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18th December 2022 |
SoToN Hants UK |
Aboard at 1:30 |
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23rd December 2022 |
Funchal Madeira Portugal |
Levada Walk |
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24th December 2022 |
Las Palmas Gran Can Spain |
Bandama Crater Walk |
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25th December 2022 |
Santa Cruz Tenerife Spain |
Tenerife Symphony Orchestra |
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28th December 2022 |
Agadir Morocco |
Agadir City Tour |
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30th December 2022 |
Casablanca Morocco |
Casablanca Panoramic Tour |
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31st December 2022 |
Gibraltar | Alameda Gardens & Cable Car Tour |
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3rd January 2023 |
Lisbon Portugal |
Snapshot of Lisbon Tour |
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4th January 2023 |
Leixoes Oporto Portugal |
Hidden Gems of Oporto |
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5th January 2023 |
La Coruna Galicia Spain |
Santiago de Compostela All Day Tour |
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8th January 2023 |
PoMoH Hants UK |
Home by eleven |
| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
I awoke at 7:30 and left the house just before eleven o'clock in the morning. It took just three quarters of an hour to drive to SoToN, despite the heavy rain. I dropped off my suitcase at the QEII cruise terminal and parked under the multi-storey car park opposite. I went straight through check-in and was just getting comfortable in the departure lounge, when the ABP car park man arrived to say that my car wasn't on his list!
Since we were going to return to PoMoH and not SoToN, I hadn't booked the car park, but had planned to take the train. Unfortunately there were rail strikes and so I had to drive to SoToN instead. Embarkation began at one o'clock and I was soon on board. I said hello to cruise director Christopher James and to Mary from Teeside, but she said she wouldn't be dancing:
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I found I had a double cabin with balcony on E deck seven near where the ship's front parapet ends, so I didn't have an fully obscured view of the ocean that the front few cabins have on this deck. At two o'clock I lunched in the Grill buffet sat with Jean and Valerie both from Kent. I had the goulash soup with potato croutons and the lovely roast beef with all the trimmings (it was Sunday)! Wee Scottish Jan from Shropshire came over to say hello, so I told her that the first dance session was on at 9:15 that evening.
Back in my cabin, I slept for an hour and a half. I then began work on this web log. After the safety drill, when we walked down the service staircase to the Playhouse theatre, we had the Entertainers' cocktail party. I had just one glass of bubbly and chatted with guest speaker Dr Michael Fopp and his wife.
We were told that we could go to the speciality restaurants, so I tried my luck at all three, but guests had been pre-allocated to them all. I ended up at the Grill, where I sat with two more ladies from Kent and a lady from Swindon. The latter had lost her husband aged just 53 and her youngest son had had a stroke aged just 51! The three ladies were already eating their starters, so I went straight to the salmon main course. I finished with the sugar free coffee mousse with strawberry ice cream, followed by FOUR petit fours! I had just one glass of the red wine. During the meal the maitre d' of the East to West Asian restaurant came up to me to give me a reservation there for the next night!
At nine o'clock I met up with Catherine from Berkhampstead in the Britannia lounge. We were then joined by wee Scottish Jan from Telford and Janice from PoMoH. I had last cruised with the former during last summer. I had last cruised with the latter on the lovely little Saga Pearl II in 2019. I danced three times with each of the three keen dancing ladies, including a Rock n Roll Jive with Jan and a Ballroom Jive with Janice. Catherine and I tried to do a Samba, but the floor was filling up with disco bunnies. I led off just one Electric Slide, but no one joined me!
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When the Viva band took a break at 10:30, I went straight to bed, having done less than five thousand steps during a very wet day!
I awoke just after 6:30 having slept for eight hours, ready for my mug of decaff instant coffee in the cabin. We were still berthed in SoToN, awaiting the Atlantic storm to leave the Bay of Biscuits. I abluted, but stayed wearing my blue travelling outfit. Just after 7:30, I breakfasted with Shirley from Lytham St Annes and Sally from Crouch End in the Grill buffet. I didn't fancy the kedgeree special, so had the full English breakfast instead. I had one cup of tea and one glass of tomato juice, but gave the beetroot & lime smoothie a miss.
Back in the cabin, I worked on my laptop. When Ed came to service the cabin, I did a couple of circuits of the promenade deck as we finally sailed down the Solent, but it was rather wet and windy! At ten o'clock Dennis set me up in the Playhouse theatre and then Chris introduced me. Sat near the front was Canadian Pam from Bournemouth. I then gave my 42 minute talk on Funchal, Madeira.
Back in my cabin, I got a call from Chris to say that La Palma was being dropped from the itinerary as had happened last year. I touched base with Red Rod, who asked me to come back at three o'clock for an update. At noon I went to the singles luncheon, where I sat with two ladies and the Yorkshire school teacher who now lives in Suffolk. I had the chicken broth, the spaghetti carbonara and the strawberry ice cream. During the meal the Captain came on to the blower to confirm that La Palma was being missed out. He said that we would be a day late arriving into Funchal, Madeira, but then we would be back on schedule!
Back in my cabin, I updated my Las Palmas lecture. At three o'clock I touched base with Red Rod, but he hadn't yet finalised the updated tours. Then Chris Huddleston set me up in the Playhouse theatre and Chris James introduced me again. At 3:30 I gave my 43 minute talk on Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Back in my cabin, I slept for half an hour, before having my afternoon mug of decaff instant coffee. At six o'clock it was a bit too rough to dance much, but I did have one quickstep with Catherine, one social foxtrot with Janice and a Sally Ann cha cha with Valerie the new lady from Kent. The latter had collared me at the end of my afternoon lecture! Shirley, who is friends with Catherine, also joined us, but I didn't get the chance to dance with her. I had an entourage of FOUR ladies around me!
At seven o'clock I went to the East to West speciality restaurant with Catherine. I had the spicy chicken noodle soup, the duck with hoisin sauce and the dark chocolate tart with stem ginger ice cream. I had a large glass of lager, plenty of water and a cup of decaff coffee to wash it all down!
At 9:30 I went to the Cuban magician/comedian Manuel Martinez, who was quite funny in a slightly weird way! At 10:30 I adjourned to my cabin, where I found out that I had done just eight thousand steps during the day.
I got up at 6:15 ready for my usual mug of instant decaff coffee in the cabin. I then showered and dressed, this time wearing my Espana polo shirt with brown trousers, socks and shoes. At 7:30 I had the special breakfast of egg, bacon and beans in a brioche bun sat with wee Scottish Jan from Shropshire.
At nine o'clock I touched base with Red Rod ready to give my 40 minute talk on Santa Cruz de Tenerife (SCdT) at 10:30. We agreed on the both the positive and negative points to put to the guests concerning the famous Christmas night concert in SCdT! Chris Huddleston set me up and Chris James introduced me as usual. At noon I lunched on the vegetable soup, the fish & chips with mushy peas, the Shropshire blue cheese and a small Bavarois dessert sat with Jean. I then slept for an hour and a quarter.
At 3:30 I gave my 35 minute talk on Arrecife: the Capital of Lanzarote. At five o'clock I spent twenty five minutes in the hydrotherapy spa. When the pool cleared of guests, I did a dozen short widths of the pool. I dried off in the sauna and on one of the heated beds.
At six o'clock I did a waltz with Catherine, a rumba with Shirley, a social foxtrot with Valerie and a cha cha with Janice. Shirley said it was her first dance since BC, Before CoViD! I then did a Cowboy Charleston and an Electric Slide on my own as it had gotten too rough to dance properly.
At seven o'clock I dined on the Caesar salad, the steak Diane and the sugar free dessert sat with Myra & Roy from Kent and Jane from Shropshire. I had a couple of glasses of the Merlot red wine on offer and finished with a decaff coffee. Back in my cabin, I watched one of my presentations 'on demand'.
At 9:30 I went to Chris Dean's excellent Tony Bennett tribute show, accompanied by a trio drawn from the ranks of the Syd Lawrence Orchestra. I knew about one half of the songs he sang. I retired at 10:15 and watched another one of my talks on the telly, going to sleep at eleven o'clock.
I awoke at 7:35 ready for my usual mug of instant decaff coffee in the cabin. I broke my fast with the special fried egg on top of mushrooms, beans and chorizo sausages sat with Jane from Shropshire. I had one tomato juice, one cup of tea and one slice of brown toast with butter & marmite. At nine o'clock I touched base with Red Rod at the Explore Ashore desks.
At 10:30 I gave my forty minute talk on Agadir with one video at the end. At noon I lunched on the gammon with chips & veg followed by the mousse sat with Janette & John, a couple from Dartmoor. The lady had been a keen sequence dancer with her mother. I then slept for an hour and a quarter.
At 2:30 Emily taught four line dances to thirteen guests including Electric Slide, Peaches & Cream and Stroll Along Cha Cha. The fourth dance was choreographed by CD Christopher James! P&C turned the wrong way at the end and SACC started on the wrong foot!
At 3:30 I went to the piano quartet's excellent Christmas classical concert, featuring favourite pieces by Tchaikovsky and Strauss among others. At 4:30 I went to the special strawberries and cream etagere tea, where I sat with a lady from Sidmouth and a couple from near Exeter.
At five o'clock I did a dozen short widths of the hydrotherapy pool, wallowing in the warm water. I dried off in the medium heat sauna and on one of the heated beds.
At 5:45 in my black & white Bah Humburg formal outfit, I danced with Jan, Janice and Valerie at the Captain's welcome cocktail party. At seven o'clock I dined on the prawn cocktail, the mushroom soup, the rack of lamb and the English butter toffee ice cream, sat with Elaine from Chalfont St. Peter and Scottish Eileen and her husband David from Warrington.
At 9:30 I went to the Twisted Circus production show which was another fantasy story with half a dozen well known pop songs like Roxanne by the Police and Sweet Dreams by the Eurhymthics! I went to bed at 10:30 having done only six thousand steps during the day.
I awoke at 6:15 ready for my mug of instant decaff coffee in the cabin. At 7:30 I had TWO eggs Benedict together with a slice of brown toast with butter & marmite, a tomato juice, a fruit smoothie and a cup of tea, sat with Shirley in the Grill.
At nine o'clock I touched base with Red Rod at one of the Explore Ashore desks. At 10:30 I went to the Behind the Scenes interview between CD Chris and the Hotel Director and the Chief Chef. I then changed into my Christmas 'elf & safety outfit.
At Noon I went to the line dancing, where one of the professional dancers taught Peaches & Cream, Electric Slide, Cowboy Charleston and an easy version of Copperhead Road to a dozen guests. I then lunched on the poached salmon sat with Elizabeth and another couple.
At 2 pm I listened to Viva play by the pool in the warm sunshine. I led off YMCA & Electric Slide and did one dance with Janice. At 3:30 I was set up by Chris and introduced by ACD Corey from Swansea. I then gave my 40 minute talk on Casablanca without needing any videos at the end.
Afterwards, I slept for one hour, but didn't have time for the hydrotherapy pool. At 6 pm I went to the Britannia Club cocktail party, where I danced with Jan, Valerie, Catherine, Shirley and Jean, but not Mary. At 7 pm I dined with Lt General Patrick from Sussex, Alistair from North Beds and Joan from Cheshire. I had an interesting chat with the former about Ukraine. I had the green soup, the lamb shank and sugar-free blackcurrent delice with just one glass of red wine.
At 9:15 I went to Viva's set in the Britannia lounge, but only did one dance with Catherine. This was followed by Emily's excellent cabaret of musical theatre numbers. She's a belter! Here is her playlist:
"Good morning Baltimore" from Hairspray "Someone like you" from Jekyll and Hyde "I don't know how to love him" from Jesus Christ Superstar "My favourite things" from the Sound of Music "I dreamed a dream" from Les Miserables "Hopelessly devoted to you" from Grease "Sister act" from Sister Act "It's all coming back to me now" from Bat Out of Hell "When it all falls down" from Chaplin "When I look at you" from the Scarlet Pimpernel "Wizard and I" from Wicked
I went to bed at 11 o'clock having done 11 thousand steps during the day!
I awoke to my TWO alarms at seven o'clock and had TWO eggs Benedict at 7:30 sat with a lady from the Fenland north of Ely in Cambridgeshire. At 9:15 I was on duty on the quayside ready to escort my first choice Levada walk tour with guide Louisha and driver Firmino. I had just 14 guests to look after on this charming walk along the irrigation channels. At the half way point, we had a stop for coffee, tea or rum punch (poncha).
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Back at the ship, I had the chicken & chips for lunch sat with a lady from Stoke who now lives in Bicester and a couple from Yorkshire. I then slept for an hour and a half. At the four o'clock sailaway, I danced with Jan, Janice & Catherine. I had just one glass of the sangria! At the end, I was very surprised to see Rina Tillinger and her partner Barry. They had been flown in that morning to replace two of the lecturers who had cried off!
At six o'clock I danced twice each with Janice, Catherine, Shirley, Valerie, Jan and newcomer Janette. The latter was with her husband who didn't dance, but she was a keen sequence dancer, so we did a Catherine Waltz & Tango Serida together. I asked DJ Emily for a Party Samba, but it was rather too fast for Shirley!
At seven o'clock I dined with Valerie, a lady from Colchester and a lady from Ramsgate in the Grill. I had the crab bisque, the sirloin steak, the Portuguese nativity pastry (pasteis de nata) and just two petit fours. I had just one glass of Australian red wine to drink.
At 9:30 I went to Tom Ball's phenomenal show time. He had been a Britain's Got Talent (BGT) finalist. He began with Sam Smith's the "Writings on the Wall", sang falsetto. He covered Whitney's "I will always love you" written by Dolly and "Rocket Man" by Elton. He did soul as well as musical theatre and I joined in the standing ovation at the end. I went to sleep at eleven o'clock having done nearly sixteen thousand steps equal to over six miles of walking during the day.
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I awoke at 6:45 to the dawn. At 7:30 I had the full English breakfast sat with Shirley from Lytham, Jill from Thornwood near Harlow and Sybil from Munich. Back in my cabin, Ed had just finished and I had to prepare another FOCL bid, as we sailed into the harbour passed the Vegueta cathedral and the Santa Catalina hotel. I was off the ship soon after ten o'clock, going in to both tourist information offices, before heading for the famous Quarries beach (Las Canteras). On the way back to the ship I recorded my piece to camera.
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At 11:15 I had an early lunch of ratatouille soup followed by tempura chicken and chips. At 12:15 I was on escort duty on the quayside with guide William and driver Jose for my first choice tour. The former remembered me from the previous time I had escorted the Bandama (not Bandana!) crater hike back in 2019! We had just ten guests in a posh minibus to take us up into the volcanic hills. We descended into the crater, circled the flat bottom and then climbed back up. It was awfully hot, so I used my yellow umbrella as a parasol! Back at the top, I splashed out on a small beer (cerveza) for 2.20 euros (GBP 2.00).
Back at the ship, I slept for just half an hour, before doing twelve short widths of the hydrotherapy pool. I only had time for one session of the main jacuzzi section and a short period in the medium heat sauna, but no time for the heated stone bed. Back in my 'elf & safety outfit, I danced with Shirley, Valerie, Janice, Janette, Jan and Catherine, twice each to the Viva band.
At seven o'clock I dined with Valerie and a couple from Brookman's Park in Hertfordshire in the Grill. I had the cauliflower soup, the duck a l'orange, the coconut ice cream and then three chocolates with my decaff coffee. At 9:30 I went to the Step into Christmas production cast show, with all ten members of the team. They sang lots of our favourite Christmas tunes. At the end CD Christopher came on wearing one of the girl dancer's feathered head dress and bustle!
Up in the Britannia lounge, I caught the end of Dr Simon Fricker's piano concert, where he played a medley of requests he had received from the guests. Then we had the carol singing. I went to bed at 11:35 having done 22 thousand steps, equal to nine miles of walking during the day!
I got up at 7:15 and enjoyed the special Lobster Muffin breakfast sat with Shirley & Jill at eight o'clock. Back in my cabin, I had a short, sharp attack of heart burn, but it quickly subsided without recourse to medication. When Ed came to service the cabin, I did four circuits equal to one mile of the promenade deck in the warm sunshine.
At 10:30 I went to Rina's interesting 50 minute talk on Hollywood Drama Queens which I have heard before. At noon I joined in Santa's procession around the lido deck. I then had lunch with wee Scottish Jan in the Grill buffet. I had the roast leg of beef with all the trimmings, as it was Sunday!
At one o'clock I went to the sail in by the pool. Here I danced with Valerie and Janice, before doing the YMCA as usual. At two o'clock I was first off the ship walking along the blue line to find the concert venue, as I would be the escort that evening. I walked up Castle Street (Calle Castillo) to Weyler Place, where I turned right on to the boulevard (La Rambla). I passed the city park (Parque Garcia) down to the shore, where I photographed General Franco's enormous monument. I walked back to the ship around the harbour.
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Back in my cabin, I had a full strength instant decaff coffee to keep me awake through the evening's concert, not having had a siesta! At four o'clock I went to hear Chris Dean and his Swingshift Band in the Britannia Lounge. I asked Chris beforehand if it was OK to dance during his show and he offered to do any of our requests! I danced several times with Janice, Janette and Jean, together with two other couples, turning it into a tea dance! Chris announced a samba, which I hadn't requested, so I led off a party samba for four of us!
At 5:15 we had the early Christmas dinner in the Grand Dining Room, where I was sat with one Geordie couple and one pair of southerners. I had the sweet potato soup, the roast turkey with all the trimmings and the sugar free Christmas pudding. I had just one glass of red wine and a decaff coffee.
At 6:30 I led twenty five guests out from the Living Room along the quayside to the outdoor concert venue. The Tenerife Symphony Orchestra and Chorus began with a Tribute to Ukraine, followed by a selection from Handel's Messiah. Only three of us Brits stood up for the Hallelujah chorus! They then played the fourth and final movement of Beethoven's ninth symphony which includes the famous Ode to Joy sung in German. Next came a Spanish song, where we all had to wave flourescent wands! We had Irving Berlin's White Christmas and finished with Strauss Senor's Radetzky march. The concert ended with a firework display.
Back at the ship, I had just missed the start of the "Who Loves You" Jersey Boys Tribute band, so I went to Tom Ball's cabaret in the Britannia lounge instead sat with wee Scottish Jan. This was not as good as his main show. He sang a lovely Michael Buble number, but I don't like Adele's "Skyfall" at the best of times! He did some soul and musical theatre songs, including "Hear My Prayer" from Les Mis. When it ended at 10:30, I went to bed having done over 23 thousand steps, equal to more than nine miles of walking during the day!
I got up at six o'clock to thunder & lightning, ready for my mug of instant decaff coffee in the cabin, whilst updating this blog. At 7:30 I sat with Valerie and a Brummagem couple from Burton-upon-Trent. I had TWO eggs Benedict with a tomato juice and a Benecol phial.
At eight o'clock I went to the Playhouse to collect my back pack, but all the tours had been cancelled due to the heavy rain! I caught the 9:15 shuttle bus to the green bridge over the roadway next to Spain Place (Plaza de Espana). I then caught the 9:30 tram to San Cristobal de la Laguna for two euros seventy cents return. I spent an hour and a half walking around the lovely old capital up in the central hills. The tourist information town house was open for their large nativity model, but not for the office itself, so I went into my favourite hotel, the Nivaria, to pick up their maps and to use their loo. I went in the Royal Sanctuary of the Holy Christ, but the Cathedral was charging for entry.
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Back in Santa Cruz, I alighted at the theatre and walked back down Castle Street (Calle de Castillo) to the shuttle bus drop off point by the huge outdoor auditorium, where we had been the previous night. Back at the ship, I lunched on the leek soup and the turkey pie sat with Margaret from Leeds. I then slept for an hour and a half.
At 4:30 I went to the Tunos de Laguna folkloric musicians. The leader took a shine to my Espana polo shirt and draped me in his cloak, gave me maracas to shake and made me take a bow! The quartet played Canarian, Spanish and International songs on their classical guitars with one double bass. I then spent fifteen minutes in the hydrotherapy spa.
At six o'clock I did two dances each with Valerie, Shirley, Catherine, Janice and Janette to the Viva band in the Britannia Lounge. At seven I dined with Valerie and ladies Joan from Exeter and Anne from Yorkshire. I had the green soup, the roast lamb and the sugar free cherry clafouti. I had my complimentary bottle of Christmas beer and at the end of the meal Sally Lumb from Crouch End offered me hers too!
At 9:30 I went to Chris Dean's excellent Matt Monro tribute show, but kept falling asleep. At 10:30 I adjourned to the Britannia Lounge to hear "Who Loves You", the Four Seasons tribute quartet. They did lots of lovely songs, but the synchronised dancing wasn't so slick! I went to sleep at 11:45 having done over fourteen thousand steps, equal to nearly six miles of walking during the day!
I awoke just before my seven o'clock alarms ready for TWO egg Benedicts at 7:30 in the Grill. I had one glass of tomato juice and one coconut & pineapple smoothie to drink. I then watched the tug trying to push us into Arrecife harbour without success.
Back in the cabin, I had to wait until 9:45 for the inevitable phone call from ACD Corey asking me to do my Lisbon lecture at 10:30. I rushed down to see Red Rod at the Explore Ashore desk, but we both didn't notice that I had missed out the tuk tuk tour details!
At 10:25 CD Chris came on to the tannoy to announce the new programme, pushing my talk start back to 10:40. He introduced me then and I gave my 35 minute talk to get back on to the schedule. At the end I had guests asking about the Tile and Puppet museums and the Aquarium. I don't normally cover the latter as it is full of screaming kids during the holidays! I can reintroduce the Azulejos Museum, but I didn't know about the Marionette one. One lady wanted more information on the tuk tuk tour, which I had inadvertently left out of my presentation.
At noon I lunched on the sweet corn soup, the Caesar salad and the poached salmon with chips & veg sat with Janice. I then slept for an hour and a half. At 3:30 I went to Rina's excellent 55 minute lecture entitled Tiptoe though the Tombstones, which I have heard before. I then spent twenty minutes in the hydrotherapy spa.
At six o'clock I danced with Valerie, Janice & Janette, when we gate-crashed the Newcomers' cocktail party. At the end, Sophie the Shorex lady came up to ask me to escort the all day tour to Santiago de Compostela from La Coruna! At seven I dined with Valerie, together with David & Christine from Lincoln, in the Grill. I had the butternut squash soup, the rib-eye steak with jacket potato NOT chips, and the double chocolate ice cream WITH chocolate chips! I had a tin can of cider and a decaff coffee to drink.
At 9:30 I went to the West End to Broadway production show in the Playhouse theatre. I have seen this excellent show several times before, but always enjoy it. They included songs from:
West Side Story Mary Poppins Oklahoma Evita Les Mis Chorus Line Somewhere Over the Rainbow
"Don't cry for me Argentina" from Evita was new, replacing a song from the Phantom of the Opera that I had heard on the five previous occasions when I had seen this show!
I went to bed at 10:30, as we were losing an hour to get on to Moroccan time. During the day I had only done six thousand steps, equal to only two miles of walking.
I got up at 5:30, but it was now 6:30 on Moroccan time. At 7:30 I had the special fried egg with mushrooms and chorizo sausages for breakfast sat with Valerie. At 9:30 I was on escort duty on the quayside ready to escort my first choice Agadir city tour with 28 guests.
We began at the famous Kasbah on the hill, newly painted in white. Here I chatted to Rina who was a guest on another of our buses. Our next stop was at the central mosque, but it was closed.
We had a full hour at the Souk al Had which was too long. Down on the promenade we had our refreshments of soft drinks and local biscuits at the Day & Night (Jour et Nuit) cafe. I had one of my worst ever guides, as he was difficult to understand and unhelpful to the guests and me!
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Back at the ship, I had the cheese soup followed by the Moroccan lamb with apricots for lunch sat with Jill. I then slept for one hour and ten minutes. I caught the 3:30 shuttle bus into town and then rushed around taking photographs. I caught the five o'clock bus back to ship, where I only had time for ten minutes in the hydrotherapy spa.
At six o'clock I danced twice each with Shirley, Catherine, Valerie, Janice, Janette & did one Jive with Jan. They played rather more sequence dances than usual, including the White City Waltz & Melody Foxtrot, which I needed Janette to help me with! Janice gave me back my elf outfit, which she had repaired for me and Shirley gave me a bottle of bubbly to take home.
At seven o'clock I dined with Valerie together with a Scottish lady and her Cockney husband from the Meon valley in Hampshire. His son by his first wife was an East End drag queen married to a male BA trolley dolly! I had the Spanish prawn starter, the asparagus soup, the Wiener schnitzel and the chocolate orange ice cream. Valerie also gave me part of her grilled salmon and part of her cherry crumble, so I felt bloated for the first time this cruise. I had a tin can of cider and a decaff ground coffee to drink.
At 9:30 I went to CD Christopher James's Tour de Force one man show featuring both classical crossover and musical theatre numbers. I had first heard Chris when he was a host on Fred Olsen's Braemar back in 2019. In December 2021 he was a host on the Saga Spirit of Discovery when I wrote: "I went to Christopher James's fabulous cabaret in the Britannia lounge." In April 2022 he was ACD on the Spirit of Discovery. In July 2022 he was ACD on the Spirit of Adventure when I wrote: "I sat with Linda in Christopher James's excellent one man show. He mainly sang musical theatre numbers, culminating in a Phantom medley." This time he finished with Nessun Dorma!
Back in my cabin, I updated this blog, going to bed at 11:30 having done twenty thousand steps, equal to eight miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 7:30, but took a long time to get going after my exertions the previous day. At 8:30 I sat with Elizabeth for breakfast, where I had the special poached egg with bacon and beans in a brioche bun. I had just one glass of tomato juice and a yakult to drink.
At nine o'clock, I touched base with Red Rod at his Explore Ashore desk. At 10:30 I gave my 40 minute talk on Gibraltar. I then sat out on my balcony for my morning decaff instant coffee with coffeemate whitener AND semi-skimmed milk!
At noon I went to the Spanish lunch by the pool. I sat with Rina, Barry & Valerie to have the paella, cold meats and olives. I finished with the warm bananas with rum & raisin ice cream. I had two passion fruit drinks which were deceptively strong.
At 1:30 I slept for over an hour, interrupted by the Captain announcing some passing whales! When I awoke I had my usual mid-afternoon instant decaff coffee on my balcony, but I had missed Rina's comedians talk, which never appeared on the Video on Demand (VoD) TV service. At 3:30 I went to Dr Michael Fopp's interesting lecture on the Battle of Britain, where he exploded a few myths! I then did six lengths of the outside cool, pool and spent ten minutes in one of the jacuzzis for the only time this cruise. I also had my first and only soft ice cream from the machine by the pool!
At six o'clock I had EIGHT ladies in my entourage. I danced once each with Catherine, Jean & Jan, but twice each with Shirley, Valerie, Ann from Brockenhurst, Janette & Janice! We did the Balmoral Blues for the first time this cruise, but I didn't know the Jacqueline Cha Cha which was also called.
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At seven o'clock I dined with Valerie and a couple from Hythe in Kent. I had the parsnip soup, the sirloin steak and the sugar free mousse. I had just one tin can of cider to drink. At 9:30 I went to the excellent Duo Esencias show time featuring Sharon Lopez the flamenco dancer from Spain and Mate Racz the violinist from Hungary. I had seen them once before on the lovely little Saga Pearl II when I wrote: "We danced both before and after the excellent flamenco and violin show. He played lots of lovely pieces including excerpts from the incomparable Carmen Fantasy by Sarasate." I do love the Carmen Fantasy music by Sarasate! I went to sleep at 10:45 having done nearly six thousand steps, equal to over two miles of walking during the day.
I got up at 6:35 ready for my mug of instant decaff coffee in the cabin. Having abluted, I updated this blog. They had trouble erecting the gangway, so us escorts were late leaving the ship.
We had a long walk to the coaches, where I met guide Mahammed and driver Mohammed for my third choice Panoramic tour. Our first stop was at the edge of the impressive Hassan the Second mosque. We had our refreshment stop at the Tropicana Space cafe on the Corniche. I had the lovely orange juice with two Moroccan biscuits. Next up was the church of Our Lady at Lourdes. The modern stained glass windows were magnificent in the bright sunshine.
Our next stop was at the Courthouse of the Pacha and the new Medina in Habbous. Here we walked across the road to the huge plaza behind the Royal Palace. The back door was very impressive, can't guess what the front door is like! Next we had a photostop in Mohammed the Fifth Place to see the newly completed Opera House. Our final stop was in the United Nations Place, where we had half an hour of free time. I wandered around the extensive square taking pictures of the buildings and the trams.
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Back at the ship, I had the famous SofD scampi eaten al fresco on the Verandah. I then slept for an hour and a half. When I awoke I made myself my usual mid-afternoon decaff instant coffee, but it was TOO hot in the sun to sit out on the balcony!
At four o'clock I spent twenty minutes in the hydrotherapy spa. At five o'clock I went to Jordan Pendleton's sail away by the pool. I danced with Janice & Valerie, but not Janette who was up on the balcony with her husband John. I did one Electric Slide, but no one joined me!
At the end, I had to rush to get changed for the ballroom dance session at six o'clock. Here I danced with Janice, Ann, Janette, Valerie, Shirley and Jean, but not Jan who was missing, so I did the jive with Catherine instead!
At seven o'clock I dined with Valerie and Isabel originally from Sheffield, then Harrow and now Bradford-upon-Avon near Bath. I had the wild mushroom soup, the Burgundy beef and the double chocolate ice cream. The beef was the ONLY disappointing meal of the cruise as the large chunks of steak were very dry with too little Burgundy sauce! Isabel ordered TWO no sugar added egg custards, so I had one of them! Valerie ordered tea, expecting a pot of hot water, but got just a mug, so I had that too!
At 9:30 I watched the start of the variety show on the TV, before moving up to the Britannia lounge at 9:45. Here I sat with Rina, Barry and Sharon Lopez, whose fiance Mate Racz was performing his excellent one man violin cabaret. He played and sang the "Devil went down to Georgia" amongst other solo violin pieces, at first on his two hundred year old violin and then on his modern electronic one. I had previously written on the Saga Pearl II: "The violinist was again great with more from Sarasate's Carmen Fantasy and Massenet's Meditation from Thais." I went to sleep at 10:45 having done nearly thirteen thousand steps, equal to over five miles of walking during the day.
I awoke to my alarm at seven o'clock and had the lovely lobster muffin for breakfast at 7:40. I had one glass each of tomato juice, mixed berry smoothie and buck's fizz!
At nine o'clock I was on duty ready to escort my first choice Cable Car & Alameda Gardens tour with guide Valerie and driver Nadia. We were driven to the base station and then swiftly lifted to the top of the Rock of Gibraltar. The weather was perfect with no Levant wind or cloud to be seen. We had a good view across to Morocco and Spain. We saw two macaque apes feeding.
Back at the bottom, we began our walk through the sub-tropical gardens. One old man struggled with the walking. At the end, Valerie's husband Derek, drove us back to the ship via the city.
Here I had the Tandoori chicken and some blue cheeses for lunch, before sleeping for over an hour. At 2:45 I walked back into the city via Morrisons supermarket. I got all the way to the Trafalgar cemetery via the Main street, before turning back. I worked my way back along the ramparts via the Ocean Village marina to the ship. I then spent just fifteen minutes in the hydrotherapy spa, doing a dozen short widths of the pool.
Back in my cabin, I changed into my kilt and accessories. At six o'clock I danced with Ann, Shirley, Janette, Valerie, Janice, Catherine and Jan. I had to ask for the Gay Gordons, which I danced with Janette and which proved very popular, filling the dance floor. Then the Viva band asked me to lead off the Barn Dance which I did with Catherine! Jean declined to dance and Mary had pulled a muscle on tour and had been taken to hospital, but was now back on the ship.
At seven o'clock I dined in the East to West restaurant with Valerie, Scottish Diana, Scottish Alistair and the two nurses in uniform. I had the seafood platter to begin, with my favourite king crab, lobster and smoked salmon. I continued with the cullen skink (killing skunk?) soup, followed by the proper beef Wellington. I finished with my favourite English butter toffee ice cream and a decaff ground coffee.
At ten o'clock we had the Elementis production show, which I have seen before. I had previously written: "I went to the Elementis production which was another fantasy show. The four singers were dressed as the four base elements: Earth, Fire, Water & Air. The two aerial acrobats only did one short display, but some of the music tracks were great. I prefer the more traditional shows with a live band!"
At eleven we all moved up to the Lido by the pool, where various different artists performed. I was sat with Janice until we reached midnight, when I wandered around saying Happy New Year to various people. The Gib fireworks were not a patch on Funchal's, but they did go on for a long time. At 12:30 I adjourned to my cabin to update this blog, whilst I remembered what had happened. I went to sleep at one o'clock having done over eighteen thousand steps, equal to over seven miles of walking during the day!
I awoke at 7:20 and joined Sally at eight o'clock for breakfast. I had TWO eggs Benedict with just one tomato juice and just one virgin pina colada smoothie.
At 8:45 I was one of the first off the ship walking into the city. I headed east alongside the inlet by the airstrip. I then went through the Ocean Village, taking pictures as I went. I found the Cross of Sacrifice war memorial for the first time. I then went through the Landport tunnel into Casemates square.
I climbed up the great rock to the Moorish castle, the WWII tunnels, the City under Siege exhibition and the Military Heritage centre, all of which were closed for the bank holiday. At Princess Caroline's Battery, I saw several old macaque monkeys being groomed by youngsters. At the Great Siege Tunnels, I reached the top of the road just as my left knee started playing up, so I beat a hasty retreat down the Castle Steps back into the city.
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Back at the ship at noon, I had the broccoli soup, the roast beef (it was Sunday!) and the sugar free cake, sat with wee Scottish Jan from Shropshire. I then slept for over an hour, before drinking my mid-afternoon instant decaff coffee out on my balcony with my bad knee in the hot sun! I then updated this blog and watched my Lisbon talk on the telly.
At 4:45 I spent twenty minutes in the hydrotherapy spa. At six o'clock the vicar was still clearing away his paraphenalia from the Britannia lounge, so the dancing started fifteen minutes late. I danced with Jean, Janette, Shirley, Valerie, Janice, Ann and Catherine, but not Jan who slipped out early.
At 7:15 I dined on the lobster bisque, the Caesar salad, the duck and the rum & raisin ice cream, sat with Valerie and Henry from Hove. Valerie gave me some of her Scottish New Year pudding, so I didn't have any petit fours at the end of the meal. I had one tin can of cider and a decaff tea to drink.
At 9:30 I went to the variety show which began with the Scottish piper and continued with Mate the violinist & Sharon his fiance the flamenco dancer. Chris Dean sang a couple of songs and the two acrobats did a floor show, not hanging from the usual bed sheets! I went to bed at 10:45 having done eighteen and a half thousand steps, equal to seven and a half miles of walking during the day!
I awoke at 7:15 and got up at 7:30. I had the special breakfast of poached egg, spinach and mushrooms in a brioche bun sat with Elizabeth. We had a lovely sunrise behind the famous Rock. At nine o'clock I touched base with Red Rod to update my Oporto port talk.
At ten o'clock I went to Hotel Director's Kaiserscharrn Austrian dessert demonstration. He began with a few slides on the Austro-Hungarian empire, including the famous Empress Sissi. At 10:30 he was joined by Captain Kim Tanner, Chief Engineer Mark Cameron and Cruise Director Christopher James for the cake icing competition. This quickly degenerated into pranks with the participants talking over each other, so I slipped out after just a few minutes. I then did only one circuit of the prom, as it was partially closed and it started to drizzle. I had my first and only self service decaff ground coffee from the machine in the library of the cruise.
At noon I went to the gala buffet luncheon in the Grand dining room. I was sat with Sheila from Somerset, Jane from Liverpool and petite Joan together with one other chap and a couple. I had four lovely king crab legs, two halves of lobster and some cheese. I finished with the newly cut New Year fruit cake with thick marzipan icing. I had one glass of sangria and one decaff coffee to drink.
At two o'clock I gave my forty minute talk on Leixoes and Oporto, not needing the video at the end. I then dozed for over an hour. After my mid-afternoon instant decaff coffee in the cabin, I watched one of my talks on the TV. Just after five o'clock, I spent twenty minutes in the hydrotherapy spa.
At six o'clock I danced twice each with Shirley, Valerie, Catherine, Janice, Ann & Janette, just once with Jean and not at all with Jan. At seven o'clock I dined with Valerie and Sylvia the circle dancer from Wallingford in the Grill. I had the soft shelled crab, the carrot soup, the steak Diane and the sugar free panna cotta with strawberry ice cream.
At 9:30 I went to Duo Esensias second show, sat with Rina & Barry. I particularly liked Karl Jenkin's Palladio and the Fritz Kreisler arrangement of Manuel de Falla's "Spanish Dance", played on the violin with castanet percussion!
At 10:20 I shot up to the Britannia Lounge to hear Niall's powerfull encore of Frank Sinatra's "My Way". When the Viva house band played Shania Twain's "Man, I feel like a Woman", I joined in the line dance California Frieze! Back in my cabin, I worked on my Coruna presentation and this blog, as we were gaining an hour over night. During the day, I had done over eight thousand steps, equal to over three miles of walking. I went to sleep at midnight, but it was now only eleven o'clock on Portuguese time!
I got up at 7:45, but it was only 6:45 on Portuguese (and British!) time as we sailed up the Tagus estuary.
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At 7:30 I sat with Valerie to have the full English breakfast in the Grill buffet. At 8:30 I was second off the ship, but the first shuttle didn't leave until 8:45.
At the Mundial Hotel drop off point at nine o'clock, I began my walk in the bright sunshine. I headed up Liberty Avenue to Alegria Place and on passed the Botanic Gardens and the Natural History Museum to the huge Amoreiras shopping mall. I then doubled back via the Marquis of Pombal statue to Rossio Square. I walked down Rua Augusta to Commerce Place with the famous black horse statue which is actually green! I walked back to the ship along the quayside, passed P&O's Arvia on her maiden voyage and P&O's Aurora.
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At 11:30 I had my first and only burger and chips with no bun al fresco on the Verandah in the warm sunshine. I made the mistake of having a tin can of cider which made me sleepy! At 12:30 I was on escort duty by the coaches, where I met guide Juan (pronounced 'Zhou-wun' in Portuguese, not just 'Wun' as in Spanish) and driver Houi (pronounced 'Wee' in Portuguese)! We had my third choice snapshot tour of the busy city centre, before having 35 minutes of free time in the Bethlehem (Belem) suburb. I walked the length of St Jerome's monastery to get to the Bethlehem Pastries (Pasteis de Belem) cafe and shop, but the queues were enormous in the warm sunshine. I then walked back to the Maritime museum's cafeteria, where I used their loo. We drove passed the other downstream sights, before heading back along the long riverside quays.
Back at the ship, I slept for one hour. At five o'clock I did one dance with Catherine, one with Valerie and did the Electric Slide on my own at the sailaway, but then had to rush down to touch base with Red Rod, when he had come back from ashore. I put on my jacket as it was getting a little chilly and went back up to the top deck, where I did a second dance with Valerie. I then had to quickly change ready for ballroom dancing to recorded music at six o'clock. Here I did two dances with Shirley, Valerie, Janice, Catherine, Ann, but only one with Janette and Jean. Jan declined to dance as the ship was moving slightly.
At seven o'clock I dined with Valerie and Diana, both from Kent, the latter being the mother of the Guest Services Director (GSD) Rebecca, who was able to tell us some insider information! I had the pumpkin soup, the Caesar salad, the Lisbon veal and just one nativity pastry (Pasteis de Nata) with cinnamon custard. I finished the meal with all four of the petite wotsits! I had just one tin can of cider and one decaff ground coffee to drink.
At 9:30 I went to the "You & Me" show by the Duo Primavera acrobats sat with Janette. They began with the usual bed sheets hanging from the ceiling, then the lady used the small dangling hoop. Next the man used the large hoop on the stage floor, which was the best bit of the show. There was a video of sand pictures being drawn on a light table, just like Wilmar Casa formerly on FOCL, now on Disney cruises. Then both of them used the small hoop danging from the stage ceiling. They finished with acrobatics on the stage floor.
At the end I rushed up to the Britannia lounge, where I caught half a dozen songs of the Crew Cabaret, including two by Edna Ramos. I managed to squeeze into an empty seat lodged into the corner. I went to sleep just after eleven o'clock having done twenty three and a half thousand steps, equal to over nine miles of walking during the day!
I got up just after six o'clock, half an hour ahead of my alarm, ready for my mug of decaff instant coffee in the cabin. At seven o'clock I had TWO eggs Benedict with tomato juice and Yakult for breakfast sat with Jill. Just after eight o'clock, I was on duty by coach number one with guide Monica and driver Julian for my first choice Hidden Gems of Oporto tour. We began with a panoramic coach ride into the city, getting out at the Clergy church.
We got to the famous Lello bookstore ready for it to open at 9:30. We went straight in, ahead of the enormous queue. It owes its popularity to novelist J K Rowling who used it as inspiration for her Harry Potter novels when she was a TEFL teacher in Oporto. When she divorced her Portuguese husband, she returned to Britain. Inside the book shop, it soon filled up with tourists, so I headed to the top floor to take some pictures. Our entrance ticket included a free book, so I chose the Shakespeare Sonnets. When a guest gave me their ticket, I chose Oscar Wilde's "Picture of Dorian Gary".
We then went on a walking tour of the city including Sao Bento railway station with its famous azulejos blue tiles. At the Brazilian cafe, I had a capuchino and TWO nativity pastry (Pasteis de Nata) egg custard tarts. Back on the coach, we headed to the cathedral for some free time, when I did some photography from the Luis I bridge.
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Back at the ship, I had a late lunch of scampi & chips sat with Valerie & Joan by the pool in the warm sunshine. I then slept for an hour and a half, but didn't have time for a dip. At five o'clock, I gave my 35 minute talk on La Coruna & Santiago de Compostela. At six o'clock, I had a short waltz with Joan, before dancing with my regulars: Ann, Janice, Catherine, Shirley, Valerie, Janette & Jean, but not Jan.
At seven o'clock, I dined on the salmon pate, the crab bisque, the lamb chops and the double chocolate ice cream sat with Stuart & Anne, a couple from Suffolk. At the end Valerie gave me some of the banana crumble. During the meal the Captain came on to the tannoy to say that IT issues were affecting the service in the restaurants, the TVs and the Internet.
Back in the cabin, he said that the former problem had been fixed, but that the latter two were still not working! At 9:45 I went to the Pantomine "Snow White and Some Dwarves" written, directed and starring CD Christopher James as Nurse Nancy! He was in drag as was Captain Kim Tanner, whilst the FIVE dwarves were staggering along on their knees! I went to bed at eleven o'clock having done nearly twelve and a half thousand steps equal to five miles of walking during the day.
My alarm woke me at seven o'clock Spanish time, but it was still only six on the ship's time. An hour later, I had the full English breakfast with a glass of tomato juice and a mango smoothie.
At 8:15 I was on escort duty by coach number six with guide Lupe and driver Joseph. I had just 21 guests to look after on my sixth visit to Santiago de Compostela on the all day tour, which I hadn't actually asked for! It took one hour to get there on the motorway. We began with a walking tour circumnavigating the huge cathedral.
At 11:30 GMT still on ship's time (12:30 Spanish time), we had our tapas lunch in the Royal Chapel (Capilla Real). It consisted of ham, various cheeses and potato croquettes. The guests had wine, whilst I had a fizzy orange soft drink. I had to make an announcement asking the gentlemen to remove their hats here.
At noon GMT (one o'clock on Spanish time) we entered the Cathedral museum. We spent one hour visiting here and the cathedral proper, where I had to ask one gent to remove his hat! This was followed by an hour and a quarter of free time. I rushed around the many squares (prazas) taking pictures in the bright sunshine.
Back at the coach park at 2:30 GMT (3:30 on Spanish time), the coaches from FOCL's Bolette were just unloading their guests for their short afternoon tour. We had been berthed in pole position with Bolette arriving later into the secondary berth. On the way back to the ship, I stretched out on the five seats in the back row of the coach and slept for three quarters of an hour.
Back in my cabin, I had my mid-afternoon decaff instant coffee, before dozing for another half hour. I then did a dozen short widths of the hydrotherapy pool with time for the integral jacuzzi, the massage jets and the metal couch. I dried off in the warm infra-red sauna and on one of the heated stone beds.
At six o'clock I did two dances each with Ann, Catherine, Shirley, Janice, Janette and Valerie together with one jive with Jan and one waltz with Jean. At seven o'clock I dined on the green soup, the Caesar salad and the rib-eye steak sat with Valerie and a couple from Chelmsford. At 7:45 I made my excuses and rushed off to photograph the famous Cavalcade of Kings (Cabalgata de Reyes)! I caught the last few large floats driving along the promenade, with the walking procession going along the narrow pedestrianised street one block back. I rushed back to my dining table where they were just finishing their coffee. I didn't partake of dessert or petit fours that evening!
Back in my cabin, I updated this blog. At 9:30 I went to the Graffiti Classics string quartet show time sat with Valerie. The music was good, but I didn't like all the larking about and dubious jokes. For instance the CRAFT (Can't Remember An eF-ing Thing) ageist joke! They played the "Devil went down to Georgia" and the "Flight of the Bumble Bee" amongst others. The concert lasted well over an hour, so I kept dropping off. I didn't get to bed until 11:15, having done over eighteen thousand steps, equal to over seven miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 6:45 and had TWO eggs Benedict for breakfast sat with Canadian Pam from BoMoH at 7:30. At 8:15 I was the first person off the ship that morning. I walked through the old town taking pictures as I went. The St Charles Garden (Jardin San Carlos) was open this time, so I could see the tomb of General Sir John Moore. I spent fifteen minutes in the Military Museum and half an hour in the Archaeological Museum in St Antony's Castle (Castillo de San Anton). The former had free admission and the latter only charged one euro for seniors!
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Back at the ship having walked five miles, I had my mid-morning mug of decaff instant coffee in my cabin updating this blog. At 11:45 I lunched on the fish & chips, sat by the pool with Joan and a Welshman. He had had to borrow twenty euros from me when we were in Santiago de Compostela the previous day! I then slept for an hour and a half.
At two o'clock I went to Nick Hewer's interesting hour long lecture, mainly on Lord Sugar and the Apprentice TV programme, but not covering Countdown! However, this meant that I missed the sailaway from La Coruna. At 3:30 I watched Steve King's interesting talk on the Music of the Early Sixties, with particular reference to the Lennon & McCartney songs sung by other people at the time which I didn't know about!
At 4:50 I spent half an hour in the hydrotherapy spa. I was able to do a dozen short widths of the pool and spend time in the jacuzzi section, by the massage jets and on the steel recliner. I dried off in the infra-red sauna and lay on the heated stone bed for a bit.
At six o'clock, wearing my grey formal outfit, I danced with Janice, Shirley, Valerie, Janette and Ann, but not Catherine, Jan or Jean. Janice gave me farewell presents of a pair of Lisbon tram socks and a tin can of tuna! The last time I had been cruising with her, she had given me a large Galician sausage!
At seven o'clock I dined with Valerie and Anne from Leeds in the Grill. I had the chestnut soup, the Caesar salad, the sorbet, the lobster with macaroni cheese(!), the no sugar added dessert and four petit fours. I had one tin can of cider and a cup of decaff ground coffee to drink.
At 9:30 I went to the Crew Show sat with Rina & Barry. This was the usual things, plus a new dance with the boys in drag and finishing with the famous hand mime to "You Raise Me Up". I didn't get to bed until after eleven and I didn't go to sleep until midnight catching up on my reading. During the day I had done nearly fourteen and a half thousand steps, nearly equal to six miles of walking!
I awoke at 6:30 and ate TWO eggs Benedict with glasses of tomato juice and berry yoghurt smoothie for breakfast at 7:30. At nine o'clock I did four circuits of the promenade deck equal to one mile of walking. I spent the morning backing up my cruise photographs. When Ed came to service the cabin, I did four more laps, equal to another mile of walking.
At 10:30 I listened to CD Christopher's hour long interview with Captain Kim Tanner. At noon I lunched on the gammon, chips & mushy peas sat with Janice, Lois and a gentleman. I followed this with one piece of churros in chocolate sauce. I then slept for an hour and a half.
At 3:30 I went to the Excelsior piano quartet's film music concert. They began with Lara's theme from "Doctor Zhivago" and continued with Moon River from "Breakfast at Tiffany's". They included Schindler's List, the Gadfly and Tango Jalousie. They finished with a medley from the Pirates of the Caribbean.
At 4:15 I adjourned to the Spa, where I spent fifteen minutes in the hydrotherapy pool with TV presenter Nick Hewer. I did a dozen short widths of pool, plus time in the jacuzzi, up against one of the massage jets and on the metal bedstead. I dried off in the warm infra-red sauna and on one of the heated stone beds.
Back in my cabin, I updated this blog and started packing. At 6 o'clock I did three dances with Catherine and two each with Janette, Valerie, Shirley, Janice & Ann and one with Jean. I didn't get to dance with Jan who was chatting with the CD Chris.
At 7 o'clock I dined with Valerie, Rina & Barry in the Grill. I began with the tomato soup, continued with the Caesar salad and finished with the sugar free panna cotta! It was lovely to share stories with Rina, but Barry had a sore throat and could hardly talk!
At 9:30 I went to the excellent Queen tribute show, which I have seen a few times on various ships. At 10:30 I moved up to the Britannia lounge where I caught the end of the variety show with the Graffiti Classics quartet. They were larking about as before. Apparently a heckler had interrupted them earlier in their show to protest at their blatant ageism! I went to bed at eleven o'clock having done over eleven thousand steps, equal to more than four miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 6:15 ready for my last mug of instant decaff coffee in the cabin. At seven o'clock I breakfasted with a couple from Crediton. Various people including Elizabeth from North Wales came up to say thanks for my lectures. I walked around and said a quick goodbye to Rina, Barry and Mary from Darlington.
Back in my cabin, I updated this blog and finished packing at eight o'clock. I left the ship at nine o'clock fearing for the crush in the cruise terminal. Here I sat with Rina & Barry until our driver arrived dead on time at 9:30. He had a large people carrier for myself, the chaplain and fellow speaker Dr Michael Fopp and his wife.
We got to SoToN at ten o'clock and I gave the driver a fiver. My car's wheels had locked up, but I managed to jump them free. I had a easy run home getting back at eleven o'clock, after another super cruise!
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One lady wrote: "Thank you for being so kind on this cruise and for dancing with us all. It would have been dull and disappointing without you. You have made it like the SAGA I remember, but sadly think I shall not see again. You are a sweetie!"
Another lady wrote: "Many thanks for dancing with me and for your company."
A third lady wrote: "Without you, most would have had no dances at all and I must say, I admire your fairness in ensuring no-one was ever left out! It was noted that you ended your talks, not with an offer of a dance as normal, but with a mention of the eight dancing ladies. No doubt our plight, and yours, was noted by many who would not normally think of the absence of dance hosts."
21 Night cruise
18 Grill dinners
12 Days of Christmas
11 Cruise lines (see below)
10 Port Talks
(not Santa Cruz de la Palma,
but including Arrecife, Lanzarote)
9 Tours escorted
9 Long walks
(FM, LPdGC, SCdT, AM, Gib x2, LP, SdC, LC)
9 Ports
(not Santa Cruz de la Palma,
nor Arrecife, Lanzarote)
8 Drawers
8 Sea days
8 Single ladies danced with
7 Eggs Benedict & Caesar salads
6 Steaks
5 Cocktail parties
4 ?
3 Bisque soups
2 Scampis
2 Sirloin steaks
2 Steaks Diane
2 Rib Eye Steaks
2 East to west dinners (Second night & New Year's Eve)
1 Grand Dining Room dinner (Xmas night at 5:15!)
1 Symphony concert (SCdT)
1 Cavalcade of Kings
1 Gala luncheon
Eleven Cruise Lines:
* Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines * Saga Shipping Company * Voyages of Discovery * Seabourn (Carnival) * Princess (Carnival) * Cunard (Carnival) * P&O (Carnival) * Celebrity (RCCL) * Silversea (RCCL) * Ambassador * CrystalThirty Nine Cruise Ships:
Silver Wind Silver Muse Silver Moon Silver Dawn Silver Spirit Silver Whisper Black Prince Black Watch Balmoral Boudicca Braemar Bolette Celebrity Silhouette Celebrity Solstice Celebrity Eclipse Celebrity Edge Celebrity Apex 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 Mary 2 (QM2) Queen Victoria (QV) Queen Elizabeth (QE) P&O Arcadia P&O Oriana P&O Iona Crystal Symphony Crystal Serenity Seabourn Odyssey Seabourn Sojourn Sapphire Princess VoD Discovery Ambassador Ambience