| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
|---|---|---|---|
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9th Sep 2024 |
Bergen Norway |
Turn Around Day |
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10th Sep 2024 |
Bergen Norway |
Mt. Ulriken tour |
 |
13th Sep 2024 |
Zeebrugge Belgium |
Bruges On Your Own (OYO) |
 |
14th Sep 2024 |
Honfleur France |
Honfleur On My Own (OMO) |
 |
15th Sep 2024 |
Portsmouth England |
Arundel Castle |
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16th Sep 2024 |
Falmouth England |
Service bus to Porthleven |
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18th Sep 2024 |
Oporto Portugal |
Braga & Guimaraes tour |
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20th Sep 2024 |
Malaga Spain |
Marbella & Puerto Banus tour |
|
21st Sep 2024 |
Cartagena Spain |
Segway tour |
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22nd Sep 2024 |
Tarragona Spain |
Port Museum & Roman Walls |
|
23rd Sep 2024 |
Barcelona Spain |
Home by 5 pm |
| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
I got up just after six o'clock ready for my usual breakfast al fresco a la veranda, but it was raining heavily. Whilst tumble drying my smalls, I watched my Baltic Sea talk on the television in the launderette. At 9:30 I said goodbye to Emma who was flying back home to Norwich.
I then walked into the city under my large, red Viking umbrella. I did a little photography in the light rain. I walked along my two favourite pedestrianised streets: Marken & Strandgaten.
Back at the ship at 11:30, I chatted to CD Bruce on the gangway. At noon, I had the corn chowder soup with extra sweet corn. I had a mixed grill of various meats with various vegetables. I finished with one scoop of coconut and one scoop of salted caramel ice cream. I was out on the veranda, but under cover, as it was still raining.
I then slept for eighty minutes, before climbing up to the difficult to find upper fortress. I continued into the city, before turning around near the cathedral. On the way back, I went in the military museum which has free admission. I have been in here several times in the past, but the historical maps and the story of the Nazi occupation always fascinate me.
Back at the ship, I did six lengths of the warm pool under a closed roof, followed by eight minutes in the large, rectangular hot tub. At 5:30 CD Bruce recorded interviews with three of the four speakers: Jennifer Hastings Caithness, Dr Bryan Babcock and myself. At 6:30 I listened to Bryan's interesting talk on the Hanseatic League for a second time.
At 7:30 I dined with Dr Bryan & Nanci, Jenny & Neil and then Dr Samuel Glassner joined us in Manfredi's Italian restaurant. I had the pasta & bean soup, the insalata Caprese, the rib eye bistecca and the caramello dessert to eat. I had two glasses of Tuscan red wine to drink.
One of the waiters was from Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia, so I said that I give a lecture on Cecil Rhodes. Neil asked why do I talk about a man born in Bishop's Stortford, so I replied that I grew up in nearby Harlow in Essex. Jenny then said that she came from Hunsdon, just across the border in Hertfordshire! She said that she was born in the Bahamas, when her father worked for Sir Freddie Laker, so I said that my cousin is Lady Laker and she still lives there! Jenny further revealed that her first husband was one of my agents! Furthermore we both had masters degrees from Keele University. What a small world it is. I went to sleep at 10:30.
I awoke at 6:30 ready for my usual breakfast al fresco a la veranda as the dawn broke. When Komang came to service the state room, I walked around the promenade deck as a German warship was berthing upstream of us.
At 8:30 I met Austrian guide Rosemary from Graz and Polish driver Andrew. We had twenty five guests on my first choice Mount Ulriken tour. We began with a panoramic coach ride around downtown Bergen.
Our first stop was a short walk through the woods to the Fantoft stave church. This had been destroyed by a religious fanatic in an arson attack, but had been faithfully rebuilt. Our next stop was at the base station of the Mount Ulriken cable car built by the Austrian company Doppelmayr. The yellow ticket office was one of the original, smaller gondolas. I managed to squeeze on to our gondola which was only supposed to take twenty four customers at a time.
At the top it was blue sky with glorious sunshine but a cold wind, so after taking a few photographs, I went inside the cafeteria. Here I had TWO glasses of pineapple juice, in preference to coffee or tea, with my ONE cinnamon bun.
Wrapping up, I went outside again to explore the summit and take some more pictures. At 12:15 we all descended in a gondola, except for Rosemary who was missing two guests. At the bottom it transpired that the pair had come down earlier and so I asked driver Andrew to phone Rosemary telling her we were complete.
Back at the Hanseatic warehouses at the Bryggen (which Rosemary called Bruu-gen, not Bree-gen), two thirds of the group got off. I had just a handful of guests to take back to the ship. Here I had the tomato & red chilli soup and the mixed grill from the buffet to eat al fresco a la veranda as it clouded over. I then slept for eighty minutes, before venturing out again in the drizzle. I walked around the Bergenhus fortress, before returning to the ship.
At 4:15 I did six lengths of the warm pool with the roof closed, followed by eight minutes in the hot tub with a couple from North Carolina. At 5:15 I went to the upper part of the Explorer's lounge for the solo travellers meet up. I met Darla from North Dakota, Susan originally from Leeds but now in Virgina, Anne-Marie from Australia, Lori, Carol and Mark. The latter two used to work together and are now sharing a state room.
At 5:45 Hazel arrived, delayed by the change of plans caused by a storm in the North Sea. The Captain announced that we would have an extra sea day, but miss out on Amsterdam. At six o'clock I took Darla, both of whose parents were Norwegian, to the Nordic buffet. Here I had the split pea soup, the fabulous king crab, the monkfish wrapped in bacon and another mixed grill selection to eat. I just had two glasses of sparkling water to drink.
At eight o'clock (seven o'clock on BST) I had an Open University video conference for marking my course T802. This used Adobe Connect which performed faultlessly over the ship's satellite wi-fi. At nine o'clock the four speakers and the two spouses sat in the front row of the Star theatre for the Welcome showtime. We each said a few words of introduction. The show ended with a couple of songs by the four vocalists and the four musicians.
At 10:15 the band had moved to the Torshavn nightclub, where I did just one dance with Kathleen to "Crazy Little Thing Called Love". I went to sleep at eleven o'clock having done ten thousand steps, equal to four miles of walking during the day.
I got up at 6:35 ready for my usual breakfast, but not outside for the first time. I then sat in the Explorers observation lounge for an hour as we departed from Bergen, under the two suspension bridges and out into the North Sea. Here I chatted to Bill from Chicago who was raised a Presbyterian, but is now Lutheran.
At 9:30 I went to Dr Bryan's excellent fifty minute talk on the history of the Netherlands. At eleven o'clock I listened to Dr Sam's moving lecture on the Shetland Bus, which were a series of fishing vessels criss-crossing the North Sea to Norway during the war.
At noon I lunched on the curried soup and the fish, chips & mushy peas. I had just one glass of orange juice to drink. I then slept for forty five minutes. I woke up to an offer of two cruises on the Viking Saturn in the Med over Christmas, which I quickly accepted. I must have done well enough on my first Viking cruise to be asked back!
At 4:30 I went to the main swimming pool, but it was empty, so I descended to the spa pool which was full of water. I showered but then discovered that the spa pool and hot tub were roped off, so I dried off for twenty minutes on one of the warm stone beds. At 5:30 I went to the Explorer's observation lounge in case any solo travellers turned up. At six o'clock Mike set me up and at 6:30 CD Bruce introduced me. I then gave my forty minute talk on the Story of the North Sea.
At 7:30 I was giving way in the queue for the MDR, when Lori from DC invited me to join her for dinner. When we got to the desk it transpired that she had a reservation for two at Manfredi's Italian restaurant instead, which suited me. I had the pasta & bean soup, the bistecca alla Fiorentina and the tiramisu to eat. I had just one glass of red Tuscan wine to drink. Lori had been a professional dance instructor, but now had a problem with one of her hips. She was travelling with her Puerto Rican ex, but he was seasick in their state room, so I got his place instead.
Just after nine o'clock, I slipped into the ABBA production show, which I had seen and enjoyed on the previous cruise. At 10:15 I popped into the Torshavn nightclub, but the guitarist was playing, so I retired for the night. In my state room I watched my North Sea talk on the telly. I went to sleep at eleven o'clock, having done only four thousand steps, equal to less than two miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 6:55 ready for one egg Benedict and one egg Royale in the World Cafe buffet. Although the sun was shining, no tables had been set up outside, so I breakfasted inside instead with just one glass of orange juice. At 9:30 I went to hear Dr Bryan's excellent fifty minute talk on the Bayeux Tapestry for a second time. Back in my state room, Komang had been and I was able to work on my next pair of Viking cruises.
At noon I had the clear chicken soup with noodles and another mixed grill of various meats to eat. I had just one glass of real lemonade to drink. I then slept for an hour and a half. I spent most of the afternoon completing all the paperwork for my next two Viking cruises.
At 3:30 I went up to the main pool, but it was being painted. The large rectangular hot tub was working and one man was paddling in it, but I decided to go to the Spa pool instead. Here I spent five minutes sitting on the metal couches in the main pool and five minutes in the separate hot tub. I then dried off on one of the cool stone beds.
At 4:30 CD Bruce gave a ten minute introduction to Bruges, followed by Chantelle's half an hour on the tours. Bruce finished with a five minute conclusion. At 5:30 I went to the Explorer's observation lounge in case any solo travellers turned up.
At 6:30 I heard Jenny's excellent first lecture on Trading in the Middle Ages. At 7:30 I dined with Dr Sam in the Aquavit part of the World Cafe buffet. I had the bean soup, the King crab claws, the various meats and the marzipan cake to eat. I had just two glasses of sparkling water to drink. At nine o'clock I heard ACD Hazel's excellent cabaret for a second time. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done less than two thousand steps, equal to less than one mile of walking during the day.
I awoke to the dawn at 6:35 and had my usual full English breakfast, but without any eggs, al fresco a la veranda, as the sun came up. I was one of the first off the ship to meet my guide Fleming Freda and Dutch driver Leroy from Maastricht. We had a full coach to look after on our all day Bruges On Your Own (OYO) tour.
We walked from the coach park to the Walplein square with the Pegasus statue, where the guests were let loose. I bought Freda a coffee and we chatted for ages. I then headed off walking eight miles, beginning with the historic centre, continuing with the row of windmills and finishing back at Walplein square. I forewent lunch and only drank a little water.
At the meeting point, Freda gave me a box containing half a dozen seashell chocolates! Two guests were missing, so I stayed behind for five minutes in case they showed up. Freda actually found them en route to the coach park and sent two guests back to tell me.
Back at the ship, the top pool was still empty, so I descended to the spa. The pool here had five guests, but the hot tub was empty, so I wallowed for an eight minute session. I dried off on one of the warm, stone beds.
At 5:45 I sat outside the MDR to greet the solo travellers for their dinner. I hosted Anne-Marie from Melbourne, Lori from Houston, Helen from Maine, Mark and Carol. I had the Cheddar cheese & beer soup, feta cheese salad, steak & chips and no sugar added raspberry blast dessert to eat. I had two glasses of Portuguese red wine to drink.
At nine o'clock I went to the excellent Duets production show, which had been replaced last cruise by an ad hoc cabaret, when one of the female singers was indisposed. I went to sleep at eleven o'clock, having done over twenty thousand steps, equal to over eight miles of walking during the day.
I awoke to the dawn at seven o'clock, having slept for eight hours. I had my usual full English breakfast, but without eggs, al fresco a la veranda as the sun came up. At nine o'clock I went to the Portsmouth port talk. CD Bruce began with a ten minute introduction and finished with a five minute conclusion. In the middle, Chantelle spent twenty minutes describing the tours on offer.
At 10:30 I was off the ship and walking into Honfleur. I snuck across the top of the lock gates to reach the Personalities Park and the beach. I spent the rest of the morning photographing all the sights in the lovely little port. I walked back to the ship at one o'clock, where I had no soup and no dessert, just a selection from the buffet as usual al fresco a la veranda. I then slept for seventy minutes, before catching the 3:30 shuttle bus back into town. I visited a few back streets which I hadn't seen, before sneaking across the top of the lock gates again, as a short cut back to the ship.
At 5:45 the main swimming pool was netted off for the third day running, so I went out on to the aft veranda, where I normally eat. Here I did six diagonal lengths of the infinity pool, for the first time this cruise, in the warm sunshine with a view over the Seine estuary. I then spent five minutes in the rear hot tub. Back in my state room, I updated this blog.
At 6:30 I went to Dr Bryan's excellent one hour long talk on British History. At 7:30 I dined al fresco a la veranda sat with Helen from Maine. I had the vegetable soup with noodles & pesto, then cheese & ham and finally roast beef in the French buffet. We had a wonderful sunset from the aft deck. Back in my state room, I watched Dr Sam's interesting talk on the true story of the Heroes of Telemark. I went to sleep at 10:15, having done twenty one thousand steps, equal to more than eight miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 7:20, but it was now only 6:30 on BST. I had my usual breakfast, but this time with back bacon rather than streaky bacon for a change, al fresco a la veranda. At 8:30 we had the face-to-face immigration inspection.
I was one of just five people to catch the 8:45 shuttle bus into town. I got off at stop number two in Southsea to photograph the castle, the D Day museum and the Pyramid Centre, which is no longer a swimming pool. I toured the car boot sale on Southsea Common, but bought nothing as usual. I explored the Southsea shopping area, before visiting the Clarence pier. I walked along the Millenium walkway into Old Portsmouth. I hurried through the Gunwharf Quay shopping mall, but the pickup point wasn't at the Hard bus station, which was being rebuilt. A kind Pakistani bus man took me to the actual drop off point in St. George's Road, where I immediately jumped on a shuttle bus back to the port. Here I had to go through security in the terminal, before boarding another bus for the short run across the marshalling area.
Back at the ship, I had a bowl of soup, when Neil told me I had a tour to escort that afternoon, so I rushed down to pick up the bag. At 12:30 I met guide Suzanne from the Meon Valley and driver Alan from Klaipeda (formerly Memel) in Lithuania. We had just twenty four guests to look after on our tour to Arundel Castle. I slept most of the way there as it was my usual siesta time.
We began in the state rooms and then gradually most guests peeled away. I climbed up to the medieval keep for the views, but spent most of the time in the fabulous gardens. In the town there was a summer fete going on in the streets. I bought an individual quiche in Morrison's local store in lieu of my interrupted lunch.
On the way back to the ship, Suzanne used Google maps to avoid road works on the A27 Havant bypass, but we were still a quarter of an hour late. I immediately went up to the top deck to watch the sail away through the great naval harbour. At 6:30 I went to Dr Sam's moving story of Operation Chariot against St Nazaire harbour in the war. I knew about this from my port talks on Montoir-en-Bretagne (near St Nazaire) and Falmouth (the raid's departure point).
At 7:30 I dined with a couple from Tennessee, who I had sat behind on my Arundel tour and a couple from Oregon, who I sat next to on my Bruges tour. I had the celeriac soup, the hanger steak and the pear Belle Helene to eat. I had two glasses of red wine to drink. At nine o'clock I went to the excellent Beatles Songbook production show, which featured all their great songs.
Back in my state room, I filled in my escort's form and updated this blog. I went to sleep at eleven o'clock having done nearly twenty five thousand steps, equal to nearly ten miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 6:40 to the dawn as we entered Falmouth harbour. I had my usual breakfast al fresco a la veranda. I waited for the tours to get away, not getting off the ship until 8:30.
I took the shuttle bus with just six Japanese guests to the National Maritime Museum. I bought a Cornish pasty in PoundLand to have later for lunch. At the tourist information office, they gave me a bus timetable booklet.
The 9:25 to Penzance was still boarding students at 9:30 so I was able to use my bus pass. When we got to the lovely little fishing village of Porthleven, the bus broke down. I explored the small harbour, taking some photographs in the sunshine. I ate my Cornish pasty whilst waiting for the service bus to take me back to Falmouth bus station.
Back in town, I had to walk the length of the main street, before being the only person to catch the one o'clock shuttle bus back to the ship. Here I had a bowl of lentil soup and just one scoop of caramel ice cream, with no main course, alfresco a la veranda overlooking Falmouth. I then slept for one hour, before working on my laptop.
At 4:30 I went to Jenny's interesting lecture entitled "Behind the Scenes" about servants. At 5:30 I spent just five minutes in the spa pool. At six o'clock Sanjeev set me up ready to give my forty minute talk on the Story of the English Channel.
Afterwards I dined with a couple from Pennsylvania and a couple from Michigan. I had the smoked haddock soup, the roast salmon and the red fruit dessert to eat. I had two glasses of the red wine to drink. I then had to do one circuit of the promenade deck under the full moon to reach my ten thousand step target, equal to four miles of walking during the day. I then watched my Story of the English Channel lecture on the TV. I went to sleep at 11:05 after another fabulous day on board the Viking Sky.
I awoke to the dawn at 7:05, having slept for eight hours. I then had my usual breakfast al fresco a la veranda. Back in my state room, I worked on my laptop bathed in sunlight. At 9:30 I went to Dr Bryan's excellent talk on the Vikings for a second time, but had to slip out after forty five minutes to get dressed for my next lecture. At 10:30 Sanjeev set me up and at eleven o'clock I gave my forty minute talk on the Story of Portugal with one video at the end.
At noon I hosted the solo travellers luncheon with Lori, Diane, Susan, Darla, Hollie, Helen and Mark. Carol was unable to attend and Anne Maree came to apologise for her absence. I had the corn chowder soup, the cannelloni and some ice cream. Lori gave me half her Reuben sandwich. I had two glasses of house red wine to drink. I then slept for an hour.
At 4:30 CD Bruce gave a fifteen minute introduction to (O)Porto with two Viking videos. Then Chantelle gave a fifteen minute talk on the tours, followed by Bruce's five minutes of concluding comments. Fortunately the main swimming pool had finally been refilled after several days out of commission. I did six lengths of the cool pool and spent five minutes in the large, rectangular hot tub on my own. The sun was shining, but the roof was still firmly closed.
At 6:30 I went to Jenny's interesting lecture on Celts. At 7:30 I dined with the couple from Tennessee again, he was originally from Calgary in Canada and she was from California. I had the Cantabrian soup, the steak & chips and the strawberries & cream to eat. I had two glasses of the house red wine to drink.
At nine o'clock I went to the excellent Southern Sounds country music production show with the four vocalists and the four musicians. Back in my state room, I updated this blog and then watched my Portugal lecture on the television. I went to sleep just after eleven o'clock, having done only two and a half thousand steps, equal to just one mile of walking during the day.
I got up at 6:30, to the smell of burning wood, but it was still not yet light. I had my usual breakfast, but it was too cold and dark to sit out on the terrace. Back in my state room, I worked on my laptop. On the outside decks the sun was red in the smokey atmosphere due to the forest fires raging across Portugal.
At 9:45 I was on escort duty by coach number 24 with guide Jorge (George) and driver Felipe (Philip) and twenty six guests. I slept for most of the one hour run out to Guimaraes. We began at the top end of the ancient town by the impressive Moorish castle in the sunshine. We went in St Michael's chapel, before passing the huge Palace of the Dukes of Braganza. We descended through the narrow streets to Olive Tree Square and then out into the newer town to rejoin the coach.
Our second stop was at Braga, where we walked up the main pedestrianised street to the impressive cathedral. The most interesting sight was the huge baroque organ. We also explored the cloister and the pretty side chapel. During our half hour of free time, I ventured further up through the old town and photographed the exterior of the great cathedral. I kept awake on the return journey down from the sunlit uplands of North Portugal to the smog ridden coastal plain.
Back at the ship at 2:30, I had a Reuben egg sandwich with salad beside the pool. I then slept for an hour and a half, before doing six lengths in the main pool and spending six minutes in the large rectangular hot tub. I started work on my Shakespeare in the Med lecture ready for my Christmas cruise on the Viking Saturn.
At 6:30 I went to Dr Sam's interesting lecture entitled "When the Moors ruled Spain". I didn't know about the Arabic city built just outside Cordoba. It reminded me of the Roman city built just outside Seville.
At 7:30 I dined on the green soup, the Caesar salad, the veal chop and the lava cake in the MDR. I had two glasses of house red wine to drink. I was sat next to a lady from Ontario. At nine o'clock I went to Javier Jarquin's mildy amusing comedy show, with no jokes I had heard previously. I went to bed at 10:30 having done eight and a half thousand steps, equal to just over three miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 7:30 having slept for nine hours, but it was now 8:30 on Spanish time. (Spain should really be on the same time as Portugal and Britain, but General Franco wanted to suck up to the Germans & Italians during the war.) After breakfasting al fresco a la veranda as usual, I didn't have time to brush my teeth, before going to Dr Bryan's fifty minute talk on Spanish History.
Back in my state room, I updated this blog. At eleven o'clock I went to Dr Sam's lecture on La Reconquista of Spain. At noon I lunched on the French fish soup, the Southern fried chicken & chips and the rum & raisin ice cream. I was sat with a mother and son from Milwaukee, who I had helped in Bruges. He was a city councillor with responsibility for finance generated from a property tax, not a sales tax. I then slept for seventy five minutes, but awoke with heart burn. A teaspoon of Gaviscon soon cured that.
At 4:30 CD Bruce did his usual five minute introduction to the next port: Malaga. Then Chantelle spent half an hour going through the tours including the Alhambra in Granada. Bruce then gave his five minutes of concluding remarks. Afterwards I did six lengths of the warm pool with the roof fully open for the first time this cruise in the hot sunshine. I then had eight minutes in the large rectangular hot tub as the staff were setting out the poolside for the evening's BBQ.
At 6:30 I went to Jenny's interesting talk on Power Players which concentrated on Queen Isabella of Castille and Queen Elizabeth of England. I popped up to the top deck to photograph the pool surrounded by the BBQers and with the roof fully open. I went back down to the MDR, where I dined with a couple from Naples in Florida and a pair of ladies from Knoxville, Tennessee. Back in my state room, I had a FOCL bid to prepare.
At nine o'clock I went to the Dancing under the Stars session, but they had closed the roof. I led off the Electric Slide and joined in the YMCA as usual. I went to sleep at 10:50 having done five thousand steps, equal to two miles of walking during the day.
I didn't wake up to eight o'clock so I had to rush. I had my usual breakfast, but with a toasted bagel rather than a toasted muffin al fresco a la veranda overlooking the harbour. At 9:30 I met guide Luis and driver Jose Antonio with their minibus, so we only had 22 guests to look after. It took one hour to get to Marbella, followed by the one hour walking tour. We went around the old town, before following the line of Salvador Dali statues down to the beach and back.
There was then a short transfer to Puerto Banus, where we had just half an hour of free time. I walked down the pier to do some photography, before having a €5 Tinto de Verrano (Red Summer Wine) to drink. I used their wi-fi and their loo. Back at the bus stop, one lady was fifteen minutes late back. It was another hour's run back to Malaga, where we dropped two couples off, before returning to the ship.
I managed to grab a mixed grill from the buffet before it closed, followed by two scoops of the no sugar added blueberry sorbet. I then slept for three quarters of an hour, before updating this blog. At 4:30 I went to the port talk with ACD Hazel giving the five minute introduction and conclusion. Assistant Shorex Manageress Alma gave the fifteen minute talk on the tours in the middle.
I then did six lengths of the warm pool with the roof one third open. I spent six minutes in the large rectangular hot tub with three guests. At six o'clock Derrick set me up and at 6:30 I gave my forty minute talk on Cartagena & Barcelona: two Art Nouveau cities.
At 7:30 I dined on the seafood chowder soup, the beef rib and the tart. I was sat with a couple from Yorkshire, so we talked about Bretton Hall sculpture park & Horbury working men's club. She had studied geography at Leicester University at the same time that I was there. She does aviation consultancy, so we talked about Cranfield University and Southend Airport.
Back in my state room, I updated this blog. At nine o'clock I went to CD Bruce's piano cabaret of mainly musical theatre songs for a second time and managed to stay awake throughout. I particularly enjoyed the waltz medley. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done only nine thousand steps, just short of four miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 7:30 to the dawn ready for my usual full English breakfast minus any eggs. I had it out on the aft veranda, although it was raining heavily. I lingered and stood chatting to Darla and a couple from Nottingham until eventually the rain stopped. Back in my state room, I worked on my laptop.
At 10:30 I met guide Sergio (another Matt LeBlanc lookalike) and helper Pedro on the quayside. We had just seven guests for the Segway tour. We donned hi-viz jackets and helmets, before being given instructions. This was my first time on a Segway electric scooter. One gent who had done it before was showing off and fell off his, but was unharmed! We toured the city with stops at the submarine hall of the naval museum (not open after 14:00), at St Francis Place (Plaza de San Francisco) and Conception Castle (Castillo de la Concepcion).
Back at the ship, I lunched on the pea & bacon soup and the mixed grill with green beans. I then slept for just twenty five minutes, before walking back into the city. I went in the new Licor 43 building on the prom, but didn't have a free sample leaflet to hand. I found the municipal market for the first time, despite having been here a dozen times. I climbed up to the archaeological park on one of the five hills in the city.
I got back to the ship ready for the Tarragona port talk at 4:30. This was only twenty minutes long (5+10+5) with the usual format. Next I did six lengths of the warm pool, but the roof was only partially open despite the hot sunshine. I then spent six minutes in the hot tub with two other guests.
At 6:30 I went to Jenny's interesting talk entitled "A Stitch in Time" about textiles. At 7:30 I dined on the duck & lentil soup, the soft shelled crabs, the steak & chips and the cheese plate in the MDR. At the end I was stuffed for only the second time this cruise.
At nine o'clock we had the crew parade followed by the Coast to Coast production show. The latter consisted of the four musicians and the four vocalists singing Sinatra, Presley, Diamond, Valli, Supremes and the Beach Boys songs. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done nearly twelve and a half thousand steps, equal to five miles of walking during the day. During the night I had a recurrennce of heart burn having scoffed a four course dinner. TWO teaspoons of Gaviscon were required to abate the heat.
I awoke at 7:45 to the dawn ready for my usual breakfast, slightly reduced, al fresco a la veranda. At 9:30 I went to Dr Sam's fascinating talk on Operation Mincemeat. Back in my state room, I worked on my laptop as we sailed passed the Port Aventura theme park.
At 11:30 I had the butternut squash soup, one small slice of pizza and two scoops of no sugar added raspberry sorbet. At noon the first shuttle bus away was full, with a line of waiting guests and not another one due, according to the timetable, until two o'clock, so I walked the two miles to the port gate with fellow speaker Dr Bryan. He turned back at the gate, whilst I remonstrated with the guards who wouldn't let me through!
When one of the tour buses came passed, I put out my thumb and they stopped to pick me up to ferry me through the port gates. I then got off the coach at the Maritime Museum in the fishing port, which had free admission. I did some photography of the pretty little fishing village, before finding the former Chartreuse distillery building. I used the outdoor escalators to ascend to the new town, where I found the Roman theatre and their local (not provincial) forum.
At the information kiosk I picked up a map, before photographing the impressive city hall. At the Roman wall archaeological passageway I shelled out €2.50 for a senior's ticket. This was a walkway on top of the 18th century fortifications, but below the huge Roman walls above. I photographed the west front of the cathedral, before descending through the old town to the shuttle bus pick up point. Here the 3:30 bus didn't arrive on time, so I snuck on to one of the tour buses instead.
Back at the ship, I did six lengths of the warm pool with the roof only partially open in the hot sunshine. I then spent eight minutes (one session) in the hot tub with one other gentleman. Back in my state room, I updated this blog and started packing.
At six o'clock Felipe from Brazil set me up and at 6:30 I gave my thirty five minute talk on Pablo Picasso. Unfortunately we were still in port, the sun was still shining, the Barcelona tours hadn't got back to the ship yet, many guests were packing and dinner was being served, so I didn't stand a chance! At 7:30 I dined on the curried soup, the tempura prawns (like large succulent scampi) and the chocolate cherry dessert. I had just one glass of red wine from the south of France to drink. I chatted to a couple with their summer home in South Dakota and their winter home in Arizona.
At 8:30 I went to the screening of a classical concert recorded in London's Cadogan Hall conducted by Debbie Wiseman. She led off one of her own pieces first, followed by the Intermezzo and March from Sibelius's Karelia Suite. She then conducted Grieg's Peer Gynt Suite number one and the waltz from Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. I slipped out before the end to put my suitcase out before the ten o'clock deadline. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done over seventeen thousand steps, equal to seven miles of walking during the day.
I awoke to my TWO alarms at 6:30 to find we had long since berthed in Barcelona under Mont Juic castle. Just after seven, I had my usual breakfast, but there were no laid tables outside. Back in my state room, I updated this blog.
At eight o'clock I left my cabin and sat on deck two near the Torshavn night club. Dead on time at 8:25 tag orange three was called and I said goodbye to ACD Hazel on the gangway and to CD Bruce in the terminal. Viking Jupiter was at Terminal A and we were at Terminal B. Behind us was Marella Explorer, P&O Arvia and a Costa cruise ship.
Our coach only took twenty five minutes to get to the airport. There was no queue at the BA check in desk and the lady asked if I would like to go on an earlier flight, so I said "Yes, please"! Security took ten minutes and then I chatted with Jenny & Neil, but they were flying to LGW not LHR. Passport control took another ten minutes, whilst the EU gates had no queues at all. I then had the long walk to the end of the pier for my gate.
Our plane arrived and was turned around quickly, but we were still one hour late taking off. I had a window seat with a good view of all five cruise ships, the city of Barcelona and then the Pyrenees. We got given a small bag of toasted corn niblets to eat and a bottle of water to drink. I got out my laptop and updated this blog.
Once at LHR, there were no queues at passport control, but a bit of a wait at baggage reclaim. I took the tube to the central bus station, but the next THREE National Express coaches to BoMoH were sold out, so I caught the £10 rail/air coach to Woking railway station. Here I bought a £39 ticket to BoMoH.
The three o'clock train arrived nearly on time and was very quiet inside. I plugged my laptop into the socket by my seat and worked on it all journey. I got home before five o'clock, after two fabulous cruises on the Viking Sky. I went to sleep at ten o'clock, having done seven and a half thousand steps, equal to three miles of walking during the day.
Assistant Cruise Director Hazel wrote: "Martin, it has been a pleasure working with you. Thank you for taking care of our solo travelers. You are an additional asset to the Viking Family. We will see each other again. Take care and all the Best."
Fellow Speaker Jenny wrote: "I enjoyed reading this, Martin! You definitely keep up a packed schedule on a cruise ship. It was indeed funny to discover how our lives had connected in so many ways, without us ever having met before!"
Fellow speakers Nanci Kopack and Dr Bryan Babcock wrote: "Thank you for being part of the Viking Sky Enrichment Team. Your passion for history for this part of the world was inspiring! We hope to sail again in the future with you soon."
1) "The Story of the North Sea"
Martin, who has degrees in geography, geology and theology,
talked about the natural history & human history of this great sea.
He has given this lecture on eleven previous cruises.
(Includes coverage of the second Anglo-Dutch war)
2) "The Story of the English Channel"
Martin, who has degrees in geography, geology and theology,
talked about the natural history & human history of this great waterway.
He has given this lecture on four previous cruises.
(Includes coverage of the first Anglo-Dutch war)
3) "Welcome to Portugal!"
Martin gave a general introduction to the geography, geology and history,
but not cuisine, of this great country.
He has given this lecture on two previous cruises.
4) "Cartagena & Barcelona: Two Art Nouveau Cities"
Martin covered the fabulous architecture of these two great Spanish cities.
He has given this lecture on one previous cruise.
5) "Picasso: Greatest Painter of the Twentieth Century?"
Martin covered the colourful life and colourful works of Pablo Picasso.
He has given this lecture on one previous cruise.
(He was born in Malaga which has two Picasso museums)
194 Cruises 50 Cruise ships (see below) 15 Cruise lines (see below) 14 Night cruise 13 Full English breakfasts 8 Beef dinners 6 Tours escorted 6 Mixed grill lunches 5 Restaurants (MDR, CT, WC, PG, Manfredi's) 5 Enrichment lectures given 5 Production shows 4 Band members 3 Storey atrium 3 Hot tubs 3 Pools 3 Female singers 3 Male singers 2 Cabaret shows (Bruce & Hazel) 2 Panoramic elevators 2 Cinemas 1 Double state room with picture window 1 Theatre (Star) 1 Nightclub (Torshavn) 1 Viking heritage museum 1 Egg Benedict & Egg Royale breakfast 1 Pop trio 1 Classical duo 1 Comedian / Magician
Captain Fredrick Nilsson
Cruise Director Bruce Allen Scudder
Ass. Cruise Director Hazel Crudo
Shorex Manageress Chantelle
Stage Managers Mike (ex FOCL), Aldrin, Derrick,
Sanjeev & Felipe
Resident Historian Dr Bryan Babcock
Military Lecturer Dr Samuel Glassner
History Lecturer Jennifer Hastings Caithness
Cultural Lecturer Martin P. Lee
* Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines * Saga Shipping Company * Voyages of Discovery * Seabourn (Carnival) * Princess (Carnival) * Cunard (Carnival) * P&O (Carnival) * Celebrity (RCCL) * Silversea (RCCL) * Regent SS (NCL) * Oceania (NCL) * Marella (TUI) * Ambassador * Crystal * Viking
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