| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
|---|---|---|---|
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26th Apr. 2022 |
BoMoH --> LHR |
SkyLark MoTeL |
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27th Apr. 2022 |
LHR --> Venice |
On board by two! |
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28th Apr. 2022 |
Split Croatia |
Two walks into the Big Town |
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29th Apr. 2022 |
Hvar Croatia |
Three and half hours walking |
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30th Apr. 2022 |
Dubrovnik Croatia |
a.m. Eileen p.m. Corniche |
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2nd May 2022 |
Messina Sicily Italy |
Taormina On Your Own (OYO) tour |
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3rd May 2022 |
Palermo Sicily Italy |
Eleven miles of walking |
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4th May 2022 |
Naples Italy |
Train ride to Sorrento |
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5th May 2022 |
Olbia Sardinia Italy |
Porto Cervo On Your Own (OYO) tour |
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6th May 2022 |
Ajaccio Corsica France |
Prunelli Gorge tour |
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7th May 2022 |
Porto Santo Stefano |
Panoramic & Porto Ercole tour |
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8th May 2022 |
Livorno Tuscany Italy |
Lucca Garden tour |
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9th May 2022 |
Civita- vecchia FCO->LHR |
Home by 20:00 |
| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
I awoke to the dawn at 6:45 ready for cream cheese on toast, but no coffee, for fear of affecting the PCR test. At 8:25 I walked along the length of the Upper and Central Gardens to get to the Regenerative Clinic in the BoMoH arcade. I had the GBP 99 PCR test from the back of my mouth AND a RALF test, which I hadn't ordered, right up my nose! I then walked back up the gardens to home.
After completing my EU locator form, I left home at 10:35 heading for the M3 motorway. At the Fleet service area, I slept for three quarters of an hour, before continuing my journey. I got to the Skylark Motel just after two o'clock, but the charge had gone up from GBP 49 to GBP 69 per night. Twelve nights parking cost another GBP 48, but the man on the desk entered GBP 1177.30 into the card machine at first!
I then slept for another hour in my three berth room. When I awoke, I walked into Central Hounslow, but bought nothing as usual. I then walked into West Hounslow to top up my Oyster travel card and check the first train was still at 5:01 in the morning.
At five o'clock, I had a tasty spicy chicken wrap from KFC for just GBP 1.98! Back in my room, I started work on this blog and watched celebrity chef Rick Stein in Split, Croatia, where I will be in two day's time! However the Dalmatian island he visited was Korcula, not Hvar which I will be seeing in three day's time!
I spent the evening watching television, getting my negative PCR test result and fit to fly certificate at 9:10. I went to bed soon after ten o'clock. During the day I did sixteen thousand steps, equal to over six miles of walking!
I awoke at 3:30 and got up at four o'clock. I had one cheese & tomato sandwich which I had brought from home, plus a bowl of crunchy nut corn flakes for break fast. I caught the first train from Hounslow West to LHR T5 at five o'clock, but check-in didn't open until 6:50. At 6:30 I was able to check in to BA578, where there was no inspection of documents except passports (A319 $311 one way)! I had to label my large suit case myself at an unmanned check in desk. Security took only 15 minutes and I then found a power socket to charge up my laptop as I updated this blog.
I was one of the last to get on the A319 Airbus as I was sat in the rearmost row, which is the safest place to be on a plane. With only two seats at the back a couple asked me to change seats, so I moved to the penultimate row, where I was sat with a couple from Nottingham. He studied at the LSE and his wife at Birmingham University. She had worked at both Nottingham and Derby Universities.
En route we were given a bottle of water and a strawberry snack bar. We had a good view of the snow covered Alps as we crossed in to Italy. The flight took only 110 minutes and landed early.
Marco Polo Airport was not too busy and I got through in half an hour. They only wanted to see my passport, so I thought that I had wasted GBP 99 on my PCR test yesterday. Mauro my driver met me at the gate and drove me in his Mercedes limousine over the causeway to the cruise terminal in Venice. I gave him a tip of ten euros.
Here it was lunch time, so I had to wait a bit, before being processed. However having had my PCR test yesterday, I was fast tracked through without the need for a RALF test! We boarded a coach which took half an hour to re-cross the causeway and weave through enormous industrial estates to get to the Fusina ferry terminal on the main land.
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Here I was greeted by Joanna Mackie the singer who was back on Silversea with Josh Hankey. Thanks to my complimentary limousine, I was the first person from the morning flights to get on to the ship. It later transpired that later passengers had had a long wait at the Venice cruise terminal. I went up to the top deck to enjoy my first puttanesca pizza overlooking the pool in the bright sunshine. As I finished eating, Katerina from Pilsen & Malaga waved to me from the crew area between the funnels! I then dozed on my bed for half an hour.
At 4:45 I did six lengths of the warm pool and then spent 15 minutes in the two jacuzzis with a view across the lagoon to the famous campanile. At 5:30 we had the safety drill, where I chatted to an accountant and his wife from Sutton in South London. Afterwards I did eight laps, equal to one mile, of the top deck walking track in the hot sun shine. Up in the Panorama lounge, I was surprised to see Tony Viernaza the Filippino pianist playing in the Trio. At 6:45 CD Vicki introduced us and I said a few words of introduction.
At seven o'clock I hosted the solo travellers with ACD Verena and cruise saleswoman Camila. At 7:45 I led Eileen from Ross on Wye, Olive from Honiton, Rebecca from Hitchin, Roger from Northants, Tom from Maryland and Ross from Northern California down to the Atlantide main restaurant. (We never saw Ross again on the ship for the whole cruise!) I began with the mushroom soup, continued with the smoked duck Caesar salad, main coursed on the prime rib of beef and finished with the chestnut ice cream. I had just one glass of red wine for fear of over doing it on the first night.
I went to sleep at 10:45, but that was only 9:45 on my body clock's BST! During the day I had done over nine thousand steps equal to nearly four miles of walking.
I got up to the dawn at 5:45 unable to sleep with the excitement of being back on a brand new Silversea ship. At seven o'clock I had a small smoked salmon pannini outside the Arts cafe al fresco. I then did eight laps of the top deck (one mile of walking) in the bright sun, but cool wind, of the Adriatic sea. There were distant views of the rugged Dalmatian coast.
At 7:30 I had TWO eggs Benedict in the Terrace (La Terrazza) restaurant with a tomato juice on the side. When Resty came to do the cabin, I did eight more circuits. At 9 o'clock I touched base with the Shorex team. At 10 o'clock I went to Charmaine's cruise sales pitch, I slipped out after 55 minutes as she ploughed on!
I then slept for one hour only to be awoken by the bow thrusters as we berthed in Split. I rushed up to the Terrace for a quick lunch of prawn bisque, salmon en croute and sour cherry frozen yoghurt. At 12:50 I was the first guest ashore, walking in to the city passed the annual Croatian boat show. I rushed around Diocletian's enormous palace, picking up maps and leaflets at the tourist information office. Unfortunately I had forgotten to bring my smart phones with me, so I was unable to take any photos or record how many steps I had made!
I got back to the ship at 2:15 ready for my first port talk at three o'clock. However, I had got it wrong and it was actually four o'clock! I spoke for 35 minutes on Hvar: the Queen of the Dalmatian Islands. At five o'clock I walked back into the Big Town, this time with both my smart phones, so I was able to take photos and record how many steps I had undertaken!
Back at the ship at 6:15, I spent 2 x 6 = 12 minutes in one of the jacuzzis with a fabulous view across the harbour to Diocletian's palace and the cathedral bell tower. At 6:45 I went to La Dolce Vita lounge to host the solo travellers: Olive, Rebecca, Eileen and Roger (for the last time) together with Scouse singer Josh. I had previously sailed with him on the maiden voyage of the Silver Moon, when he had replaced Scouse singer Jonathan.
At 7:30 I led them, minus Josh, up to the Terrace Italian Restaurant (La Terrazza). We began with a small glass of prosecco and the anti pasti sharing platters. I then had the lentil soup and the fillet of beef, followed by the cassata Siciliana.
At ten o'clock I sat with Olive & Rebecca to watch the Mind the Gap sixties show. Unfortunately I kept dropping off after a hectic period of two days! I went to sleep at 11:30, having done nearly twenty thousand steps, equal to about eight miles of walking during the day!
I awoke at 6:15 to the dawn, as I had left my curtains open. Having abluted, I updated this blog. At 7:15 I broke my fast with Rebecca in the Terrace restaurant. We both had a cheese omelette with crispy bacon.
I snuck on to the second tender away and was ashore by 8:30. This was my first visit to the delightful town and island of Hvar (the H is silent)! We had been unable to get in here three years ago on the Black Watch due to the wind, so had gone to Sibenik, which was a good alternative, instead.
During the morning I walked nearly sixteen thousand steps, equal to over six miles around the beautiful town in glorious sun shine. At 10:30, having done the town, I started climbing up to the castle. Fortunately just today and tomorrow the castle had free admission. In the court yard here there was a troupe of school children line dancing! The views of the port and the hinterland were dramatic.
I caught the 12:10 tender back to the ship, ready for my first cheese burger and fries of the cruise in the Grill by the pool. I then slept for two hours, before updating my Dubrovnik talk. At 4:15 I did six lengths of the warm salt water pool followed by 15 minutes in one of the jacuzzis chatting to a Scotsman.
At 5:30 I did my 35 minute lecture on Dubrovnik, but since we were tendering I had to take my walk into town out of the talk. During it my voice kept breaking up, I hope I haven't caught something! At 6:45 I adjourned to La Dolce Vita lounge to host the solos, where we were joined by Jenny & Sue from Aberdovey in Wales and singer Joanna from Bristol.
At 7:35 I led Tom, Olive, Eileen, Rebecca, Jenny & Sue down to the S.A.L.T. (Sea And Land Tasting) restaurant. Most of us had the Hvar menu of the day. I began with the Croatian salad, continued with the small lamb shank and finished with the chocolate cake with coconut ice cream. I had two glasses of the strong, red Croatian wine, so had to drink water during the night to fore stall a hang over!
At 10 o'clock I sat with Eileen for the Voce dell'Opera show with the two classical singers and the classical pianist, Nataliia. They went through musical theatre (West Side Story), operetta (Merry Widow) to selections from two Puccini grand operas. I nearly nodded off a couple of times. I went to sleep at eleven o'clock, having done over eighteen thousand steps, equal to over seven miles of walking during the day!
I got up with the dawn at six o'clock as we approached the Dalmatian coast. At seven I broke my fast with the full American: scrambled eggs, American bacon, hash brown, corn beef hash cake, tomatoes and one American sausage!
I then went up to the top, observatory deck to photograph the anchorage alongside Lokrum island off Dubrovnik. At nine o'clock I was sat in La Dolce Vita when CD Vicki asked if I was staying on for the next cruise as she so appreciated my work! Here I met up with Eileen as she had asked to go ashore with me during the morning. We snuck on to the last tours tender away and were ashore by 9:15.
We did St. Blaise's church, the Cathedral and the Serbian Orthodox church. We had our first refreshment stop out on the cliffs with a fabulous view of the Silver Dawn anchored by Lokrum island. The cafe was just opening up for the very first time this season, so had no coffee available. I had the freshly squeezed orange juice, Eileen had a bottle of sparkling water and paid for both. We watched the runners racing along the top of the ramparts.
At eleven o'clock we watched the children racing along the main street. We exited the Pile gate to view the Game of Thrones fortress from the west balcony. Back inside the old town, we had our second refreshment stop at the Buzz cafe on the street of restaurants. We both had a cup of decaff cappuccino coffee which Eileen again paid for. We then exited the Ploce gate to view the old harbour from the east balcony. Here there were musicians and dancers wearing Croatian national costume.
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We caught the 12:10 tender back to the ship. Eileen went to have a salad from the Terrace buffet, whilst I had another pizza puttanesca from the top deck pizzeria overlooking the pool. I then slept for an hour and a half.
At three o'clock I caught the tender back in to Dubrovnik, and headed east through the Ploce gate. I viewed the outside of the Modern Art gallery and the inside of the famous Quarantine barracks and the Excelsior hotel. When I got to the blue Moorish dome, I turned around and headed back.
Back on the ship, I did six lengths of the warm pool and spent just six minutes in one of the jacuzzis. Walking through the Trivia contest in La Dolce Vita lounge, CD Vicki whispered to me that we would not be able to tender in to Giardini Naxos due to the predicted winds. We would instead be berthing at Messina, which I have not previously visited. Thankfully she said that trips to Taormina and Mount Etna would remain the same.
Back in my cabin, I began work on a new port talk for Messina, but retaining all the Taormina slides. At seven o'clock I hosted the solo travellers as usual with Dan the singer, but he was required by brand new CoViD rules to remain standing and not drink anything with us!
At 7:35 I led Olive, Tom, Rebecca, Jenny, Sue & Eileen up to the Hot Rocks Grill by the pool. I began with the New York salad and continued with the filet mignon, which I cooked on the hot rock. I had two raw vegetable skewers to cook, together with one jacket potato with sour cream and bacon bits. I finished with the warm apple tart with cinnamon ice cream. I had just one large glass of the red wine on offer.
At ten o'clock I sat with Rebecca, Sue & Jenny to watch Josh's excellent Swings & Roundabouts cabaret. He covered Buble and Sinatra standards backed by the Silver Moon trio as he had done on one of my previous Silver Moon cruises.
JOSH'S PLAYLIST: - Let's Face The Music and Dance (Nat King Cole) - Runaround Sue (The Firebirds) - Me and My Shadow (Robbie Williams) - Feeling Good (Buble Version) - Can’t Take My Eyes Off You (Andy Williams) - Sweet Caroline (Neil Diamond) - My Way (Frank Sinatra) - New York, New York (Frank Sinatra) - Oh What A Night (The Four Seasons)
I went to bed at eleven o'clock, having done over eighteen thousand steps, equal to over seven miles of walking during the day.
Having left my curtains open, I awoke at 5:45 to the dawn. I updated this blog, before continuing with my Messina presentation. It was going to be a bit of a rush to author this before 5:30 this evening!
At 7:30 I broke my fast with TWO eggs Benedict and a glass of tomato juice. When Resty came to service the suite at 8:30 I did eight laps of the top deck jogging track equal to exactly one mile of walking, but only 2,250 steps were recorded on my pedometer, not 2,500, so I think I have been underestimating the distances I have walked!
I discovered that there was little to see in Messina, so I was complete by 11:45. I snuck in to the back of the Food & Wine Pairing, just as the cooking had finished and the wine tasting was starting, so I got to taste the FOUR Napa Valley wines from California. At 12:30 I lunched on the cheese burger & fries without a bun in the pool side grill. I then slept for an hour.
At two o'clock I went to Olivia's dance class, where she taught a routine to four guests danced to ABBA's Gimme a Man After Midnight! At 3:45 it had clouded over, so I had the warm pool to myself for my six lengths. I then spent six minutes in one of jacuzzis, but the Scottish gent arrived, so I made way for his wife as they were celebrating their 39th wedding anniversary.
At 5:30 I gave my 37 minute talk on Messina & Taormina to my biggest audience yet. At 6:45 I adjourned to La Dolce Vita to host the solo travellers, with Catarina from Portugal who did sit down with us, but couldn't drink anything.
At 7:30 I led Olive, Rebecca, Eileen & Tom up to La Terrazza Italian restaurant. We began with a small glass of pink prosecco and one anti pasti sharing plate. I began with the lasagna, but it was only luke warm. I continued with the large veal chop covered with melted cheese. I finished with my favourite cassata Siciliana, I also ordered six praline chocolates for the table. I had just one glass of red wine to drink.
At 10 o'clock I watched the excellent Uprights & Grands concert with the six Voices of Silversea. This included Billy Joel and Elton John medleys. I went to bed just after eleven, having done only seven thousand steps, equal to nearly three miles of walking during the day when I had been busy writing my new Messina lecture!
I awoke to the dawn at 5:45 with a view of the Calabrian coast, but Mount Etna was on the other side of the ship. At 6:30 I had a decaff cappuccino and a small smoked salmon pannini outside the Arts Cafe as we sailed along the Strait of Messina. At seven o'clock I moved down to La Terrazza, where I had a cheese omelette with crispy bacon sat with Eileen. When she left, Rebecca arrived, so I stayed a little longer.
Up on the top deck, I photographed down town Messina. At eight o'clock I touched base with the Shorex desk, so I could up date my Palermo talk ready for this afternoon. When Resty came to service the suite, I did eight laps equal to one mile of the top deck in the bright sun shine, but cool wind.
At nine o'clock I left the ship to take some quay side photos and bag the seat by the middle exit on the transfer bus to Taormina. We left at 9:35 and passed by Messina's impressive cathedral and clock tower. After one hour, we arrived at Taormina's enormous multi-storey car park, where we were let loose. I traversed the main drag, Corso Umberto, only to bump into Rebecca and Eileen in one of the churches. They invited me to have a coffee with them, so I had a decaff Americano con latte, which Rebecca kindly paid for.
There were enormous queues for the famous Greek temple, so I gave it a miss. I found the top cable car station, the bus station and two belvederes overlooking the coast. The follies in the communal gardens were positively Dali-esque in appearance! I found the Roman aqueduct and the small Odeon theatre. We gathered back at the coach for 1:15, where I ate a canoli, a pastry filled with sweet ricotta cheese, in lieu of lunch.
Back in Messina at 2:15, I did the main city sights, before getting back to my cabin and sleeping for one hour. However I didn't have time for my usual dip in the pool and jacuzzi. At 5:30 I gave my 40 minute talk on Palermo.
At seven o'clock I hosted the solo travellers in La Dolce Vita lounge. At 7:30 I led Rebecca, Eileen, Jenny, Sue & Tom down to the S.A.L.T. Kitchen. I began with the rigatoni pasta, continued with two small pieces of veal and finished with the pistaccio cake.
At ten o'clock I sat with Sue to watch Jo(anna)'s excellent cabaret begining with "Sweet dreams are made of this" and finishing with "What a feeling!" I went to bed at eleven, having done nearly twenty two thousand steps, nearly equal to nine miles of walking during the day!
I awoke at 6:40 ready for my favourite TWO eggs Benedict in La Terrazza. I was the first guest off the ship just before eight o'clock. I first headed south to the maritime castle beside the old port.
On the other side of the marina, I walked along the sea terrace beside the city wall to the Villa Giulia whose gardens had free admission. The botanical gardens cost seven euros, so I gave them a miss. I photographed the important sites in the south east quarter of the old city, before getting to the central cross roads at 10:35. Here I saw the magnificent Praetorian Place and the famous Four Corners.
I carried on along the main street to the impressive cathedral which also had free admission, unless you wanted to walk on the roof! At the far end I circled the famous Royal Norman Palace, but declined to go in to see the famous Palatine Chapel. At eleven o'clock I had had enough of the heat and so headed back via the Vucciria market and the two huge theatres to get back to the ship just after noon, having walked ten miles over four hours!
I immediately ordered a small puttanesca pizza, but a large one arrived, so I cut off the crusts. I then slept for an hour and a quarter. I spent the afternoon working on my lap top.
At four o'clock I did six lengths of the warm pool, but both jacuzzis were occupied, so I walked to the back of the ship, where the other jacuzzi was free. This was much more powerfull with a central fountain. It had magnificient views over the domes of Palermo to the hills beyond.
At 5:30 I gave my 35 minute talk on Naples: Third City of Italy. At 6:30 I went to the crew show in the Panorama lounge, where I sat with Olive & Rebecca. When the Captain's departure announcement interrupted the break dancer, I slipped out to host the solo travellers.
At 7:30 I led Jenny, Sue, Olive, Rebecca and Tom down to the Atlantide main restaurant. I began with the crab bisque, followed by the spinach ravioli. I main coursed on the New York strip steak (sirloin) with just THREE chunky chips and just TWO asparagus shoots! I had the sour cherry frozen yoghurt for dessert, but the service was rather slow.
At ten o'clock I went to the Simply Divine duets cabaret with the four English members of the Voices of Silversea. They did mainly disco divas like Donna, Dolly & Gloria, no surnames needed here! I went to sleep at eleven o'clock, having done twenty six and a half thousand steps, equal to nearly eleven miles of walking during the day!
I got up at a quarter to six as the dawn broke over Capri. At 6:30 I had a small smoked salmon pannini sat outside the Arts Cafe. At seven o'clock I moved down to La Terrazza for a cheese omelette with crispy bacon. I was updating my Olbia talk when Resty arrived to service the suite, but I carried on working.
I got off the ship at nine o'clock and walked along the port frontage to the CircumVesuviana railway station. Here I paid 3 euros 90 cents for a one way ticket to Sorrento. The train left just after 9:30, but took 100 minutes to get there, stopping at lots of stations including Herculaneum and Pompeii. I whizzed aound Sorrento on my ABC (Another Blooming Church) tour taking lots of pictures. A Regent cruise ship was anchored just off shore and was tendering in to the little port at the foot of the steep cliffs.
Back at the station, I bought another ticket, but I was turfed off the new express train as it wasn't valid. I eventually got away on an old stopping train at 1:40 and got back to the ship at 3:30. I then slept for just half an hour, before doing six lengths in the warm, but empty, pool. Both jacuzzis were occupied, so I went to the aft hot tub with fabulous views of Naples, Ischia and Capri, but not Vesuvius, which was at the front end of the ship.
At 5:30 I managed to string out my Olbia talk to 40 minutes. At 6:45 I collected my tour escort ruck sack, before hosting the solo travellers cocktail party as usual. At 7:30 I led Jenny, Sue, Olive & Rebecca up to La Terrazza, where Eileen was already ensconced, having been to the Venetian Society cocktail party instead of ours. We began with the pink prosecco and the anti pasti sharing platters. I then had the lentil soup, the salata Caprese, the fillet steak and the tiramisu.
At ten o'clock I went to the Musica Maestro operatic concert. I particularly liked the selection from Carmen, it is easy to hear why it is the world's most popular opera, even though it is sung in French, not Italian or English. They ended with a medley from Les Miserables sung in English, not French! I went to bed at eleven o'clock, having done over twenty one and a half thousand steps, equal to nearly nine miles of walking during the day!
I awoke at six o'clock, but it was overcast outside. At 6:30 I had a smoked salmon pannini and a berry infused water in the Arts Cafe. At 7:30 I had TWO eggs Benedict with a tomato juice in La Terrazza restaurant. At eight o'clock I touched base with Henry at the Shorex desk, before updating my Ajaccio talk.
At 9:15 I was on duty on the quayside ready for my Porto Cervo On Your Own (OYO) tour to leave at 9:45. When we got there, the Dutch woman guide said we would meet back at the coach at 12:20, and four people rushed off. The guide led the rest of us into the up market resort, but proceeded to change both the meeting place and time! I warned her that some of the guests had gone on ahead and told her I would go back to the coach park for 12:20 to reassure them. I was disappointed with the resort as many of the expensive boutiques were closed and there were very few luxury yachts in the marinas. I walked out to the coast guard on one side of the harbour entrance and to the lovely little Guadi-esque church up on the hill. Back at the coach park, the four guests weren't happy as we had to wait half an hour for the rest of the party to return!
Back at the port, we had to pass through security, before boarding a bus for the short ride to the berth. I rushed up to the top deck Spaccanapoli pizzeria for a small puttanesca pizza. I then slept for an hour and a half. At the last minute, I had to update the shore excursions, so I didn't have time for a swim. At 5:30 I gave my 35 minute talk on Ajaccio, wearing my stereo typical Frenchman's outfit of stripey tee shirt and dark blue beret!
At seven o'clock I hosted the solo travellers cocktail party as usual. At 7:30 I led Olive, Eileen, Jenny, Rebecca, Sue and Tom down to the S.A.L.T. kitchen restaurant. I began with the lobster salad, but there were no green leaves! I continued with the Sardinian lamb and finished with the Croatian apple strudel. The restaurant was full and noisy, so I slipped out at 9:15 to the quiet of my suite.
At ten o'clock I went to CD Vicki's tour de force one woman show "Ship Happens", which I had already seen twice before. During the comedy show, Josh danced with her and Richard appeared in drag! It went on for over an hour and so I didn't get to sleep until 11:30, having done nearly twelve and a half thousand steps, equal to five miles of walking during the day.
I awoke to the dawn at 6:10, twenty minutes before my alarm, but it was overcast again. Having abluted, I changed into my stereo typical Frenchman's outfit of stripey tee shirt and dark blue beret. I then updated this blog, whilst it was still fresh in my memory. At seven I had the full English for my break fast.
At eight I was on duty by the coaches ready for my first choice tour to the Prunelli Gorges. We drove up into the mountains and then descended on a narrow road above two of the famous gorges with photo stops en route. At Ocana we had our refreshment stop at the Soccer Cafe, where I had a small orange juice.
Back at the ship at noon, I had a cheese burger and fries, but with no bun, for lunch in the Grill beside the pool. I then slept for one hour. At two o'clock I walked into town taking photographs as the sun came out. I saw all the usual sights, plus the citadel which was now open to the public.
By 3:40 I had had enough of the heat and the humidity and so headed back to the ship. At 4:30 I did six lengths of the warm pool and spent ten minutes in one of the jacuzzis with a view of the old town. Here I chatted to a couple from Worthing. At 5:30 I gave my 30 minute talk on Porto Santo Stefano. At the end an Italian lady berated me for my pronounciation of Stefano and Ercole!
I got to La Dolce Vita at 6:45 ready to greet the solo travellers at seven o'clock. At 7:30 I led Sue, Jenny, Olive, Rebecca and Tom down to the Atlantide main restaurant. I had the king crab starter, the rich tomato soup, the Thai green chicken curry and the fantasia sugar free dessert, but the service was again rather slow.
At ten o'clock I sat with Sue & Jenny for the excellent Rock Rhapsody Queen tribute production show, which I have seen four times previously on the Silver Moon. I went to sleep at 11:20, having done fifteen thousand steps, equal to six miles of walking during the day.
I awoke to the dawn at 6:15, fifteen minutes before my alarm. Having abluted, I updated this blog. At seven o'clock I broke my fast with TWO eggs Benedict and a glass of tomato juice. At eight o'clock I touched base with Karen at the Shorex desk.
At 8:30 I was on duty in the Venetian Lounge ready to escort my second choice tour to Porto Ercole (Hercules Port). We drove to the famous Monastery on Mount Argentario and enjoyed the view across the lagoon to the tombolo beach. In the other direction was the lovely monks' garden. We went in the traditional church and the rather more modern crypt. We drove back around Porto Santo Stefano, but I kept nodding off.
When we got to Porto Ercole we had a walk along the prom to the old quarter, where Caravaggio had died. We climbed up to the old church, but it was closed and we didn't make it all the way up to one of the castles there. Twice I had to remind people on the bus to observe the Italian law on wearing official masks, but still one Dutch man, who had been coughing, continued to disobey!
Back at the tender berth, I headed off on my own walking from the new port to the old port taking pictures. I went in St Stephen's Church (Chiesa de Santo Stefano), but the Spanish Castle had closed for lunch. Back at the ship, I had the (red snapper) fish and chips, before sleeping for an hour. I did six lengths of the warm pool, but both jacuzzis were occupied, so I went to the aft jacuzzi which had a fine view of PSS.
At 5:30 I gave my 35 minute talk on Livorno / Leghorn. At 6:30 I went to the Licensed to Thrill production show, which was a tribute to the James Bond movies, but had to slip out at 6:50 to host the solo travellers. At 7:30 I led Rebecca, Eileen, Sue, Jenny, Olive & Tom up to La Terrazza. I began with the Medici salad, continued with the lasagna, main coursed on the veal chop and finished with my favourite cassata Siciliana. I had one small glass of pink prosecco to start and TWO glasses of red wine to drink, so I had to drink some water during the night to forestall a hangover! The party broke up early and I was in bed soon after ten o'clock, having done nearly thirteen thousand steps, equal to over five miles of walking during the day
I awoke to my alarm at 6:30 ready to break my fast in La Terrazza at seven o'clock. I had a cheese omelette with crisy bacon and a glass of tomato juice. At eight o'clock I was on duty to escort my second choice tour to the palace garden in Lucca. We had a guided tour both before and after the excellent refreshments in the garden. I had TWO glasses of prosecco, several sandwiches and several cakes! We also had some free time, so I managed to get to the cathedral, where a period procession was making a lot of noise!
Back at the ship, I had a small puttanesca pizza, before sleeping for one hour. I caught the three o'clock shuttle bus, but it didn't go into the city, but to the other cruise terminal, so was a complete waste of time. I walked along the Grande Via street market, but the cathedral in the Piazza Grande was closed. Fortunately the tourist information office behind McDonald's was open for me to load up with maps and leaflets.
Back at the ship again, I did six lengths of the warm pool and spent 10 minutes in the rear jacuzzi with views over Livorno / Leghorn. At 5:30 I gave my 35 minute talk on Civitavecchia. I gave the 6:30 Mother's Day event a miss, instead hosting the solo travellers with the help of singer Daniel. At 7:30 I went up to the Hot Rocks Grill, but it was hosting a large private event and despite having a reservation was turned away!
Back in La Dolce Vita, the group of Eileen, Olive, Sue, Jenny & Tom opted for the S.A.L.T. Kitchen instead. Here I had the mini omelette in cheese sauce as my starter, followed by the T-bone steak. I finished with the cream sponge washed down with my own bottle of Argentinian Malbec! I said my farewells at 9:45 and left to finish my packing.
Back in my suite, I watched the first half of my new Messina port talk, before going to sleep at eleven o'clock, having done over nineteen thousand steps, equal to nearly eight miles of walking during the day!
I awoke at six o'clock to the dawn just before the bow thrusters started up. At 7:45 I broke my fast with my favourite TWO eggs Benedict, the last time on the brand new Silver Dawn, until I am back on her in October & November.
Back in my suite, I finished packing my carry on and updated this blog. At eight o'clock I adjourned to the Observation Library, where I chatted to a couple from Hampton-in-Ardern. Dark blue tags were called at 9:15, so I packed up my lap top. At that moment Czech Katerina came into the library, so I kissed her good bye. At the gangway I said good bye to Joanna and Ines who were distributing the passports.
Our coach left at 9:40 and took one hour to get to the airport. There was only one person ahead of me for the BA547 check in, so I was through in minutes (A321 $131 one way)!
I then went walk about to the railway station to look at the trains. Back in terminal three, I tried to use a recharging station without luck, so I updated this blog on battery power only. Then Giorgio the assistant shorex manager contacted me on Whats App to ask for photos of the Mount Argentario and Porto Ercole tour, so I sent him two of each place. I said to him: "Thanks for inputting my escort report forms!" He said: "Thank you for the well done reports!"
I had an English oat bar, a Dubrovnik biscuit and some ship's chocolates for lunch at 12:30. I got through security within ten minutes in spite of my bag being searched separately. In the departure lounge I found a recharging station that did work, so I updated this blog again. I was quickly on the plane, but we were half an hour late taking off.
En route, we were given a bag of crisps and a bottle of water. We landed on time, but were at the T5 B terminal, so had to take the train to T5 A terminal. There were no queues here, so I was through quickly, taking the Piccadilly line to Hounslow West. I got to the SkyLark MoTeL at six o'clock and was home by eight.
This had been a fabulous cruise with no code Quebecs and no isolations. I had visited five new ports AND five new towns. The best of the latter had been Taormina, Sorrento and Lucca. I am treated so well on Silversea's lovely cruise ships!
One lady wrote: "Thanks for this and also for hosting and your companionship."
Another lady wrote: "I am out of breath from speeding through your account of the cruise. You certainly get 10 out of 10 for stamina! All that walking plus swimming every day and a detailed account of your other activities. I shall be forever grateful that you were there to host the "Solos". Joining you and the others each evening enabled me to enjoy the excellent food in good company. I observed your tact and choice of words during our conversations which sometimes strayed into "no go " areas. You get the gold star for diplomacy and I thank you for the dedication you showed to your role as "Solos Host". I sincerely hope that you found the experience enjoyable and sometimes entertaining."
A third lady wrote: "Thank you for your efforts. I hope they read my feedback and they don’t let your table reservations become lost in translation next time. Albeit the final meal in SALT was excellent."
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14 Cruises since last June 13 Day cruise 12 Nights on board 11 Silversea cruises 10 Port talks (not Split) 8 Solo travellers hosted for dinner each evening 7 Old ports (Split, Dub., Naples, Olbia, Ajaccio, Livorno, CV) 6 Silversea Ships (Wind, Muse, Moon, Spirit, Whisper & Dawn) 5 New towns (Taormina, Sorrento, Porto Cervo, Porto Ercole, Lucca) 5 New ports (Fusina, Hvar, Messina, Palermo, Porto Santo Stefano) 5 Puttanesca pizzas in the Spaccanapoli pizzeria 5 Tours escorted 4 La Terraza (Italian) dinners 4 S.A.L.T. (Sea And Land Taste) dinners 3 Atlantide (International) dinners 3 Cheese burger lunches in the Grill 3 In cabin telephones 2 In cabin televisions 1 Hot Rocks Grill dinner 1 Great cruise!
Silver Wind Silver Muse Silver Moon Silver Spirit Silver Whisper Silver Dawn Celebrity Silhouette Celebrity Solstice Celebrity Eclipse Celebrity Edge Celebrity Apex Black Prince Black Watch Balmoral Boudicca Braemar Saga Rose Saga Ruby Saga Sapphire Saga Pearl II Quest for Adventure Spirit of Adventure (Old SofA) Spirit of Adventure (New SofA) Spirit of Discovery Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2) Queen Elizabeth (QE) Queen Victoria (QV) Queen Mary 2 (QM2) Crystal Symphony Crystal Serenity Seabourn Odyssey Seabourn Sojourn Sapphire Princess VoD Discovery P&O Oriana