Day 6 - Corsica
We wake in yet another port, this time; Ajaccio on the beautiful island of Corsica. Today's excursion is a half day run up a mountain in the ubiquitous air-conditioned coach. The village of Bastelica nestles near the top of one of the many Corsican mountains, that cater for skiing in the winter months, It is a typical village, very rustic, quaint and certainly not spoilt by the tourists that make their regular way up the winding mountain roads to visit. The only concession to this is the little tourist train that rattles around the streets, showing tourists the rustic charm of Bastelica and it's environs.
I have to admit, I envisaged a little narrow gauge train chugging through the woods, so was slightly disappointed to find a seaside "Noddy" train, which would have been more at home in Weston-Super-Mare. Matters not, we were booked on it and enjoyed the twenty minutes or so it took to travel around.. After which we had some free time to do as we pleased, so we headed for the church to take some photos and a quick visit to what seemed to be, the only bar in the village, not for a drink, but a quick toilet stop! You have to take advantage whenever you can, when you reach a certain age. After wandering around some more, it was soon time to depart the mountain and head back to the port and the waiting ship.
As we had an all inclusive deal, it seemed appropriate to jump back on board ship and have a quick bite to eat, before disembarking again and spending some time in Ajaccio town, wandering around the shops and streets. Ajaccio was a lovely place to be, sandy beaches, promenades and shops, a bit like Blackpool, without the bling, the tower, the illuminations. Actually it was nothing like Blackpool at all! Corsica is another place on the list of places to visit again.
As I am writing this - (at sea, in a journal, with a pen, not on the internet blog site, like now, are you with me?) - anyway as I write this, tomorrow is our last full day of the cruise, a day we shall spend at sea, heading back to Palma and the flight home on Saturday. It is 5 o'clock on Thursday and I've tried to find a quiet corner of the ship to write, but I can still hear one of the ship's popular beat combos, having a good go at some modern classics. They are entertaining and deafening the masses, who are sunning themselves around the main pool. If it wasn't for the view and the fact that we are going to depart very soon, this could be any Spanish seaside resort, when we are really alongside a lovely port in Corsica.
Day 7 - All At Sea
It is now Friday morning, I am currently sat in Venue (one of the entertainment venues), the bar is closed, the stage is bare, the dance floor unlit. I am looking out of the window, on to a fairly dull looking Mediterranean sea. There's not another ship in sight. It is very quiet here, just a few passengers enjoying the tranquil environment. It is therefore an ideal opportunity to reflect on our first cruise experience and think of whether we would do it again. Well I think it's an undeniable "yes" to repeating this adventure.
It is probably true of most holidays that the one thing you cannot prepare for is your fellow holiday makers. You can check out the resorts, you can read through hotel reviews, you can research excursions and places to visit, but you cannot predict the nature of your fellow passengers - they are the unknown, although you can have a good guess at the stereotypical demographic.
Mind you, we have met some amazing passengers / holiday makers in previous years, some we are still in touch with. It seems to me, and perhaps I am over thinking this, but there is a huge and diverse range of people on a cruise; from the laddish "Brits abroad" types, to the quiet, reserved, more upper class types. That strikes me as a huge juxtaposition, normally a hotel would cater for certain types of tourist, but it seems with a cruise, those dividing lines are blurred somewhat. As I mentioned before, on the Captain's "Dress to Impress" night, the amount of ball gowns and suits was incredible - where were these people during the day? Certainly not on the main pool deck, which seemed to be home of the sun worshipping, lazy loungers, who also liked the fact that beer and burgers were literally on tap, all day. Who also got louder and louder by the pint. I guess that is one of the downsides to an all inclusive package, some might see it as a comfort when it comes to budgeting for their time away, others consider it a challenge and try to drink the bar dry!
Luckily, this element is limited, however they seem to be the loudest and certainly like the sound of their own voices! I only say that, as there is now a group on the other side of this once quiet lounge, that are consistently talking in a loud and opinionated manner!! They are currently discussing how much they drank last night.
I know this makes me sound very snobby, but I just like the quieter more genteel side of life and not have the air punctuated with loud expletives,from a bunch of brash layabouts!
I am clearly getting old!
I know it takes all sorts to make this diverse world we live in, but do we really need to keep turning the volume up with every pint?
I don't think I have done myself any favours in this blog, but I hope I have captured some of the highs of our time on the high seas, catalogued our adventure, with a modicum of levity and described what it was like for us on our first cruise. Re-reading my journal, which I wrote whilst on the cruise, it seems like I was somewhat obsessed with the clientele, I hope that hasn't marred the overall narrative of the blog, I tried to include my thoughts and feelings of the places we visited, but sometimes it is very hard to describe exactly what you see, when a few well chosen photographs could describe the same. Perhaps I should be more at ease with the inevitable mixture of people we share our experiences with and concentrate more on what we did and what we saw. We certainly did a lot more than what I have described in the last few pages, but would you necessarily be interested in the minutiae of our holiday? Hence the descriptive prose of the our fellow passengers. Maybe I should take sometime and describe a few highlights, right here, right now; for me Pisa was incredible, literally breathtaking, rounding each corner as we walked into the town centre, stealing glimpses of the top of the tower and then it coming into full view was indeed magical. Eating very well in the onboard restaurants with the most attentive service was also a highlight. Not having to pay for such service was also a bonus. Trying something new and enjoying it, getting the cruising bug? Maybe. And, as always spending quality time with the family will always be there as a very treasured moment.
Those of you who have read my previous blogs will know that I don't write these out of some narcissistic desire to be noticed, I write them to remind ourselves of what we did, share with friends and strangers our little adventures and hope that my waffle brings some joy to whoever reads them.
Bon voyage!
Day 5 - Rome
The port of Livorno disappeared into the distance, as we relaxed the evening away, knowing full well that we had another long day ahead of us. We started day 5 with another very civilised breakfast in the 47° restaurant. It is so nice to have a quiet breakfast, served up by extremely attentive waiters, it makes a lovely change to the free-for-all buffets we're used to. After breakfast we scan ourselves off the ship and onto a waiting coach and another knowledgeable tour guide escorting us on the first leg of our excursion. We left the port of Civitavecchia and headed to the local train station, just a short hop and then it was off the coach and onto the Roma Express. There will be no slumming it on an hour or so coach journey for us! No, no. We have the luxury and exclusivity of an express train straight to St Peter's Square station. OK, so the luxury was a little dated, but it was a plush carriage with comfy leather seats and it was exclusive. Exclusive to tourists who had booked. Matters not, it was lovely and quick, with a modicum of air conditioning to keep us cool.
Once in Rome, we headed to another coach that was waiting for us, where we picked up our Rome tour guide; Anna, who was just lovely - straight talking and to the point though, you did not dare speak when she was speaking, otherwise she would berate you with a motherly scold! Which was perfectly acceptable, we've paid for her services, so the least we can do is listen. She gathered her "family" and shepherded us around the sights, giving us ample time to rest, listen and take photographs.
We started at the Colosseum, a magnificent sight and very busy with tourists. Unlike Pisa, the surroundings were a little disappointing, no landscaping or tidy gardens. Don't get me wrong, the splendour of such an ancient site is not lost on me, I just feel that the modern Romans could take a leaf out of their ancestor's book, put in the effort and make the area more attractive. From certain angles, it looks like a building site! Does that make me an architectural heathen? It's not meant in that way. I guess what it is, is that for years and years thousand upon thousand upon thousand of tourists, have plodded the same routes, taken the same shortcuts and probably ruined the area. Maybe they need to limit the tourist areas and do some beautifying. I digress.
From the Colosseum we drove close to the Spanish Steps, which is where we left the coach and continued through central Rome on foot. It was at this point, as we headed towards the Spanish Steps, that the first rumbles of thunder were heard. Soon after we could feel a few big spots of rain, then a few more. We headed for some shop awnings to shelter from the rain, just as the heavens opened!
Typical, we couldn't move yesterday for "Looky, looky" men flogging umbrellas when there wasn't a drop of rain in the sky, but today, when you needed them most, nowhere to be seen!
However, just as that thought crossed my mind and quicker than Mr Benn's tailor, they appeared! Anna was still providing a commentary through our wireless earphones, interspersed with shouts of "Just give them €3 for the small ones! €5 for the better ones with a cover."
Mrs Dave asked for an umbrella from one chap who was chancing his luck by shouting;
"10 euro, 10 euro!"
Mrs Dave, ever the bargain hunter said;
"No chance!" and pulled out a €5 note, which was soon grasped by this chap, but Mrs Dave wouldn't let go and grabbed the brolly!
"8 euro, 8 euro!"
"Sod off!"
"6 euro lady, 6 euro"
"Give me my fiver back!"
"5 euro, you have it for 5 euro".
There was a moment of quiet tension as each opposing person slowly relinquished the grasp of their half of the deal. All the while, I'm getting quietly soaked.
Soon though we were walking safe and a tad drier, under a €5 umbrella. A quick stop at the Spanish Steps, then on to the Trevi Fountain. Get ready to throw your coins!
After a quick toilet break at the Trevi Fountain. Not in it! There was a restaurant that allowed us use of their basic facilities. We walked on to the Pantheon, then Piazza Navona and just a quick glimpse of the Corte di Cassazione. All beautiful stops, albeit extremely busy. Anna did her best to keep us entertained and informed. Rome is such a beautiful city, but it might need a bit longer to see and appreciate fully the sights.
We re-joined the coach for another quick tour of Rome, as we headed back towards St Peter's Square and a pre-arranged lunch stop. Lunch was basic, but extremely enjoyable, you haven't tasted lasagne until you've eaten one cooked in an Italian restaurant in the middle of Rome. Delicious! Plus the added bonus of Prosecco for those that like that kind of thing and some really lovely red wine, which went down a treat!
After lunch we took the short walk to St Peter's Square itself. Now unfortunately, the Pope was carrying out some Papal duties that day, so the Sistine Chapel and the Basilica were out of bounds and it was debatable that we would get into the square at all, as the Polizia were standing guard. Luckily Anna had a quiet word and we were able to nip through the airport style security and see the awesome splendour of the square, Now I have been to Rome before, but it is still amazing to see and many photographs were taken in the next hour or so.
We ended that part of the tour, by meeting at the gift shop. Typical! Everywhere you go now, it's exit through gift shop! We then took the short walk back to the station, with Anna still giving us the running commentary on Roman history. Very enjoyable indeed.
We left Rome behind, as the express train took us, in our exclusive luxury, back to Civitavecchia and then onto the coach back to the port and finally back to the comfort of the ship.
Part 4
Day 3 - St. Raphael
In the cold light of day, I can reflect on last night with pride, albeit laced with a modicum of embarrassment. Mrs Dave had no idea that I had volunteered for the music quiz, as she had popped to the loo, when one of the entertainment team, seeing me enjoy the band that was on, sidled up and asked if I wanted to be in the quiz. Even affirming the question, by saying "are you sure?" Thus giving me ample time to reconsider my initial positive reaction - perhaps it was my inner narcissist, or more likely it was the wine, but I confirmed - I was in!
Anyway, the room was virtually empty, there was only a few dimly lit faces between me and the bar, so just me the room and a quiz. No problem. However, as the band went into another murderous melody of hits of yesteryear, the room slowly began to fill. By the time the clock had got around to nine thirty, my stomach began to churn and the room was full, or that's what it looked like to me, passengers laughing, joking, drinking and waiting for a music quiz.The band bowed out and the quiz was being prepared, two stools and a big buzzer on a pedestal were bought to the centre of the dance floor, in front of the stage. A girl from the entertainment team took to the microphone and announced that the quiz was starting shortly and could the two team captains make their way to the stage. At this point, I got up, held my stomach, took a deep breath and walked towards the stage. Through the noisy buzz of the crowd I heard Mrs Dave enquire; "Where the bloody hell are you going?"
Luckily I needn't have worried, as we; my opposing captain and I, waited, they explained that it was basically a team game, they will split the room in half and we each captain a side. We had our own cheesey compere in Jake, who was a great laugh and we both played off each other with jokes and quips. The quiz itself was about five rounds of visual or audio questions and it was the team captain's role to garner the right answer from the crowd, shouting for help and taking the consensus of opinions. It was a bit silly, but fun, everyone seemed to have a laugh, the crowd enjoyed it. Oh and we won!!
That TUI Discovery leatherette notepad and pen, plus the keyring will come in handy!
Anyway, back to today. We have anchored off the coast of France at a port called St. Raphael, not far from Cannes and St. Tropez. In fact our first organised excursion was to Cannes. We had to take a tender from ship to shore, as the port was too shallow for our ship to dock. From the dockside we boarded our coach to Cannes. We had a guide on board to give us the lowdown on Cannes and it's history. We had a couple of hours to wander the streets and beaches of Cannes, before popping back to the coach and the return trip to St. Raphael, where there was more wandering and the obligatory holiday ice cream.
Then it was back to the tender and the short sail back to the ship, accompanied by various boat related songs played over the speakers. It's all a bit surreal when 60 odd (very odd in some cases) passengers start singing "We all live in a yellow submarine!"
Later on we have the strange juxtaposition, when bingo was followed by drinks with the captain. From crossing off numbers to hob-nobbing with the uniformed officers.
More on this later...
Day 4 - Florence & Pisa
So we finished day three with bingo in the bar, followed by a quick change in to our best bib-and-tucker for the "Dress to Impress" night.Well you have never seen so many ballgowns and tuxedos in your life! Everyone was dressed up to the nines, hoping for a picture with the captain and then pay through the nose for a print of it! We never bothered, I was feeling a little out of my depth, so we people watched from a balcony overlooking the Atrium. Just a word on the Atrium; it is huge! About five decks high with two glass lifts serving all floors, with bars and restaurants leading off. It is very bright, shiny and gold. Lots of bling. It's probably what the inside of the White House looks like, now Trump has moved in!
Anyway we rounded off the evening in the Italian restaurant, with a lovely meal with exquisite service.
Back to Day 4 proper; another early breakfast and then off to the quayside to pick up our coach to Florence.
It was very hot and sticky, and very, very busy in Florence, but our tour guide took us safely to the main sites of interest, filling us in on the history of this beautiful city, with lots of photo opportunities, the cathedral, the Baptistry, Piazza del Duomo, Santa Croce, the Ponte Vecchio and the (replica) statue of David by the Palazzo Vecchio.
All very beautiful, but very warm walking around the Florentine streets, so a quick stop for a drink and we were heading back to the air conditioned luxury of the coach and the trip to Pisa.
There is something quite surreal about seeing an incredibly famous, historical building for the first time, especially one as iconic as the Leaning Tower. It was a remarkable sight! As were all the tourists posing with their arms up in the air, in a faux "holding up the tower" pose. Yes, we did it too! However, the serene majestic beauty of seeing the tower, in the beautiful surroundings of the Piazza del Duomo, will stay with me forever.
Only a short hour in Pisa, but it was sufficient to get the requisite photos and a quick bite to eat, but definitely on the list of places to visit again and spend some more time in and around the tower.
One downside to Pisa, was the proliferation of "Looky, looky" men, who seemed to be everywhere. As soon as a coach pulled into the car park, they seemed to descend in hordes, intent on selling you an umbrella. An umbrella!! It's not going to rain!! They also had sunglasses, watches, handbags and the ubiquitous selfie-sticks! You do have to run the gauntlet of these fellows, just don't engage them, otherwise they'll be upon you! An undesirable side to holidays it seems now. Also pick-pockets are rife. We were targeted by a group of girls posing as tourists, but I soon put myself firmly in the way of them and Mrs Dave's handbag and they soon dispersed. Keep 'em peeled!
More in the next part...
Part 3
Day 1 - Home to Palma.
So, here we go again! It's holiday time and I hate it! My regular reader will know that I hate going on holiday - I love "being" on holiday - I just hate the anxiety of "going". The "what ifs" and the "have you packed?" I drive my family crazy! However, when we reach the point of no return, i.e. the suitcases have disappeared behind that flappy curtain, like a cheap funeral for luggage, then that's it - game on!
This year after many a year on coach holidays, we decided, or I was told, to be more precise; "no more coaches! Instead, let's do a cruise!"
So here I am, sat on a ship in Barcelona. This is our second day, yesterday we flew into Palma, Majorca and transferred to our ship; the TUI Discovery.
First impressions? Like Butlins at sea!! It is your archetypal and stereotypical British holidaymakers, but abroad, but at home - if you get my drift? The cruise ship appears to be an English resort, transported to sunnier climes. Having said that, although I was somewhat dismayed by the awful sight of the tattoo'd masses herding around the smoking deck, it was not all like that.
I know this makes me sound like an enormous snob, which I'm not really. I used to smoke, I grew up in council housing, I am from a working class background - I've just grown up, trying to better oneself and to improve the life for my family - this isn't doing me any favours is it? It's like this, there are definite areas of class on board ship and I like the better bits.
Anyway, back to Palma and getting aboard. There was some quiet efficiency going on as we boarded; cruise cards were issued, ID photos taken, debit card details linked to your cruise card. To elaborate, it's an all inclusive cruise - but not everything is included. So should you have something outside of the all inclusive deal, it'll be charged to your cruise card, which is your passport off and on the ship, your method of authentication when ordering drinks, plus it also doubles as your payment method when you purchase anything from the on board shops or facilities and as it's linked to a debit card, so there's no chance of you not getting billed on the last day! All those extras you got will soon show up on the next bank statement
We have a deluxe balcony cabin!
I would have to look up the definition of deluxe though, as it may have a different meaning at sea! The pull out sofa bed can hardly be classed as deluxe, but it was for our daughter and she didn't complain. The cabin is comfortable, tidy, clean and well maintained. On board there are lots of things to see and do; bars a-plenty although, and back to the Butlins analogy here, you need to get there early if you want a seat!
Waking up in Barcelona was great, open the curtains and you have a totally different view to what you went to bed with! Trying to find a table for breakfast was not so great! It was virtually impossible, but I guess first timers like us and those who have just joined, all have the same idea and head to Islands buffet restaurant - horrendous! Literally hundreds of passengers milling around with half a plate of breakfast, trying to find a seat. They've only got half a plate, due to the fact they've been eating it whilst shuffling around. (More on food later in the blog, we learn a few things and things start to look up).
Anyway, onward and starboard! Let's see what today brings.
Day 2 - Barcelona
What a day! We are currently travelling along the eastern seaboard of northern Spain, heading for France. It is half past ten at night, as I sit here writing, reflecting on the day. As I said before, breakfast was impossible, everybody trying to eat at the same time, it left us eating outside with the smokers alongside the swimming pool, it was far from ideal and clearly pushing our respective "tetchy" buttons. However, we rose above the annoyance and took our frustration out on the mini-golf on deck 10. Yes, there's a mini golf course on board. It's just next to the climbing wall. (Yes, there's one of them too!)
Little Miss Dave AND Mrs Dave took on the challenge of the climbing wall. Very impressive efforts from both of them. Very proud I was. Health and safety prevented me from having a go. Not my health and safety, but that of the man on the other end of the rope! It had nothing to do with the safety harness not being able to get around my fuller frame. Don't they know it's all inclusive cruise, get bigger harnesses!
We then ventured into the Glass House and the cooling comfort of the indoor pool, which we had all to ourselves. Followed by a quick dip in the whirlpool hot tub. See? Things are looking up. We then popped back up to deck 10, above the main deck, to enjoy some Barcelona sunshine, which was a little hot for me, but one cannot complain. After that we headed for a bite to eat and then hopped off the ship, just to say that we had actually "landed" in Barcelona.
After a quick shower and a read or a trip to the shops, dependent on your gender, we headed into 47° - one of two main waiter service restaurants on board. And oh my word, what an amazing experience. A much more civilised affair. Exquisite waiter service, in very opulent surroundings, not tacky or too glitzy. I ordered a glass of wine with my meal - which got refilled every time it neared the empty stage, I soon lost count of how many times it had been topped up! The food was lovely, the waiting staff so attentive, the Chardonnay seemingly bottomless. When we headed out of the restaurant, I wasn't sure if the ship was swaying, or it was me!
We decided to pop down to Venue, one of the show bars to see what entertainment was on offer. Now it could have been the refreshing sea air, or it could have been due to ebullient atmosphere of my fellow passengers, or it could even have been the copious amounts of Chardonnay quaffed, but somehow, the quiet unassuming me said "yes", when asked if I'd like to be on stage and be a captain in the forthcoming music quiz.
What have I done?
Part 2
We wake in yet another port, this time; Ajaccio on the beautiful island of Corsica. Today's excursion is a half day run up a mountain in the ubiquitous air-conditioned coach. The village of Bastelica nestles near the top of one of the many Corsican mountains, that cater for skiing in the winter months, It is a typical village, very rustic, quaint and certainly not spoilt by the tourists that make their regular way up the winding mountain roads to visit. The only concession to this is the little tourist train that rattles around the streets, showing tourists the rustic charm of Bastelica and it's environs.
I have to admit, I envisaged a little narrow gauge train chugging through the woods, so was slightly disappointed to find a seaside "Noddy" train, which would have been more at home in Weston-Super-Mare. Matters not, we were booked on it and enjoyed the twenty minutes or so it took to travel around.. After which we had some free time to do as we pleased, so we headed for the church to take some photos and a quick visit to what seemed to be, the only bar in the village, not for a drink, but a quick toilet stop! You have to take advantage whenever you can, when you reach a certain age. After wandering around some more, it was soon time to depart the mountain and head back to the port and the waiting ship.
As we had an all inclusive deal, it seemed appropriate to jump back on board ship and have a quick bite to eat, before disembarking again and spending some time in Ajaccio town, wandering around the shops and streets. Ajaccio was a lovely place to be, sandy beaches, promenades and shops, a bit like Blackpool, without the bling, the tower, the illuminations. Actually it was nothing like Blackpool at all! Corsica is another place on the list of places to visit again.
As I am writing this - (at sea, in a journal, with a pen, not on the internet blog site, like now, are you with me?) - anyway as I write this, tomorrow is our last full day of the cruise, a day we shall spend at sea, heading back to Palma and the flight home on Saturday. It is 5 o'clock on Thursday and I've tried to find a quiet corner of the ship to write, but I can still hear one of the ship's popular beat combos, having a good go at some modern classics. They are entertaining and deafening the masses, who are sunning themselves around the main pool. If it wasn't for the view and the fact that we are going to depart very soon, this could be any Spanish seaside resort, when we are really alongside a lovely port in Corsica.
