16. Postscript

I had not intended posting any further bulletins but as the homeward journey turned into a bit of a nightmare I thought it might be of interest.

Things started well enough and we disembarked the ship on time for the short drive to Marco Polo airport. We even managed to get everyone aboard the aircraft before the scheduled departure time, then pushed back and taxied out to the take off point. That's when things began to go wrong. The engines spooled up, but we only taxied back down the runway and off to a holding point. Was the aircraft broken?, had the pilot eaten the fish instead of the meat for lunch?. No, it was nothing quite so complicated. Evidently a sheet of paper which required the Captain's signature had got lost in cyberspace. No amount of pleading or negotiation with the Italian Authorities worked and having taxied around and waited on the apron for an hour we had to return to the stand.
Eventually, an office junior arrived with the required load sheet and a pen; the vast quantities of red tape were duly lifted and we could now depart.

Upon arrival at London Heathrow, we then had to catch the bus across the city to London Gatwick where our pre-booked hotel room awaited. As it happened, Christina and Frances also needed to get to Gatwick, so we shared the coach with them and although by this point we were all too tired to converse to any great extent, we were able to say our goodbyes and thanks for being such good company throughout the entire trip.

But our travel nightmares were still not over. The next morning we checked in for our the last leg of our journey home.
As we were settling into our seats, the captain advised that there was fog in Jersey, but that we would fly down and "give it a go" - not really words that inspired much confidence. Thus after thirty minutes flight we descended into the clouds and lined up with the runway, gave it a go, but climbed away without ever seeing the ground. After orbiting for an hour hoping that a hole would appear in the fog, we were given the disappointing news that the conditions were worsening and the only option was to return to Gatwick.

After retrieving our luggage and much queuing and negotiating with the airline groundstaff we managed to get ourselves rebooked on another flight home - but not for another 30 hours!
The airline made a reservation for us at a good local hotel and arranged dinner and breakfast, and we just decided just to make the most of a bad situation and spend an unscheduled day up in London instead.

Thus Master Card was close to being maxed out but not before providing a nice lunch and the second attempt at the return journey was completed without a hitch.

15. A few final thoughts

As the voyage comes to an end I thought I would make a few closing comments and observations.

The itinerary has been an extremely busy one with just the single sea day. A combination of early starts and constant post-midnight bedtimes has at times taken its toll, although we have tempered the early starts with lie ins and breakfasts at leisure in the Lido once the main crowd has dissipated. The days have been busy with excursions or exploring on our own, but we have also tried to incorporate within them some much needed relaxation.

The surprise "hit" of the voyage was Mykonos. It really is a charming little port and island, although I am aware that it is one of the most popular in summer and very crowded. Rhodes and Corfu are both known as tourist islands and are geared up to cater for large numbers of visitors - and both have quaint main towns, ideal for exploring on foot or just for sitting at a taverna and watching the world go by.
Unfortunately Mytilene is not a good advertisement for the remainder of Lesbos, it is by far the most run down of the main towns that we have visited but having stayed on the island twice in previous years we know that the small coastal villages are much more welcoming.
Ephesus was interesting for its place in history and archaeology, even though rambling about ancient sites is not high on my list of "must do's". Istanbul however was busy and vibrant and it was fabulous to witness the mixture of cultures. Venice has been all that we had expected it to be, and more.

We have witnessed a number of contrasting, yet very beautiful and vistas ranging from the stunning Santorini to the Istanbul skyline, to the the unspoiled tranquility of Cavtat to the classical Venice architecture and canals. Memories of all these will last for a long, long time and are enhanced as we have had the good fortune of cloudless skies and warm zehyrs for the entire twelve days.

Although it is not obvious, I strongly suspect that all is not well below decks. Many of the staff to whom we have spoken have complained about the cost cutting and for a number of them, this is their last trip and they cannot wait to leave the ship. It is a sad state of affairs but entirely of Cunards making. Having said that, our stateroom has been kept immaculately clean, all the staff from the lowest deckhand to the senior officers are more than happy to stop and say hello and pass the time of day with a brief conversation. The food, whilst not exceptional, has been perfectly prepared and too the service, (with the exception of the Lido Alternative!).

We have not been to many of the shows, as most we have seen beforre, so it would not really be fair to pass comment on the quality or diversity of the entertainment on board .

I am glad to report that we have not witnessed any rudeness from fellow guests, either to ourselves or to the ship's staff. The dress code appears to have been reasonably well adhered to, although I have noticed that many of the American guests do tend to change into something a little more comfortable after dinner.

Last, but by no means least, our dining companions have been fabulous company. Despite a big divide in our socio-economic groups and the cultural differences of our ex-colonial cousins, Christina, Frances, Steve and Elaine have helped turn a good holiday into a great one. I extend my grateful thanks to them all.

Thus another voyage comes to a close. We are, of course, thankful that it has been completed safely and we appreciate that we are indeed very fortunate to be able to enjoy such wonderful journeys and explore such diverse parts of the world.

Until next time, whenever and wherever that may be, I hope you enjoyed reading these little musings as much as I enjoyed writing them.

14. Venice

What a fabulous but rather tiring day in a beautifully warm and sunny Venice. We were up on deck at 7.30 at dawn and all the familiar landmarks were illuminated just as the sun was beginning to rise and as we made our way slowly and majestically up through the city towards our berth. Following breakfast we caught the shuttle boat for the ride down to St Marks Square, and from there headed towards the Rialta Bridge area via the Bridge of Sighs. A number of small souveniers were bought and we wandered through the colourful Rialta market (described in the guide books as arguably the best market in the world, and I'm certainly not going to argue!).
We then had a lunch consisting of pizza and tiramisu at a cafe alongside the Grand Canal and overlooking the Bridge. Batteries recharged we meandered through the narrow thronged streets and over countless bridges and canals and ended up in the Acadamia area. Rather than retrace our steps we took the Gondala crossing back to the other side of the Grand Canal, saving ourselves a twenty minute walk and once again found ourselves back in St Marks Square.
As the queue was very short, we rode the lift to the top of the bell tower in the square and took in the fantastic views of the city and for miles around. Very strangely, when we got out of the lift at the top of the tower the first people we saw were Frances and Christina who unbeknown to us were in the queue just a few minutes ahead of us!
By this time, feet were beginning to ache so all that remained was to treat ourselves to a cooling and refreshing gelato from one of the numerous stalls near the Square. I daresay that we have taken more photographs today than in all the other days of the holiday combined.

Thus we are now back on board the ship and the sad task of packing bags for the homeward journey is almost complete. We do not have to disembark until after lunch tomorrow, so provided I have a few minutes of Internet time left, I will try and post one last bulletin.

13. Dubrovnik

We began yesterday evening by watching Stuart in his pre-dinner show and once again it was well received by all. Following dinner it was casino time and a further $10 was won, meaning that we are now $30 ahead for the trip as a whole. The chocolate extravaganza had to be visited and obviously there was just enough room in our tummies to squeeze in a few morsels of sweetie goodness.

We sailed into Dubrovnik just as the sun was rising and are berthed next to Crystal Serenity (again), and one of the remaining Costa ships. With three liners and some 6,000 visitors hitting the streets of Dubrovnik itself it was bound to be heaving, so we joined the shufflers and booked on a tour that was keeping well away from centre ville.
The first stop was the cable car station and after a short ride to the top, we were rewarded with spectacular views of the city and the myriad of islands large and small which make the sail in to port so picturesque.
Along the way to our next stop, Cavtat, our guide gave us a running commentary about Serbia and all things Slavic. He could easily have a job on stage at the Edinburgh Festival as he was funny, really funny and took a potshot at everything (in a gentle way of course), from life under Tito to the manufacture of souveniers in China.
Cavtat turned out to be a real gem and easily one of the most idyllic places that I have ever visited in the Meditterranean.
There has been a certain amount of very limited development in that the cafes along the waterfront are quite new, but the remainder of the village retains it's character with its obligatory church, bakery, fish and fruit markets. We took a leisurely stroll along the peninsula upon which it has been built, the pine trees lined the shore providing welcome shade from the heat of the sun, there were no other people around and the only sound was of the crystal clear water lapping gently against the rocks.
I could easily have spent a week here and who knows, maybe sometime I will.

We are scheduled to depart shortly for the final leg of our sea journey up to Venice. We all have or fingers crosed that the weather will remain sunny and warm for one more day so that the sail in and exploration of the streets and canals can be fully enjoyed.

12. Corfu

Our Verandah dinner experience was really rather pleasant and a lot less fussy and pretentious than our last visit. The only small gripe was that we had to ask for our wine glasses to be replenished, had the waiters or sommelier been observant they would have done it automatically. I had the home made ravioli to begin, followed by a fillet steak cooked to perfection, and a grand marnier souffle for dessert. Coffee and petit fours completed the meal. We were fortunate in having a seat by the window and the Greek coast was visible throughout the evening just a few miles away, the lights of the roads and villages looking like a string of little pearls.
Following dinner we ventured to the casino and after playing for just a short while found ourselves in the black, so walked away whilst ahead. We are now in pocket for the trip by the grand sum of $20. A sum not to be sniffed at!

Today we are in our final Greek port of call, Corfu and the coast of Albania on our starboard side looks close enough to touch. Being Sunday, many of the larger shops are closed, but the older part of town is vibrant. There is a maze of narrow, windy streets lined mostly with the usual tourist stores and cafes.
Additionally the tavernas and bars along the main boulevard area were packed with locals and tourist alike and it certainly didn't give the impression that the country is nearing bankruptcy.

The weather has been extremely kind to us throughout the trip and today is no exception. All the sailaways have been held on the aft deck in warm sunshine and the lightest of breezes.
We are in port with the Crystal Serenity and another MSC ship, so there should be a number of ship whistle blowings upon our departure in an hours time.

This evening there is an ice carving display and chocolate extravaganza in the garden lounge, an event not to be missed!

11. Katakolon

We duly supported Stuart by watching his show and judging by the comments overheard afterwards, in was a very successful one. He will be doing a follow up in a few days time which we will also go and see. The roulette table was avoided as it was extremely busy in the casino and the roulette players all looked far more professional (and eager to throw away vast quantities of money), than your very amateur correspondent.

Today's port of call is Katakolon, a small port which has the honour of being the closest to Olympia, the birthplace of the Olympic games. Having visited Olympia last year, we didn't feel the need to go again, so we have spent a relaxing day ashore, just having a wander round and stopping for a beer at one of the many small tavernas hugging the harbourside. We did venture as far as a small museum which specialised in displays of ancient Greek scientific instruments and machines - very interesting it was too, and we also had a half hours rest by riding on the wally trolley around the local roads which weave through the olive groves and fertile fields.

As it has been a less busy day, I will pass on a few stories and observations about the trip so far. The Master on this voyage is Captain Julian Burgess, who we have not met before but who seems to be very approachable, chatty and less perfunctory than some of the other captains, is informative and has a good sense of humour. "The guests job is to arrange the weather while mine is to try and find the ports, so far we've done pretty well and even got the ports in the right order".
Interestingly, we are honoured to be joined on the trip by Michelle Obama's twin sister. We are also rather intrigued by the guests in the stateroom next to us who have their "do not disturb" sign on their door 24/7. Either they are honeymooners or they have passed away, but it does seem a little odd.
For those readers who are familiar with our constant travelling companion affectionately known as "Mouse", I am glad to report that he is having a fabulous time (as can be seen in the special photograph that he asked me to post with today's missive). His only upset came a little earlier when our room steward stopped us as we were leaving our stateroom and asked in a very concerned voice "where is your rat?", so we had to explain that he was in fact a mouse and had spent the day ashore with us.

We are getting on extremely well with our evening dining companions. Steve, we have discovered, is a chemical engineer in the oil and gas industry. He is extremely clever, but just a little hard to talk to at times. He is on the trip to relax whilst finalising a paper to be published in some prestigious scientific journal. Elaine is also rather intriguing - her business card describes her as "artist, author and speaker", and we believe her specialist subject is Eastern European art - in any event she is travelling to Moscow soon after returning home from this trip.
Frances is either from a wealthy family or did very well from he divorce settlement as she has property in Cyprus and spends one week per month living there. She also has several apartments back in England which she rents out.
Christina is to all intents and purposes a cockney, but has Greek/Cypriot parents. Thus she is dark haired and olive skinned, can understand the Greek language and can tell when any of the locals are trying to pull a fast one. As I think I mentioned in an earlier post she is a dressmaker and seamstress by profession and last night over dinner she was telling us all about her best client for whom she has made a number of absolutely stunning evening gowns and outfits, all coordinated with exquisite lingerie. The twist to the tale is that her best client is a transvestite and a British Airways captain! I'm sure that every time I fly with BA from now on I'll be wondering if it is him up in the cockpit.

We will be dining in the Verandah restaurant this evening and expect the service to be markedly better than the Lido Alternative. Watch this space.

10. Santorini

Last evening we booked the alternative dining "Jasmine" option, this being advertised as a fusion of cuisine of various far eastern countries. Although the food itself was nice and the surroundings made a change from the usual Britannia restaurant, the rest of the meal was extremely disappointing. Needless to say that complaints were registered, refunds made and it is a dining option that we won't be doing again. Thus we skipped the casino and just had a late Commodore Club evening cocktail before retiring (relatively) early to bed ahead of our scheduled 7am start in the morning.

Today we are at anchor in the archipelago of Santorini in what is a flooded caldera created following a massive volcanic eruption many years ago. Our morning excursion took us to Nea Kameni which is an island created as a result of the most recent volcanic activity. There have been several eruptions over the past centuries with the most recent in 1950 and which created new land. We climbed up amongst the lava fields to the highest point of the island - there is no vegetation or resident wildlife - and in one or two places fumaroles spew hot sulphurus gasses. The excursion was not a long one, but extremely interesting nonetheless.

Immediately thereafter, we headed for the main island of Santorini which gives the archipelago it's name. The main town of Fira is one that often appears on postcards and in Greek tourism advertisements. The town itself is at the top of a one thousand foot cliffs and is reached either on foot by way of a similar number of steps, or by cable car. I'm sure, dear reader, you will have guessed which option we decided to take.
There is no doubt that the panoramic views afforded from the town overlooking the cliffs and the surrounding islands is one of the most stunning that you are ever likely to see, and which photographs cannot recreate. The sky is a powder blue, the sea a deep blue and the black volcanic cliffs of the other islands making up the rim of the caldera make a striking contrast. Having said that, there is very little of interest in the town itself unless you are a tourist looking to buy overpriced drinks, standard Greek gold and silver jewellery, or t shirts emblazoned with I "heart" Santorini.
A couple of hours was more than enough ashore and so we returned to the ship for a refreshing and well deserved swim.
We are scheduled to sail away shortly and I am hoping that the setting sun lighting up the islands will present one or two photo opportunities.

This evening we will no doubt catch up with the adventures of Steve, Elaine, Frances and Christina, following which we will go and support Stuart in his show.