Fifteen Course Dinner !!

So we're back to Greece today. We're in Mytilene on the island of Lesbos. Today’s veranda view shows the harbour entrance, with the morning ferry just arriving.

More about Mytilene in a moment, first we have to tell you about last night. We ate in a different restaurant. It was a smaller, more intimate place, and they served fifteen courses. Perhaps I should explain. There were really only five courses, but each contained three sub-courses, a bite or two big. It was an excellent meal, with great service, but the “entertainment” left a lot to be desired, Particularly the sound quality. After dinner we headed down to the show lounge (aka theatre) where we saw the “Crew Show”. Really, the crew put on a show one night per cruise, And some of them were really good.

Now back to today. It was hot, up in the high eighties, but we decided to be brave and venture out. The ship was at anchor, so we took the tender ashore,

The town was rather manic with lots of traffic, and hundreds of mopeds and scooters. Also, they have high kerbs and they don't do ramps or dropped kerbs so we stayed on the waterfront.

Tonight is a formal night, the farewell reception. It's held a day before the final night,because it's formal dress, and by tomorrow night everyone will have packed. After the reception will be dinner, then back to the show lounge for the Abba night. Really.

Turkey, but you wouldn't know it

Today we're in Kusadasi and the veranda view shows the causeway to the castle.

Kusadasi is in Turkey, though it's not obvious. The older part of the town is a sort of reasonably good quality coastal resort with boutique hotels and rental apartments. Get outside the old town and it's English Bars & Fish 'n' Chips.

The there is the cruise terminal. Today there were four ships in. Ours with 390 passengers, one from Louis with about 1000, then two from Carnival Lines with 3,500 and 4,000 respectively.

Now, this is the nearest port to the ruins of Ephesus, which is where just about everyone wanted to go. We decided to give it a miss, and instead took a walk along the front and along the causeway to the castle, which is now a night club. It's a very nice place, but there's nothing Turkish about it. It could be the front in Palma, or Mahon or a dozen other places. Not that we're complaining. Just being here is more than enough for us. There's more than enough on the ship to keep us happy. And speaking of the ship, here's a better view.

Another new port tomorrow. Wait and see.

Hot in Turkey

A new day and a new country, Turkey. We're in Mamaris, which is in truth for the most part a typical Mediterranean seaside resort. Today’s veranda view shows part of the harbour, which is made of of private yachts, charter boats, and two cruise ships, ours and one belonging to Thompson.

The waterfront is well appointed and very clean. We walked along past all the charter boats, offering anything from a three day charter to a two hour booze cruise. The market is another matter. We were told by the local rep that the market was “not as aggressive as Istanbul”. So we won't be going to the one in Istanbul. Most of the shops were selling leather or jewellery, and most were fakes. Some even advertised “Genuine Fake Goods”. And you had to avoid eye contact, because a moments weakness meant you were instantly under pressure to buy. Not a nice place.

We were back on the ship shortly after mid-day, and not long after that it was time for lunch.

So what did we learn today :

Turkey is hot.

Outside of the market Turkish people are very friendly.

The traffic is chaotic.

Petrol costs about 60p per litre.

Germans are not very good at queuing to get on a bus.

More tomorrow,

Greek Tragedy

Another day, another country. Today we're in Santorini, which is in Greece. Today's veranda view shows whitewashed buildings at the top if a vertical cliff. Which just about sums up most of the island.

Very beautiful, but also frustratingly inaccessible.

First of all the local “Boatmen Union Of Santorini” insist that you have to use their local tenders to get ashore. These are of a much lower quality than the ship's own tenders, and access is not very good for anyone using crutches and a wheelchair.

They take you to the “Old Port” and then getting up to cliff is a bit of a problem too.

There are three ways. A funicular railway with no wheelchair access, a donkey ride (donkeys are not noted for having wheelchair ramps and step-free access) or climbing an enormous set of steps. And to make matters worse, we weren't the only cruise ship in town.

Ours is small, but this one is enormous, so there were huge crowds everywhere. We heard that yesterday was even worse with five ships anchored and 9,000 people going ashore. To put this is perspective, the population of Santorini is only 7,000.

So we stayed on board. The pool deck was quiet all morning, and only began to fill up as people returned from their shore excursions, telling horror stories about the experience. So a lazy day, drinking Pimms by the pool, followed by lunch, then back to our suite for a couple of hours before cocktails in the bar and then dinner. It's a hard life ...

All At Sea

Today is a day at sea so today's veranda view isn't terribly exciting.

We're in the Ionian Sea, about 100 miles south of the mainland of Greece. It's warm, about 80f and there's nowhere to go so the pool deck is crammed. So we're sitting in the panorama lounge, looking out over the stern of the ship where it's cool and quiet.

This morning we had some of those “only on a cruise ship” events. First of all there was an edition of “Ready Steady Cook” between the Cruise Director (in charge of entertainment) and the Restaurant Manager. Then we went to the bar for a talk on the history of the martini, complete with demonstrations, and of course, tastings.

Tonight we have a cocktail reception to attend, followed by dinner with one of the ships officers, then off to the show lounge for a Night At The Opera.

Busy, Busy, Busy. 

Volcanic !!!

It's Friday, which means we are in Messina, which is in northern Sicily. We were up and about before the ship docked today, so the Veranda View is of the Straits of Messina. Italy to the left, Sicily to the right and just a 3km gap between.

So what did we do today ?

We visited Mount Etna. Now, some of you may think it a little foolish to go visiting a live volcano (Which last erupted in 11991) on Friday the 13^th, but we survived. We were looking into the crater of one of the earlier eruptions when there was a huge clap of thunder. “Don't worry” said the guide, “It's not the volcano”.

It really is an amazing sight. Long runs of old lave flows. Sometimes the road has been built through them. And some end up in the villages further down the mountain. Well worth the effort.

We're at sea all day tomorrow,and back at a new destination on Sunday.

Floating Around

Yes, we're still in Sorrento. We leave at 6pm tonight on route to … wait until tomorrows blog to find out.

Today has been another day of exploring the ship, and being lazy. First there was breakfast, then sitting out watching the tenders shuttling back and forth.

Then there was lunch. Then a little bit of work. We visited the launderette to iron stuff for the formal evening tonight. It's the captains welcome reception, so it's posh frocks and black ties.

Currently Marie is sitting out on the veranda sewing, and I'm sitting at the desk blogging.

Must away as there's a beer in the fridge calling me. So I'll leave you with a few pictures of our home for the next few days.

We've Arrived !!

Well, it's Wednesday, and we're in SORRENTO. We're actually at anchor in the Bay of Naples, and this is today's Veranda View.

Actually I'm getting a little ahead of the story as when you last heard, we were still at Newcastle airport. Our flight to London was uneventful, if a little delayed. A lot of people missed connections as a result. Fortunately we were flying out to Rome the following day, so apart from having to be up before 5am on Tuesday, we were fine. The flight to Rome was fine, and business class travel is much more relaxing. So is the food. We had the choice of a cooked or continental breakfast. The people in pleb class got a croissant and a drink.



So we got to Rome and wonder of wonders, all three suitcases made it intact. Even Wizzy, Marie's wheelchair was delivered right to the aircraft door. Well done BA, you're getting better. Then there was a slight hitch. When there are a lot of people joining a cruise, a minibus is provided, and when there are a few, a “van” as SilverSea call it, is used. This is a sort of people carrier, usually a boxy Mercedes one. Unfortunately, Marie has difficulty getting in to them, and last time resulted in much pain and loss of dignity. So we had arranged for a proper car, a large one at that. However, unlike the Vauxhall estate used by Station Taxis at the start of our journey, the Mercedes used in Rome couldn't accommodate two people, one Wizzy and three cases. After much trying, the cases were unloaded and out on the bus, and we were driven to the port, a journey of about thirty miles.



Now like most big cities, the port isn't the prettiest place, as you can see.

And as you might expect we arrived well ahead of our luggage. In the end it arrived, and here's one of our cases being loaded on to the ship.

Once we were settled in, everything was just perfect. We had cocktails on the pool deck last night while meeting the entertainment staff, then dinner in the restaurant. Marie had a manicure this morning, and then we had lunch by the pool.





We're staying overnight at Sorrento, so I'll tell you all about the ship next time.



John

BOGOF's aweigh

Well, here we are again. It's that time of year, the time when the BOGOF household take off an their holiday cruise. I'm writing this in the wonderful oasis of quiet that is the BA Executive lounge at Newcastle airport. We're off to Heathrow tonight, then on to Rome tomorrow to meet the ship. If you want to know where we go from there, keep checking back and follow our adventures !!




Of course this is my first holiday where I didn't have to take time off work as I'm now a retired person. That meant a whole week to get everything ready, instead of cramming all the preparations into two days. That's a definite plus, as is plenty of time to unwind when we get home.



All in all, this retirement business has lots to recommend it. If you were to ask me what it's like, I would find it hard to explain, having no point of reference. I can say it's WAY better than working for a living. I don't miss that one little bit. And of course if either I or Marie has a doctors appointment, or we need to go shopping, or anything else, we can go whenever we like or whenever we can. On the down side, sometimes it's hard to remember what day of the week it is, but other that that, it's great.      

The big day has ARRIVED !!!!!

I don't know who is the most excited - me or John - regarding his retirement from work.

I've got loads of jobs lined up (imagine a list as long as several loo rolls.....) to keep him out of mischief.

Don't worry I won't work John too hard. I've promised he can have bank holidays off, though we're still negotiating weekends......

Marie

One week !!!

Only ONE week till the big day !!!!!!!!!!

Counting down

Only 30 days till the big day.....

Seven weeks

Seven weeks, seven weeks, seven weeks - seven weeks, seven weeks, seven weeks - seven weeks, seven weeks - seven weeks, seven weeks, seven weeks....

Till John retires !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy New Year

We wish you a wonderful 2014.

Marie & John xx


PS It's exactly 100 days till John retires. YIPPEE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seasons greetings

Here's wishing you a very happy Christmas and a wonderful new year.

Marie & John xx

Black and blue

"You may get a little bruise", said the nurse....

Marie

Grandads Army

Colonel Montmorency who was in Calcutta in ninety-two
Emerged from his retirement for the War
He wasn't very pleased with all he heard and all he saw
But whatever he felt, he tightened his belt and organised a Corps

Poor Colonel Montmorency thought considering all the wars he'd fought
The Home Guard was his job to do or die
But after days and weeks and years, bravely drying his many tears
He wrote the following letter to the Minister of Supply

Could you please oblige us with a Bren gun?
Or failing that, a hand grenade will do
We've got some ammunition, in a rather damp condition
And Major Huss has a arquebus that was used at Waterloo

With the Vicar's stirrup pump, a pitchfork and a stave
It's rather hard to guard an aerodrome
So if you can't oblige us with a Bren gun
The Home Guard might as well go home

From Could you please oblige us with a bren gun by Noel Coward




In order to sign up and serve in the first world war, a man had to be between eighteen and thirty-nine. The same rules existed at the start of the second world war, so very few men could serve in both. There are, however many exceptions. Naturally the maximum age limit didn't apply to men already in the army, so nearly all the senior officers in the second war had been junior officers in the first. This applied to both sides. The German General; Heinz Guderian, had suffered in the trenches and developed the concept of mobile warfare, blitzkreig to prevent another trench stalemate. And many merchant seamen form the second war had seen navy service, both Royal and Merchant during the first.


So what of the rest ?


It may seem incredible to us today, but many of those who had seen the horrors of one war were willing to sign up again, if anyone would have them. You see, the television programme Dads Army is closer to the truth that you think. If you are living within the old County Durham boundaries then you might be able to find out for yourself, because the County Durham records of the Local Defence Volunteers (LDV), which later became the Home Guard have been made available on-line by the National Archives.


I've mentioned my grandfather before, and of how he was a regular soldier, wounded at Ypres in 1915 and how he ended up serving, first in the Tyne-Tees Coastal Defence force, and later the Army Service Corps and how he made his home in Sunderland. Sadly his army records are among the many lost what the warehouse was bombed in 1940, but I recently found his LDV enrolment papers from June 1940.

Light at the end of the tunnel

The end of the tunnel will be reached on Friday 11^th April 2014, because that's the day that I retire !!!


Yes – after nearly three decades of putting as much as I could afford into a pension, payout day is near. It's going to take a couple of months to get everything sorted with annuities and suchlike, and I can't do anything irrevocable until then. I need to give three months notice at work, so I will be doing that just after Christmas, and retiring on 11^th April.


As you can imagine it's a bit step, and one that sneaked up on us. In my profession (software developer) years ago it was commonplace move from job to job quite a lot. At one time I had five jobs in two years. Four of my employers no longer exist. So I made up my mind that it was safer to make my own pension provisions. Everything was going well until Gordon Brown all but destroyed our pension system. I was on target to retire very young, but it was not to be.


I just kept making the payments and hoping for the best, wondering whether I would actually be able to afford to retire even at 65. But here I am, 59 years old and ready to retire. I'm delighted, and as you might expect, Marie is doubly excited. She's ticking off the days.


Roll on April.

You couldn't make it up

Many of you will know that I drive an Alfa Romeo, and have done so since 1987. I'm currently driving my seventh.


I know, I know. They have a reputation for poor reliability. Generally speaking I haven't found this to be true. In all that time I've only had three problems. One was a failed starter motor (if you ever need a starter motor for an alfasud or an alfa 33 I've got one in the garage). Another was a transaxle problem, and the third occurred a couple of months ago.


My current car just passed it's tenth birthday. I didn’t mean to keep it so long, but with just 44,000 miles on it, it's still in good condition. Probably better than some I've bought in the past. Then it stopped. On the way home from work. After maybe half an hour I got it going. It then refused to start after I came out of the Pizza place one Friday night. Had to get he RAC to tow me home. The local dealer claimed to have fixed it, but three days later it stopped in the outside lane of a dual carriageway during rush hour. Same RAC man. Thankfully he saw the funny side of it.


This is where Alfa Romeo are let down. The dealers. The car wasn't safe to drive, so I asked the service manager at my local dealer for advice. He took the view that my problems were no concern of his. He did this in a manner that was aggressive and intimidating. Clearly he doesn't understand that he is the public face of the brand. I ended up paying serious money to get someone to put the car on a truck and deliver it to the dealer, where it would have a new sensor fitted, and the annual service carried out. Except that they forgot to do the service.


On top of this, I spoke to the sales people, and was quoted “four to five months” if I wanted to buy a new car.


So yesterday I bought this.

John

Long time no hear

Sorry there hasn't been any blogs for a while but there hasn't really been anything to report.

As I mentioned in the previous post I was hoping to be discharged from hospital the following day. Everything was going great for me to leave then three hours before we were due to catch our train my wound started to bleed quite heavily. Agnes, my nurse, called Professor Cobb who came immediately. It was now 50/50 whether I would be able to go home that day.

The Prof asked what time our train was. 1.30pm, but as we required assistance getting on the train, we had to be at Kings Cross twenty five minutes before hand.

He had to dash into theatre so instructed Agnes to put a pressure dressing on my hip. He would then come back to see me around the time we would be due to leave to say either yes or no.

True to his word, still in full theatre scrubs, he came back at 12.45pm and checked the wound again. He would discharge me on one condition. I had to let my body heal slowly so had to promise to take it extremely easy at all times. His departing words were he did not want to see me on the ward again.....

We saw the Prof on Thursday as it had been six weeks since my last op. This time around it was a real hard slog as I'd been banned from doing pretty much everything. I was allowed to put some weight on my hip but I had to wear a full leg splint to stop my knee from bending so walking was extremely difficult. Bending and stretching were severely restricted this time too.

Still, he gave me some good news. My hard work has paid off and my hip is fine. Whilst I'm desperate to get out and learn how to walk again I’ve got to take it really easy and use Wizzy more than stickies as he doesn’t want my shoulders and arms overdoing things - he doesn’t know that I do boxing so they’re a lot stronger than they look....  However if I behave myself then I should see a big improvement in my walking by the summer. 

There was though one bit of bad news. I'm still not allowed to climb stairs. Whilst there's no chance of the hip popping out the Prof is concerned the muscles aren't strong enough to support my hip so wants me to slowly build them up. 

I go back and see him in January so I'm hoping he'll say yes then. 

Marie