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.
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