Barcelona in June/July 2014

On 23^rd June I flew to Barcelona to stay with my friends Ivan and Claudia. I took an early evening flight, arriving in Barcelona just after 9.30 pm. After collecting my case I found the airport bus stop outside and got on the A2 which whisked me to Plaza Catalunya in about half an hour for just 6 euros.

On arrival in the Plaza, Ivan and Claudia were there waiting for me and in no time we were on a night bus heading to their apartment in Rambla de Prin. It was great to see them and our visit to the apartment was a quick one to drop off my case, swig a quick beer and then get on another bus to the beach. At the time of booking my flights I had forgotten about the Festival celebrating San Juan. I would have booked an earlier flight had I remembered!
All over the city - in fact everywhere in Spain - people were letting off fireworks and you could smell the gunpowder in the area. Some of them were really loud too. Ivan told me that every family would have spent at least 50 euros on fireworks so you can imagine what it was like. On arrival at the beach, the one near the piers, we were amazed how crowded it was. We found a good spot close to the sea’s edge, spread out two large blankets, lit a load of candles, made ourselves comfortable and really enjoyed the celebration. They had brought a huge San Juan celebration cake and a bottle of pink champagne with them which we enjoyed whilst listening to music and enjoying everyone else’s fireworks as well as our own. We didn’t get back to the apartment from there until just before 5 am, just about 24 hours since I got up the previous day, so I was quite tired by then.
We spent a quiet leisurely day at home the next day as we got up late, and then enjoyed a few good films on television, which was ideal as we watched them in the original English version, along with Spanish subtitles, which suited them as they are learning English. Although my Spanish is quite good, I do still get lost following films in Spanish as they speak so quickly.

On Sunday we did lots of walking - visited a little city farm not far from their house. On the way we came across a man who was feeling faint and we helped him to a nearby seat and Ivan crossed the road to a supermarket to buy water for him. We managed to get hold of his wife by phone and she came to fetch him. What amazed me afterwards was that just 2 days later the supermarket was held up by 3 gun men, which is a very unusual event. There are occasional robberies but usually with a knife, not guns. We heard that a retired policeman was injured during the robbery and that the culprits had been caught. Also in another local shop I managed to find aji Amarillo, a Peruvian chilli spice that I am running out of and not easy to find even in London. I bought two jars and later bought two more so won’t be running out again anytime soon.
At the city farm a kind lady showed us round. All the plants growing are tended by disabled or challenged children and young adults. Although there used to be lots of animals as well, nowadays there is just a few ducks, geese and chickens and a few goats and a couple of sheep. After the farm we walked to an ancient church which is approximately 1000 years old (11^th century). It was an incredibly hot day so that even I was seeking out every possible bit of shade. We finally ended up in a new Carrefour restaurant to do a bit of shopping before heading home for a late lunch (more like tea time!) This was the third supermarket I had been in and I was especially amazed at how cheap beer and wine is compared to back home. I bought rioja rose several times at around 2 euros a bottle and it was delicious. You could also get packs of six 330 ml beers for around the same price.
During my 12 days in Barcelona they showed me lots of interesting places and we had two wonderful days on two different beaches. The first time we walked down to the beach from a huge plaza with the beach on one side and we could see the yacht marina on the other. We had gone armed with everything we could possibly need, a beach tent, blankets, a parasol, a large delicious picnic, beers etc. Claudia and I stayed on the beach until about 8 pm, rejoining Ivan later who throughout my stay was watching various football matches of the World Cup in local bars. When we finally left the beach we went looking for the bar he was in, couldn’t find it, and ended up in a fantastic Arabian Restaurant and Bar, phoned Ivan and he came and joined us. I had a delicious cold beer while they enjoyed a pot of mint tea and watched the end of the game. Ivan didn’t even mind that the commentary was in Arabic!
On the Monday after my arrival we went by bus to a huge market area called Encants. This used to be a huge street market but they have now had a huge area built so that all vendors have their own stall. This is covered by a huge roof mirrored on the underside. I was very impressed with what was on offer and bought a number of items, but what thrilled me the most was a stall selling tunics and tops in various shades of pale pink, ivory, white, denim blue and taupe, all lavishly adorned with crochet or lace. I bought one blouse but fully intended to go back another day and explore everything on that stall. We stayed until the market closed at 8 pm by which time Ivan had rejoined us from the latest football match on screen, making our way back home to cook dinner. I cooked a few times during my stay but the rest of the time Claudia cooked some really delicious meals. Even some of the breakfasts she prepared were unusual and really delicious.
Overall I was really impressed with Barcelona which is a really modern, cultural and vibrant city. The transport system is amazing and much cheaper than home. A ticket costing 10 euros gives 10 bus journeys, each ticket valid for 75 minutes so even changing buses twice on any journey, the total cost per person is only one euro. This ticket also allows you to travel by underground or on the trams. I especially enjoyed the trams but these were mainly available in the centre. I was amazed at how wide the roads are - with roads either side going in opposite directions, with a lane or two as well as parked cars. Then in from these a cycle track going in each direction and down through the centre a wide walkway, avenued by trees with benches every 20 metres, little park and amusement areas for children, and other children enjoying skating or skateboarding on such smooth surfaces. Above in the trees a variety of birds could be heard, including some green parrots who also live wild and free. For local people, there are cycles for which an annual fee of 45 euros is paid and using a card, cycles available all over the city. Ivan often travelled this way. There were also similar cycles, pay as you go, for tourists use.
I was impressed with the architecture of the buildings. The most impressive one of all is the Sagrada Familia cathedral which has been over 100 years being built and is still going on. The current estimate is that it will be completed in 2030. We also visited another Cathedral on a different day and were lucky to be able to go inside for free which only happens occasionally. Unfortunately it was closed soon after so we only got to take one photo inside but I believe it included the beautiful rose window. Prior to visiting that church we had gone to a Latin American shop, which was laid out with products by country - Mexico, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia. Claudia and I bought some very interesting items, but sadly for her she dropped her pot of guava jam on the steps of the cathedral and by the time we cleaned it up we only had less than 10 minutes to view the inside. We later rejoined Ivan in a local bar and caught the last of the football match, and then found an Italian restaurant where we enjoyed some Italian tapas and cold beers.
There were Ramblas (avenued walkways) all over Barcelona but the most touristic one is called Las Ramblas which starts by the harbour area and goes right up through the town to the centre. We walked it in reverse one evening, ending up by the harbour. If you are able to access my timeline on Facebook, there are around 130 photos of my visit to Barcelona viewable.

Just over a week after my arrival, on the Saturday, there was another big festival - The Pride of the Gays - centred around Plaza Espana. Claudia and I went into the shopping centre called Arenas (Sands) which used to be a bull ring but has since been transformed into a modern shopping centre on several levels, the last one being a dome with a walkway all round the outside with amazing views. There is another bull ring in Barcelona which now that bull fights are banned has been converted into a Mosque.
Then we went down to the Plaza where the Gays parade was going on. It was very crowded and many of the gay men were dressed as really beautiful ladies in towering high heels and very elegant dresses. Ivan rejoined us after the match and we spent several hours making our way through the crowds until we arrived at Montjuic, where we climbed several escalators leading up towards the palace with fountains everywhere but on one of the topmost levels below the last fountain area below the palace, we were thrilled to watch the display of fountain sprays, and colour, hundreds of water outlets spraying in diverse directions, changing colour and all set to music. We stayed watching that for well over an hour and by the time we finally got home it was around 3 am as we stopped in a café bar and had bacon and cheese toasted sandwiches before the long bus journey home.
The day after this we decided to go to the beach again, the one near the yachting school, and we enjoyed Sunday lunch in a covered open-air restaurant. I chose delicious spicy fried chicken breast slices with salad and chips. The restaurant is situated by the edge of the nudist beach and we could see a few people from our table! I loved this beach and we found a good spot near the sea’s edge and Claudia and I walked along the seashore although it wasn’t easy, what with the beach sloping quite steeply into the water and one’s feet sinking a few inches into the sand as we strolled along. We enjoyed several hours on that beach and although we intended to go back there another day, somehow we ran out of time.
One of the bars we went into, near the wax museum, was called the Fairy Wood, and was decorated like an enchanted forest with fairy lights and trees. We saw other Plazas, the Arc de Triomphe, several parks. One evening we went to see Ivan’s Mum who lives in an apartment building 7 floors up near Plaza Espana with amazing views. She really looked after us, filling a table with lots of delicious snacks for us including jamon iberico, delicious goats cheese, salted almonds and cashews, crisps, almond cakes, rustic bread, and ice cold beers. When we left we took two bird cages with us, one containing a finch and the other a canary, so that I could enjoy their singing during the remainder of my stay. I was really charmed by the little finch which is one Claudia rescued from being eaten by a seagull earlier in the year and which doesn’t even mind being held by her. And the canary sang beautifully, especially when outside on the balcony.
A couple of days before my journey home we went back to Encants where I bought three more pink crochet tops, a khaki crochet skirt, a long colourful tunic. We also went into some Chinese mini markets and bought useful items and I stocked up on a few groceries not easy to find back home, including fig jam, fine breadcrumbs mixed with parsley, used for making homemade croquetas, wild boar pate, Crema Cataluña liquer. I also bought canary grass seed, one and half kilos of it, from a health food store. This version is okay for human consumption and Claudia knows how to prepare it to make a milky drink which partaken daily lowers chloresteryl and aids weight loss. Who knows, maybe I can lose a bit more weight!
On my last day I got up at 4.30 am as I knew it was a long journey to get to the airport and I wanted to be there by 8.30, roughly two and half hours before my flight. We left the house at 7 am, and it was pouring with rain with thunder and lightning and quite a long walk to the nearest metro station which was the quickest way to get to Plaza Cataluna. However, by the time we exited the metro in the Plaza, the storm had passed over at least. Soon I was on the A2 bus and kissing Claudia goodbye and on my way to the airport. My Easyjet flight was going from terminal 3 and I got there in plenty of time. Unfortunately my case was 3 kilos overweight which cost me 39 euros, the money I had set aside to buy ciggies for my sons. Due to that I was unable to buy the cigs, having only 10 euros left to buy a snack on the plane! By 10.30 I was in my seat on the plane but due to some problem with flight deck instruments we were unable to take off at our allocated time. The problem had to be checked out which meant we were on the tarmac quite some time, although they kept the engines running so that the air conditioning was on. We finally took off about 45 minutes late and had a smooth flight home. I was just glad that the pilot didn’t tell us the reason for the delay until we were halfway home as I am sure I wouldn’t have been the only one worrying otherwise! Colin met me at the airport and we were soon on our way home. I had a few hours at home to unpack and unwind before going out that evening. I am now looking forward to three more Weymouth holidays this summer and maybe another visit to Barcelona within the next six months.

Cruising in the English Channel, Bay of Biscay and Atlantic - September 2013

On 4^th September Mum and I went on another cruise, this time accompanied by Andrea, my sister in law, and her mother Lil - the last time the four of us had cruised together was in 2007 when we did a Mediterranean cruise on the Marco Polo.

For Mum and me it was our second time on the MSC Opera as we cruised to the Norwegian Fjords on her in June last year and enjoyed ourselves so much that the same weekend of our return from there we booked again, and persuaded Andrea and her Mum to join us this time.

We set off early with Colin driving us to Southampton and as per last time the procedure for getting on board was very quick and straight forward and in no time we were checking out our cabin on deck 8. I phoned Andrea and she was only 15 minutes away and soon we were meeting up and enjoying a nice lunch in the informal buffet style restaurant on deck 11. Our only disappointment was that although given practically adjoining cabins at the time of booking, we found that we had been allocated cabins on opposite sides of the ship, which meant that with so many sets of lifts we often failed to meet up at the right one until we had learned to find our way about.

At 4pm shore time (5pm ship time) we sailed. Just prior to this we had to go through the usual drill of fetching our life jackets and assembling by our allocated life boat. Once this was out of the way we were able to get up on deck 11 and see the ship sail out of Southampton which is always an enjoyable experience.

In the early evening we enjoyed a nice show in the theatre which proved to be a variety show with various events including acrobatics, strong man events, singing and dancing. In fact all the shows throughout the cruise were explosive dance events with different themes and incredible costumes.

At dinner we met the waiters who would be looking after us and enjoyed making their acquaintance - the head one being a guy from Indonesia plus two Indian guys from the Goa region. As always the food was really excellent and we were looking forward to ten such days aboard.

The following morning I was up early and up in the gym by 7 am. I find that a good session in the gym at start of day offsets all the food being consumed later on. The gym is situated right at the front of the ship and instead of looking out of the window at passing traffic as per the gym I belong to back home, it was great to see the sun rise over the sea instead and made pounding that treadmill that much more interesting!

Back at the cabin Mum was nearly ready and soon we were joining Andrea and Lil for an excellent breakfast served in the restaurant. We had the choice of waiter service and choosing from a menu or going upstairs to the buffet style restaurant and we all preferred the waiter service as it is so nice being pampered like that three times a day!

At 10.30 am we were cleared to go ashore at our first port of call - Ijmuiden, which is the closest port to Amsterdam in Holland, but with only 7 hours and it being a fair distance to Amsterdam itself we decided not to bother going ashore on this occasion. To get there on the ship’s coach and then doing Amsterdam on our own would have cost 30 euros each which seemed a high price to pay for just a few hours there, really expensive for what amounted to a 40 minute bus ride each way. It was a fine sunny day and we enjoyed ourselves up on deck, sunbathing, sessions in the Jacuzzi and we befriended a nice couple, Len from Hemel Hempstead and his wife who was in a wheelchair since her brain tumour a few years before. Before we met up with Andrea and Lil for lunch I saw him again and he said he was paying 150 euros to go to the closest town for some shopping - an 8 seater taxi with room for the wheelchair and offered for us to join him but it was arriving in 20 minutes and I knew it was impossible to gather up the others in time to join them so sadly had to decline.

That evening we enjoyed an international show with the incredible tenor voice of Stefano Rigon, Mezzo Soprano voice of Michaela Pope and pianoforte player Angrey Angelov and violinist Lora Petrova which was really beautiful - we especially enjoyed the voice of Stefano Rigon who sounded as good as any tenor voice we had heard previously. Afterwards we enjoyed another excellent dinner with lots of fun rapport with our waiters. Dinner usually ended about 10.30 pm and Mum and I retired to our cabin then but Andrea and Lil stayed up longer and enjoyed karaoke or live music in some of the bars or various dance or party events going on in the various lounges. There were cinema showings and events going on all day, notably dance lessons for everyone both in the lounges and up on deck, competitions or lectures - shopping events which varied daily, spa sessions on offer up in the beauty salon etc, cookery demonstrations; in short something going on all day for everyone.

On day 3 we sailed into St Peter Port in Guernsey at 2 o’clock in the afternoon. This was the only port where we had to get into a tender to get to shore and Mum was really apprehensive of this. The water was quite choppy as we went down the ship’s ladder and boarded the tender boat but there were men there to help and we got Mum aboard without difficulty although she was very worried about getting out of it when we reached the shore at Guernsey! It looked a high step up to the jetty but by the time everyone had got off and we were the last the boat had bobbed up much closer to the jetty and she got ashore without any difficulty. It was a glorious sunny day and we walked admiring the harbour and did some shopping, finally enjoying some ice cream milkshakes in a café before reboarding the tender and returning to the Opera. These photos can be seen on my facebook page for anyone interested in viewing them.

The following day we knew we would be at sea all day as with 610 nautical miles until our next port of call of Vigo in Spain we would not get there until the morning of 8^th September. When the ship is at sea it is too windy to sunbathe for long although we did spend some time on deck in sheltered areas and I had another session in the Jacuzzi - these were very popular as the water was very warm, a sharp comparison to the water in the swimming pools which was pretty cold and those who ventured in did not swim for long. As before I began my day in the gym and we enjoyed all that day’s meals, enjoying some fun events watching competitions in the lounges.

That evening we would all be meeting the captain and having our photo taken with him, with everyone dressing up for dinner for the first of three formal evenings during the cruise. I wore the beautiful gold embroidered black dress sent to me by Khali’s wife Lila. Khali was on holiday in England for nearly 6 weeks and I had spent some time sightseeing around London with him and his son Nadir, plus they had visited me in Bath just before the cruise. I was glad to have an opportunity so soon to wear that beautiful dress which is too ornate to wear unless at a very formal occasion. Afterwards we enjoyed another magnificent show this time on a Bollywood theme, including more acrobatics, and then another superb dinner.

We arrived at Vigo on Sunday and were warned by our waiter that most of the shops would be closed but he told us about a Sunday market worth a visit and a short chat with some nearby taxi drivers we were soon in one of them being taken to it. We really enjoyed our couple of hours spent in that market. Between the four of us we bought about 8 handbags, three of us bought Chanel perfumes and I bought a couple of cardigans as well. We took a chance paying 30 euros each for the perfumes but they did in fact later prove to be the genuine article, albeit perhaps having been stored on a shelf for a long time, hence the low price - 30 rather than about 110 euros.

Vigo is the largest city in Galicia and we enjoyed some lovely sunshine during our visit there. With our next port of call being Lisbon in Portugal we could see that the further south we went the warmer it was getting, plus we were very lucky that the whole time in the Bay of Biscay the sea was as calm as a mill pond - in sharp contrast to the terrible storm we endured there on the Marco Polo 6 years previously.

Andrea and Lil went ashore at Lisbon and Mum and I decided to stay on board having been there before - also we had spent rather a lot of euros in Vigo so had no desire to go shopping. It was the hottest day of the cruise and I had to put Mum in the shade up on deck - beside an icecream machine and I was next to her but in full sunshine. We enjoyed the warm sunshine all day, only going down to the restaurant for meals. Andrea and Lil had a great time ashore and only returned to the ship about an hour before it was due to sail again. The show that night was a Mime show and proved to be really boring, and lots of people walked out in the middle. Another excellent dinner afterwards made up for it though.

10^th September we were at sea all day again what with there being over 500 miles between Lisbon and Bilbao, our next port of call. It was another formal affair in the evening and I wore a beautiful silk Monsoon dress that I had bought some years ago intending to slim down and it is only since losing weight over the past year that I got slim enough to be able to wear it. In fact I wore it on my birthday this year for the very first time.

I remember arriving at Bilbao on the ferry boat from Portsmouth from all those times I went there camping in France with Colin and the children when they were small. Rather than drive all down through France we took the ferry which was like a mini cruise with two nights at sea and back then we’d come off the ferry at Bilbao straight into rush hour traffic before the 80 or 90 mile drive over the border into France and arriving at our campsite Le Rousseau in Bidart, near Biarritz. We had three wonderful campsite holidays down there back in the 80s.

We caught the shuttle bus into the city centre (even that cost 13 euros each! Nothing was cheap regarding shore excursions!). We were dropped in the centre and from there got a taxi to the old town and walked around a few shops there. We almost got caught up in a protest march and had to sit in the taxi until the crowd had dispersed before we could be driven there. We found a small bar and all enjoyed a cold beer before getting the taxi and then the shuttle bus back to the ship, arriving there in time to still enjoy lunch. I enjoyed actually seeing Bilbao and it seemed to be a lovely cosmopolitan city complete with metro service. I would like to go back there again one day with more time to explore. We spent the remainder of the afternoon on deck in the sunshine before the ship sailed. The show that evening was a love theme and featured the lovely tenor voice of Stefano Rigon again which we all enjoyed.

12^th September was another day at sea and there were various bazaar events thoughout the day and we bought souvenirs and enjoyed another formal affair in the evening, including the parade of the waiters with the baked alaskas and we were given a glass of sparkling wine each with our dinner

On 13^th September we arrived at our last port of call - Le Havre in France. We arrived at 9 am and had the longest time there until sailing at 9 o clock in the evening. After breakfast we went ashore as there was a regular free shuttle bus service running all day, stopping first in the centre of town, and then at a shopping mall.

We decided to stay on the bus and get off at the shopping mall. We spent ages in a beautiful garden centre buying souvenirs and before leaving went into a supermarket where I bought three different Basque cheeses (my favourite cheese) and two pots of jam (violet fig and redcurrant flavours), using up the last of my euros.

When we caught the bus back, Andrea and Lil decided to stay on it and go to the centre, but Mum and I returned to the ship. Unfortunately at almost 85 Mum cannot manage much walking these days. We arrived in time for lunch and spent part of the afternoon on deck and the latter part relaxing in our cabin as the weather had gradually got cooler since sailing away from Lisbon.

That evening we had dinner at the usual time and the show took place afterwards due to the later sailing time.
It was Lil's birthday and dinner was enlivened with the delicious cocktails Andrea had ordered for us and later on the  waiters joined up to sing Happy Birthday to her and present her with a nice cake. It made our last evening extra special. The show was a wonderful classical Italian one with our favourite tenor singing again. That night in the English Channel was the only rough weather of the cruise, as during the night it was quite choppy and kept poor Andrea awake. Rough seas never worry me; in fact I quite enjoy being rocked to sleep when snug in my bed! On Saturday 14^th September we arrived back at Southampton and had a nice breakfast and by 9.30 am Colin had arrived to collect us and we were soon on our way home having thoroughly enjoyed the holiday. That will probably be the last cruise for a while though because my plan next year is a 3-week visit to Algeria. Whilst Khali was staying in London I went with him to the Algerian embassy and we ascertained that if I go there in person next year with all the right documentation, I will definitely be granted a visa. It will be wonderful spending 3 weeks with Khali and his family who have promised to take me all over the country, including the Sahara desert. All being well I will be going there in early June next year, and after that my plan is to spend a month in China with Shumei. She lives in Zheng Zhou which is about a 2 hour flight from Beijing. By then Ben might be back living in China and they have promised to show me lots of different sights. Hopefully before that visit I can learn a bit of Mandarin. If Mum and I go cruising again it probably won’t be for a couple of years and her favourite one was the Norwegian Fjords so we’d probably go back there.

A wonderful camping excursion to the Isle of Skye

At 11 o clock last Sunday evening Ben and I set off for the Isle of Skye. We drove all night stopping only near Glasgow so that Ben could have a bit of rest before continuing to our destination. I enjoyed a large cappuccino and almond croissant while he did a bit more research on his iPad regarding the places we hoped to visit. An hour or so later we continued our journey and before long we were enjoyed the glorious scenic views of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. From this point onward the beauty of the scenery was incredibly breathtakingly beautiful and we were stopping at very frequent intervals in order to take photos.

 

 We were so glad we had travelled by night as we arrived at this point just as it was getting light and even that early knew we would enjoy a nice sunny day. Whereas we had driven fast up until here, thereafter we took our time in order to appreciate the glory of it all. Take a look at the first photo in my Skye album on face book which shows the beauty of the loch just as it is getting light! Eventually we came to Fort William which is a gateway to the highlands of Scotland and we stopped at a large Morrisons store for a good breakfast and stocked up on a few provisions. Much later we arrived at Kyle of Lochaisch and were soon crossing the Skye Bridge to reach the island itself. All the way from Loch Lomond to this point the scenery was ever changing and amazing with high mountains shrouded in mist, including Ben Nevis, and glens as well as all those fantastic lochs. The Cuillin Mountains include Black Cuillin and Red Cuillin and some mountains are flat topped and extinct volcanoes. A bit further on we came to Eilean Donan Castle which is a really picturesque castle perched on the side of a loch and much used as a backdrop in filming, on pictures of boxes of highland shortbread at Christmas etc.

 

We had already looked on the internet for a suitable campsite but ended up at a different one at Dunvegan in the early evening, close to the Castle in the Northern part of the island, in a beautiful loch side setting and with good facilities. After crossing the Skye Bridge we had noticed a distinct change in the weather and by the time we came to set up camp it felt like gale force winds and Ben had to stand on one end of my tent while I hammered in the tent pegs to hold it down. Even then I didn’t trust the pegs to hold it and weighed it down with our camping chairs and table to be on the safe side! The wind was so strong it was practically flattening the tent to the ground so I was hoping it would not rain! After such a long drive Ben was very tired so he settled down to sleep and I read my book while it was still light. After the disaster with his tent in West Wales he came better prepared this time, sleeping on the mattress of my dining room futon, in the back of his car which is long enough to sleep, with him on one side and all our stuff piled on the other.

 

Dunvegan Castle is perched on a rock by the seashore on Loch Dunvegan and Mighty Loch Bracadale, Loch Dunvegan and Loch Snizort cut their way into the landscape of north west Skye and create the most dramatic vista of land and sea to be found anywhere in the British Isles. In fact we soon discovered that spectacular scenic delights abound in North East Skye. It is an island of dramatic contrasts and includes the bizarre land formations of the Quiraing and Trotternish Ridges. About 7.30 pm I decided to settle down to sleep as well, having only had a couple of short naps on the long journey, so got changed keeping my clothes on for warmth and putting my pyjamas on top and was soon fast asleep too. I thought that was it for the night, but about 8.30 Ben awoke as he was hungry and wanted to go and look for a nice place for dinner. We drove to Portree which is probably the largest town on Skye, in the centre, and the satnav took us on a cross country route of 18 miles over moorland on single track roads with passing places and sheep everywhere. We soon realised this is a feature of island life, the sheep being allowed to roam at will. In Portree we came across an Indian restaurant first and decided to eat there although the food was nowhere near as good as in Indian restaurants back home. Back at the campsite I slept surprisingly well as I was well sheltered from the wind once the tent was zipped closed and the wind died down in the night and it luckily did not rain.

 

The following day was much calmer and dry with some sunny spells. The shower facilities were excellent, even with hair dryers, and we just had cereals for breakfast and some fruit and then Ben was keen to begin several different walks as depicted in a book loaned to him by the campsite owner. I decided to accompany him on the first walk which was about 3 miles, a circular walk, taking in a delightful coral beach, but my walking boots proved to not be waterproof and I found it quite heavy going, so thereafter decided to rest up instead while Ben did more walks over more difficult terrain. After the Coral Beach walk we drove to Portree again and ended up enjoying haddock and chips for lunch which was delicious. Then driving to different parts of the Northern part of the island Ben did two further walks while I rested up in the car doing crossword puzzles or reading my book. One of the walks began at a place called Fairy Glen which had such unusual land formations that you could easily imagine it was inhabited by fairies!

 

Back at Dunvegan in the evening we found most of the restaurants were full. One we stopped at en route I was glad they were too full because it looked very expensive! It was third time lucky when we found a bistro in Dunvegan itself where we both enjoyed a luxurious fish chowder accompanied by delicious crusty bread. Back at the campsite later it was much much calmer, the loch almost like a mill pond, and I slept really well. Ben stayed awake longer and did some star gazing. Apparently the northern part of Skye is one of the darkest places in Europe, especially at Waternish which we visited later, where an amazing amount of constellations can be seen and blessed with minimal light pollution the island is perfect for star gazing. These include Cepheus, Cassiopeia, Camelopard is (The giraffe), Perseus, Pegasus, Triangulum, Aries, Auriga, Pielades and Jupiter.

 

Wednesday was another quite calm day and dry so we paid for a 3rd night. Ben did three walks that day but I rested up as my back was aching a bit from sleeping on the hard ground (Although I had brought a different air bed with me, the pump did not fit the nozzle so I could not inflate it! I thought my camping days were over at least 6 years ago, so these things had not been used since back then.) Driving to each of these walks involved long drives all over the north part of the island, so that we probably covered a large part of it. The coastal road north from Portree to Staffin passes the Storr lochs and Lochs Fada and Leathan, which feed the island’s small hydro-electric station. The first walk took us to Neish Point where there is a light house, which is a great place to see many varieties of sea birds. It is situated at the most westerly point in Skye and has some of the most magnificent cliffs in the Hebrides towering to over 1000 feet and home to the golden eagle.

 

The weird rock formations of the Quiraing are like nothing seen anywhere else in Skye or even the whole of Scotland. After the steep and tortuous climb over the Quiraing the road winds through moorland and peat bogs before rejoining the coast road for the long drop into Uig. Ben’s second walk that day took him to a remote point and involved the long downward steep climb. We had difficult parking as it was obviously a popular walk, and some damage was done to the underneath of his car when he parked partly off road which worried me later as anytime we went over rougher roads something felt as though it was dragging on the road. We had to be so careful thereafter and I was already worrying that we would never make it all the way home to Bath without mishap.

 

He was gone ages on that walk and I was sure glad I had not accompanied him as he went wrong and ended up going a long way down and ended up miles from his car. He had to hitchhike a ride back as it was such a steep hike back. I never would have coped with that. The third walk was to the Old Man of Storr a few miles north of Portree. It is a huge pinnacle of rock standing in front of the Storr Ridge which rises to around 2300 feet. Ben climbed right to the base of this pinnacle and said the wind up there was scary and fierce and he had a struggle not to be blown away and the sound of the wind was so eerie and weird it quite unnerved him.

 

By the time he had completed all three walks which involved over 100 miles of driving in between them, it was getting dark as we headed back to Portree to look for a restaurant for dinner. We ended up at a lovely restaurant just off the main square of the town and before going in we enjoyed watching a display of Scottish band and dancers for a while until it began to rain. This restaurant was called The Granary and was excellent. I chose Moroccan lamb and he chose a rack of lamb. He enjoyed all three courses but I just had the one as it was quite expensive. We got back to the campsite around 10.30 pm and although raining and windy on the loch shore I had another comfortable night’s sleep.

 

Our plan on Thursday had been to spend the whole day exploring as much as possible of the South part of the island but sadly we woke up to rain and the forecast was bad for the rest of the day so we packed up the tent and said goodbye to our friendly campsite owner who told us even worse weather was on its way but that he could guarantee that it would be sunny once we crossed the Skye Bridge. Despite the dull cloudy weather and occasional rain we enjoyed the scenery all the way to Kyle of Lochaish, passing many mountains in the south part of the island. We parked about a mile from the Skye Bridge on the sunny side and Ben went off with his tripod and camera while I looked for a nearby coffee shop and enjoyed a large cappuccino and then went to investigate about the glass bottom boat trips.

 

We met back at the car just in time to get tickets for the 2.15 excursion and enjoyed the trip immensely. The first half was spent checking the various bird life and then the seals basking on small islands and the second half of the trip we all trooped downstairs and through glass windows could see the sea bed with huge jelly fish floating by, assorted fish, crabs and starfish and amazing plant life. It was the first time I had ever had such a close up view of the sea bed and was immensely enjoyable. Back on land afterwards we headed for a seafood delicatessen where I enjoyed a dish of langoustine tails. Ben chose whole langoustines and scallops and ate his raw! He said they were delicious raw. I made sure mine were cooked though before buying them!

 

Another nice cappuccino and I was ready to hit the road again as we were anxious to press on towards Fort William and find a campsite. As it happened we didn’t get even halfway to Fort William before finding what appeared to be a great farmland campsite where it was laid out so that each camper had good privacy and even its own camping table and bench set, under trees. The showers were really luxurious. We had a picnic for supper at that table and then proceeded to have a game of scrabble but soon had to retire to the car to continue as Ben was being bitten to death by midges. During the week he collected around 1000 midge bites all over his arms, legs, hands and neck with at least 100 on his face alone. I was lucky to escape with only 3 bites on the last day.

 

We woke to another dry day and it was sunny but by the time we packed up to leave it was already deteriorating. We headed to Fort William intending to have breakfast there but on the way came across the Corriegour Hotel which said it was open to non residents and decided to have breakfast there. The dining room faced over the loch and the breakfast was fantastic with waiter service and crisp white linen on the tables. I enjoyed some really luxurious muesli topped with juicy figs, prunes and apricots, followed by a full Scottish breakfast and warm toast. They brought the toast twice so that each time we could enjoy it warm and I had orange juice and a huge carafe of coffee. Although £15 each it was worth every bite and quite reasonable when compared to spending a night there which would have been £125.

 

At Fort William we only intended to buy antihistimine cream for Ben’s bites but as the weather was still drizzly and dull we decided to do a couple of hours shopping instead of our original plan to press on to Glenfinnan and Moraig. I bought a beautiful butterfly ring made from semi precious stones and a fleece lined tartan blanket whereas Ben bought things for future camping including a stove and mess tins which would have been really handy had we got them earlier. The things I miss most when camping is not being able to brew up a cup of coffee now and again and having light to read by before going to sleep!

 

After the shopping we started the long journey home, leaving Fort William about 2 pm in the afternoon and we drove without stopping except to fill the petrol tank for the 4th time, finally reaching Bristol about 11 pm. We went straight to the Mayflower restaurant for a late dinner which was really delicious and I am definitely going back there again for the delicious roast duck! We got back home at 12.15 and by the time we unloaded the car and got to bed it was around 1.30 in the morning. It was heaven sleeping in a bed again after a night in the car on the long drive to Scotland followed by four nights sleeping on hard ground!

 

Our trip didn’t end there as on Saturday we collected my sister at 11 o clock in the morning and drove down to Cheddar to see our friend Reggie again. It was a fine sunny day and after cold drinks on his patio enjoying the lake views we headed down to the Riverside Inn in Cheddar itself and had a fantastic pub lunch. Back at his house we sat in the garden enjoying the lake views and the bird life around his home which included a visit by two guinea fowls who belong to a neighbour and come calling regularly as Reggie keeps a tub of bird seed for them. We really enjoyed a nice afternoon there listening to jazz music and enjoying the warm sunshine until about 5 pm when we had to leave as I was meeting up with friends in the evening who are returning to Alicante this week and had arranged a last get together before they go, We went to the Inn at Freshford for a meal.

 

Today my Algerian friend Khali and his son Nadir arrived from London. I picked them up from the station and we first went to visit my sister Kathryn who enjoyed seeing them again. Then we headed into the centre of Bath to go to Jimmy Spices world grill restaurant and met up with Colin and his sister Mary and we all enjoyed a nice lunch together. Khali was especially impressed with the restaurant and wants to go there again for another good lunch before he heads back to London on Tuesday evening. Afterwards we said goodbye to Colin and Mary and drove to my Mum’s house for a nice visit with her. You will be able to see some photos from this on my face book within a day or two. Also I plan to load an album of photos from the Skye trip to my face book either tomorrow or Tuesday as well.

 

It is going to be fun having Khali and Nadir here as guests and do some sightseeing in Bristol and Bath. They arrived from Algeria on 9th August and will be here until 20th September and the week before I was in Skye I spent a week with them in London, all of us staying at my ex husband’s house, and we did lots of sight seeing around London together. I was even able to meet up with my friend Dante who is the first Peruvian person I ever met in England and who has been a lovely friend ever since. As well as all the sight seeing we also went to the Algerian embassy to find out what happened with my failed visa application last year and discovered that as long as I arrive at the embassy with all the correct paperwork within just 3 months of a proposed trip there, they will expedite my visa next time. I plan to go to Algeria for 3 weeks in either May or June of next year, followed by a trip to China later in 2014.

A Hilarious Camping Trip in West Wales

I’ve just got back from a thoroughly enjoyable few days in West Wales visiting old haunts I used to go to often when my sons were small boys. I set off on Monday with my friend Ben, a Chinese friend who I look upon as another son as he is a year younger than my own youngest. We loaded up his car and set off on his first ever camping trip in his life! His reaction when he saw the pile of stuff I deemed necessary for 2-3 days set the tone for the whole trip - ie a laugh a minute - as the car was piled high to the gunnels by the time we fitted everything in. Ben’s own luggage was minimal - a small bag plus his duvet and pillows, a tripod for his camera and that’s it!

The journey to Wales was enjoyable and the weather seemed to improve the closer we got to our first destination. Using the SatNav in his phone we made it to Stackpole Quay in 3 hours which is the starting point for the coastal walk to Barafundle Bay. We parked in an old quarry (relief car park as the main one was full up which cost £5 compared to the 50p they used to charge when I was last there!) Our first stop was the Boathouse Café for a spot of lunch. I chose the hog roast bap which was delicious - Ben chose the Welsh Caul to see what Welsh food was like and was mightily disappointed as it turned out to be a bowl of soup with two bits of lamb in it and piles of carrots whereas in his mind he had imagined a huge steak!!!

After the food we set off on the walk to Barafundle Bay which I was keen to show to Ben as he so loves coastal walking. We, I mean I, puffed up a load of steps and then it was a cliff walk of about half to three quarters of a mile with splendid views. When we arrived at the archway leading to the steps down to Barafundle Bay it was great to see that stupendous beach again. We went down a load of steps and finally hit the beach where we found a nice spot in the soft sand to lay out a picnic blanket on which we played a few games of Scrabble, a game we are both addicted to. By this time the sun was gloriously warm and Ben had a paddle in the sea and later after Scrabble he wandered off to explore and take photos while I relaxed with my book enjoying the sun.

In the early evening the beach was getting emptier so it was a long haul up the steps and then the walk back to Stackpole Quay. I was dying for a cup of coffee when we got there but unfortunately the café was closed by this time. We lingered taking more photos and when we programmed St David’s into the SatNav around 7.30 pm we were surprised to find it was nearly 40 miles to the campsite we had decided on at Whitesands beach by St David’s.

When we eventually reached the campsite it was getting dark and we just about had time to get the first tent up which was an easy pop up one which just needed the tent poles banged in, although in the rush it looked terribly lopsided by the time we finished. It was almost full dark by now and although we tried to get the other tent up it proved impossible in such poor light so we gave up. I couldn’t stop laughing at the state of our tent compared to everyone else’s especially when Ben was exclaiming that nearby tents even had fridges and televisions in them whereas we didn’t have even any light to see by nor cooking equipment!!! One disaster while pumping up my little single airbed, the plug fell out so it would not inflate and when I checked my sleeping bag I found the zip had gone on it!!! Luckily I had chucked in my sunbed cushion as an afterthought and a few fleecy blankets in case they were needed. All the while I could not stop laughing it was all so hilarious.

We were very hungry by this time so headed into St David’s and found an Indian restaurant called Saffron and enjoyed a nice meal. Then back to the campsite and I was already asleep by the time Ben had his shower and probably kept him awake at times with my snoring but he was too much of a gentleman to say so!!! He did get up early though as he wanted to take photos of the sunrise at St David’s Head. While he was gone I had my shower and when he came back he told me he had found a campsite much closer to Whitesands beach so we decided to dismantle the tent and move on there. Although my tent is easy to take out of its bag and it pops up and is ready apart from the tent pegs, you try getting it back in the bag! We had a go and eventually gave up and shoved it in the car folded as much as we could to get it in. Luckily he has a big car as we would have been engulfed in it in the front seats if we could have even got it in my car and shut the hatch at all!

A short drive later we arrived at the campsite right by Whitesands car park and were delighted to find a prime spot by the car park entrance with enough room to park the car and erect two tents. In broad daylight the second tent was easy to erect except we found when we had finished that we had only erected the inner part of the tent and the other part which goes over the top had been left at home!!! We decided that it probably would not matter, unloaded our stuff and then headed into St David’s first to get some breakfast. We enjoyed a full Welsh breakfast in the Soul Café and then went to the office of Adventure Tours as Ben was keen to book himself onto some kind of boat trip in the afternoon. There were wonderful tours to choose from but with rain forecast for the next day, the longer trips were not so appealing and he had missed the best ones on offer that day. He eventually booked a fishing trip leaving St Justinian’s at 4.45 that afternoon.

We headed back to the campsite, parked our car by the tents and took a couple of chairs and a mini coffee table with us down to the beach and enjoyed a few games of Scrabble first there and later at a table and bench set overlooking the beach and sea and were lucky to be able to enjoy another fine warm day. We stayed there until quarter to four then headed to nearby St Justinian’s and I found a nice little sun trap to set up my chair and read my book while Ben went on his fishing trip. The plan was to barbeque any fish that he caught for our supper! Although I could not find my camping stove to take we had brought a couple of disposable barbeques with us to cook on, just in case.

When he came back he had caught no fish so it was a good thing we had a back up plan, having seen a café very close to the campsite where he could enjoy the burgers he loves so much and I could enjoy a fish pie which is one of my favourite dishes. It was a BYO café too so we took the bottle of rose wine that I had brought from home. We lingered there until 8.15 finishing the wine sitting outside the café overlooking the sea, and then I retired to read until it got dark whilst Ben walked back up to St David’s Head in order to see the sunset and photograph it.

Both nights I managed to sleep quite well and Ben quite enjoyed the experience of camping even though his only real comfort was his duvet and pillows …. Until Wednesday morning when he woke up. It was 6 am and I was just contemplating going for a shower when I heard Ben call out to me to tell me it was raining inside his tent!!! That was when we realised that the inner part of the tent is not waterproof, which set me off in peals of laughter all over again. Poor Ben’s pillow and duvet were pretty soaked through when he transferred them to the car and he said his tent reminded him of his Japanese hot water bottle with the water sloshing around in it as he put it in the car! We managed to get my tent in the car as well and by the time I got back from my shower we were ready to go although it was still too early to get any breakfast anywhere.

Our plan on this last day was to head for Tenby and we did this but the weather was so dismal with rain that when we reached it we just drove around for a bit, saw the seafront and beaches and then decided to continue on home and stop somewhere for breakfast along the way. We ended up at a Morrisons supermarket at Saint Clears where he enjoyed another Welsh breakfast while I tucked into cappuccino and croissants. We made another stop just before reaching Cardiff where I had another large coffee while Ben had a quick nap and then continued home.

Despite the soggy end to the trip luckily it hasn’t put him off camping altogether. The week after next we plan to drive to the Isle of Skye beyond Scotland which is about 800 miles in each direction and camp there as long as it isn’t raining and find a youth hostel if rain is forecast. I have never been further north than somewhere near Fort William so it will be great to see that beautiful place and enjoy some coastal walking around there. I have good walking shoes and hopefully the exercise will help with my weight loss which seems to have plateau-ed lately.

This has been a great summer. I went on some great holidays with Mum - to Southsea Holiday island near Portsmouth, to Solent Breezes near Southampton, a couple of holidays in Weymouth plus two other resorts in gorgeous woodland settings - the first at Warmwell outside Weymouth which even has an artificial ski slope. The lodges were luxurious and we had the pleasure of seeing squirrels on our verandah each morning waiting to be fed morsels. Our favourite place of all was Sanford Park resort near Poole which is so nice that we hope to book another holiday there next year. What with day trips to Weymouth and a visit to Salcombe with a fair bit of coastal walking and now the trip to West Wales it really has been a fun summer. Next week I am in London all week in order to spend time with my Algerian friend Khali and his son Nadir, all of us staying at my ex husband’s house, then back here in time for a barbeque on Saturday and setting off for the Isle of Skye on Monday - returning from there also on a Saturday in order to spend another day at Reggie’s gorgeous home near Cheddar, followed by a few days in Swansea just before going on a 10 night cruise with my Mum, my sister in law and her Mum in September.

Whilst in London I hope to finalise my visa for Algeria with a view to going over there to stay with Khali and his family - this might be next summer or quite possibly the summer of 2015 as my dearest wish is to head for China in summer of 2014 and spend three or four weeks there with Ben and his Mum Shumei who stayed in my house for nearly 6 months until she returned to China in February this year. And even after the lovely cruise this September, Mum and I still have a whole week in Weymouth to look forward to at the end of September, so all in all it will have been a great summer in the 6 months from March until then.

I will write about the cruise later. We are sailing on the same ship we went to the Norwegian Fjords on in June of last year - the Msc Opera.

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.