Very late review of 2012 med cruise on adventure of the seas

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

I'm loving reading about your adventures!!! You are both such troopers and Tanja with the bad leg, and even then, she's smiling in every photo. :D

I feel like I know you both a little better and can not wait to meet you in Barcelona and chat over a nice cold beer, or sangria.

 

Keep it coming!

 

Hasta la próxima! ;)

 

 

Thank you so much! Can't wait to meet you either...the Tappas bar will be wonderful, no matter which one we pick! I hope there'll be people joining in. The more the better:).

 

hehe, more cold beer pictures about to be posted soon! but today life got in the way...

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

So we're about to visit our last port: Ajaccio, Corsica. This was the port we were looking forward to the most. Actually it was one of the reasons we decided to book this cruise. We ALWAYS wanted to visit Corsica... but it's not that easy, since it isn't included in any of the main stream tourist deals. Oh, you CAN book of course, but it was no way near our budget at the time. So we thought, having a day there with the cruise, it would get us a first impression and we'd find out if it's worth coming back some day (when hopefully the budget won't be such a problem anymore (years of hard work and so forth:D)).

Well, when we booked the cruise -- remember it was our very first, we failed to pay attention to the fact, that YES -- we were going to stop at Ajaccio -- but NOT a whloe day! Crap! I saw this AFTER checking out a million things I wanted to see in Corsica. Rats! Our very favorite wishes dissolved in thin air.

 

First on the wishlist was seeing La Scandola and spending the day on a small boat to be able to get real close to the red rocks, maybe even being able to snorkel a bit right there. Gone --not enough time!

 

Second on the wishlist was driving the historical railway all through Corsica, but at least up to Corte, the old capital and experience the corsican backcountry with the chestnut-trees, Macchia and wild pigs...Gone -- not enough time!

 

Third on the wishlist was seeing Bonifacio at the southernmost tip of Corsica, sitting high on the steep cliffs... Gone -- not enough time!

 

Fourth on the wishlist was a hike through the Calanche Mountains, including a stop in Girolata, a village only accessible by boat or hiking trail. Well-- this wasn't doable because of Tanja's knee anyway.

 

So you can imagine, we were pretty frustrated, when we discovered we'd only be there for half a day:(.

 

Anyway -- with all our planning thrown overboard ( :eek: No -- not literally!!!!) we decided to take it easy and just let it flow. So what would we see? What would Corsica "feel" like? Would we love it, or hate it or even worse --be indifferent about it? We felt like real adventurers not to have ANY plan!

 

Have any of you read the Comics with Asterix and Obelix by Uderzo and Goscinny? If YES -- you'll know what I'm talking about. If not and you ever visit Corsica -- make sure you read this first! (Or just read it anyway, because it's FUN!)

Remember when the Corse guy suddenly sniffs the air and jumps overboard, because he "smelled" Corsica and couldn't wait to get ashore? We'll get to that.

 

But first of all here we are luxuriously sipping our coffee in the MDR. We're just about ready to dock in Ajaccio...Life can't be a lot better, can it?

 

 

once we enter fresh air we also smell Corsica, even before we see it. It's comparable to jumping into a swimming pool filled to the top with freshly dried herbs. WOW! then splitseconds after the scent hit us, the eyes kick in too and we see this:

 

so -again WOW...it not only smells great, it looks pretty too! Let's start roaming around, shall we?

 

more to come!

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

before the cruise we (shortly) thought about renting a car for the "now only half" day...but seeing just how much caution local car owners showed to their surroundings, we were glad we didn't. And Yep, that's the Adventure in the background. The dock is really conveniently located. In less than 5 walking minutes you're in downtown Ajaccio. We walked off the dock, getting this fun shot of the ship:

it's just the reflection of the back of the ship! isn't it cool, artsy and special? No??? Oh well, we liked it anyway, so you have to endure it:D.

 

Walking into Ajaccio, we noticed the Corse -- what shall we name it -- pride -- way of life -- attitude -- weirdness? They all kinda fit. I like "explosiveness" best. Once again check your Asterix and Obelix booklet for that:rolleyes:. All Corsicans we saw (and sadly tried to talk to, but more to that later) who didn't want to sell you some touristy stuff (those were peaceful) absolutely exploded if you DARED to adress them in English. First we saw a poor British (I believe) couple who dared to ask a local pedestrian for directions. Watch out. I felt reminded of the mean Italian guy on the train and felt bad for them. While continuing our walk, we saw some more interactions between the Corsicans between themselves. Of course we didn't understand a word they were saying, but one could capture the highly explosive atmosphere in one moment and then again brotherly love the next.... those quite differing state of minds would freely wander back and forth...Wow... this was unnerving...too much for our taste... we decided to respectfully leave a security zone between us and any "non tourist oriented" Corse.

 

Now who is a tourist oriented Corse? We made the mistake to think a bus driver in a tour bus waiting to be loaded with cruise tourists would count to to the "safe" category. We dared to ask him in English if we could buy tickets for the tour from him and when the bus would leave. Huge mistake!

Tanja and I both had French in school... we don't know much anymore, but we did get the hang, that he was offended we didn't ask him in French, since this is a part of France after all, it shouldn't be forgotten and respected and so on. Once he was done with that he was all peaceful again and kindly gestured to a little booth on the sidewalk, where aparently we could buy tickets for his bus.

 

We were intimidated. A lot! Worst of all we actually felt bad. We COULD have managed in French...barely...maybe not perfectly and with a lot of prethinking our question beforehand, but anyway it could have been done. Why didn't we try? We had already witnessed the poor Brit couple earlier. We should at least try now we thought. Let's pull out our school French, that's been slumbering for ...uhm a LOT of years. It took us at least 5 minutes to get our bus tour question all set up and Tanja bravely walked up to the counter of the little booth. She said her sentence -- oh I was so proud of her -- and the guy replied in English and gave her an English booklet about Ajacchio. WHAT:confused:? These Corsicans really confuse us.

 

Well, we had the bus tickets now, and could silently enter the bus with the strange ... uhm I mean proud native driver. It was supposed to be a one and a half hour drive around Ajaccio and the outskirts. It was an open top bus and we wanted to sit up on top. We looked up and there were only a couple of single seats available...Nay, we do want to chat about what we see, so we stayed in the lower part (in sight of the bus driver). Once the bus was ready to start, he asked us if we didn't want to sit up on top ( in FRENCH) and we ( highly sweating at this point as in an exam) replied in FRENCH that we'd love to, but there wasn't space. He was on the war path now. He mentioned us to follow him upstairs. The people sitting alone where without any words, but physically moved next to each other by this "charismatic" Corse -- and voila -- two seats for us on top. Wow. Corsican people -- they're a hand full.

 

Later on we decided we love Corsica, but are a little afraid of it's inhabitants.

 

more to come!

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Well, the bus tour started to drive through Ajaccio. Ajaccio is all about Napoleon Bonaparte. There are Statues everywhere and they even pimped up the house he was born in, so it can be visited. No thank you. We drove by some nice houses like this one:

 

 

but what really fascinated us was the close proximity between life and death. Not right in the middle of downtown, but EVERYwhere a little outside the center of town, there were burial grounds. Either huge spaces with tons of little houses -- family grave places (so we assumed) all lined up, right next to the roads, hotels, houses or shops.

 

Sometimes there would be single "grave houses" (sorry, I really have no clue what their correct name is) sitting squeezed between a lifely hotel area.

 

 

 

That felt kind of strange at first, but after a while we agreed, that we thought it honors the Corse people to show so much respect for their dead, that they still integrate them into their everyday lives, rather than wanting to have them out of the way on some distant cemetary.

 

We drove out of Ajaccio to see some beautiful scenery, which reminded me a lot of Santa Barbara, CA.. both directions ..facing the sea

 

as well as facing inland:

 

then we stopped at a huge parking spot in the middle of nowhere, where we'd have a 15 minute break.

see? That's our bus -- and the driver behind the weel in a red shirt! Torro! Ole! Oh wait, wrong country!

 

more to come!

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

So from the parking lot we could walk down to the sea (just across the street). There were some local youths there fishing. They chatted amongst each other as if all the busload tourist horde wasn't standing around them. The view was okay --- not overwhelming but nice.

 

but what completely blew me away was the clarity of the water. Look at the gazillion little fish in there!

Sure, maybe this is normal in other parts of the world (I bet the Caribbean or the Maldives have clear water like this? But we've never been -- so this was a WOW moment for us). On the bus tour back into Ajaccio we took this pic of the sea

see the rocks underneith the water? You can clearly see their structure even from so far away -- how amazing it must be to snorkel here.

 

Back in Ajaccio we turned a corner and yay -- saw the Adventure! Is it just us, or does everybody get excited, when you unexpectedly discover your cruiseship?

 

After the bus tour we decided to stroll around Ajaccio a bit!

 

more to come!

[suekay]

I can't wait for the next instalment. Yours is one of the most interesting and amusing reviews I've ever read. We've done this cruise twice and you brought back so many memories - thank you :-)

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

I can't wait for the next instalment. Yours is one of the most interesting and amusing reviews I've ever read. We've done this cruise twice and you brought back so many memories - thank you :-)

 

 

Hi Suekay,

 

Wow, glad you like it so much! Read the reviews of KansCocoa ... they're a whole other league.THEY are the best reviews I've found and they inspired me to try myself!...but still I'm happy that you're also enjoying mine:D!

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Okay folks, one more!

 

when we were dropped off at the bus stop, we were thirsty. We had read about the beer they brew in Corsica, which is made out of the local chestnuts. Chestnuts??? Naturally, we had to give it a try.

tasted okay...a little strong but not bad at all.

 

When we strolled around the town, I just had to have a picture with this sign:

I'm a veterinarian and have NEVER ever seen a sign like that at a local pharmacy. I thought it was neat....although, if you think about it, I'm glad they don't have that here -- I'd be selling less products myself.

 

We really couldn't walk around a lot anymore because of Tanja's leg. We decided to celebrate our new found love of red wine. So we bought a bottle of a local wine in a supermarket and spent the rest of our Corsica time behind the tail of this horse.

Oceanview, peoplewatching, chatting about all of our cruise experiences, perfect weather and sipping local red wine -- stop the time this moment was PERFECT!

Well, if you're sitting anywhere for hours, while sipping wine, sooner or later you will need a restroom. Not to worry -- we saw signs when we entered the place. After following these signs now -- we found this:

 

they put up signs for THESE? Sigh, shudder, I guess it'll have to suffice.

These thingies have a strange construction with a lever and a movable band... I don't want to go into details, but it was -- in a quite bizarre way --sort of interesting:o. Well, maybe only because this experience took place AFTER the wine!

 

We were a little tipsy when we returned to the ship, but still managed to get a shot of the Corse flag:

 

Done with Corsica. The half day turned out to be fine for getting a first impression...We WILL come back (but not until we've refreshed our French).

 

We were back on the ship, heading to Malaga. Disembarkation was very smooth. We got off the ship in no time at all and our luggage was already standing there. One last walk through Malaga's port, into the subway and off we were to the airport.

 

Did we love the cruise? YES! Did we love RCI? I guess so -- we don't have anything to compare it to. We liked the "american" friendly and relaxed atmosphere, the fact you could get water, coffee, hot chocolate, and lemonade for free all the time and last but not least the fact, that there were hardly any Germans aboard. We ARE Germans I know... but the typical German family on holiday can be a little unnerving and we just don't count ourselves to that category. It was just nice to hear and speak some English again -- (and French in Corsica). Are we hooked on cruising? Most definitely!

 

So that's it folks. That was our first cruise last year. Hope you liked it. We still have 45 more days till the next (much longer --- hoorayyy) cruise on the Serenade of the Seas. This time hopefully without a torn ligament and with our 13 year old fosterson.

 

If you have any questions, go ahead! Otherwise I'll hopefully hear opinions on this one...any criticism is absolutely okay, since it's a practice review and I can use all suggestions for my next REAL review of the Serenade cruise! So come on, tell me what I forgot, what else you'd like to see in a review like this and so forth. Thank you very much for all your comments!!!!!

 

Stef

[windjamming]

Well, we had the bus tickets now, and could silently enter the bus with the strange ... uhm I mean proud native driver. It was supposed to be a one and a half hour drive around Ajaccio and the outskirts. It was an open top bus and we wanted to sit up on top. We looked up and there were only a couple of single seats available...Nay, we do want to chat about what we see, so we stayed in the lower part (in sight of the bus driver). Once the bus was ready to start, he asked us if we didn't want to sit up on top ( in FRENCH) and we ( highly sweating at this point as in an exam) replied in FRENCH that we'd love to, but there wasn't space. He was on the war path now. He mentioned us to follow him upstairs. The people sitting alone where without any words, but physically moved next to each other by this "charismatic" Corse -- and voila -- two seats for us on top. Wow. Corsican people -- they're a hand full.

 

This is one of the funniest paragraphs I've read in a review in some time. Your French must have been very good for you to have gotten such a staunch supporter in that bus driver! Well done to both you and Tanja. Well done.

 

Very much looking forward to your Serenade review. You have a wonderful way with words.

[Wriggler]

We still have 45 more days till the next (much longer --- hoorayyy) cruise on the Serenade of the Seas. This time hopefully without a torn ligament and with our 13 year old fosterson.

 

If you have any questions, go ahead! Otherwise I'll hopefully hear opinions on this one...any criticism is absolutely okay, since it's a practice review and I can use all suggestions for my next REAL review of the Serenade cruise! So come on, tell me what I forgot, what else you'd like to see in a review like this and so forth. Thank you very much for all your comments!!!!!

 

Stef

 

Well I loved it Stef - and can't wait until you do a review of our trip on the Serenade then I can re-live it all again!! :D:D

Edited June 3, 2013 by Wriggler

[Bobal]

I almost didn't read this review, but am SO glad I did. What a wonderful review - lovely pictures and really entertaining.

 

I'm particularly pleased to see you'll be doing another review of Serenade - we'll be doing the same Serenade cruise in September and I can't wait to see your review before we go.

 

Well done on such a great review and hope you love your Serenade trip :)

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Your French must have been very good for you to have gotten such a staunch supporter in that bus driver!

 

Lol -- I don't know if you're right about that windjamming... we sort of had the feeling he didn't want us anywhere near his sight during the trip:). But the way you interpret this just sounds so much nicer! Thank you very much. Glad you liked the review!!

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Well I loved it Stef - and can't wait until you do a review of our trip on the Serenade then I can re-live it all again!! :D:D

Hi Carol,

 

Thank you ! 44 more days. Is it too early to get out the suitcases yet:D? Now, since I'm done with this report... I'm looking for cruisy stuff to do! Not like I wouldn't have enough chores to do around here. The closer we get to our cruise, the more paralized I seem to get doing non cruise related stuff.

 

Yep, I hired Tanja and Tarik to take pictures of our Serenade cruise as well, so the next review will definitely be longer:D.

 

Can't wait to meet you all!!!!

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

I almost didn't read this review, but am SO glad I did. What a wonderful review - lovely pictures and really entertaining.

 

I'm particularly pleased to see you'll be doing another review of Serenade - we'll be doing the same Serenade cruise in September and I can't wait to see your review before we go.

 

Well done on such a great review and hope you love your Serenade trip :)

Thank you Bobal!

 

aahhh the pressure! I hope I can get the new one finished before you start on your cruise. I'll certainly try:)!

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Come on folks -- you're all being too nice to me! I need to know, what you thought was missing or could be done better!!!! Don't be shy!

 

...if I don't get any feedback on that, I don't know what to change! Then you'll get a review on the Serenade cruise, that's basically knitted like this one (just lots more:rolleyes:). But don't complain afterwards... :D

 

Stef

[star cruiser 1]

Thank you for a great review I really enjoyed following. I really don't think you need to change anything for your next review I thought it was great. I hope you have another great cruise and can't wait to read all about.

[solaris88]

Loved the review! Very informative and funny. Can't wait to see what you write about our upcoming cruise. We are going to have to be on our "best behavior". :D

[jmcross]

We are going to have to be on our "best behavior". :D

 

Or....NOT. Which will make for a more interesting review!;)

[solaris88]

Or....NOT. Which will make for a more interesting review!;)

 

 

If this was Facebook I would be clicking "like" ;D

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Thank you for a great review I really enjoyed following. I really don't think you need to change anything for your next review I thought it was great. I hope you have another great cruise and can't wait to read all about.

 

Thank you star cruiser! I had so much fun reliving the cruise through the review that writing the new one in the same fashion (mine) will be most fun for me again. So it does feel good, that this fashion is fun for you all. Thanks for the feedback!

 

Stef

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

:DLol -- Tatiana and Joanne --- do your worst:D!

 

We'll have a great time I'm sure!

 

And have no fear -- nobody gets into the review, who tells me he/she doesn't want to be in it! I totally respect that! Hehe, if you don't tell me to leave you out though, I consider you fair game and it'll be even more fun!

 

Stef

[Wriggler]

:DLol -- Tatiana and Joanne --- do your worst:D!

 

We'll have a great time I'm sure!

 

And have no fear -- nobody gets into the review, who tells me he/she doesn't want to be in it! I totally respect that! Hehe, if you don't tell me to leave you out though, I consider you fair game and it'll be even more fun!

 

Stef

 

Oh oh!! Could be messy!!

 

I think it will be really good to re-read what we got up to and the ports we visited - even if we did different things while ashore. I've read other reviews where people from the same sailing have posted how it all brings back lovely memories so I'm really looking forward to reading all about our adventures!!

 

Carol

[Kreuzfahrtneuling]

Oh oh!! Could be messy!!

 

I think it will be really good to re-read what we got up to and the ports we visited - even if we did different things while ashore. I've read other reviews where people from the same sailing have posted how it all brings back lovely memories so I'm really looking forward to reading all about our adventures!!

 

Carol

Hi Carol,

 

It IS fun! So go ahead! Write a review! I'd be thrilled to hear about your vacation on the adventure last year!!!!!!Different things while ashore? GREAT! Would be boring if everybody did the same stuff. Well, but if you don't write a review, I'll definitely ask you all about your trip while on the Serenade!

 

YAY -- 43 more days!

 

Have to go shopping today! The kid grew a bit (thank god -- finally) and needs new stuff. I can start looking for "formal wear" stuff for him as well... Boy, he'll hate it:).

 

Stef

[Wriggler]

Hi Carol,

 

It IS fun! So go ahead! Write a review! I'd be thrilled to hear about your vacation on the adventure last year!!!!!!Different things while ashore? GREAT! Would be boring if everybody did the same stuff. Well, but if you don't write a review, I'll definitely ask you all about your trip while on the Serenade!

 

YAY -- 43 more days!

 

Have to go shopping today! The kid grew a bit (thank god -- finally) and needs new stuff. I can start looking for "formal wear" stuff for him as well... Boy, he'll hate it:).

 

Stef

 

I'm not sure I could remember enough to write a review after so long...you did so well with this - the humour and the photos - and you know I don't take many photos as you've seen the random ones I attached to our roll call

 

I will join in with your review of our Serenade trip when you post that one :p

 

You can certainly ask me about it when I see you in just over 6 weeks!!!:eek:

 

I'm almost there with the shopping - bought another pair of cropped trousers yesterday :rolleyes: so just need to clam myself down or I'd be getting the cases out of the loft right now and putting things in :p

[solaris88]

Carol & Steff, if that was possible you are making me even more excited about the cruise!!!:D. The thought of all the accumulated fun we'll have, and get to write, and read about, has me jumping up and down.:p I'm restraining myself from going to the closet right now and getting the suitcases out!!!

After all, I should be getting ready for work. :eek:

Got to run, we are almost in Barcelona!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ciao!

Tatiana