Final day - 18th January

A fine day for our last day at sea, with blue skies most of the time, and reasonably flat seas. Mum and I finished the jigsaw, then I read until lunch time while mum rested and did some of her packing. Lunch was at the Palms, our favourite restaurant as we can sit at the back looking out at the sea (and the swimming pool).

More reading, then I listened to the singing group at their last rehearsal, before packing my suitcases. Tonight it is talent night - should be fun! Next stop - table tennis. Definitely the best activity on the boat.

 

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Back at sea - 17th January

Back across the Bay of Biscay, but a lot smoother than the outward journey. I spent a lot of the day reading, and skipped breakfast altogether. After lunch I went to the jive lesson, but arrived late so just watched. They were doing swing jive, and all moves I knew, so I wasn't too disappointed at not joining in. I chatted to one of the dance hosts afterwards, Leonard, and he gave me a quick dance lesson in the corridor! He said I bounced too much, the top of my head should stay at the same height all the time!

A quick work out at the gym on the treadmill, then down to table tennis. Usual group and some good games. Mum and I were partners, and out in the first round as usual, but I felt we played quite well.

Formal evening, preceded by the Captain's farewell cocktail party. We gathered in the Neptune lounge, had fizz and nibbles, then listened to the Captain summarise our trip and give out three employee of the month awards. Dinner was good and afterwards Mum and I went to the evening show. It was cast night, and we had Phillipino and Thai country dances and a few songs. Then bed, and a bad nights sleep, possibly due to the fizz, wine and beer I had consumed.

 

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Lisbon - 16th January - Part two

Our tour of the city, escorted by Katerina, started with a journey past the town square and then a park where we learnt that Prince Henry's mother had been Phillippa of Lancaster. We also learnt that most of Lisbon was destroyed in a single night in 1755 (?) after an earthquake and tsunami was followed by a fire. The new city was laid out in a grid pattern with, for those days, wide streets. They have a tram system which has been operating since 1901, partially as a result of Portugese being neutral during WWII. They also have an old metal lift and three funicular railways operating from the centre of the city. It's a lovely city with 35 % of the area being parkland, and an aquaduct dating from the 1600s (?), crossing the ravine which cuts through the city.

We crossed the 14 April bridge, built by the same company as the Golden Gate Bridge, and named for the date the dictatorship was overthrown in 1973, and visited the site of the King Christ statute on the other side of the river Tigres. From there we drove to the St Jerome monastery, and visited the church there, and the naval ship museum. Lots of model ships showing how the Portugese fleet developed, and a display of the royal barges used by the royal family. After the Age of Discovery Lsibon enjoyed the Gilt Age, a reference to the period when they grew very wealthy on the gold they exported from Brazil.

After the museum we drove closer to the riverside, and saw the Belin Tower close up, and then the modern monument celebrating Lisbon's navigators and others influential in the start of the Age of Discovery.

Back to the ship just in time to board before we set sail from Lisbon back to Southampton, with the now traditional leaving party on the aft deck. During the day I bought a few souvenirs: two varieties of pepper and two of salt plus a Portugese cookbook, a fridge magnet, and a bottle of port. Very happy with my purchases, especially the cookbook which is written by a Portugese chef who has a very successful restaurant in New York.

I think I'd like to return to Lisbon one day. It's a beautiful city with a lot of rich history, many fine museums and it looked like it had some good restaurants too!

 

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Lisbon - 16th January - Part 1

Our last port of call on the cruise, and one that sounds interesting. We had breakfast in the Palms, sitting right at the back with a view over the swimming pool. We could see the land getting larger, and after breakfast I went onto deck to see, and photograph, our approach into the port. It was sunny, but cold, and by the time we eventually docked I was freezing. Mum came and joined me for the latter part of the process, and we watched the seamen attaching the many huge ropes which hold us secure whilst in port. Apparently we had had an emergency medical evacuation in the night, which had delayed our entry into Lisbon by some hours, leaving us a very short stay as we have to leave at 5pm for the final leg back to Southampton.

We were eventually moored by 10.40, and mum and I went back to our cabins for a warm up and a quick rest before our city tour this afternoon.

 

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En route to Lisbon -15th January

Today was a day at sea. We ate breakfast in the Avon restaurant, then went down to the Neptune Lounge to listen to the historian talk about Lisbon and the Age of Discovery. Quite interesting, though not particularly coherent.

We learnt a bit about Prince Henry the Navigator, and how he founded a school in the late 1400s incorporating sailers, cartographers and scientists, and how Portugal then dominated the sailing world for over a hundred years. He mentioned several sites in Lisbon built as a result of the huge wealth in Portugal at this period, and I'm looking forward to our tour of the city tomorrow.

After the talk mum and I went our separate ways, and as I was feeling very tired, and had eaten too much breakfast, I spent the next few hours with a book in the Lido lounge.

We met up again for table tennis, where everyone seemed to be playing extremely well and there were some great matches.

Dinner was good, then mum and I played Scrabble until 10, when we went up to the observation lounge for the evening quiz. Didn't do well at the quiz, then I departed for bed leaving mum with her whiskey and the late evening pianist.

 

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Fuertventura - 14th January

We watched the show last night, an extravaganza of British tunes, with countless costume changes. Good fun, and well done.

This morning we docked in Fuertventura as we were finishing our breakfast, then mum and I boarded our coach for the transfer to Caleta De Fuste. The island is mainly bare volcanic rock and gravel, but the village we went to has been there for a long while, and had many Palm trees and cactus lining the streets and surrounding the houses. We made our way to the beach, then found a cafe for a coffee and an ice cream. Mum also managed to buy a new hat, satisfying both her desire to keep her head out of the sun, and to buy a souvenir of the holiday.

We rented a pair of sun loungers, then lay in the sun - not bad for the middle of January. The temperature was in the mid to high 20s and it was gloriously warm. We had a paddle, but voted against a swim as the beach was very rocky and sloped very shallowly making a walk far enough out to swim rather too hazardous.

It was a long walk back to the coach, and we were the last to arrive, then it was back to the ship and a quick lunch. The ship left port as we were eating, and we are now in our way to Lisbon. There was another 'sail-away' party on the aft deck, with the same songs and dancing, but no sign of the rum punches served last time.

Mum had a rest in the afternoon while I went to the gym, then we both meet up in the table tennis room. I find the table tennis is like a little oasis of normalcy in the artificial life of cruising, and it is probably the highlight of each day. Play was interrupted by an announcement from the captain that there is an outbreak of gastroenteritis on board, the scourge of cruise ships. Measures against its spread include closing some areas of the ship, staff inside public toilets to check hand washing and appeals to stay in our cabins if we have any symptoms.

Formal night tonight, so we dolled ourselves up and had a good meal, then went to the show. Fairly average tonight, except for a hilarious performance of 'If I was not upon the sea, a.........me'. Each performer had a little sequence of movements with their part, innocuous on it's own but which, when they lined up next to each other, became extremely funny.

Quiz in the Observation Lounge afterwards, then bed! Full day at sea tomorrow, so no need to get up at any specific time!

 

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Las Palmas, Grand Canaria - 13th January

Mum and I played Scrabble after dinner last night, then both headed for bed.

This morning I was on a tour again, this time to see the Columbus House museum. A short coach trip took us there, and we had a chance to have a look in the main cathedral before seeing the exhibits relating to Christopher Columbus's voyages. Lovely old house, and nice to see something of an old city centre as well.

Then it was back in the bus, and a drive to the middle of the island where we had fabulous views of the whole island, and into a deep caldera made by a volcano about 2000 years ago. It was 1 km across and about 200 metres deep!

Next stop was the pretty village of Santa Brigida, before going to a wine house to have tapas and a wine tasting. The vines here were never hit by the disease that devastated most of Europe vines, and there are several ancient varieties of grapes growing here on the volcanic soil. Tapas was a local cheese (bit bland), olives, a red sauce (tasty but not hot despite warnings from our guide) and Grand Canary potatoes, which were delicious. Small potatos with skins, boiled in sea water. I did the classic, bought the white wine we had tasted, and a red wine I had not. The red I tasted was a bit thin to my mind, and the very helpful waiter suggested I buy a different one which he assured me I would like. Of course, I won't find out until we get back to the UK as they remove all your wine purchases from you when you return to the ship, and only give them back just before you land!

Our guide talked a lot about the fruits and vegetables that grow well here, including sugar cane, which was then exported to the Carribean. The traditional drink of the island is rum and they have a longer tradition of making it here than in Cuba. I shall attempt to find and buy a bottle this afternoon. Another surprising fact was that many plants that we consider small grow to a huge size here as there is no dormant winter season. This includes the dandelions I had already seen, and the poinsettias which grow into trees!

 

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Tenerife - Tuesday 12th January

Early start today as we had to be ready for our bus trip by 8.45. We boarded bus 5 and sped up into the hills in the centre of the island. The main peak, Teide, is 12,200 feet high and a perfect example of a conical ex-volcano. The lower areas of Tenerife are shrub, exactly as La Gomera, then between 3000 and 6000 feet it is pine forest with the ocassional eucalyptus tree. Above 6000 there the remanants of past volcanos, rocks everywhere.

We stopped at a lookout on the way up to the Las Cariadas dei Teide national park, and then again close to Teide. Magnificent weather and some great views. Lots of reminders of New Zealand!

Back at the ship by 1.45 and mum decided to have a lay down, while I went in search of some lunch, and met a couple from NZ for a delightful conversation over mussels and prawns. Then it was onto the deck at the rear of our level, for a read in the sun. People were in the pool, and the temps are in the low to mid 20s - very nice.

Table tennis again at 4.15, and mum was partnering Peter, which meant she was in the final! Now it's back to the cabin to change for dinner.

 

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La Gomera - Monday 11th January

Yesterday we played table tennis in a non moving ship! Still lost on the first round though. The ship departed Funchal at 6pm and we are expected to arrive at La Gomera at around 11am.

Mum and I went to the staff cabaret after dinner last night, where I particularly enjoyed the singing of a lad who works in the laundry here. Afterwards there was dancing, and I think I managed to step on three out of four of the 'dance hosts'. Still fun though, and we retired to bed laughing.

I woke late, so mum had her breakfast on her own, after which she went to yoga. I had a late breakfast/early lunch and was ready for my shore outing, a trek In the national Park in plenty of time. It took the coach an hour to reach our walking area, a fascinating drive as we went from bare rock, to masses of eurphorpbias, then past palm trees until we reached the cloud forest on the very top of the island. We were walking at an elevation of about 1300 metres, though laurel and heather trees. As La Gomera is quite a tall island the trade winds from the north are forced to rise and then drop their moisture into the forest, where the excess runs into the ground and then emerges as springs. As the growing season lasts all year, with no period of dormancy in the winter, the trees do not have rings in their trunks, and the dandelions never die back and can produce a fern type of plant of over a metre in height. We walked for about 2-1/2 hours, then met the coach again for the trip back to the ship.

Meanwhile mum enjoyed a lunch looking out at the island, then played lots of table tennis in the afternoon. We met up again for our evening meal, then listened to a pianist in the Observation Lounge before I wimped out (I need an early night!), leaving mum to enjoy more entertainment, and the sight of our shop docking In Tenerife at midnight.

 

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Funchal - 10th January

The atmosphere on board the ship has changed!

After dinner last night mum and I played Scrabble then retired fairly early. This morning was our first tour outing, a coach trip round a small section of the island, with a few stops to look at various viewpoints. The island is incredibly rocky and steep, and mainly exists on tourism.

 

The wind was quite strong, so mum stayed on board for a couple of the stops. One of our stops was close to a large statue of Jesus, with a walkway down to a craggy rock. A steep walk back up, but some much welcomed exercise

The boat is a replica of Christophe Columbus's ship, and it now gives an alternative way of seeing the island.

Our final stop was in Funchal itself, where we had the chance to walk around and get some souvenirs. One stall was selling fresh fruit, and mum tried her first ever custard apple. Must have liked it as she has bought one to eat on board. I bought some Bird of Paradise seeds, and a bottle of 10 year old dry Maderia.

Back on board we discovered that our sailing has been delayed again, due this time to a problem with one of the life boats. Apparently they ran a trial deployment but then encountered a problem reattaching the boat. The change in atmosphere is due to two factors; the sun is out, and there is a party on the aft deck. This was meant to be ongoing as we left port but we are not expecting to leave until 6 pm. There is live music, as much rum punch as you can drink (but I'm not sure I can actually taste the rum!) and dancing by the pool.

It's actually lovely and warm in the sun, and a few people are already sunbathing. Our tour guide said this is a cold spell, it was 24 degrees on Xmas eve! It seems very strange to see Santa Claus's decorating some of the private houses on the island.

Second source of income here is the wine, then comes bananas. Most of the houses are surrounded by banana trees, the only gardens with lots of flowers are the Brits. Those born here grow fruit and veg, and just admire the abundant flowers which grow in every conceivable cranny. The houses are balanced on the steep slopes, and are very densly packed together!

 

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Land Ahoy - January 9th

The show was good last night, and we had seats right at the front despite arriving late. Then the best treat, a good nights sleep. No drawers unexpectedly opening, no wardrobes creaking, no bed heaving up and down. Bliss!!

Line dancing this morning, which is quite hilarious when you couple the ship moving, to a crowded dance floor, to Mum's balance problem. Suddenly we could see land, the northern reaches of Maderia. It took another 4 hours until we docked as Funchal is on the southern coast. We spent the time listening to a photo lecture, doing a quiz and eating lunch.

Mum has stayed on board as there is a lot of walking, and I wanted to find an Internet cafe. Latter objective has been achieved, and I'm currently sitting at a lovely little cafe, with a pint of beer in front of me.

 

Funchal seems a very nice place, with at least two rivers running through it. Lots of shops shut, presumably because it is a Saturday afternoon in January, but enough to make wandering around a pleasure. Feels quite strange to be on land after the last few days. I have tried to find a camera shop as my lens cap has broken, but no luck. I shall now try and post these entries - fingers crossed.

 

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Still at sea - 8th January

This should be our last full day at sea for a while. We are still in heavy seas and last night a different drawer decided to slide in and out of It's, very noisy, own accord. Fixes on the desk drawers and the wardrobes worked at treat though.

Our stay in Maderia has now changed from a full day on Saturday, to arrival at noon on Saturday and departure on Sunday afternoon. Our tour is postponed to the Sunday morning, and there's an extra trip on Saturday night, though I doubt mum will feel up to that!

The sea is a lot calmer now, so after breakfast mum and I ventured outside on deck 7. A bit blowy, and the ship is still rocking but it was nice to get some fresh air (sort of force fed air at times).

We had our lunch in the Avon restaurant again, then mum went for a rest, and I went to the gym, and then a stalk about the Canary Islands. Table tennis again later, and we're getting to know the other players. There's a small number of new people each time, but a definite core of got players. Most in their 70's, and a few of us in our 50s at a guess. Lots of walking sticks, but seriously good players even so.

Tonight we shall probably go to the show, the Balmoral show company presenting 'The Fab 30s'.

 

 

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Crossing the Bay of Biscay - 7th January

Not a good night's sleep as my fix on the wardrobe doors failed, and the drawers kept crashing in and out. Finally solved that problem by wedging the two chairs in front of them. We went through some pretty big seas by the feel of the ship, but it seems a bit calmer now.

After breakfast Mum went to learn beginner Bridge, whilst I found the sewing group and joined in there for while, though not before I had been outside and taken a few photos of the waves! The captain has just informed us that they had to reduce speed three times last night due to the wind and the seas, but we should get to Funchal by noon on Saturday. Not sure whether our shore trip will still be possible, but will find out about that later.

We had lunch in the Spey and Avon restaurant which has lovely big windows, and we got talking to a couple from Bramcote - it's a very small world. Feeling virtuous I went to the gym after lunch, only to discover it was closed due to the bad weather. Afternoon consisted of a classical piano concert, then table tennis (we, or more accurately, I, lost again), and then a cup of tea in the 'pub'. The swell had reduced a lot, but it is still quite hard for mum, and indeed everybody, to walk in a straight line.

After dinner we played Scrabble in the card room. I won, but only just!

 

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All at sea - 6th January

Slept fairly well, though we are obviously going through some rough water. Amazing how the ship creaking sounds like footsteps in the cabin.

Breakfast was like a standard hotel buffet, though with the addition of bottles of Cava next to the fruit juices. After breakfast we made our way slowly to the Neptune Lounge for a talk about Funchal. I had expected a bit of history, but it was basically a summary of where the possible tours went. Then came a talk more to my liking about the islands of Maderia and Porto Santo and when they were discovered. A strong connection with Cristopher Columbus exists in the region as he married a local daughter of the Govenor.

While Mum was having a rest I actually managed to get to the gym and spent 30 mins walking uphill, reading and watching the other ships through the large windows in the front of the gym. After 30 mins listening to piano playing in the Observation lounge we went down to Lunch, a buffet in the Palm Cafe. Another rest for mum, and another talk, this time about photography, for me.

Then came the highlight of the day for mum as we joined in with the table tennis tournament. Ok, we got knocked out first round, but still managed to put up a good show. There were a few very good players there and it was a really enjoyable hour.

This was our first formal evening on board, and it started with a cocktail reception. We had our photos taken with the captain, though I may have insulted him somewhat by telling him he looked far too young to be a captain. Dinner was good again, served by our waiter Sunny, then it was back to the Neptune lounge for a concert by Leo Andrew, an extremely good singer. Mainly old musical numbers and ballards which were much appreciated by the audience. The average age on board is probably in the mid 70s, or possibly older, and an astonishing number of elderly ladies travelling on their own. As one said to us, she feels secure and safe, gets good food, tours to places of interest and lots of friendly conversation.

Back to library for a read and a drink (beer for me and tea for mum) while we hear and feel the ship hitting some big waves!

Very strange being on a ship in slightly rough situations - in the bedroom doors and drawers open at miscellaneous times, and there seems nothing you can do to stop them. Feels like sharing a room with an anxious poltergeist. I'm going to try putting some sort of bar in the wardrobe had led to keep them closed - not sure what to do about the drawers.

 

 

 

 

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Leaving Southampton - 5th January 2016

Once again I am off on my travels, this time with my mother on a cruise to the Canary Islands. We drove to Southampton at lunch time to board our ship, the Balmoral, at around 2 pm. Check in was well organised, and the staff are all very welcoming. Our cabins are on the inside, with no pretence of fake portholes for once, and have a surprisingly large amount of storage. At 4 pm we had muster practice, then Mum and I went out on deck to see the city spread around us in the twilight. Feeling a bit cold we retreated into the ship, and found our way forwards and up to deck 11 and the observation lounge. We fell into talking with a lovely man, Pat, who is also on his first ever cruise, and sat there whilst the ship left the harbour. A brief message from the captain informed us we might have slightly rough weather for the next two days as we make our way across the Bay of Biscay, and we would be making a slightly longer stay in Maderia than was originally planned. We will not get to Funchai on Maderia until Saturday morning and both Mum and I are hoping the weather will not be too bad. We're well doped up on seasickness tablets (Mum) and seasickness patches (me), but neither of us are particularly good passengers. Now it's time to change for dinner, and our first meal on board!

 

Good dinner, with a group of three others, then mum went to finish unpacking while I explored the ship. Found the card room (they have several Scrabble boards) and the library.

 

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