| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
|---|---|---|---|
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22nd Mar. 2025 |
Fusina Venice Italy |
Turn- around Day |
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23rd Mar. 2025 |
Fusina Venice Italy |
Doge's Palace San Zaccari Church |
 |
24th Mar. 2025 |
Split Dalmatia Croatia |
Highlights of the Split Riviera |
|
25th Mar. 2025 |
Dubrovnik Dalmatia Croatia |
Mali Ston Hike |
|
26th Mar. 2025 |
Corfu (Kerkyra) Greece |
All Day Tour |
|
28th Mar. 2025 |
Naples Campania Italy |
Sorrento and Mozzarella |
|
29th Mar. 2025 |
Civita- vecchia Italy |
Picturesque Ostia |
|
30th Mar. 2025 |
Livorno Tuscany Italy |
From Tuscany to Pisa |
 |
31st Mar. 2025 |
Villefranche sur Mer France |
Exclusive visit to Villa Rothschild |
|
1st Apr. 2025 |
Marseille Provence France |
Footsteps of Vincent van Gogh |
 |
2nd Apr. 2025 |
Barcelona Catalonia Spain |
On My Own (OMO) |
|
3rd Apr. 2025 |
Barcelona Catalonia Spain |
Turn- around Day |
| Flag: | Date: | Port: | Comment: |
I awoke just before six o'clock, but it was overcast for the first time this cruise. At seven o'clock I had TWO eggs Benedict to eat al fresco a la veranda, but under the protection of the awning. I had one mug of decaff cappuccino coffee to drink.
Back in my state room, I worked on my laptop. When Dede came, I adjourned to the Explorers Lounge. At eleven o'clock I had an early lunch of corn chowder soup with corn bread biscuit (scone), followed by the mixed grill from the buffet with various vegetables and the no sugar added banana sorbet with dried maraschino cherries. I had just two glasses of sparkling water to drink.
At noon I caught the first complimentary shuttle boat across the lagoon to Venice. It took forty minutes to reach the private landing stage by the Hotel Gabrielli. I headed south east away from the central sights to reach the far corner of the main island, which took two miles of walking at a speed of three miles per hour (mph). It was damp and overcast all afternoon, but I didn't need to use the Viking umbrella I had taken with me. I then doubled back via the side alleys, which took another two and a half miles of walking at a slightly slower speed of 2.8 mph.
I caught the three o'clock shuttle boat back across the lagoon to the ship. In the cruise terminal the officials were demanding passports, but speaker Jamie and myself hadn't taken ours with us! They eventually accepted my UK driving licence instead.
At four o'clock I went to the Wintergarden conservatory expecting afternoon tea to be served there. Unfortunately as it was turn around day, there was no service here. I made do with a decaff cappuccino in the World Cafe instead.
At six o'clock I went to the Main Dining Room (MDR) where I was seated at a round table for six, with two couples and Karen from Fresno in California. I had the Tuscan bean soup, the chicken Kiev and the no sugar added mango tango dessert to eat. I had one glass of the French blended red wine and two of the sparkling water to drink.
At 8:30 In the Star theatre I watched the Conclave movie for a second time, having previously seen it on a long haul flight earlier in the year. I went to sleep at 10:45 having done ten thousand steps, equal to four miles of walking during the day.
I awoke to my alarms at 5:30 ready for my cooked breakfast al fresco a la veranda at six o'clock with views across the lagoon to Venice. Back in my state room, I worked on my laptop. At 7:30 I moved out to the quayside, but had to wait a time for the groups to be organised. I met guide Mark(o), sidekick Samuel and 22 guests, including an elderly couple from Greenwich, for the $119 tour to the Doge's Palace & St Zechariah's Church.
The shuttle boat took forty minutes to cross the lagoon, where we met local guide Iole (pronounced Yoller). We queued up to enter the famous Doge's Palace (€25). This was as magnificent as ever with the huge 80 foot painting by Tintoretto in the largest hall being quite staggering. Here I recorded my piece to camera. The contrast with the prison across the Bridge of Sighs was tremendous.
Outside again, I recorded another piece to camera in front of the famous statues of the tetrarch Roman emperors. Our second stop was at St Zechariah's (San Zaccaria's) baroque church. Here there is a famous paining by Bellini over the side altar. Unfortunately the crypt, one of only two in Venice, was flooded, so we couldn't enter, but only take photographs from the doorway.
We then had one hour of free time, so I backtracked to St Mark's Place (Piazza San Marco) and went under the great clock gateway. I fled across Venice to the great Rialto Bridge which was heaving, before working my way back to the main promenade. Here I discovered the Royal Gardens (Giardini ex Reali) for the first time. Back at the dock, we caught the last 12:30 shuttle boat back to the ship. Here security was slow, so I sat down and waited for the queue to clear.
Back on the ship, I lunched with Karen from Fresno on the aft verandah as the sun came out. I had the cream of broccoli soup, the escalope of chicken with chips & sweetcorn and the no sugar added sorbet with dried marschino cherries to eat. I had two glasses of sparkling water to drink.
I then slept for nearly two hours. At 5:30 I hosted the solo travellers: Nancy from Minnesota, Elita and Bob. The latter has SEVEN Lamborghinis, THREE Ferraris and ONE Jaguar XJ sports car!
At six o'clock I again hosted a table for six in the MDR. I was sat with widow Karen from New Orleans, whose house was devastated in Hurricane Katrina. There were also couples from Birmingham, Alabama and New Mexico/Arizona. Luckily I was wearing my Navajo bolo from Arizona, ready for being on stage later in the evening. I had the minestrone soup, the steak Diane (which was a fillet, not a sirloin steak) and the no sugar added panna cotta to eat. I had just one glass of red wine to drink with the meal.
At 8:30 I went to the pre-show singing by the two Filipino vocalists in the Star Theatre. At nine o'clock the Captain introduced the senior officiers, before we three speakers each said a few words of introduction. Lastly the four professional English singers sang a few songs by way of foretaste of things to come. I went to sleep at 10:30, having done thirteen thousand steps, equal to over five miles of walking during the day.
I got up at 6:15 ready for my usual cooked breakfast when the World Cafe buffet opened at seven o'clock. However I had a sore throat and a hacking cough. At eight o'clock I joined guide Yvonna and driver Ivan (pronounced Evan) at coach number three on the quayside. We had 24 guests to look after on the $129 Highlights of the Split Riviera tour.
We began with a visit to the medieval town of Trogir, followed by half an hour of free time which was a bonus. I did some photography, but it was overcast. At the old Pantan mill we had ham and cheese open sandwiches with wine or water. I had FOUR of the lovely sandwiches to eat and glasses of both the red and white wine to drink. I was sat with a couple from Chattanooga on the Tennessee / Georgia border.
On the way back into Split, we passed through a heavy shower, but it didn't last long. Our final stop was in the city centre, where we were led through Roman Emperor Diocletian's famous palace. We exited into the medieval portion of the city on the west site of the Roman quarter. Most of the guests came back with us on the coach to the ship.
Here I had the mushroom soup and the fish, chips & mushy peas for lunch al fresco a la veranda. I then slept for three quarters of any hour, before working on my laptop. At 4:30 I went to the Dubrovnik port talk which had the usual 7+18+5 minute format of Bruce/Jennifer/Bruce.
At 5:45 I was set up and ready to go with my Croatia talk in the Star Theatre. In view of my cough, I asked for a hand mike, so I could put it to one side when I needed to. My talk began at 6:30 and lasted forty minutes. At 7:30 I was too late for a shared table so I was given a small table on my own. No sooner had I sat down, but a lady came over and invited me to join her party of five ladies. Two were sisters from New Jersey, two were sisters-in-law from New York and Florida and one was from California. I was able to talk about Fort Monmouth, West Point, West Palm Beach and Santa Barbara where they all came from. I had the Thai noodle soup, the roast lamb and the no sugar added lemon meringue tartlet. I had just one glass of red wine to drink.
At nine o'clock I went to the excellent Duets production show which I have seen several times before. At the end I passed Martim Fornetti's regards to singer Lucy Pugh and connected with her on FaceBook. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done over eleven thousand steps, equal to over four miles of walking, during the day.
I awoke to my alarms at 6:30, but spent fifteen minutes on FaceBook. At 7:15 I had my usual cooked breakfast al fresco a la veranda. At 8:30 I met guide Mladen and driver Daniel by bus number 17. We only had 15 guests to look after on the $139 Mali Ston Hike & Croatian Delicacies tour.
The drive to Ston took one hour along the corniche road. After a short guided tour of the pretty town, we started climbing up the steep city walls. One lady had to turn back and another struggled.
At the halfway point only two ladies wanted to press on with the guide, so I led the other 13 back down to the town for some free time. I took the opportunity to explore the huge castle using the wall ticket for free entry.
At 11:45 I gathered the group back at the coach and we had just a two minute run to Mali Ston. Here we met up with the guide and the two brave ladies who had walked the two miles along the wall between the towns. After an even shorter guided tour, at noon we embarked on our boat for a ride out to the oyster beds. The guests were given three fresh, raw oysters each and a large plate of cooked mussels to eat. I didn't partake. We had a small glass of rakia spirit to start with and then one glass of wine with the food. I had the red wine which was rather rough.
On the drive back to the ship I slept for one hour. Here I had a late lunch at 2:15 of chicken & vegetable soup, one small slice of pizza and two scoops of no sugar added lime sorbet with dried maraschino cherries to eat, but it was too windy to sit outside. I then slept for another hour.
At 4:30 I went to the Corfu port talk which had the usual 7+21+7 minute format. At six o'clock I went to the MDR, where I was sat with two couples, including Catherine & Ray from Nebraska and Karen from Fresno. I had the corn chowder soup, the Wierner Schnitzel and the no sugar added pear dessert to eat. I had one glass of red wine and two glasses of sparkling water to drink.
When Dede came to turn down the bed, I did eight circuits of the swimming pool under the closed roof. At nine o'clock I went to ACD Hazel's excellent cabaret, which I have heard before, in the Star theatre. I went to sleep at ten o'clock having done nearly ten thousand steps, equal to four miles of walking, during the day.
I got up at five o'clock, but it was now six o'clock on Greek time. At seven o'clock I had my usual cooked breakfast, but it was too windy to sit outside. At 7:25 Dede was already at work, so I went and sat in the Explorers Lounge to watch the sail-in to Corfu.
At nine o'clock I met guide Philip from Wales and driver Costas by coach number 4. Philip told me about the "I have a dream" ITV reality show filmed on Corfu to find two stars for the Mamma Mia musical in the West End. We had 34 guests to look after on the $129 all day tour of Northern Corfu entitled "Corfu's Natural & Historic Riches". Our first stop was at the Paleokastritsa monastery and our second was at the Bella Vista restaurant. Here Philip arranged for me to have a complimentary cafe Americano.
We lunched at the Trumpet Tavern (Troumpetas Taverna) where we had the Greek salad, the Venetian beef pasta and a small piece of lemon cake to eat. I had one glass of rose wine to drink, sat with two couples from Louisiana. We talked about Hurricane Katrine which had devastated New Orleans a few years back.
In Corfu town we had a half hour guided walk followed by half an hour of free time. I went in the old Venetain fortress for the first time, as it has free admission after three o'clock in the afternoons, but I didn't have time to explore it fully.
Back at the ship at 5:15, I had just half an hour to get ready before Tawanda set me up. At 6:30 I gave my 44 minute talk on Mamma Mia: the Greek Musical. My five strong fan club sat in the front row and enthusiastically joined in the final karaoke track.
At 7:30 I went to the lobster buffet in the World Cafe. I had the tomato soup, four king crab legs, one lobster tail and no sugar added cocoa sorbet with dried maraschino cherries to eat. I sat out on the aft veranda with the lights of North Corfu twinkling. At the end of the meal I chatted to Jamie and he told me about the Spice Girls musical which had crashed in the West End. At nine o'clock I went to the excellent ABBA songbook production show, which I have enjoyed several times before. I went to sleep at eleven o'clock having done nearly eleven thousand steps, equal to over four miles of walking during the day.
I awoke naturally to the dawn at seven o'clock, having slept for eight hours, but it was now only six o'clock on Central European Time (CET). At seven I had two egg royales al fresco a la veranda in the hot sunshine overlooking a calm sea. Whilst Dede was servicing the state room, I sat in the Explorers Lounge, where I chatted to Karen from Fresco, who was raving about her nicotine patch cure for her long CoViD symptoms.
Back in my cabin, I worked on my laptop as I watched my Mamma Mia talk on the telly. At 9:30 I went to Mike's talk on the Roman Empire, but had trouble staying awake. At eleven o'clock I listened to Jamie's interseting lecture on the Beatles. I didn't know about the Midas Man biopic of Brian Epstein.
At noon I hosted the solo travellers luncheon party in the MDR, but only Karen from Fresno showed up. I had the strawberry soup, the braised lamb and the no sugar added strawberry ice cream to eat. I had just one glass of red wine to drink. I then slept for over an hour.
At 4:30 I went to the 45 minute long Naples port talk given my CD Bruce and newly arrived Shorex Manageress Dora the Explorer. At 5:45 Sugeng set me up ready for me to give my forty minute talk on the Eruptions of Vesuvius at 6:30. At 7:30 I went to the MDR, but I was too late for a sharing table, so I dined alone. I had the split pea soup, the prime rib of beef and the no sugar added cherry tart with cherry mousse. At nine o'clock I enjoyed the excellent Beatles Songbook production show which had all their hits, except for Hey Jude? I went to sleep at 10:15 having done less than four thousand steps, equal to less than two miles of walking during the sea day.
I awoke at 6:30 to my alarms ready for my first continental breakfast al fresco a la veranda as we crossed the Bay of Naples. At 8:45 I met guide Sara, who I had worked with in Pompeii last November, and driver Guiseppe by coach number 21. We had just 19 guests to look after on the $109 Sorrento & Mozzarella tour.
It took over an hour to drive along the Bay of Naples to Sorrento. Here we had a demonstration of mozzarella manufacture followed by a tasting plate. We also drank some red wine, limoncello and a tangerine liqueur as well.
Next we had a short walk into the main square for a inlaid wood demo. During the free time, I walked along the two belvederes to the fishing port (Marina Grande), not the ferry port (Marina Piccolo). I ate one of the ship's Norwegian chocolate bars in lieu of lunch. I doubled back via the inlaid wood museum, the cathedral and the bastion, although the latter two were closed. The bastion on the old city wall doesn't open until the 1st of April. I slept on the drive back to the port, where I updated this blog and updated my Microsoft password, it having been accessed in Russia!
At 4:30 I went to the CV / Rome port talk which had an 8 / 22 / 5 minute structure. At 6:15 I adjourned to the MDR where I was sat with a couple from Lancaster County in Pennsylvania and two ladies from Louisiana. One of the latter people was Karen from New Orleans who I had dined with previously. I had the cauliflower cheese soup, the Caprese salad, the Ossobucco veal flank and the no sugar added Exotic Wave dessert to eat. I had just one glass of red wine to drink.
At nine o'clock I enjoyed the "Classics in a Modern Costume" show by the two classical musicians on board. The pianist was a short Bulgarian and the violinist was a tall Ukrainian. They began with a medley of Scottish songs interspersed with Mozart. They played selections from Saint-Saens' the Swan, Rossini's William Tell, Vivaldi's Four Seasons, Khachaturian's Sabre Dance, Offenbach's Orpheus, Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumble Bee and Paganini's Caprices, amongst others, with amusing videos on the big screen. I wish I had noted down all the famous works that they sampled! I went to sleep at 10:15 having done over ten thousand steps, equal to over four miles of walking, during the day.
I awoke at six o'clock half an hour before my alarms, ready for my continental breakfast al fresco a la veranda with views of a large Italian aircraft carrier berthed behind us.
At 7:20 Dede was servicing the state room, so I relocated to the Explorers Lounge where MSC Opera was turning around in front of us. At 8:30 I met male guide Andrea and driver Aldo at coach number 30. We had just eleven guests to look after on the $199 Picturesque Ostia tour. One lady immediately objected to the smell of a burning joss stick in the coach.
It was a slow drive to the Ancient Roman port of Ostia, via Leonardo da Vinci airport. One autostrada viaduct had a weight restriction, probably the result of the Genoa collapse, which we had to circumnavigate. At the site, Andrea handed over the Maura(?) the local lady.
We began at the Rome Gate (Porta Romana) heading west down the main street (Decumanus). We saw the semi-circular Theatre (Teatro) reconstructed by Mussolini, but not an oval amphitheatre. In Corporation Place (Piazzle delle Corporazione) we saw the famous ship mosaics.
An English couple requested the cafeteria halfway round, so the guide pointed them in the right direction. In the Forum Baths (Terme del Foro) we giggled at the public latrines. These were the only things I remembered from my previous visit here 55 years ago on a school trip!
The Capitol building (Capitolium) was the only thing visible above the modern ground level before excavations began. My Nokia phone having filled up with photographs, I had to start using my Samsung one instead. We only had ten minutes of free time, so I flew around the excellent on site museum. Some guests used the golf buggy to return the one kilometre back east to the coach, whilst I walked with some of the others. Back on the coach, I ate two of the ship's chocolate bars and one apple for lunch. I slept for one hour on the drive back to the ship.
At 2:30 the buffet had closed, so I had two shrimp open sandwiches in the Living Room with a glass of sparkling water. I then slept for another hour, before working on my laptop and backing up some photographs. At six o'clock I went to the MDR where I sat with a couple from Washington state and a couple from Indiana who I had sat with previously. I had the leek soup, the veal scaloppini and the no sugar added bavarois to eat. I had just one glass of red wine to drink.
At 8:30 I enjoyed the Accademia Vocale show time which I had heard last December on the brand new Viking Saturn. They were three Italian gents and two ladies who sang classics from operas like Carmen, Tosca, the Barber of Seville, the Marriage of Figaro and La Traviata. I particurlarly liked the singing of Volare, O Sole Mio and the Funicular song. I went to sleep at 10:40 on winter time, having done nearly nine thousand steps, equal to less than four miles of walking during the day.
I awoke just after six o'clock, but it was now seven o'clock on summer time. At eight o'clock I had my usual cooked breakfast, al fresco a la veranda, in the bright sunshine. At ten o'clock I met guide Alessia and driver Maurizio at bus number 25 with 44 guests for the "From Tuscany To Pisa" included tour. It was an easy run out to Pisa on a Sunday morning, followed by a fifteen minute walk to the historic city.
Our meeting place was just inside the old city wall. We had a short guided tour around Miracle Place (Piazza dei Miracoli), but didn't go in the cathedral. Given seventy minutes free time, I headed for the Botanical Garden (Orto Botanico). I shelled out €6 to enter the garden and the museum. The former was great with all the usual delights, but the latter was rather uninteresting.
We all met up at 1:30 for the walk back to the coach, but one couple stumbled and fell over a kerb right in front of me. The guide came running to help and the couple were OK. Back on the coach, I filled in an accident report form as did Alessia, with the gent signing both copies.
Back at the ship, I immediately handed in my tour report and accident report to one of the Shorex girls. As it was just after 2:30, I had two roast beef open sandwiches, sat with VRH Mike and his wife Marilyn in the Living Room. I then slept for an hour and a quarter, before updating this blog.
At 5:45 Mike set me up ready for me to give my forty minute talk on Vincent Van Gogh (VVG) at 6:30. Unfortunately the all day tours to Florence and the afternoon tours to Pisa hadn't yet returned. Furthermore there was a BBQ by the pool, so I didn't stand a chance! At 7:30 I had the soup, duck and sorbet al fresco a la veranda as the sun went down. Back in my state room, I updated this blog and started watching my VVG talk on the telly.
At 8:30 I went to the Dancing Under the Stars session by the pool. I did two dances with singer Lucy and one with ACD Hazel. I led off the Electric Slide as usual when the latter sang "I will survive". When the band finished at ten o'clock I retired to my state room to finish watching the rest of my VVG talk on the telly. I went to sleep at 10:30 having done over thirteen thousand steps, equal to over five miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at quarter to six, three quarters of an hour before my alarms. At seven o'clock I had a continental breakfast of ham and cheese on a toasted muffin al fresco a la veranda as the dawn broke over Cap Ferrat. At eight o'clock I reported to the Star Theatre ready for the dispatch of my $299 Exclusive Visit to Villa Rothschild in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat.
At 8:30 I led several groups along and then down to the tender platform. After they had boarded, I got on the lifeboat for the short crossing to Villefranche. Here I met guide Bridgitte and only seven guests for the Exclusive tour to the Rothschild Mansion. That didn't open until ten o'clock, so we had a short panoramic tour of Nice.
At the stately home we had a guided tour of the ground floor, followed by champagne and canapes. We then had a tour of the fabulous gardens, I broke away to see the cacti and the rose gardens, before catching up with the group again. At the end we didn't have much free time, so I whizzed upstairs for a quick gander.
Back at the dock, I caught the tender back to the ship. Here I lunched on the tomato & yellow pepper soup, followed by the mixed grill (duck, beef and pork), but no with dessert. I then slept for an hour and a half.
At four o'clock, I caught the next tender to the shore, where I walked north along the prom towards the railway station. Here I turned on tracking and turned around. I climbed up into the old town to view the parish church and the citadel. I got to the tourist information office as the shutters were coming down.
I then caught another tender back to the ship at six o'clock. I didn't have time to change for dinner. I was sat with Catherine & Ray from Utah again and with a lady from Seattle with her daughter from Chicago. Then Karen from Fresno completed the table. I had the thick muchroom soup, the delicious veal chop and the cherries jubilee dessert to eat. I had just one glass of French red wine to drink.
When Dede was providing the turndown service, I sat in the Explorers Lounge as the sun went down. At nine o'clock I enjoyed CD Bruce's piano cabaret, which I have heard several time before. At ten o'clock I found that I had been issued with TWO tours for the following morning: Cassis & Calanque and the Vincent Van Gogh (VVG) footsteps. I went to bed at 10:45 having done nearly fifteen thousand steps, nearly equal to sixe miles of walking during the day.
I again awoke at quarter to six, three quarters of an hour before my alarms. At 6:30 I had my usual cooked breakfast al fresco a la veranda, but it was still dark out. Back in my state room, I had to prepare the paperwork for my Silversea cruise on the Silver Muse in August. At 7:10 Dede arrived, so I moved up to the Explorers Lounge to watch the sail-in to Marseille.
At 8:30 I was on the quayside with guide Laurie and driver Francoise ready to escort the $199 all day Vincent Van Gogh tour in Provence. We had 35 guests to look after on the one hour run out to the enchanting hill top village of Les Baux, home of Bauxite. The last time I was here was in '71 on a school trip and here I was back again aged 71.
We then walked down the hill to a restaurant built into the limestone cliff face. We began with a vegetarian starter with chicken, green beans and boiled potatoes as the main course. The meal finished with panna cotta, which we would call blancmange, which actually means edible white stuff in French! I had two glasses of red wine to drink.
After lunch we went to the former monastery which was the asylum where Vincent Van Gogh was a patient for one year. One visually impaired lady fell up some steps, but was alright aftewards The place was very atmospheric with a nice garden with lots of piccies for my VVG lecture.
Our final stop was half an hour of free time in the pretty old town of St-Remy-de-Provence. I rushed around to photograph the birthplace and fountain of Nostradamus, amongst other sights. On the way back to the ship, there were a couple of accidents on the A7 autoroute, so we were half an hour late getting back to the ship. However, we were not the last tour back.
Just after six o'clock I moved up to the MDR where I sat with couples from Georgia and South Carolina plus Karen from Fresno. I had the Caesar salad, the lamb chops and the no sugar added raspberry mousse to eat. I had just one glass of red wine to drink. At nine o'clock I enjoyed the crew parade and the Legends production show. I went to sleep at eleven o'clock having done twelve thousand steps, nearly equal to five miles of walking during the day.
I awoke at 7:30 ready for my continental breakfast al fresco a la veranda. At 8:30 I walked into Barcelona to the Parallel station where I took my favourite funicular railway halfway up the Jewish Mount (Montjuic). I walked west past the Joan Miro Foundation and the Ethnology Museum to the MNAC art gallery. I went inside the latter to view the Great Hall and the inside of the famous dome. I visited the lovely little historic botanic garden, so much better than the bigger, modern one further up the hill. I went into the Olympic Stadium for the first time.
At the World Trade Centre (WTC) the Azamara Quest was in pole position. I had been lecturing on her in February around South Africa. Unfortunately I was ten minutes too late for the 11:30 shuttle and was not prepared to wait until the next at 12:30, so I walked back to the ship along the route I had followed out in the morning.
Back at the ship, I had the soup, stroganoff and sorbet to eat al fresco a la veranda, but it started to rain. I then slept for an hour and a half. I caught the four o'clock shuttle bus back to the WTC and walked up the infamous Las Ramblas to Catalonia Place. Here I popped into the underground tourist information centre to find out if any museums or art galleries had free admission ove the three days of my stay. I then headed into the Gothic Quarter (Barri Gothic) past the Cathedral to the King's Place (Placa del Rei). I walked past the two neoclasial local government buildings to the Royal Place (Placa Reial). I then caught the 5:30 shuttle bus back to the ship.
At six o'clock I dined with speaker Jamie Hayes and VRH Mike Stone and his wife Marilyn in the Chef's Table speciality restaurant for the first time. We had the Korean egg custard starter with eel and octopus, the crab salad, the spicy soup, the lovely beef main course and the Korean dessert to eat. We had a different wine with each course, bar the spicy soup. I also had a few small glasses of black tea to drink too.
Back in my state room, I worked on my laptop. I went to bed at 10:30, having done twenty seven thousand steps, equal to eleven miles of walking during the day.
I awoke just after six o'clock as the next cabin's door closed. I had a continental breakfast of ham & cheese on a toasted English muffin to eat al fresco a la veranda. I did some laundry in the empty launderette and sat in the Explorers Lounge when Putu was servicing the stateroom. I also worked on my laptop. I couldn't get a new key card until ten o'clock, when my old card was extended, but the date wasn't changed.
I then walked into the city discovering a Rambla I hadn't traversed before. I explored the university campus and used the loo at the top of El Corte Ingles department store as usual. Back at the World Trade Centre (WTC), I caught the 12:30 shuttle bus back to the ship. Here I had the corn chowder soup with biscuit (scone) and the mixed grill of salmon, pork and chicken, but no dessert to eat. I then slept for three quarters of an hour, before sigining up for the next batch of tours to be escorted.
At four o'clock I took the shuttle bus back to the WTC. I wandered across La Rambla de la Mar to the MareMagnum shopping mall to use their loo. I photographed Port Vell, before returning along the old promenade, which used to be the working quayside. I caught the 5:30 bus back to the ship, where I changed for dinner.
Just after six o'clock I was sat with a Canadian couple from Alberta and an American couple from Minnesota. I had the cream of sweet potato soup, the Viking steak & chips, and the no sugar added ricotta cheesecake to eat. I had just one glass of red wine to drink.
At 8:30 I went to La Rumba Catalana folkloric show consisting of four male musicians and two female dancers. It was a cross between Spanish flamenco and Cuban salsa, but no actually rumbas and I had trouble staying awake. I went to sleep at ten o'clock, having done nearly twenty two thousand steps, equal to nearly nine miles of walking during the day.
My 202nd cruise had been most successfull, the high point being the visit to Vincent van Gogh's asylum at St Remy-de-Provence. This provided useful photographs for my VvG lecture. It was lovely working with CD Bruce, ACD Hazel and SM Mike for a second time.
Karen from Fresno later wrote: "My husband says you are an excellent ambassador for the cruise lines."
1) "Welcome to Croatia!" Discover the geography, geology, history & culture of this land of a thousand islands. 2) "Mamma Mia: the Greek Musical" Take a chance on the wonderful songs of ABBA set on a Greek island. 3) "Eruptions of Vesuvius" Dig into the story of the buried cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. 4) "Vincent Van Gogh: Painter of Provence" Tune your ears and focus your eyes on the works of Vincent van Gogh in the South of France.
202 Cruises 54 Cruise ships (see below) 16 Cruise lines (see below) 12 Night cruise 9 Tours escorted 7 Cooked breakfasts 5 Restaurants (MDR, CT, WC, PG, Manfredi's) 5 New places 5 Continental breakfasts 4 Singers (Sam, Teddy, Emily & Lucy Pugh) 4 Band members (Keys, 2 Guitars & Drums) 4 Enrichment lectures given (VVG, Med, MM & Croatia) 4 Production shows 4 Veal dinners 3 Mixed grill lunches 3 Storey atrium 3 Hot tubs 3 Pools 2 Chicken lunches 2 Beef lunches 2 Beef dinners 2 Lamb dinners 2 Lunches on tour 2 Nightclub singers 2 Panoramic elevators 2 Cinemas 1 Korean dinner 1 Double state room with picture window 1 Theatre (Star) 1 Nightclub (Torshavn) 1 Viking heritage museum 1 Classical guitarist 1 Classical duo 1 Cocktail pianist 1 Egg Royale breakfast
Captain Olaf Cruise Director Bruce Ass. Cruise Director Hazel Shorex Manager Jennifer Stage Managers Mike (ex FOCL), Samir, Tawanda Resident Historian Mike Stone Cultural Lecturer Martin P. Lee Music Lecturer Jamie Hayes
* 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 * Azamara * Crystal * Viking
Black Prince Black Watch Borealis Boudicca Balmoral Braemar Bolette Silver Whisper Silver Spirit Silver Wind Silver Muse Silver Moon Silver Dawn 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 Elizabeth (QE) Queen Victoria (QV) Queen Mary 2 (QM2) P&O Arcadia P&O Aurora P&O Oriana P&O Iona Oceania Sirena Oceania Marina Oceania Riviera Viking Sky Viking Star Viking Saturn Azamara Quest Azamara Journey Crystal Symphony Crystal Serenity Seabourn Odyssey Seabourn Sojourn Ambassador Ambience Ambassador Ambition Regent Seven Seas Mariner Regent Seven Seas Splendor Sapphire Princess Caribbean Princess Marella Explorer VoD Discovery