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.

9. Rhodes

Last evening we had a full compliment at the dinner table despite Steve and Elaine staying up until goodness knows what hour to watch the latest televised Obama/Romney debate, live. Thus a lively discussion took place on the merits (or lack thereof) of the American political system. A necessary debate indeed with our American friends, especially in an election year. Steve is a staunch Republican but believes that Obama will win easily. Time will tell!
Following dinner, Frances accompanied us to the roulette table and I am glad to report that our gambling account has now moved $5 into the black. From small acorns and all that.
We also bumped into Jersey's "international recording and television star", our very own and good friend, Stuart Gillies. Just as well really as he owes us a drink from our last trip in June. He is not on stage until tomorrow evening, so a report on his show will follow in due course.

A couple of asides at this point. We had our first experience of the ship's new freestyle breakfast dining this morning. It's pretty shambolic and not liked by the waiters, but the powers that be say that the guests want it. Well, none that we have spoken to, do.
We also heard that our change in itinerary from Kusadasi to Izmir was because the Kusadasi port authorities were charging a landing fee of $3 per passenger, whereas Izmir were only charging $1. So there we have two more examples of cost cutting by Cunard.

Today we are in Rhodes and it's another scorcher with barely a cloud in the sky. Despite there being a general strike in the country today, this certainly hasn't deterred the taxi drivers and other businesses from offering their services and wares when there are three large cruise ships in port.
The old part of Rhodes Town lies within city walls and it really is quite charming, a maze of little backstreets and cool alleyways, all the buildings lining them having been restored and now occupied by a variety of shops and eateries. We had a lengthy wander around and then stopped for lunch at a pretty little taverna off the main street. Lunch consisted of Greek salad, giant beans and tzatsiki, but the owner insisted on bringing out some freshly barbecued pork and lamb chops for us to try. Lush. Then when it was time for us to settle up and leave, the owner, Mamma, and chef all came out to thank us, shake our hands and wish us farewell. Not something you would ever get at home and a lovely touch.
Following lunch, we took in a circuit of the Ho-Ho bus before strolling slowly back to the ship and boarding just in time for afternoon tea.
Thus we are now relaxing before our sailaway and looking forward to our Chinese meal this evening.

8. Izmir

This is the warmest day of the trip so far at 31c. We have been on a trip to Ephesus, a large ancient city and now an archeological site and just about melted in the process. When it was first built many years BC, it was a coastal port and trading centre, but is now many miles from the sea as the river delta upon which it originally sat has silted up over the years.
The original population of Ephesus was around 200,000 people and it seemed like there were double that number exploring the ruins today. The most important, indeed famous, remaining building is the Library of Ephesus - certainly still an imposing site even if it cost me a small fortune in library fines with my book being several eons overdue.
Unfortunately we have not had an opportunity to explore more of Izmir itself as the city is so large, the traffic dense and we are somewhat limited for time. So instead we have just had a late lunch from the Lido grill together with an ice cold beer, sitting out on the open deck. There are very few things that could be more pleasant.

Yesterday evening after dinner we went to the theatre for the show - the first time we have been on this voyage. The main act were two acrobats from the Cirque du Soleil who were indeed very impressive. They were followed by an Irish singer who was singing contemporary songs in an opera style and it just didn't work. Last on stage was the Cunard troupe and we were able to see for ourselves what other guests had said - they were enthusiastic enough but not really "together". Following the show, we joined Frances at the roulette table and our run of rather flat luck continued, once again neither winning of losing. Frances, on the other hand, quickly won a small fortune.

For later in the week we have booked the alternative Jasmine dinner in the Lido and also we are going to give the Verandah restaurant another try. Reports will follow in due course!

7. At sea en route to Izmir

Yesterday evening was rather quiet in the restaurant as a large number of guests were either on evening tours or had decided to go into the city for a more traditional Turkish meal. Steve and Elaine didn't make dinner as they were very tired and so Frances, Christina and ourselves discussed everything from our adventures of the day to trying to guess Elaine's age. (We concluded that she must be early seventies but is extremely well preserved and always dresses immaculately with not a coiffured hair out of place).

We then departed Istanbul as scheduled, just before everyone turned into pumpkins and the sailaway was very picturesque with the city lights slowly fading into the distance.
Having been such a busy day, we didn't wake until 9.30 this morning and so it was a late breakfast in the Lido. This timed in nicely with attendance at the morning lecture, a talk given by an ex ITN news cameraman who had reported on every major news story on the last three decades, but disappointingly only told stories of the Queen's overseas visits. (Perhaps he had one eye on the large American audience). Strangely though, we had spoken with him and his wife in the commodore lounge on the first evening without having a clue that he was the onboard lecturer.

As I write, we are sitting out on one of the loungers on deck 3 as the ship is progressing sedately along the Dardanelles Strait towards the narrowest point, through which we will be passing early this afternoon. It is only a kilometre wide at its narrowest point and the number of other vessels in sight at the moment runs into dozens. I daresay this stretch of water is as busy, if not busier, than the English Channel. It is certainly a very different vista with land close by on both sides of the ship and I would imagine somewhat akin to river cruising or transiting a major canal. We are also expecting to see a large war memorial at Galipolli a little later.

The captain's noon day announcement has advised that there is a public workers strike due when we are in Rhodes in a few days time and although this should not affect berthing operations, there will be no public transport. How much this will affect us personally remains to be seen.

With regard to the ship itself, staff morale does appear to be low although personally speaking I can say that it has not affected the general service in the bars and restaurants. We spoke to one of the bar waitresses who we know from previous trips and she had to fight tooth and nail to get two days leave to gets home to see her sick father, despite having worked for the company for six years. She said that there is a new personnel officer appointed who has been brought in to find ways of saving even more money and who is anything but caring. So once she has earned a little more to pay off the final cost of her apartment, she will be leaving. The poor girl was almost in tears as she was telling us and all we could do was listen and give her a big hug. One of the other deck waiters who we know, and our senior Brittannia waiter are also on their final trip and cannot wait to leave. The omens for the future do not look good.

On a lighter note, we seem to have acquired a number of stowaways. Every evening as night falls, there are some cicadas that start chirruping, thus providing a somewhat tropical ambience to the outside decks.

6. Istanbul (not Constantinople)

...as They Might be Giants once sang - great song, check it out on YouTube.

We began our journey towards Istanbul around midnight when we entered the Dardenelles Strait, an extremely long and narrow passage of water into the Sea of Marmara and beyond. Although it was dark, both sides of the shore were lit up and it gave us a promise of what is to come on our return journey during daylight hours tomorrow.
Thus we sailed into the city of Istanbul itself just as dawn was breaking.

The first thing to say about Istanbul is that it is big, very big. It is also very, very busy. But what a wonderful mixture of ancient and modern, Christian and Moslem, affluent and poor, classic and baroque, chaos and order, east and west. You need at least a week to do justice to all the city has to offer, not just a day.

Following breakfast we jumped aboard the Ho-Ho bus for view of the most important sights and landmarks and to get our bearings. The circuit took in such places as the Blue Mosque, the Hagia Sofia and the Topkapi Palace, all sights to tick off the bucket list.
Following lunch we caught our small boat for a scenic cruise up the Bosporus, taking in all the sights of this incredibly busy waterway and passing under the bridges which link the Asian continent to the European.
Once deposited back to the ship we set off once again, this time on foot and heading back across the Blue Bridge and towards the old part of the city. The bridge was jam packed with fishermen, young and old, all trying their luck (many quite successfully) in the Golden Horn. Thankfully, there was a subway at the end of the bridge by which to cross the road, otherwise we might still be waiting. Once safely on the other side we entered the spice bazaar, and what an assault o the senses that proved to be. Every spice imaginable was piled up on the brightly coloured stalls and every smell from allspice to vanilla wafted to the nose. But it was not just spices, there were fish, meats, cheeses, olives, honey, fruits, flowers, nuts, exotic oils, cakes and delicacies and hardware and clothing, pottery, glassware, pots and pans, and every (fake) perfumery designer label you can think of. The nearby streets and the bazaar itself were packed with locals and tourists alike and above all these sights and smells were the calls and the cajoling of the stallholders. We then strolled wearily back to the ship just as the sun was setting behind the minarets and mosques which adorn the city skyline. It really was quite an unforgettable experience and one that should not be missed.
Thus our pre dinner martinis now await and we are then scheduled to leave the city around midnight.
Tomorrow is our only sea day and after all the non stop activity today, will be very welcome indeed.

5. Numbers

The voyage, so far, in numbers:

60-70 : the average age of 95% of the passengers
40-50 : the percentage of passengers who are american
25: the percentage of passengers who are Scottish (seems like it anyway!)
3: the number of teenagers on board
0: the number of mobility scooters on board
11: the normal number of hours in a single shift worked by the bar staff
1: the number of times I have been in the pool and jacuzzi
5: the number of scones I have eaten in the first 3 days
0: the amount of dollars won in the casino, so far
0: the amount of dollars lost in the casino, so far
25: the average day time temperature
0: the number of times it has rained
50: the percentage size that the goodnight chocolate has been reduced by
1: the number of salad choices now appearing on the evening menu
5,000,000: the number of cats in Mykonos

4. Mytilene

Firstly, to put the record straight, our table companion whose name I could not remember yesterday is Frances. She is a retired psychiatric nurse, great company, extrovert, and not afraid of using the occasional expletive to great effect when it enhances a story. She was also at great pains to point out that she and Christina are not lesbians despite the fact that many girls of that persuasion like to make the pilgrimage to Lesbos, Sappho's birthplace and our port of call today!
Meanwhile, we have learned that Elaine is currently writing and publishing a cookery book, Christina is a seamstress, while Steve is between jobs (although in what line of business we have yet to discover).
For those followers of my Norway blog earlier in the year and who are anxious to hear whether or not lady luck has accompanied us to the casino again on this trip, I have to report that last night was not an unmitigated success but neither was it a total disaster. Our $20 limit lasted for half an hour and we walked away with precisely $20.

So today we are in Mytilene, the principal town of Lesbos. Unlike Mykonos Town, Mytilene is much more of a bustling, working capital, although it being Sunday, many places are closed. Also, unlike Mykonos Town, the effects of the economic situation are far more evident here and there are many closed and boarded up business establishments which give the Town a much more run down feel. Although it is Sunday, the tavernas and bars do remain open and it is amusing to watch the families coming out from church dressed in their Sunday best with Dads and sons heading for the nearest taverna for a strong coffee and a chat, whilst Mums and daughters put on their aprons ready to serve behind the bar or wait the tables. There may well be an unemployment problem in Greece, but it most certainly is not with the female side of the workforce.

Our time ashore today was therefore spent having a leisurely stroll along the almost deserted streets and then climbing the hill to the old castle which overlooks the port and the old part of the town.

The skies remain a summer blue with just a few puffy white clouds and the temperature is in the mid to low 20's, most pleasant indeed. As I write, I am relaxing in the commodore lounge, watching the last few tenders ferry the remaining shore side passengers back to the ship and we shall soon be joining the sailaway party on the aft deck before setting sail for Istanbul.

3. Mykonos

There was a slight disappointment on our first pre-dinner visit to the commodore club - the bar has run out of g-vine gin and therefore there are no ginfusion cocktails. However, on the plus side, the canapés were as good as ever and a number of the waiting staff have remembered us from previous voyages and have been happy to chat and catch up.
We have a very well positioned dinner table on the upper deck of the Britannia restaurant, right at the stern of the ship which affords panoramic views. Our dining companions are a mixed bunch but seem pleasant enough. We have a couple of divorcees from Surrey who are travelling together (Christina and her companion whose name escapes me at the moment- it is early days after all! - but who appears to be the life and soul of the party type) and Steve and Elaine, a mother and son from Pittsburgh Pa. (although it took us a while to work out their relationship!)

Following a 1am bedtime and a very sound nights sleep we arrived into Mykonos early this morning. We had a leisurely breakfast in the Lido and then caught the shuttle bus into Mykonos Town itself. And what a very pleasant surprise - the town is one you would expect of typical Greek postcard views, small domed churches, a busy waterfront, windmills overlooking the harbour, a maze of steep narrow streets and a sea of whitewashed houses with powder blue doors and shutters. We had a mornings meander through the streets and shops selling the usual tourist tat and then as the harbour side tavernas were busy doing a roaring trade, headed more into the centre of the town to find a quieter taverna to rest and refresh. A light lunch of tzatsiki and greek salad was partaken, washed down with a refreshingly cold beer. How pleasant it is to be able to sit outside under a sky matching the colour of the houses and bask in the mid October warmth.
Whether the town manages to retain its charm during the height of the summer heat and tourist invasion I very much doubt, but at this time of year it is very agreeable indeed.

2. Embarkation day

We had an uneventful flight down to Athens although it did seem for a time that we were making the journey by road as we were taxi-ing for a good thirty minutes before take off. However we made good time and all our bags were delivered directly from aircraft to ship, the airport and embarkation formalities were very quickly accomplished and we were on board in double quick time.
I was surprised at how big a sprawl the Athens and Pireaus area is. Most of the suburban area looked tidy and well kept, but some areas of downtown Athens looked very run down, derelict even. Testament to the tough economic times the country is now living through. The one highlight of the coach journey to the ship was the sight of the Acropolis still proudly overlooking the city after so many years. Thus another landmark on my "1,000 places to see before you die "App has been ticked off.
Now on board, The obligatory safety drill has been completed and the prearranged CC meeting very well attended and our first conversations with our fellow American passengers passed very amicably.

1. Pre-voyage trip into London

Our flight departed as scheduled and we made such good time that we had crossed airports, checked in to our Heathrow hotel and were into Paddington by 10.45. First stop was the Westfield shopping mall for a quick browse, (and to get out of the rain) Very little was purchased, so Master Card was able to breathe a big sigh of relief.
Having had an early start and built up an appetite, we then headed down to South Kensington to find a restaurant for lunch. An authentic little French bistro looked appealing and although the starter and dessert lived up to expectations, the beef was so tough that there were suspicions that it may have been cheveau.
Following lunch we took the short walk up to one of my favourite London attractions - the Science Museum. Thus the afternoon was wiled away and included an exhibition of the development of the computer and also a 3D movie in the IMAX theatre showing a history of the Hubble space telescope.
An early night was then in order as it was another early start in the morning for the flight down to Athens and to embark the Queen Elizabeth.

Voyage to the Eastern Mediterranean

Once again the lure of Cunard's Queen Elizabeth has been strong and we are booked on a voyage billed as 'Greek Isles and Ancient Wonders' which embarks from Athens on 12 October. It promises to be a very busy trip with only one full sea day amongst the 12 night voyage, thus your intrepid correspondent's bulletins may well be brief and sporadic. However, with suitcases packed and bulging with clothing for all weathers and all occasions we are looking forward to exploring the charms of several Greek Islands,  historical Dubrovnik, the maze of canals in Venice, noting the mix of eastern and western cultures in Istanbul, and no doubt, observing the clash of British and American cultures aboard the ship.