Mediterranean Cruise - December 2011

On 29th November Mum and I went on another cruise - this time sailing on Independence of the Seas, the biggest ship operating in Europe. As usual, Colin drove us to Southampton and we boarded the ship around 1 pm, well in advance of its sailing time at 4 pm. Photos of the cruise can be seen on my facebook link which I will add at the end of this account of our trip.

We were very pleased with our cabin, situated on deck 6, which had very comfortable roomy beds with memory foam mattresses and a lounge area with sofa and television, and an excellent bathroom with walk in shower. Getting luggage to passengers on such a large ship involved an inevitable delay so we decided to go and explore, have a snack in one of the restaurants, before being called to our muster stations for the safety drill which takes place on all cruise ships, so that everyone knows what to do in the event of an emergency.

At dinner that evening we met two other couples with whom we would be sharing a table for the duration - Ken and Audrey from Yorkshire and John and Cecily from Torquay - with whom we had lots of fun throughout our cruise dinners. Afterwards Mum and I took in the evening show in the theatre and then retired for the night as it had been quite a long day. It was great getting into those comfy beds and relaxing with a good book.

Our next two days we were at sea and were soon into the routine of our new world for the next 18 days, which included going through the Bay of Biscay, although we were lucky that the seas were not too rough. For breakfast and lunch we could choose which restaurant to dine at and we mostly chose the same dining room as dinner because it had a mixture of waiter service and self service. We especially enjoyed lunch there on days when we were at sea because of the fantastic salad bar where one could enjoy as many king prawns, smoked chicken etc as one wished along with the vast array of salads and still order from the menu!!! On one of the evenings was a get-together with everyone filling the street on deck 6 and the captain being lowered on a bridge to greet everyone whilst glasses of sparkling wine were distributed.

On day four we arrived at our first port of call - Lisbon in Portugal and after breakfast Mum and I went ashore, taking the disability bus from port to town as Mum can no longer climb steps on ordinary buses or coaches. We went into quite a few shops and bought souvenirs but were not terribly impressed with Lisbon itself from the bit we saw. We were back on board in time for lunch - which at sea took place in an enormous self service area with 3 huge restaurants adjoined and seating areas around each side of the ship. By this time the climate had warmed up slightly so we were able to spend the afternoon up on deck 11 and enjoy a bit of sunshine. For the duration of our time in the Mediterranean temperatures hovered around 20 centigrade which was about 4 degrees warmer that what we had left back home. That evening we enjoyed the first of four fantastic shows involving the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers - this first one called Once Upon a Time - which was very enjoyable.

The following day we were at sea again, until our next port of call on day 6. On these days we interspersed meal times with time exploring the 15 decks, sun bathing on deck in the more sheltered areas, it being windier up there when at sea. The middle of the ship was one long shopping street on deck 6 with shops, cafes, pubs, and on days at sea we browsed the shops and bought items such as jewellry and watches, plus duty free cigarettes to take home for the smokers in the family. I also tried out the ice rink but didn't get on very well - the rink was very small and the boots were uncomfortable with no ankle flexibility which made it difficult to get round the square corners, the rink being so small.

On day 6 we arrived at Palma de Majorca and Mum and I went ashore again after breakfast, taking the disability shuttle bus again. We remembered Palma from a cruise in 2007 and knew we would enjoy the shops there. It was a fine sunny day and we enjoyed our time ashore. I was on a quest to find a sherry which I had tried at La Tasca Spanish restaurant in Bath - Pedro Ximinez Gonzales Byass Nectar, but had no luck finding it in Palma. After lunch we enjoyed the first of two ice spectacular shows in the afternoon, which were truly amazing, so many skaters in intricate costumes performing a show where it was a miracle they could avoid each other on such a small rink. Mum and I enjoyed these ice shows more than any other entertainment on board. Our show in the theatre that night was a Comedy Hypnotist which was something different and enjoyable.

Day 7 was another day at sea, followed by day 8 where our port of call was Barcelona in Spain. We took the disability bus after breakfast which was one of the most impressive we had ever seen, with Mum stepping onto a ramp which was raised electronically by the driver about a metre so that she could just walk onto the bus. This was good, but unfortunately the dropping off point was still a long way from La Rambla, the nearest destination advised, and by the time we reached the beginning of this walk through the town which is lined with lots of shops, Mum was flagging and I knew she could walk no further. Luckily I spotted an outdoor cafe and Mum was relieved to sit there and watch the crowds walking by. We ordered two half litre glasses of San Miguel - not cheap at 15 euros for the two - and I drank mine hurriedly in order to go walking and look for the sherry, with the waiter promising to look after Mum in my absence. It was an exceptionally warm day so Mum was quite happy to sit in the sunshine while I was gone. I was unsuccessful in my quest, the only two wine and spirits shops I found only selling the more well known sherries that one can find easily at home. By the time I got back Mum was ready to return to the ship and I was beginning to realise that going ashore was increasingly difficult for her. She was so relieved when we finally got back on board and could relax in the restaurant over a nice lunch.

Day 8 was another day at sea and on Day 9 we arrived at Livorno in Italy, which is the closest port to visit places like Pisa or Florence. We did our own thing as usual and got the disability shuttle bus into town. We had to wait ages for it and then when we got to town we were very disappointed because all the shops were designer types, very very expensive, with no bargains like one can find in our shops back home. Then when we went to the bus stop to get back we found we had a 2 hour wait for the next disability bus because the driver had gone off for lunch. We were so bored in that long wait, watching buses one after the other arrive for the able bodied. The worst was not knowing we would have to wait 2 hours, having been told another disability bus would be along soon. As you can imagine we got really annoyed at such a long wait, vowing not to even bother going ashore the rest of the cruise!
The only thing that enlightened a disillusioned day was the second show performed that night by the Royal Caribbean Singers and Dancers entitled 'Invitation to Dance.'

Day 10 we arrived at Civitavecchia which is the closest port to Rome and we decided not to bother going ashore, envisioning long walks even after taking the bus like in Barcelona, and not wanting to risk long waits for a bus to get back. Luckily it was a warm sunny day, much of which we spent up on deck.

Day 11 we arrived at Naples in Italy. From here it was possible to go across to the Island of Capri, which I would have loved to have done, but knew it was beyond capability for Mum and I did not want to leave her alone for the several hours it would have taken.

Day 12 we arrived at the island of Sardinia and although I didn't plan going ashore I changed my mind when we got up on deck 11 to sunbathe and saw how close it was. Shuttle buses were laid on to the port gates so I went ashore on my own for an hour and just browsed the Christmas market stalls on the sea front, buying a few items of jewellry that looked unusual and decorative. That evening was the best of the four shows laid on by the Caribbean Singers and Dancers called 'Under the Big Top' which was amazing with circus and trapeze.

On Day 13 we were at sea again and on Day 14 we arrived at Gibraltar which proved the most nightmarish of our trips ashore on that cruise. Whereas at other ports of call the ship arrived early morning and sailed again 7, 8 or even 9 pm, our time ashore in Gibraltar was much less, arriving around 11.30 am and sailing again at 5.30pm. This meant everyone going ashore at the same time which on a ship with well over 4000 passengers, proved a nightmare. The worst was that there were no disability shuttle buses. Even the ones classed as 'disability' had steep steps whcih Mum was unable to climb. So we decided to walk into town instead which proved awful for poor Mum. A walk which took others 15 brisk walking minutes took us over an hour as Mum had to rest every few hundred yards. Luckily there was plenty of seating although even this petered out as we got closer to the town. When we finally reached the big plaza lined with cafes from where the shopping street began Mum had had enough and we rested with cold beers for a while. Later we tackled the shops but not for long as the streets were horrendously crowded and when I found the sherry in a couple of the shops they were charging over £18 a bottle for it, so I didn't bother. We returned to the same cafe for more beers and I then had to search for a taxi which wasn't the same as the mini buses or shuttle buses and fortunately eventually found one which took us back to the ship.

On Day 15 we reached our last port of call, Cadiz in Spain which is the nearest port for Seville. I decided to go ashore on my own after breakfast and let Mum know whether I thought she could make it or not. There were no buses laid on and it involved walking out of the port gates and then about 15 minutes brisk walk to the shopping streets. I enjoyed my visit here more than anywhere else we had been and it wasn't long before I spent all the euros I had taken ashore with me. My best purchase being the sherry I had been searching for everywhere which only cost 9 euros there. (As opposed to the 6 bottles Colin was buying online for me for Christmas from an importer in London at a cost of over £90 including delivery!) I saw items that would interest Mum to buy so went back to the ship and after lunch went ashore again and bought several souvenirs for us both.

Days 16, 17 and 18 were spent at sea again and going back through the Bay of Biscay on the return was rougher than the outward crossing. At one point there was an almighty surge which made everything loose on tables crash to the floor, in cabins and also in the restaurants and bars. Anyone who bought alcohol ashore had it confiscated upon return to ship, until the end of the cruise, and several unlucky people had theirs lost when it crashed to the floor in the place where it was being stored. I was relieved that my sherry survived this after all the searching for it at the ports we had visited.

Finally on Day 19, 17th December we arrived back in Southampton and luckily got ashore at the same time as Colin arrived to collect us - lucky because with so many people disembarking it would have been a nightmare for him had he arrived too early with nowhere to park close enough. By the time we dropped Mum home and I got home too we were all home by lunchtime.

Overall, this was the most disappointing of our cruise holidays so far. Neither of us want to sail on such a big ship again, prefering medium size ships like the Balmoral which holds around 1800 passengers. Also, we didn't always like the food on the Independence and some of the evening shows were actually quite boring. Also, the fact that Mum finds it so difficult going ashore nowadays we have decided to give cruising a rest for a while. We are already booked onto another one, a cruise to the Norwegian Fjords with Celebrity cruises in June and that will be our last cruise for the foreseeable future unless Mum decides to have another knee operation making it easier for her to walk without it being such a painful process.

Since my return from Peru in February 2010 we have both been quite content with our six seaside holidays each year. In 2010 we had five holidays in Weymouth which is like our second home town plus one holiday in Minehead. Last year, 2011 we had another five holidays in Weymouth plus one in the Isle of Wight which Colin joined us on. And this year we have five more holidays in Weymouth booked and paid for as well as a week in Poole. With the cruise in June that makes 7 holidays in 2012 plus I am also contemplating a holiday in Algeria, most likely in September, staying with a family in Oran which is situated by the sea. To get there I may go by sea for a change, taking the ferry from Alicante to Oran. My friend in Algeria is coming here in the autumn, so I may coincide my visit with his, so that I can fly on the outward journey, London Heathrow to Algiers, and return along with him for company from Oran to Alicante and thence a flight to Bristol. I am looking forward to visiting Algeria as I would be staying with Khali's family, meeting his wife and three children for the first time, as well as meeting other family members all over Algeria, beginning with his Mum who lives in the mountains near Algiers. So with 8 holidays to look forward to in 2012 and a planned month living in France in 2013 it will probably be 2014 at the earliest before contemplating another cruise.

As you can imagine the cruise disaster of the Concordia came as a great shock to us both so soon after being on a similarly sized ship ourselves. It would have been incredibly difficult to get Mum up to deck level from our cabin on a listing ship and I can understand why some people didn't make it from the Concordia. Cruises are the ideal holiday for the elderly and the disabled and there are many such passengers on board all the ships I have ever sailed on. We were truly shocked and horrified at a disaster on such a major scale as the sinking of the Concordia.

Morocco and Canary Islands Cruise

Mum and I have just got back from a fantastic 2 week cruise. Our ship was the Balmoral from the Fred Olsen Cruise Line and we enjoyed every fantastic moment aboard her. And after two weeks of snowy cold weather, we were definitely looking forward to some sunshine and blue skies.

We set out on 7th December. Colin drove us to Southampton and thankfully we got there without mishap. We took our time getting there and stopped for a nice lunch on the way, reaching the docks and our ship’s berth by around 2 pm. An hour or so later we were aboard and moments later were in our cabin which was on the same deck - Deck 6 - the main deck. We had been offered an upgrade a couple of weeks before sailing and had accepted the offer as we were two decks higher than originally booked. We were very impressed with our cabin which was very spacious and had a huge picture window - although we had a picture window in the original booking it wasn‘t as big as those on Deck 6, plus the cabin was bigger. The bathroom was nice too and the only fault we could find was being allocated one with a bath tub and shower inside it as poor Mum at 82 can no longer climb into bath tubs. I said we would try and get that sorted out the next day as embarkation day was just too hectic.

The ship was due to sail at 4.30 but ended up leaving around an hour later. A couple had failed to make it to Southampton in time due to the snow and the Captain held on as long as he could. By this time we had unpacked and were venturing out to explore the ship a little bit and saw the passing scenery from ship windows rather than up on deck in the cold. There was a sailaway party up on deck with a band playing etc but we preferred to stay inside in the warm. I knew there would be other sailing parties in warmer places as we left the ports of call.

At dinner that evening we met our waiters who were lovely guys - Sanjiv from Mumbai in India and Dop from the Philippines - as well as others. We were on a round table by the long picture window and sharing with two other couples. We had been allocated the late sitting which seemed fine by me, dining at 8.30 pm, but as dinner wasn’t over until gone 10 pm we later regretted not having asked for first sitting as it was a late start for the evening shows and Mum found it hard to stay awake!

The food on offer was absolutely amazing and remained so throughout the cruise. There were no end of courses on the menu and one could choose as few or as many as one wanted. To begin with Mum and I chose nearly everything even down to the cheese board afterwards but soon dropped that after a couple of days as we never felt hungry, all the meals were so lavish and we then just picked out a few. That night’s show was called Parisian Nights and included the Can Can and we enjoyed it immensely. By the time we retired to bed around midnight we were pretty tired, where it was nice to find a chocolate on our pillows, which proved the case every night. We both slept soundly until the following morning.

The next three days we were at sea, sailing towards our first port of call at Casablanca, Morocco, on the Atlantic coast. The seas were quite calm and over breakfast I pored through the Daily Times which was a flyer telling you all that was going on throughout the day. Our waiters served breakfast but we also had the option of choosing for ourselves off the buffet which I often did as the choice was so extensive.

We further explored the boat and in the process I went to see the Customer Relations lady to ask about another cabin and once I had explained Mum’s difficulty she offered us one about 50 cabins down the corridor. She said Housekeeping would help me move but rather than wait I went ahead and moved everything myself as I had been given a temporary key to the new cabin. It was pretty exhausting moving everything and then the task of putting it all away again. I had just finished when the phone went and I was told we could not have that cabin after all! They had just been notified that it had been allocated to the couple who had missed the ship but that they were flying to Casablanca to board the ship there. Mum was really disappointed as she had already undressed ready to take a shower in the spacious walk in one! Thankfully they said we could stay in it overnight and that they would see what else they could offer the next day. Later that night there was a letter saying they had no other cabins on deck 6 and we could either stay where we were or move to a lower deck and if we chose the latter we would be offered a partial refund. We chose to move back to our original cabin so after breakfast I moved all our stuff back after Mum had had her shower. The following day they did actually manage to find an empty cabin on Deck 6 and gave us a temporary key so that Mum could have a shower in it, then later they said we could move to that cabin if we wished and we did. You can imagine how relieved I felt after unpacking for the fourth time, knowing we were there to stay!

Each day the Captain would give an announcement over the ship’s tannoy at 9am, then again at noon, telling us where we were, our bearings and headings, depth of the sea, outside temperatures etc. He was Captain Atle Knutsen from Norway, a lovely approachable man, and all of us would meet him that first evening as it was the first of three formal evenings and before dinner we were attending his Welcome Aboard Cocktail and Canape party. When I was getting ready for it I was dismayed to find I must have put on weight as I couldn’t do up the zip on the beautiful full length strappy floaty pure silk dress which I had bought from Monsoon a few months back. In the end I managed to do up the zip first and then struggle to get the straps up over my arms afterwards but it was a pretty tight fit! I love any excuse to dress up really nicely and wished I had thought to try it on before packing it as I had other beautiful long dresses at home I could have taken instead.

At lunchtimes passengers could dine in any of the four restaurants if they wished - although dinner always remained the same. Our waiters looked after us so beautifully though that we mostly stayed in the same one except when it was closed whenever we were ashore. We just missed seeing dolphins on that first day. They also served afternoon tea each day in the Palm’s Café, which was a nice informal gathering and were we were able to chat to different passengers - that is where we met Jenny and John who we liked most out of everyone we met and thereafter we looked out for them wherever we were during the days.

After tea Mum and I would go into the library and read the daily bulletin giving us a bit of news from home, and we would sometimes have a game of scrabble. There were hundreds of board games of every description for passengers to borrow and enjoy. There were also photocopies of crossword puzzles, sudokus and quizzes each day for those interested. The ship’s daily news given to us each day had a whole programme of events going on throughout the day and we hardly attended any of them as it was impossible to fit everything in. This included daily quizzes, fitness sessions, lectures and demonstrations, carpet bowls, port talks, bridge and whist sessions, crafts classes, shuffleboard, reindeer racing, darts, dance classes, golf putting, Black Jack and Roulette in the casino, chess and cribbage sessions, deck quoits, table tennis, bingo each day, Nintendo Wii sessions, all kinds of health and fitness sessions in the Fitness Centre on deck 10 and much more. One lecture we did attend was called ‘Eat More, Weigh Less’ which we went to in hopes of learning something new. Suddenly the room was full of tubs hoping for a miracle … which didn’t happen. We didn’t learn anything we didn’t know already and at the end the only way to get answers to our questions was to book a session in the Fitness Centre and pay big bucks for the priviledge.

There was live entertainment going on regularly every day and my favourite of these was the Rosario Trio who played four times a day and once I heard them I tried to get there whenever I could. They were double bass, violin and keyboard, playing mostly classical and lively Hungarian pieces. The double bass player had the most amazing voice and his rendition of Louis Armstrong’s A Wonderful World sounded just like the original. There was a band playing in the other ship’s theatre, the Lido Lounge on deck 8 but somehow we never got to get up there and hear them. The band in the Neptune Lounge, the main theatre, were called the Balmoral Orchestra, a really professional band who performed the music behind much of the cabaret shows except where another band was featured. There were two bars, on decks 7 and 11, which also had resident entertainment and we got to hear the music of one of them on our last day.

By the time we entered our second full day at sea we were in the Bay of Biscay and you could tell the difference as although seas looked fairly calm the ship began to roll more, sometimes quite heavily, and I had to hang onto Mum who felt very unsteady on her feet as she already has a balance problem and has to rely on two sticks. Overall though we were pretty lucky throughout the whole cruise as it never got worse than Force 8 which wasn’t too bad at all as the ship was brilliantly stabilised - force 8 is a 45 mph wind speed and is classed as Fresh Gale as opposed to force 9 being strong gale, force 10 being whole gale, force 11 being storm and force 12 being hurricane. That evening at dinner we were down to four diners on our table and the missing two explained later that they preferred the buffet meals in the Palms Café which they could partake of earlier. We didn’t realise straightaway that the other couple decided to do the same, so that by evening 3 Mum and I had a huge round table all to ourselves and it remained so for the rest of the cruise. We didn’t mind as people on the tables around us were very friendly and we had a lot of interaction with them. The entertainment that night was a jazz band called The Hot Rhythm Orchestra under the direction of Colin Bryant and they were very good. Before and after the shows the huge stage was lowered and became a dance floor where couples could ballroom dance and Mum enjoyed watching that too whilst we waited for the show to begin.

By the time we were into our third day at sea we could feel the difference in temperature whenever we ventured outside on deck. Showtime that night was a night of comedy with Phil Lowen which was also very enjoyable. We chose this over ‘The Wonder of Elvis’ show going on in the Lido lounge on deck 8 as being late sitting diners we could only see one or the other, whereas first sitting diners could watch first one, then the other.

On Saturday morning, 11th December we docked early at Casablanca, Morocco. Mum and I had already decided to get the shuttle bus and do our own thing, as I had been to Casablanca many years before on a cruise with one of my sisters, when we did the ship’s tour, which rushed us to so many places we could hardly enjoy any one thing and I knew that Mum would never keep up with the pace of it. So after breakfast we took the shuttle bus which itself Mum was worried about getting on as sometimes coach steps are pretty steep to climb. I always took a little fold up stool with me though to enable her to reach the first step. She soon realised there was nothing to worry about though as there were other passengers in a more disabled state, some in wheelchairs. Unfortunately where we were dropped, somewhere in the centre of Casablanca, was hectic and busy, with road works going on everywhere so even crossing roads was an obstacle course and there were no nearby shops to speak of. The pavements were broken and hazardous and someone had washed them down before we got there so they were slippery as well. The couple of shops we did find were horrendously expensive, a small hand towel for instance working out at £15 at fixed prices, not prices one could haggle over, so we didn’t buy anything. I was delighted to find an internet café and went in wanting to send a message home, only to find the keyboards were French, ie with a different layout than ours at home, and I gave up as being a touch typist it proved impossible. Although there was an internet café on board the Balmoral with lots of computers, unfortunately it too was way too expensive at £24 an hour, especially as it was a slower than usual internet service being at sea. After being ashore less than an hour we decided to go back to the ship as we were not too impressed with the part of Casablanca we had seen. There were plenty of taxi drivers offering to take us places but we didn’t want to wander off that far and have the worry of getting back. We could have gone to their famous mosque but I had seen it before and it is impressive, but Mum might have been more interested in going to a beach but we didn’t know how far away it was, so decided to play safe and go back.

Casablanca is an interesting city with an individual style, its buildings a blend of Art Deco and Neo-Moorish architecture with cupolas, belvederes, cedar wood balconies and turrets. On the edge of the sea stands Hassan II Mosque, a colossal building that dominates the city, its prayer hall capable of accommodating 25,000 worshippers, its espanade 80,000 more. Unlike other mosques, which are forbidden to non-muslims, Hassan II is open to all. The Habbous district is the home of the souks and near to the port and the city centre is the old medina area, its labyrinth of streets and alleys a magnet to those seeking the true colour of Morocco. Here can be seen coppersmiths and ironmongers, butchers and barbers and all manner of traders, bargaining in the best traditions of the country, all standing cheek by jowl with a modern, bustling city.

That night the show was Miss Fadwa and the Meknassi Orchestra, star of the 2nd World Belly Dance Championship, which unfortunately we missed as I hadn’t noticed the different time when I read the Daily Mail bulletin that day. This was local entertainment and the ship was sailing at 11 pm so obviously they had to get back ashore afterwards whereas all other entertainment throughout the cruise had the entertainers staying on board. I was really disappointed to miss it as I love belly dance shows.

So Sunday were were at sea again and being in a much warmer climate we went up on deck for a while and enjoyed some time in the sun. This was when I saw the first of the ship’s two swimming pools. I had not brought a swimsuit with me as I was not intending to swim but I was disappointed not to have suitable attire with me when I saw the Jacuzzi baths, each of which could accommodate six or more people, who looked as if they were really enjoying themselves in there. That evening was another formal evening and this time I wore a beaded cocktail dress. Our show that evening was Andrew Robley, a well known singer, accompanied by the Balmoral Orchestra which was very enjoyable.

On Monday morning we arrived at Arrecife, Lanzarote, to glorious weather so were looking forward to going ashore. We took the shuttle bus but still had a tidy walk after the dropping off point until we got to town, but it was a pretty walk with plenty of seating or walls for Mum to have a rest on at intervals until we got there. It was just heaven to be out in the sun after the weather we’d left back home. We did a bit of shopping in town, enjoyed some nice cold beers, and later found an internet café where I was able to send a couple of messages home, and then we walked back. On all our ventures ashore we were able to get back on board in time for lunch which continued each day until 2 pm. Mum was always glad to sink into her chair at lunchtime after much more than usual unaccustomed exercise! The ship sailed at 5.30 so as it was still daylight we went up on deck for the sail away party which was magic, what with the band playing, waiters circling bringing drinks, the shore receding away in the background. That night at dinner they put on their version of Olkahoma which was absolutely brilliant and made a brilliant end to a perfect day.

Arrecife, the administrative and commercial centre of the island, is founded on maritime traditions, and draws its name from the numerous reefs and volcanic outcrops and islets that abound off its shoreline. Further afield, the island offers an astonishing landscape of some three hundred volcanoes, the so-called Mountains of Fire, part of the Timanfaya National Park - all extinct of course,, with the last eruption recorded in 1824. These may be visited on excursion or by car, and it is even possible to travel part of the way by camel!

We awoke next morning in Gran Canaria and from here we were able to walk ashore. Outside the dock gates is the Castle of Light (Luz) built in 1474, whose stone walls stood beside the sea, and the Church de la Luz is one of the oldest on the island. The Parque Santa Catalina is popular for its outdoor cafes, restaurants and many shops, and at night it is a cheerful area in which to enjoy the varied nightlife.

Although it was a kilometer into town we just ambled along the waterfront sitting down to enjoy the view at intervals and enjoy the warm sunshine, and after a while we came to a huge indoor shopping centre and went in there. We did a bit of shopping on the various levels and ended up on a deck with seating upstairs and just stayed enjoying the sunshine and glorious views. Back downstairs we enjoyed another cold beer and walked back to the ship for lunch. Our entertainer at the show that evening was Michael Bacala, a virtuoso on the violin from Poland, who was absolutely brilliant - that night’s show was entitled ’Fireworks on the 4 Strings.

On Wednesday we woke up in Santa Cruz, Tenerife, and although we didn’t know it then, this was the best place for shopping of all the places we visited. The Greek writer Homer spoke of the Canary Islands as “a kingdom where winter does not exist”. Tenerife, the largest island of the archipelago, basks in glorious spring like weather all year round, and indeed it was another lovely warm sunny day for our visit ashore.

There was no shuttle bus as we were told the distance was walkable but it was a very long walk, especially for poor Mum and took us a long time as we had to stop frequently for a rest. By the time we finally reached the shops she was already exhausted so we sat at a pavement café and enjoyed a cold beer for about half an hour before we continued. This helped but unfortunately the shopping streets were all uphill. We did stay shopping for quite a while though as the shops were so interesting and we both spent a fair bit of money there and found some lovely things both for ourselves and for gifts for people back home. The long walk back nearly finished Mum off and when the waiter held out her chair in the restaurant at lunchtime she fell into it! After a nice leisurely lunch she recovered quite considerably though. And that night after dinner we went to the deck sail away party again, rather than the show in the Neptune lounge, where the Balmoral Show Company put on their tribute to Abba which was very enjoyable whilst enjoying a drink and seeing the shores of Tenerife recede in the background. One guy dancing on his own around the rim of the swimming pool got pushed in by his mate with an almighty splash which raised a laugh or two!

Next morning we awoke in Santa Cruz, La Palma, which being a smaller island we would not be staying at as long as the other ports of call. We would be sailing again at 2.30. Again the distance to town was walkable so no shuttle bus was provided. This was our last sunny day but was interspersed with a bit of rain and it was incredibly windy - still warm but so windy at times we felt we would be blown off our feet. Because of this Mum decided halfway not to go all the way into town but would slowly amble back while I did a mad dash to buy more cigarettes so that I could give a 200 pack to each of my three sons. Whilst walking I saw a Tall ship berthed called the Lord Nelson and stopped to take a photo, especially as there as a lovely rainbow in the background, when suddenly a voice behind me asked if I would like a photo with me in it … and it was our Captain from the ship who then proceed to take two pictures of me with the ship in the background, which was nice. I was only ever able to be in any of my pictures when there was someone available to take the picture as Mum doesn’t understand digital cameras and her eyesight isn’t so good these days since partially losing the sight in one of them a few years ago.

Santa Cruz is the capital of La Palma and claims to be one of the most attractive towns in the Canary Islands, with its tree lined squares and elegant houses. The most north westerly of the islands in the group, La Palma benefits from the moisture bearing north east trade winds, which enable the island to live up to its sobriquet ‘La Isla Verde’ or the Green Island. Hills surround the town on the landward side, and the main shopping and commercial area, the Calle Real, lies just behind the waterfront.

That night’s show was a kind of variety night, featuring Phil Lowen again and then Andrew Robley whose show that night was hilarious. He was dressed in a kilt and did comedy sketches and sang but the best of all was his last song, which I have only discovered since coming home is called ‘Let’s Do It’, a comedy sketch about an elderly couple, one of whom felt amorous and wanted to act on it and the other did not. Singing in the two voices it was so funny that Mum and I could hardly breathe for laughter and were rolling about in our seats. Checking out his Cds later in the shop there were 4 of them and I did not know which song was that one, and with 4 Cds of his on sale I didn’t want to buy the wrong one so didn’t, but since returning home I have checked out his website and listened to some excerpts of songs and now know which CD so will be buying it online sometime soon after Christmas.

On Friday 17th December we arrived at our last port of call - Funchal, Madeira, where unfortunately we had awful weather as it was pouring with rain. By the time Mum and I got the shuttle bus ashore it had eased off a bit. My photos were mostly taken from the bus and a few after we got off. We explored a little shopping centre and ventured out the other side to a street with a Christmas market going on but didn’t see much of that as the heavens opened and we got thoroughly soaked to the skin and decided to go back to the ship after refreshments in a little café - having been unable to find a bar for cold beers without getting even more wet. So we had an early lunch back at the ship and as the rain had died off by then decided to go back ashore again as driving away from our shuttle bus pick off point we had seen another shopping centre nearby that we missed because of the rain. Yes you have guessed it, once out of the bus and walking to that shopping centre the heavens opened again and we got soaked to the skin again, but we still explored the available shops and bought a few more souvenirs.

Funchal is the island’s capital and principal port and is a pretty place with glorious flowers, wonderful views and a romantic small town character. The streets are lined with jacaranda trees, and there is a pleasant bustling atmosphere in the shops and markets - although we did not witness this due to the rain.

One of the best ways of seeing Funchal and the surrounding area is by taking the cable car. This runs from the old part of the city and is a truly exciting way to see Funchal’s landscape. The Monte station is situated amidst very charming scenery and is near to Monte Palace tropical garden. From here you can take another cable car on a new panoramic route with extraordinary views of Funchal bay and over the river of Joao Gomes, an area of rare exotic beauty. Unfortunately the cable cars were closed that day due to the rain and windy conditions.

That afternoon we skipped tea and went to a Talent show put on by some of the passengers and this was very enjoyable. And after dinner the Balmoral Show Company put on a show called Swing Time, which was big band music from the 30s and 40s which was excellent and especially enjoyed by Mum. We then stayed on and watched another cabaret put on by crew members and didn’t get to bed until gone 1 am which is hours past Mum’s normal bedtime. She fell asleep in parts of both shows but enjoyed the bits she did see!

After Madeira we had three more whole days at sea with about 1500 miles to sail until reaching Southampton on the morning of 21st December. The weather was still rainy that first day at sea so we didn’t venture up on deck. That afternoon they put on an extra special tea with myriads of exotic cakes and pastries on two long tables with chefs lined up to serve them, all whilst listening to the beautiful music of the Rosario Trio, which was lovely. That night there was an Indian dinner buffet in Palms Café but we went to our usual restaurant as we much preferred being waited on. By this time we had got to know both waiters and grew quite fond of them as they were always willing to go the extra mile to please. For instance once they knew that Pistaschio icecream was my favourite, they ordered it in especially for me and I had a couple of scoops of it added on to whichever pudding I chose each evening. They would fetch ice for my drinks, let me choose different accompaniments to whichever main course I chose each evening, would fetch hot milk for my coffee rather than the cold milk provided on the table etc. The service was such that they could never do enough for you, even though they had so many other passengers to look after, and for that they earned a big tip from us at the end of the cruise. We had Michael Bacala, the Polish violin virtuoso again at showtime that evening who did a marvellous rendition of popular songs from around the world, which was really brilliant.

Sunday 19th December was the last of the three formal evenings, with another cocktail and canape party so that we could say farewell to the captain and I wore another cocktail dress for this, but mainly I dressed up every single evening, whether formal, informal or casual, just for the pure pleasure of dressing up more than usual. That evening there was a chef’s parade on stage in the Neptune Lounge before the show which was pretty impressive, and the show that night was a fantastic extravaganza of music and dance and wonderful costumes put on by the crew of the Balmoral, from Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippes. Every single member was from those countries, but mostly from the Phillipines, even down to all the band members and everyone down to the washer upper, the cabin maids etc. After this I had time to take Mum back to her cabin as she was tired out, and then I nipped down to take a few pictures of the gala buffet laid on at midnight … but only to take photos as there was no way I had appetite to eat anything that late.

Finally, Monday 20th, our last full day at sea and we felt sad all day knowing it was the last day of what had been a fantastically enjoyable two weeks. Also we knew we were going back to still more snowy weather and were not looking forward to that after enjoying sunny weather in our ports of call. Before dinner that evening the Balmoral Bar Department put on a Christmas carol service for us on stage, and we were all handed carol sheets to join in, and it was lovely. Afterwards every single member of the crew came on stage, over 500 of them. That night was a fantastic Christmas dinner with all kinds of extra things down to petit fours at the end, and our waiters singing some carols for us after the main course. Then the final show which was a variety show featuring all our entertainment from the cruise - Phil Lowen, Michael Bacala, Andrew Robley, Colin Bryant and his Hot Rhythm Orchestra, Bartosz Barasinski, a classical pianist who had done some recitals during the cruise, plus the Balmoral Show Company sang and danced for us accompanied by the Balmoral Orchestra, all of which was a great finale to a magnificent holiday, which Mum and I may even repeat if they put on a similar one around the same time next year. If they don’t, we quite fancy the 22 night Eastern Mediterranean cruise on a sister ship the Black Watch, which other passengers told us is just as wonderful a ship even though a little bit smaller than the Balmoral. Back at our cabin we had to put our suitcases outside for collection by porters, so we would not have to worry about them again until collection ashore at Southampton the following morning.

Even our last day, disembarkation day, was very enjoyable. We got up early in order to have time for breakfast and were ashore by 9.30 am after collecting our suitcases and arrived outside just in time for the arrival of my cousin’s husband Klaus who had come to collect us to take us to his house as they live in Southampton. It was fantastic to see first him, then my cousin Georgina again as we had not seen them for many many years. We spent a very enjoyable several hours with them, and Colin arrived around 12 noon and we enjoyed a fantastic lunch with them and several glasses of wine. It really was fantastic and we all agreed we were not going to let the years pass like that again, and have already made plans to go down and stay with them next summer and they will come up to Bath and stay with me and see the rest of the family. We finally got on the road about 3.45 pm as Colin wanted to get part of the way home before it got dark. The journey home was busy and took longer than usual because even though the roads were clear of snow, there were very long delays leading to Salisbury and beyond. In the village where Mum lives the snow was thick on the ground and we both took an arm each to help her safely indoors. And a short while later Colin dropped me off at home as well. All in all it was a fantastic holiday and we now look forward to the next one! My photos can be seen on facebook but I will try to put a link to them here on my blog if I can work out how to do it. Check this space again to see if I succeeded!

Well I have checked it out and this link should take you there:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=307746&id=652226114&l=baa3bcbead
You may have to cut and paste it into the bar at the top to be able to reach it.

Final blog entry for this Peru Visit

Well I have undertaken the first part of the long journey home and am now in Lima airport with nearly 7 hours to wait until my flight departs for Madrid tonight. We were awake early and had a light breakfast and arrived at Cusco airport before 9 am.There it was easy to check in with no crowds, and a delightful surprise to learn that I could check in for the whole trip from Cusco to Lima, from Lima to Madrid and Madrid to London and get boarding passes for all three flights. The second even more welcome news was that my luggage would be taken care of all the way to London, without me having to worry about it in Lima.

One of the cases wouldn´t close properly so I decided to get it wrapped in cellophane, where I discovered that for just 25 soles, around a fiver, it was also covered by an insurance policy all the way to London, and one could claim if the case went astray en route. Alfredo got it wrapped whilst I checked in, and when I realised about the insurance policy I paid another 25 soles and got the second case wrapped as well. Both came back well wrapped and with a big SEGURIDAD notice on it, so hopefully this means extra care will be taken getting the cases from one flight to the next all the way home. Well worth ten quid I reckon to journey halfway across the world. The two cases weighed 47.90 kilos, with the larger one weighing 27.90 so it was a relief it didn`t go over the 28 otherwise I would have had to jettison things. As it was they let me off paying excess charges on the 1.90 over the limit. Just as well that I reluctantly decided not to take the litre bottle of Pisco and litre of Goma de Jarabe. Yet again I am going home to England without a bottle of Pisco. If anyone knows where I can get it in London please let me know!!!!

We then entered a lounge but when Nohemy saw the price of a cup of coffee was in dollars instead of soles she said it was way too expensive and before I could look around she was on her way out the door! I guess she was right when 3 cups of coffee would have cost me 18 dollars. Instead we walked out of the airport and across the road and in a nice little cafe ordered three large bowls of Caldo de Gallina (a soup containing a chicken portion, whole egg, spaghetti etc, which you flavour to taste with squeezes of limon and spicy aji paste). These were a much better bargain at 5 soles each, less than two dollars per bowl, when compared with the dollar price of the coffees. They then accompanied me as far as departures and we hugged each other and said how much we would miss each other. Fortunately we can keep in touch by email and letter and with any luck I will see them again in England within the coming 6 months.

Whilst seated on the plane before it took off I took a few photos - as I had been allocated a window seat. I also took a few when the plane took off with views of the mountains. It doesn`t take long once you hit the air to leave Cusco behind and fly over uninhabited mountains. As we climbed higher we hit some quite violent turbulence as we entered the thick white clouds but luckily this did not last long.

Coming in to land in Lima just over an hour later was interesting as the plane angles out over the sea, flying quite low, so that you can see the movement of the waves below, then angles back over the dockyards and a couple of cultivated fields before coming in to land at Lima airport moments later. Here it is an extremely hot day and I could hardly wait to get some of my clothes off to cool down. As well as 4 skirts with pleated and flouncy petticoats (which feels like a crinoline there is so much material involved!), I am wearing a long sleeved top, two thick cardigans and a leather coat. This plus my heavy walking boots and socks is unbelievably uncomfortable in this heat.

Having paid the airport fee on arrival (91 soles) and phoned Alfredo and Nohemy to let them know I had got here safely, I soon found this internet cafe and will probably spend the next two or three hours catching up on all my email as once home I will have scarcely any internet access until I get around to buying a decent computer. Then a nice dinner in one of the restaurants sometime this afternoon and some time reading the two books I brought with me for the journey, until I can board the airplane for Madrid which departs at 8 pm tonight (2 am Friday British time).

My last few days in Urubamba were poignant knowing my visit here was coming to an end so soon. I was lucky in that there was no rain either in the day or night in my last days here, whether in Cusco or Urubamba, and made the most of my sunbathing opportunities knowing I was going home to really cold weather with the possibility of yet more snow. (It appears I missed a really hard winter this year).

We got up exceptionally early on Wednesday to get to Cusco early, dropping off my other suitcase at the house there and then arriving at Immigration by 8 am where I was able to get the formalities taken care of regarding slightly overstaying my permitted leave to remain - something which could have caused me considerable problems in Lima had I left it until then.

We then visited Lan offices where I realised it was a good thing I had booked my flight back in December because with the recent terrible drop in tourism with Machu Picchu closed, return flights to Lima are now available for under 50 dollars and all planes are fully booked until the end of the month. I paid 138 dollars for my single flight back in December when tourism was still booming. I was unable to book the airport lounge with them but was glad to know that because I was taking an international flight on the same date as the national one, my baggage allowance was automatically doubled. Only one case is allowed on national flights. So anyone contemplating a stayover in Lima on the way home from Cusco should be aware that the baggage allowance is half and there would be excess charges to pay on a second case.

There was another bit of a farewell yesterday when Metoya treated the three of us to a really excellent lunch as compensation for his band Trio Imperial de Cusco being unable to play for me - one of the musicians is still away on holiday and Metoya himself still cannot play his guitar due to his severely stitched finger from when he had the recent accident falling off his roof. We then all enjoyed some chilled beer on Nohemys patio and were just about to leave for Cusco when Rusbel, the hairdresser tenant arrived and treated us to cakes from the nearby cake shop. He is sorry I am leaving and said lots of people are going to miss me. He is keen to come to England and it is highly probable that when Nohemy and Alfredo come to Europe on a visit later this year that Rusbel will accompany them.

I decided not to leave the airport whilst in Lima because it isn´t a safe place like Cusco and also there is always heavy traffic and thus the risk that one might not get back in time and thus miss the flight home. I was invited for lunch with Ernesto and his family in Miraflores but reluctantly declined the kind invitation because of Miraflores being an hour away by taxi, and my fear of being delayed on the way back.

Once aboard the long flight (12 hours) I am hoping to get some sleep. I already feel tired now so I am sure I will. There is about 3 hours stopover in Madrid and then another couple of hours flight to London where I will arrive at 6 pm on Friday (which will be midnight of Friday/Saturday here). Fortunately my son Justin is collecting me from Heathrow airport because the final leg of the journey is another couple of hours by car.

So this is the end of my 2009/2010 Peru adventure and I will now be looking ahead to the next one which will hopefully take place in summer of 2011. All my photos up until 16th February are available to be seen on the old link to my photo album, reachable via the list of blog entries on the righthand side of my blog page. I hope my blog entries made interesting reading, and contained useful elements for anyone else contemplating a trip to Peru.

My last photos of this Peru trip

I hope this link works to view my photo album which is now complete. If not you can still see the pictures from the old link - scroll down the list on the RH side of my blog - which states 506 photos but in actual fact there are now 1178 covering the period October to February. A final blog entry about the trip will be written from Lima airport on Thursday.

http://www3.truprint.co.uk/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=1991123011/a=2650070011_2650070011/otsc=SHR/otsi=SALBlink/COBRAND_NAME=truprint/

Only a few days left of my visit in Urubamba

Well I have less than a week here before flying home and thought it was about time I wrote another blog entry – the next one will be the last entry covering this 2009/2010 Peru visit, and will probably be written at Lima airport on the day I fly home. I have almost 8 hours to wait at Lima before my evening flight departs and unfortunately will be unable to spend time with my friend Ernesto as he teaches that day. He invited me to take a taxi to his house to have lunch with his Dad and his girlfriend, but I am a bit wary of leaving the airport. I am hoping to book the airport lounge by visiting the main office of Lan airlines whilst in Cusco this Tuesday – I have to go to Cusco that morning to pay the fine for staying slightly over the time granted me on arrival – far better to get that formality out of the way in advance and avoid any complications or anxiety in Lima.

Since my last entry I have been to Tunupa restaurant twice, a delightful hacienda style restaurant situated on Rumichaca, a few miles outside the main centre part of Urubamba. Tunupa is situated at the top of a sloping garden which goes down to the River Vilcanota below - it is the most beautiful setting, the garden full of flowers etc with Daniel and Wilber playing their music in the open air and the artists pictures and lots of artesania on sale alongside.They have two parrots there now, untethered, so I took a few pictures but neither of them are talkers. I then proceeded into the restaurant and was pleased to see my favourite table was vacant as all the others were taken up by tour groups on the verandah terrace. Both Wilber and Daniel waved at me even though they were playing. I tucked in really well at the buffet - got the chef in charge of the ceviche to give me a big portion and had that as my starter (mixed fish and shellfish marinated in lemon juice instead of being cooked and is one of my favourite dishes here). Then I filled a plate from the hot buffet - mostly alpaca stew and a few samples of the other dishes. I struggled to finish the amount on my plate so then had a breather, and chose fresh fruit salad and coffee for afters plus you are given a free pisco sour on arrival. I really enjoyed listening to the music - there is no better setting than Tunupa with the view to the river below (and I could see where it had overflowed as there was no grass and when I saw it closer later the river had deposited a thick layer of sand over the previous grass).

Once the main lot of tourists went the musicians put a CD on and came over to chat and then we walked down to the river and took several photos - some of the ones I took of them will be included in the cover of their next CD due out next year, but I suggested that if they were to get a new cover done for the existing CD even more people would buy it as a souvenir of their Tunupa visit. Later they packed up and we walked up to the main road and waited for a passing bus which took us back to Urubamba and I then went with them to Dinnos and Daniels wife and children joined us as well as another couple of musicians and their wives and we shared a few litre bottles of coca colas first and then 3 cusquena beers and I left them at 6 pm.

One of the good things about living in the Sacred Valley is that my appetite is much smaller here, probably due to the warm climate. Also here I dont mind walking and only catch a moto if I am pushed for time or if the distance is too great - eg to Tunupa which is a 4 sole fare whereas normally anywhere within Urubamba is only 1 sol.

I´ve been to Cusco again the past two Saturdays and finally managed to find the bitters to add to pisco sour - 8 soles here whereas it would probably cost 8 quid back home. I also bought 4 jars of aji amarillo and 2 jars of pureed black mint, neither of which can be found at home - maybe the aji amarillo in London but I have never seen the black mint which is called Huacatay here. Because of having to carry these bottles and jars in my suitcase it is going to weigh them down a bit, plus I have a package for Aquiles and another for Mabel from Nohemy, so it will mean leaving a lot of my clothes here. I certainly dont want to pay any excess charges on the way back and will just dump stuff at the airport if either case is overweight. I just hope they dont sting me on the flight from Cusco to Lima as normally on internal flights only one case is allowed. I hope allowance will be made for the fact I am taking an international flight the same evening. I also bought 25 sachets of assorted fruit drinks each of which makes up into 2 litres and are delicious if chilled in the fridge. The one item still to find is the Hamilton Light cigarettes as I have promised to take 300 back for Aquiles for his birthday and want to take some back for my sons as well. They only sell cigarettes in supermarkets in packets of 5.

My second visit to Tunupa was also enjoyable although poignant as it was the last time – with only two clear days next week left there won´t be time to go there again. Looking at the view from the verandah and enjoying the warm sunshine felt especially exquisite knowing I wouldn´t see this again for well over a year. At Tunupa there were less than a dozen other people dining. The whole of Cusco is suffering from lack of tourists - with Machu Picchu closed for another couple of months tourists are not coming to Cusco so all the restaurants and hotels are suffering - both there and here in the Sacred Valley. There are hotels and restaurants actually closing and the musicians are suffering too. No one bought their CD today. I bought one at a previously agreed price of 10 soles and with this they were able to eat afterwards. After leaving Tunupa I popped home for an hour and then met them again in one of the cafes and we shared a litre of inka cola followed by a couple of beers which I paid for as they were so skint - the whole lot only cost me about 1.70.

Last night was enjoyable because Daniel had arranged a bit of a get together at his house so that I would have some kind of farewell party. His wife Nohemy came and collected me mid afternoon, bring a large bunch of flowers as she had visited her Mum´s chacra that day and she decided to pick some for me. Back at their house in the countryside on the outskirts of Urubamba we cooked the soup for supper – one of my specialities so that Nohemy could learn how to make it too. We were then watching a dvd of Kalamarka live in concert when Daniel and several other musicians arrived home and we spent an enjoyable few hours sharing beers both before and after the food, listening to andean music for a while and then later some of them got their instruments out and played for me which was great. And Nohemy strapped a pretty bracelet of blue stones on my wrist saying she wanted to give me a present as I was leaving so soon. I stayed until 11 pm and then Daniel accompanied me home, retaining the same moto to get back in as they are pretty scarce at that time of night. Many of the musicians are going on a tour of the Northern beaches and are leaving in a day or two so it was nice to have the opportunity to say goodbye before they go. With tourism so low they are really struggling to make ends meet and hope to fare better by playing as a band in places where people are holidaying, it being the height of summer here right now.