My cousin Jonathan

I’m blogging briefly from the plane just before we set off to London for a few days. We are looking forward to seeing Ally’s and Cat’s new flat and going to a couple of plays at the theatre, a couple of exhibitions, and generally strolling around London.

On Thursday evening Julie phoned me and I thought that it was about the arrangements for Bill’s funeral, but in fact it was to tell me that there has been another death in the family. My cousin Jonathan was found dead in his flat aged only fifty-two. I was so sad to hear this; Jonathan was always an extremely pleasant man who loved his rugby and his real ales, in which he was an expert and was on the board of CAMRA. He had been suffering from a chest infection for about ten days and had been prescribed antibiotics. He spoke to a friend on Thursday morning on the phone, saying that he felt a wee bit better, but by the time Kari tried to phone him at midday there was no answer, it must have been very sudden. It is a shock for the whole family, he was so young and it happened so soon after Bill’s death. 

I visited Katy in Biggar on Friday, she is very sad but comforted by many phone calls and visits from friends and family, especially Abigail. And today I went to visit Stuart and Anne, who are being supported by their family; Kirstie and Kari were both there along with Scott, Greg and Greg’s beautiful girlfriend Sabrina when I arrived. But it’s still so sad, even though the family are taking good care of each other, they (and we in the wider family) will miss Bill and Jonathan so much.

In other news, Ally has been home for the weekend; he had a work thing on Thursday and stayed in Scotland to do a bit of hill-walking with James. It has been very nice to see him. We had a lovely dinner at Heather and Ewan’s on Saturday evening, and then brunch in town with Gerry and Janis on Sunday. Ally came for brunch too, he did work experience at Janis’ firm years ago so was pleased to see her again. Then on Sunday evening we decided to make a fondue to celebrate Ally being at home. Ally did all the assembling while I cut up the bread and it was absolutely delicious. But oh dear oh dear I suffered dreadfully from indigestion afterwards to the extent that I was very sick during the night. As a result I’m completely exhausted, I will be glad to get to my bed in Canning Town Premier Inn later. 

Recovering

I had a sore stomach and headaches over the weekend from which I have thankfully now fully recovered. It wasn’t Covid because I did a test - I must be one of the few people in the country who hasn’t caught Covid. As a result it has been rather a quiet time at Casa Anderson. James has been very sympathetic towards me but I still felt dreadfully guilty that I was unwell. I don’t know where that guilt comes from; nobody likes being ill but I have always felt as if I have to soldier on no matter how I feel. In fact I even went down to Morrison’s on Sunday for some groceries and felt very faint when I was there, which was silly because I’m sure that James would have done the shopping if I had asked him to. Luckily I was able to lean on the trolley until it passed. I am now feeling tip top again but four days of my life were wasted. 

While I was ill a new Prime Minister was appointed, Rishi Sunak. He is the first British Asian Prime Minister and the first Hindu Prime Minister.  He is having a honeymoon period just now which I expect will be very brief! Boris rushed home from his holidays when Liz Truss resigned but ended up not announcing his candidacy when it became very clear that the country is not ready for his triumphant return! I have been reading a rather turgid biography of Clarice Lispector; I am slightly embarrassed to say that I had never heard of her until “The Hour of the Star” caught my eye on a display at East Kilbride St Leonard’s Library during the Book Club library evening earlier this year. So I read it recently and it is absolutely brilliant. The style, the plot, the characters, and of course the country of Brazil; I have never read anything quite like it. The biography is dutiful but a bit plodding, however she was a very fascinating character. 

And that’s about it - I’m just glad that I am feeling in better fettle.

Vacancy for Prime Minister

Oh dear oh dear oh dear. Our new Prime Minister of only 44 days resigned yesterday, after a mini-budget based on debt-funded tax cuts, which had a traumatic effect on the financial markets. Although the new Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng quickly resigned and was replaced by Jeremy Hunt, who reversed most of the policies, it was too late. Liz Truss became the shortest serving Prime Minister in British History. 

As usual when someone falls from power, I feel sorry for her; it can’t be an easy job. But it does seem that she really messed up.

Now we are going to get a new Prime Minister in a rushed process of only a week! Prospective candidates will have to get the support of at least 100 Conservative MPs (out of a total of 357) and then if necessary there will be some kind of vote - it could be that most people will swing behind one candidate. 

But who could it be? Well, word has it, previous recent applicants Penny Mordaunt and Rishi Sunak and - wait for it - possibly Boris Johnson! Boris Johnson? The same Boris Johnson who was persona non grata only a few months ago and hounded out by his own party? Yes indeed, what short memories politicians have! Only Penny Mordaunt has so far declared her candidacy, so we shall see what happens next. 

My Uncle Bill Rennie

My dear Uncle Bill died on Tuesday afternoon. He had many health issues connected with old age, but his death was sudden, when he was in hospital but hoping to get home shortly. My cousin Julie phoned me with the news and I feel very sad. Bill was such a nice man and he didn’t have an easy life. His Dad died when he was only six years old, and as the son of the family he was the only one of his siblings to attend the funeral. His four sisters stayed at home, as was traditional at that time in the 1940s, and when Bill arrived back after the funeral he spoke of the beautiful tassels on the ropes used to lower the coffin into the ground and what a shame it was that they were buried in the earth. He had his troubles in life although he was lucky to meet and marry his lovely wife Katy, who was with him to the end. But almost exactly 20 years ago his son Brice took his own life, and that was so hard for Bill, Katy and Abigail. Bill was a very clever man and was loved by his friends and many relatives. I have many very happy memories of him and my Mum loved her wee brother very much. He was a good man. 

Davie’s Birthday

Today is David’s birthday and we enjoyed spending the morning with him. By happy coincidence I had booked the Proclaimers at the Lowry yesterday evening for the four of us, which meant that we were still in Manchester today. The concert was great. I don’t think that the Proclaimers have toured for at least four years, so when I saw the tickets come on sale I hurried to book them. I also booked tickets for their Carlisle concert (Glasgow sold out very quickly) but then we booked the cruise so couldn’t go - luckily Suzy and Brian were keen to go in our stead and sent us photos of their evening which Suzy said that they enjoyed very much. And I have booked tickets for their Motherwell concert too at the end of November (maybe I have gone a bit overboard with this!) but there is a question mark about that date too. Hopefully I will be able to make it. 

Anyway, yesterday afternoon we drove to Manchester and had a long hold up on the M6 yet again. We went straight to Davie and Chanel’s flat and had a cup of tea before having pre-concert dinner at Salford Quays. The concert was sold out and the audience was very enthusiastic. Craig and Charlie were still excellent and sang lots of songs old and new. Of course all of the big hitters like “500 mikes” and “Letter from America” got the most response from the audience; it must be a bit annoying for bands who want to showcase their new album but the audience just want to hear their old favourites! 

This morning we picked up Davie from the flat and had brunch with him at the Trafford Centre before going shopping for his birthday presents. After coffee we dropped Davie back home and said our farewells (with extra birthday kisses!) and James and I set off homewards. The drive went very well at first but guess what there were roadworks on the M74 which delayed us by about an hour. At least we couldn’t blame the M6 this time! 

Three churches in Rome

This morning we left the ship and were impressed with the efficiency of our transport to the airport. It was about an hour’s journey from Civitavecchia to Fiumcino Airport. We had about eight hours before our flight would depart so we checked our suitcases into the left luggage office and caught a train into Rome. 

Unlike yesterday, the weather was glorious. We decided to revisit a few of our old favourites, and started with coffee and pastries at Tre Scalini in Piazza Navona. It was delightful. We then popped into Sant’Agnese in Agone, just because it was right there. It was beautifully decorated and the cupola had a gorgeous fresco of Saint Agnes ascending to heaven, after her brutal murder at such a young age. Back outside in the sunshine we started strolling in the general direction of the Trevi Fountain. 

As we passed the church of San Luigi dei Francesi we noticed that it seemed very popular, with lots of people going in and out, so we looked at the information board outside which mentioned that it contained three paintings by Caravaggio. We needed no further persuasion to go inside; Caravaggio is one of our friend Ewan’s favourite artists and due to his enthusiasm we have also become admirers of this turbulent genius who died in 1610 aged only 38. We soon found the three paintings, about the life of St Matthew; the Calling, the Inspiration and the Martyrdom. The most striking was the Martyrdom; the expressions on the faces during the attack on St Matthew were so vivid, and the shafts of light contrasted with dark shadows. 

Back out on our walk, we didn’t intend to visit yet another church but we again noticed large numbers of tourists going into the Chiesa di Sant'lgnazio di Loyola in Campo Marzio. It’s another sumptuously decorated church, notable for its trompe l’oeil fresco by Andrea Pozzo on the ceiling, of St Ignatius (and lots of angels) floating upwards into the blue sky towards heaven, it’s very effective. 

We resumed our walk through an increasingly busy Rome, and we didn’t linger at the Trevi Fountain because it was hooching, but I did manage to throw a coin in the fountain as I always do, to ensure my return! We had a late lunch in a wee restaurant near the Spanish Steps, before taking a taxi back to the station and heading for the airport. What a pleasant end to a great holiday. 

Torrential in Naples

The weather forecast for today was very wet, and sure enough when we woke up in Naples the rain was battering down. We were not down-hearted though; after breakfast we put on our waterproof jackets for the first time on the holiday, and sallied forth through the port into Naples. This was only our second day in Naples so there was plenty that we hadn’t visited. We decided to start off with Castel Nuovo, the castle just across from the port. What a palaver it was to get tickets! It took ages for the staff to process us onto an English speaking tour. Luckily there was no queue at all at that point, I dread to think how long it would have taken in that case. The tour was just starting when we arrived, and it turned out to be very interesting indeed. Originally medieval, it was re-built by King Alphonso of Aragon in the 15th century after he conquered Naples. Our friendly guide had lots of good stories to tell us, although her English was a bit rudimentary - she referred to a skeleton which was in poor condition as “badly keep-èd” which phrase James and I used to insult each other for the rest of the day.

We then took a taxi to see the Underground Tunnels of Naples, as recommended by Mitchell and Gosia. They are fascinating; there are hundreds of miles of tunnels beneath the city, built and extended over the centuries by Greeks, Romans, and medieval Italians, and were used to extract stone to build the city, then as aqueducts, to invade, to flee the city, and even as bomb shelters in the 2nd World War. As a result Naples has a labyrinthine city beneath it. There are still underground pools, water channels, wells, and although there are wide parts there are also many very narrow tunnels, some of which we went along as part of the tour, they were only just passable. It’s just as well that neither of us is claustrophobic! 

We walked from there back to the ship and had not ce showers and a wee rest. We had dinner with Mitchell and Gosia in the Cosmopolitan Restaurant and then went along to our last Quiz Night, which we lost, although I did win a game of “this or that” and my prize was a small Celebrity Cruise-line notebook, which I shall treasure! Back at the cabin later we sadly packed our cases and left them outside our door for collection. It has been a really great holiday. 

A Relaxing Day at Sea

Today we were at sea all day, sailing from Athens all the way to Naples. There were plenty of options for activities on the ship, from swimming to spa to games to lectures. Or of course my favoured activity which was complete relaxation. James went to a lecture in the morning on ship navigation by Captain Costas himself, he really enjoyed it. And in the afternoon he went to a Whisky Tasting Session in the Eden Bar; Mitchell was there too and they had a great time. But apart from a swim in the pool, I chose to have a very agreeable day reading on our cabin’s balcony, often breaking off to stare out at the blue, blue sea or to lean over the balcony to look at the lacy white wake fanning out at the side of the ship as we cut through the water. 

After dinner we went along to the pub quiz in the Club as usual, where we came a respectable third. Then we went down to the Martini bar and had some good chat while we watched the barmen juggling with the bottles and cocktail shakers. Then the entertainment crew appeared with headsets for the silent disco. This was a first for James and I and it was absolutely hilarious! Everyone was singing along so if you took your headset off you could hear the crowd singing enthusiastically, but no background music. The pièce de resistance had to be Bohemian Rhapsody, which (like the rest of the music) was exactly the right era for the majority of us cruisers, and was tackled with great gusto by everybody on the dance floor, not least James and Mitchell! It was a most excellent evening.

Autumnal Athens

James and I have visited Athens on two previous cruises and both times we went on tours to the Acropolis, which where absolutely brilliant. So this time we decided to do something a little different. We had a look in our “Top Ten Athens” guide and decided to start by going to Lykavittos Hill, which has great views of the Acropolis. There were lots of taxis waiting at the port of Piraeus, so we were soon whizzing through the streets of Athens. Our taxi driver took us to a car park near the top of Lykavittos Hill and we walked about five minutes up some steep steps to the top. Wow what fantastic views over the white buildings of Athens to the Acropolis and the Parthenon, and Piraeus in the distance. There’s a little Church at the very top of the hill, and a lovely café where we enjoyed morning coffee. We then took the funicular down the hill - no views though because it goes through the rock! James consulted Google maps and expertly navigated us downhill to the Parliament building. It was a very pleasant walk, partly in the shade of the buildings so I didn’t overheat too much! We saw the Greek soldiers outside the Parliament with their wee pom-poms on their shoes, then continued into the park which was a little oasis of green in the city, full of trees which were just beginning to turn into autumn colours of orange and gold. It was still really warm though. It had a small lake in the middle, and ponds which were full of terrapins slowly swimming about. And finally we navigated to the restaurant that we had found and enjoyed eight years ago; Diogenes, which is in a small leafy square beside the Plaka shopping area. It was just as nice as we remembered and we relaxed with our tsatsiki and dolmades. After a stroll around Plaka we jumped into another taxi back to the ship. 

Real Fake Handbags in Kusadasi

We are both very fond of Kusadasi because we visited it twice on holiday in the early years of our marriage in the 1980s. So it is always a pleasure to revisit it. We didn’t book a trip this time, but instead strolled up the familiar Main Street where the shopkeepers called out to us and all of the other tourists, to entreat us to buy their wares. They were insistent but very friendly. Items for sale included many “real fake watches” and “real fake handbags” and “real fake shoes.” Needless to say, I couldn’t help purchasing a couple of cute little bags. From former experience these look great for a couple of months and then break! James looked for a sports bag but couldn’t see one that was what he wanted. 

We had coffee in a wee bar half way up the street, and it was just lovely watching the world go by. As well as the shopkeepers and the tourists with their bulging shopping bags, there were locals riding mopeds, and an old guy with a barrow piled high with grapes for sale. 

Back on the ship we had a relaxing afternoon by the pool, a nice dinner and then went to the pub quiz followed by drinks with Mitchell and Gosia, a pleasant couple we met a few days ago. 

I haven’t mentioned our evenings much; in the ship you have a huge variety of activities that you can choose all day and all evening. If you wish you can listen to music in the bars, go to a show, go dancing (old-fashioned or disco!) or go to various quizzes and games. There is absolutely no pressure to go to any of these things, which suits us. So James and I dip in and out of these activities as the mood takes us, but we have formed a habit of going to the pub quiz with Mitchell, Gosia, and another pleasant couple called Ken and Elaine. We don’t win (there is a very clever group of quizzers who win every evening!) but it’s great fun. 

Hot chocolate on the Bosphorus

The Golden Horn is an estuary which roughly divides the old from the new parts of European Istanbul. It’s sort of horn shaped and “golden” may refer to the riches which were traded in old Istanbul. Today, like yesterday, we crossed over the Galata Bridge to the peninsula of Old Istanbul, this time to go on a boat trip along the Bosphorus. Today, early on Sunday morning, the traffic was mercifully much lighter than yesterday, and in a short time we were guided onto our boat and set off down the historic waterway that connects the Mediterranean, via the Sea of Marmaris, with the Black Sea. How amazing to be travelling along that busy waterway, with fishing boats and trading boats and ferries all making their way along it and across it just as they have done for thousands of years. James bought me a hot chocolate and I sipped it as we travelled about 10 km along the Bosphorus and under several bridges. We travelled along the European side and after we turned, we travelled back along the Asian side. There wasn’t much difference between them, although there were more public buildings on the European side, and apparently goods and services cost about the same on both sides. The price of property used to be cheaper in Asia but that has evened up recently. We also learned that number of minarets shows the importance of the mosque, from local (one minaret) to very important (six minarets.) Our guide was quite open about her dislike of the divisive President Erdogan who has spent twenty years as Prime Minister and then President. 

After our boat tour we strolled to the Spice Market which is much smaller than the Grand Bazaar and we couldn’t resist buying some “relaxing tea” which smells delicious, and some pistachio nuts for James. Our ship set sail back across the Sea of Marmaris at lunchtime. 

A big day in Istanbul

As we sailed through the Sea of Marmaris this morning, approaching Istanbul, we could see a pod of dolphins swimming and leaping alongside the ship, just underneath our cabin window. What a lovely welcome! 

We joined our fellow tourists in the theatre all ready for the “Classical Istanbul” tour, but it took an hour to get into the bus and another hour to queue through traffic to the Topkapi Palace. So by this time I was losing the will to live, especially when I saw how busy the Palace was. Maybe a Saturday is a particularly busy day. We were running so late by this time that we went straight for lunch in a restaurant inside the first courtyard of the Palace, which was very nice and perked us up a bit. Our guide, Ibrahim, was very pleasant and extremely patient with our very straggling group! There was always someone or other missing but they eventually turned up. One time it was me, when I lost the group in the queue for the Blue Mosque! I really don’t know how Ibrahim kept track of us. 

So a quick summary of a big day: the Topkapi Palace (Top = cannon and Kapi = gate) is huge with three courtyards and various museum rooms. The bejewelled weapons are stunning. The people in the shop were very helpful in choosing a headscarf for me to wear later in the mosques and there were wee kittens living in the hollow trees in the courtyard. 

The Blue Mosque is full of scaffolding so we didn’t really see it at its best; I foolishly wasn’t wearing socks so I felt a bit concerned about catching something e.g. a verruca, when I had to take my sandals off to walk around inside the mosque - the carpet has been walked on by so many other bare feet. Maybe I didn’t need to worry though because there were special buildings with separate washing areas for men and women just outside each mosque, where the worshippers were having very thorough wash-downs including their feet. 

We were too late to see the Hagia Sophia before it closed for evening prayers so we were taken to the Grand Bazaar first. It was much as we expected; very large and busy. Then back we went to Hagia Sophia. It is so old and historic, you could see both the Christian and Muslim decor. It has been a Byzantine Christian Church for a long time, then briefly a Latin Catholic Church, then a Muslim Mosque for many more centuries, then a museum in the 20th century, and since 2020 it has become a Mosque again. It is beautiful old building but could do with some serious refurbishment inside; it looks tired from all that history. As we walked back to the bus the Call to Prayer was ringing out from several minarets. It was very melodic and haunting. 

By the time we got back to the ship it was nearly 9 p.m. and we were exhausted so we ordered room service and watched a silly but compelling film called The Fall about two friends who climb a ridiculously high radio mast. What an intense day we have had, so busy and full of amazing sights. 

Windy on Mykonos

This morning we had breakfast delivered to our cabin at the early hour of ten to six, then we turned up in the theatre (the meeting place for organised trips) at 6.45 a.m. all ready for our trip. This was planned for the island of Delos, which is a short ferry ride from today’s port of call, Mykonos. Time went by and it was announced that we were waiting for the port authorities to confirm that the ferry to Delos would be running today, because it was rather windy. In fact the nickname of Mykonos is The Windy Island. After waiting for an hour-and-a-half we were told that the ferry wouldn’t be running today so the tour was cancelled. It couldn’t be helped so we jumped onto the next tender and we’re soon wandering the narrow and winding streets of Mykonos old town. There was very little wind once you got away from the shore because you were sheltered by the houses. It’s very pretty with five white windmills at the one end of the town; all cylindrical in shape with tiny windows and pointed roofs. We also strolled through the Little Venice area, which consists of old fishing houses built directly on the front, with balconies overlooking the sea. 

Back at the port we had a coffee and enjoyed the views before taking a tender back to the ship for some serious relaxing.

Poly Zesto in Santorini

On the advice of a very pleasant couple that we met in the restaurant last night, we decided to hike the 10 km from Fira to Oia in Santorini. So we got up nice and early this morning and caught the first tender from the ship to the island at about 7.30 a.m. We were so early that the shops and cafés of Santorini were only just waking up; displays were being set up and boxes of supplies were being carried along the narrow alleyways of Fira, which is a pretty village with white painted houses on a steep hill only accessible from the port by gondola or up a long set of stairs. We found a small café where the owner was amazed that I wanted to sit outside to take advantage of the cool morning breeze. He indicated that it was cold, and indeed he was wearing a zip up jacket, but I told him that for me it was very hot. “Poly Zesto!” he translated in disbelief. 

The breeze was great for me; without it I would never have been able to go on the hike because it would have been far too hot for me. We walked out of Fira and followed the curve of the caldera with the sea on our left. It was such a beautiful walk with the deep blue sea below us and clusters of white buildings and little white churches dotted along our path. We ascended a small hill and then descended to the road before the path rose again over a last hill and into Oia. 

Oia is incredibly gorgeous, picture postcard pretty. Its white buildings, a few of them pastel-coloured, and it’s white churches with blue domes, are stacked on the slopes of the hill. At the end of the village there are a couple of white windmills, no doubt built to take advantage of that breeze I was talking about. We had lunch in a small restaurant overlooking the sea and then strolled through the pretty, narrow streets. It was very busy with tourists but that didn’t really bother us, after all we’re tourists ourselves! In due course we took a bus back to Fira and then stood in a long queue for the gondola; with hindsight we should really have walked down the steps, avoiding the donkey poop (convoys of donkeys carry tourists up and down them.) As we neared the head of the queue there was a bit of drama; a group of Italian tourists brazenly pushed in. The valiant British and American tourists tried to prevent them, but it was no use, they squeezed in anyway. It was annoying because everyone else had been waiting for ages. 

At the port we quickly got on a tender back to the ship and showered off the dust of Santorini before going for pre-dinner drinks. 

The Walls of Rhodes Town

Today we arrived in Rhodes early in the morning and Rhodes town looked beautiful from the top of the ship where we have our breakfast. We wasted no time in setting off the short walk along the harbour-side to the medieval city walls, dating back to the mid-14th century although rebuilt after an earthquake in the 1480s. Still pretty old though! You can’t walk right round them but we climbed up onto one section and it was amazing. We strolled around the moat which is now a path lined with grass and a few trees, with great views of the walls. There were little birds tweeting and many cats strolling about. We went through one of the smaller gates and emerged into the old town. It is very lovely and historical, with cobbled streets and ancient houses. We walked up the Street of the Knights and along Socrates Street, taking in the atmosphere of all the little shops and had coffee and orange cake in a café in a most enchanting little courtyard. We even did a bit of jewellery shopping. We visited the Grand Master’s Palace, which was originally built in the late 7th century as a Byzantine Citadel, although it has been repaired, modified and repurposed many times since then. Its name dates from the occupation of Rhodes by the Knights Hospitaller in the 14th century, when they converted it into their headquarters and palace for their Grand Master. We also visited the Archeological Museum, which is a peaceful little museum with a lovely roof garden. Later we had lunch in a roof-top café with views of the city walls with the sea beyond. Rhodes Town is a very attractive place and I would love to visit there again.

Back at the ship we went swimming in the pool before drinks and dinner. 

Botanical Crete

On Monday evening the people that we ended up sitting next to at dinner (Boboy and Nicholas) recommended that we go to the theatre after our meal to see a reputedly excellent pianist called Jason Lyle Black. James and I aren’t really bothered about going to shows on the ship, preferring to relax in one of the bars or on our cabin’s balcony, but we took their advice and trotted along. The theatre was completely full! The entertainments manager, the enthusiastic Lewis, first introduced the captain of the ship, Captain Costas, who I thought had a look of a young Christopher Plummer. He was very funny and said, “I know what you’re all thinking - who’s driving the ship?” After a bit of banter with Lewis the captain told us that we would be arriving at Crete the next day a bit earlier than expected and when the audience cheered he said, “Well if that’s what you want I had better get back to the bridge!” which was a slick exit line. Jason Lyle Black turned out to be very accomplished indeed and we both enjoyed his mix of classical music and musicals, supported by the ship’s small orchestra. It was one of those unplanned experiences which turn out to be really good. 

Our visit to Crete on Tuesday was great; we went on a trip to the Botanical Gardens of Crete which is in a hilly area in the west of the island, just about half an hour from where the ship docked at Souda. It’s full of exotic fruit trees and medicinal plants, and it was all very attractive, set on a steep hill side with views across the green and pleasant valley. But the word to remember here is steep; we started at the top of the hill and followed the sign-posted path as it zig-zagged down and down. Clearly we would have to climb back up again at some point and the weather was very warm, so I started feeling a bit worried. However the ascent wasn’t as difficult as I had feared, and soon we were back at the little café at the top of the hill having water and snacks. 

Then we spent a couple of hours in nearby Chania (pronounced “Hania”) where we wandered the streets and had a relaxing coffee sitting at a wee café right on the front at the beautiful Venetian harbour. The flagstones of the harbour were only just above sea level which meant that the water kept lapping over the edge like an overly full swimming pool, I loved it. 

Sailing through the Strait of Messina

We settled into our lovely state room on the ship yesterday after spending the previous night at Rome Airport’s Hilton Hotel. Our home for the next twelve days, Celebrity Edge, has all of the same constituent parts as our three previous cruise ships; state rooms, long corridors, lifts, restaurants, cafés, bars, fancy shops, a large swimming pool, various jacuzzis, art work on the walls, a spa, a casino and a theatre. As relatively seasoned cruise people we soon found our way around the ship. By the time we sailed out of Civitavecchia at 5 p.m. we were on deck, drinks in hand, watching the land slowly seem to glide past as we headed southwards. 

I didn’t sleep very well as a result of eating too much the night before; as a result I was already awake and sitting out on our balcony at about 6 a.m. as we sailed past Stromboli. I woke James because I knew that he would want to see it too; the island was a dark grey mound in the pre-dawn light with wisps of darker grey smoke trailing from the top, and we could see tiny patches of glowing lava at the top. 

By breakfast time we were sailing through the Strait of Messina, which is between the eastern tip of Sicily and the western tip of Calabria in Southern Italy. We have done this before on a previous cruise but oh boy it’s amazing; we saw the pilot boat speeding up to the side of our ship to drop off the (mandatory) pilot to assist the ship’s captain through the narrowest and busiest part of the Strait. As well as being busy with lots of ferries and fishing boats, it is very beautiful; the shores are dotted with little towns and there are hills and trees behind them. Soon the pilot was collected and the little boat sped off again, and we emerged into the Ionian Sea, turning eastwards towards Crete, where we will arrive tomorrow morning. 

An interlude at Schipol Airport

The first leg of our journey to Rome today (where we will join our cruise tomorrow) was scheduled at a civilised 10.45 a.m. However the flight was annoyingly brought forward to 7.25 a.m. which necessitated a very early start. As a result I snoozed uncomfortably on the plane, I just couldn’t keep my eyes open. We now have a seven hour stopover at Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport before our flight to Rome. 

This is not too bad actually. After strolling the length of the terminal and peeking into a few shops, we have found ourselves two adjacent recliner chairs in a nice open plan lounge area which is quite peaceful, and have installed ourselves here for the duration. I intended to have a nap here, but of course now that I have a very comfortable place to doze, I am wide awake! For lunch I went to the rather nice Dutch Kitchen, a self service place where you could also order burgers or omelettes or, in my case, a plate of mini Dutch pancakes with butter and sugar called Poffertjes which were absolutely melt-in-the-mouth. And so our holiday begins!