Home Again, Home Again

 We were scheduled to be among the last off the ship since we were making our own way to the Amtrak Station.  We finished the last-minute packing and were out of the cabin, as requested, by 8:00 am when we went down to Coffee Connection for a bite to eat and say goodbye to those still onboard.  There was much hugging going on among the Grand Voyagers, including the staff.  After all this time, many of them have become friends too.  Last night Nino stopped by our table and said a quick goodbye but said he'd see us in the morning.  We didn't see him before we left, unfortunately.

So we checked off the ship one last time and headed for our luggage - all 6 suitcases and a couple of bags.  We had to get a porter to help since it was a long way and down a couple of flights in a big elevator to get to the street.  We were almost gone when I heard "Mrs. Figoni!" from behind me.  I turned around to see Nino running towards us to say a final goodbye.  That really touched us that he had taken the time on that busy morning to find us.  It is just typical of the crew on Regent.  I can't say enough about how wonderful they are.

It took a while to get transport to Penn Station since the first taxi we flagged down refused such a short ride.  Wish I'd gotten his taxi number.  We ended up calling an Uber which we should have done in the first place.  It was a long wait until our train but we parked ourselves in the Waiting Room and passed the time people watching, always interesting in NYC.

The train ride was uneventful and our friends Bill and Jacquelyn were at the station in Manassus to give us a ride home.  Bill figured we were used to First Class Service, so he was holding a sign with "Figoni" on it.  Fun.

We did all the things that had to be done right away like turning the water on, turning up the water heater, reconnecting all the unplugged appliances, etc.  After that, we opened a can of chili and made toast from the bread in the freezer.  My, my how we have come down in the world.  The night before we dined on escargot and scallops.  

This morning we went out for a delicious breakfast that we actually had to pay for!  Then off to Wegmans for grocery shopping.  We probably should have gone to Giant so the sticker shock wouldn't have been quite so bad.  After looking at the crazy prices, we said that European prices weren't looking so bad.  So food is way up, but gas is down to around $3.65 a gallon, so that's one good thing.  Especially when we remember that at our last stop in Bermuda, it was down to $7 from around $10 a few months ago.  Our driver said he has never seen it below $5 in his lifetime.

It was a wonderful trip and we are thankful that we were able to make new friends and new memories.  And learn a bit more about the world and the wonderful people in it.  Sure makes you appreciate what you have.

A few last photos that didn't get included:

Another sunrise outside Bermuda.

A last dinner with Pam and Ralph.

And a dinner for Lois' birthday. Me, David, Karen, Carl, Lois, Patrick, Sarah, and Michael.  Such a fun group.  Hope to see them again somewhere.

Luke, Destination Services Manager, is another one of the fabulous staff.  I didn't get a chance to take his picture in person, so this will have to do.