (It is now 9:5  PM.) Our flight from London was on Qatar Airways wide body jet. It held about 330 passengers bur had only less than 100. As a result we could sit any place we wanted to. Qatar Airways is a five star airline and we were impressed. Even coach (were we were sitting) was very good. Because the lack of passengers I was able to stretch out on four middle seats and nod for a while.

Yesterday we took the underground into London from our airport hotel and spent the entire day. We were not back to our hotel until about 9:00 PM. We took a "Hop-On Hop-Off" bus and tour the city stopping off when we wanted to. We spent a lot of time in the Parliament and Westminster Abbey area and even had a late lunch in a pub there. It was a pleasant day and, in fact, the sun even came out for a bit. In the morning it had been a tad cold and then again cold at night.

Tonight getting off the plane in Doha it was probably in the 70s so it was quite a change. Because we have a long layover the airline gave us a meal voucher so we had a sandwich. Now we wait and then on to Dubai.

London Heathrow

After our late start (or early depending on how you view is) from home on Saturday, it is Sunday afternoon 3:00 PM in the Jurys Inn just outside Heathrow Airport. We left home Saturday morning at 3:45 AM to get in line for the first flight from Miami to La Guardia airport. We made that flight that left Miami at 6:30 AM or so and arrived in La Guardia about 9:00 AM. We then took the shuttle bus to JFK and then waited until the next flight to Heathrow which was not until 7:35 PM. We did get on that flight and both Nancy and I got seats in Business Class so it wasn't bad.

After we checked in the hotel we took a nap and got up at 2:00 PM and had lunch in the bar. Now just to rest. Tomorrow we will take the underground to London and spend the day there.

Our Amended Cruise Itinerary

As we expected, the itinerary for our upcoming cruise is being changed based on the events in the Middle East. We had planned to visit three ports in Egypt: Safaga, Sharm El Sheik and Alexandria and had booked excursions to see the Nile River, the Pyramids, the Sphinx, etc. We have learned from folks already on board the ship that the Egyptian port visits had been canceled. It appears that in their place we will be visiting Salalah, Oman (we are already visiting Muskat) and Ashdod and Haifa, both in Israel. I am pleased that we will be visiting Israel as I always wanted to see it but really wanted to see Egypt. Maybe we will try again in a few years when the area is calmer.

Christian Rap Parody feat. VeeBee

The taller of the two dudes is that star of film and stage is Liam "Muldoon" Eagan.

Our Next Trip

Right now we are checking last minute details for our upcoming trip/cruise. Our plan right now is to leave home next Friday, March 18th and fly to London. Because we fly "stand by" for international flights so we can fly either First Class or Business Class, it appears we may want to fly Miami to LaGuardia, bus/taxi to JFK and then JFK to Heathrow, arriving Saturday morning. We shall see. In London we are staying at the Sheraton near Heathrow until Tuesday.  While there we want to visit London itself and Windsor.

On Tuesday evening evening we will fly Qatar Airways to Doha and then on to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Originally our flight left London at 7:55 AM and arrived at Doha at 5:25 PM, a hour and a half lay-over and then leave Doha at 7:00 PM and arriving Dubai at 9:05 PM. Yesterday I received an email from the airline and now we leave London at 11:00 AM and arriving Doha at 8:30 PM, leave Doha at 1:00 AM and arriving Dubai at 3:05 AM. This really sucks!

In Dubai we are staying at the XVA Art Hotel, a boutique hotel is located in Bastakiya, the oldest portion of Dubai. This portion of our trip we are really looking forward to as this is our first time in the Middle East. We will be staying in Dubai until we start our cruise.

The cruise on Holland American Line's m/s Amsterdam is the last leg of this year's World Cruise that started in Fort Lauderdale in early January. This is a thirty-two day cruise and we will be in Fort Lauderdale on April 26. Even today there are questions as to whether we will be able to visit some of the sights we have scheduled in Egypt and Jordan. A number of cruise lines have put off stopping at Egyptian ports until this Summer. We just have to wait and see. Here is a map of our itinerary:

Why I Like Linux

Especially for my Mac friends (Sister, Brother-in-Law, Son, assorted grandchildren, etc.).

Update on our Upcoming Cruise

Earlier I noted that a portion of our upcoming cruise aboard Holland America Lines' m/s Amsterdam is to visit a number of ports in Egypt. Other cruise lines have stated that they would avoid Egyptian ports at least until the end of June but HAL has made no comments about their plans for the Amsterdam. Yesterday aboard the Amsterdam, officials of the line and the Amsterdam's captain stated current plans for the Amsterdam are for the ship to sail through the Suez Canal. In addition, they noted that right now it is a 50/50 chance that they would go through with planned excursions in Egypt. The final decision will be made toward the end of March and will be based on activities in Egypt. Therefore, it looks like we will be able to see the pyramids and the Sphinx after all. We'll see.

Our Upcoming Cruise

Next month my lovely wife and I will begin this year's Spring travels.  We will fly to London,  spend a few days there and then fly to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. There we will spend three day and start a thirty-three cruise aboard Holland American Lines' m/s Amsterdam that will eventually end in Ft. Lauderdale. We are especially anxious for this cruise as there are ports in three countries that we have never visited before. These are Oman, Jordan and Egypt - three countries that have had different levels of demonstration in the recent days.

Different thoughts and questions come to mind. Will the cruise actually come to pass? Will we be able to actually visit any of these countries? Based on the level of upheaval in Egypt, who is actually going to be in charge of the Suez Canal that is key to the cruise maintaining its itinerary? As our portion of the cruise (actually it is a world cruise but we are taking only the last leg if it) starts in the Persian Gulf, through the Straits of Hormuz, through the Gulf of Oman, to the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden, into the Red Sea, the Suez Canal and into the Mediterranean Sea.  The key here is the Suez Canal. If a ship cannot use the Suez Canal it has to go around the Cape of Good Hope, another six thousand miles.

Let's see what happens! 

First Urban Indoor Mall in the United States

Last night (actually early this morning) I was watching the History Channel's Modern Marvels. This episode dealt with mega-stores, including the Mall of America located in Bloomington, MN and this reminded me of Rochester,  NY's famous indoor shopping mall, Midtown Plaza. This downtown plaza was opened in 1962 and has been touted as "first urban indoor mall in the United States."  I question this but we'll look at this in a bit. The only part of Midtown Plaza that I can recall when I lived there and worked downtown was the Clock of the Nations.

At Christmas time it was somewhat chaotic but then any shopping mall is at that time. After about forty-six years or so Midtown closed and the last tenant closed shop in 2009. Last year in September demolition began. It had a pretty good run but like all good things it had to end.

But do all good things really have to end? As we noted above the Midtown Plaza has been called the "first" indoor shopping plaza in the United States but was it really? I believe that that honor may go to another location that is also in Rochester. And the honor may go to the Reynolds Arcade on West Main Street.

The Reynolds Arcade was built in 1932 to replace and earlier version on the same site built in 1828. This arcade, similar to the original built by Rochester pioneer Abelard Reynolds, has shops and stores on the first floor and professional offices on the upper floors. The original Reynolds Arcade was the site of original Western Union offices and Bausch & Lomb along with the Post Office. The "first" urban indoor mall. My vote goes for the Reynolds Arcade. 

Rochester Royals 1951-52

My birthday (in June) present from my oldest son, an autographed picture of the 1951-52 Rochester Royals of the NBA.

Front row: Sam Ranzino, Bob Davies, Ray Ragelis, Red Holzman, Bob Wanzer

Back row: Arnie Johnson, Joe McNamee, Arnie Risen, Jack Coleman, Odie Spears

And those of you from Rochester will recall that at that time the Royals played at the Edgerton Park Sports Arena (next to Jefferson High School), probably the smallest arena in the NBA.