A Spirited Mediterranean cruise with walking difficulties

[fabnfortysomething]

the clocks went back the sea day between Naples Italy and Mykonos Greece and then they changed again when we headed back to Italy

 

sorry I got that the wrong way round-they went forward 1 hour and then back a few days later

[fabnfortysomething]

Just saying I love to read your reviews and then I'm going to go and actually read it!

 

Hi

 

still remember you from our Escape inaugural-that was a fun mini cruise!

[fabnfortysomething]

Another blue cloudless sky and think Harmony of the seas is stalking us because she was berthed alongside us in Civitiveccia and she’s alongside us again today.

 

Our previous visit we again used Rome-car –tours and had a great day along the Amalfi coast and Pompeii in the afternoon

This time we decided to visit Herculaneum and had seen taxi tours advertised for 70euros total which would take to Herculaneum and back with a 2 hour time at the ruins.

 

We were not in a rush so had a leisurely breakfast and as we were docked in centre of Naples we watched the rush hour traffic

As we got off the shop taxi drivers were touting for business and we got one who spoke good English called Massimo

He tried to persuade us to do Vesuvius as well as Herculaneum but we thought that would be too much for 6 .

 

Italians have a reputation for being crazy drivers and Massimo fitted right in with the other drivers on the road .Red traffic lights optional and a free for all at crossroads.

 

He dropped us off at entrance, gave us his card in case of problems and would meet us in 2 hours. No money exchanged at this point so it was to his benefit to be there.

 

Now the local name on all the signs is Ercolano rather than Herculaneum and I wonder why we are not sticking with the simpler name with less syllables?!

 

Entrance was 11 euros and guides were touting for business at a special rate of 40 euros However we didn’t want to be pushed into more walking to see everything they wanted us to see and preferred to wander round at our own pace. Anyway we had read guidebooks and watched documentaries and after having visited Pompeii and knowing Herculaneum was a luxury holiday resort it was pretty easy to work out

 

By comparison to our favourite Center Parcs resorts we quickly identified the sub tropical swimming paradise, the guest villas, restaurants and the Parc plaza as well of course the spa at Aqua Sana[Americans probably wont have a clue what I'm talking about but they are a very popular Northern European year round car free resort with lots of indoor areas to deal with our rainy climate]

 

The strangest thing I found about this site is that modern apartments are surrounding the excavated areas and have a view directly in to the site. If this is floodlit at night would be a room with a view indeed

 

It is a more compact site than Pompeii and does have slopes and uneven surfaces but 6 managed and I’m glad we have now visited both places

Seeing the beach front alcoves where skeletons were found of people who tried to shelter and instead were buried in boiling mud and Mount Vesuvius looming in the background is definitely one of those moments when a shudder runs down your spine!

 

After negotiating the ancient ruin site with its uneven surface successfully 6 then twisted his ankle on the modern concrete slope leading out to the exit!

 

2 hours was good timing and we met Massimo as agreed 12.30.He again suggested Vesuvius but we asked to go straight back to the ship

I was talking to people later who did hike Vesuvius and it would have been too much for 6

 

Back on board we planned for a restful afternoon after I delivered meet and greet reminder invites around the ship. Pre printed at home but as with all good ideas I had to add a hand written note that the clocks go forward an hour tonight so likely to have a few people turning up at the wrong time.

 

On my tour of the ship aka exercise for the day going from deck to deck and using the stairs I read the notice board by the library and saw a wedding vow renewal package for $499 and thought 6 will definitely want to book this!

 

For your money you get a ceremony, some roses and chocolate covered strawberries in your stateroom and option of a photo-I don’t think that was included in the price

For some reason none of the long married men in our party of friends decided to surprise the loves of their lives with this renewal package.

 

6 had got a further email from Gatwick saying that Paul was delighted we had found his phone and how to return it as we got back to Gatwick

Unfortunately we were flying back into London City airport so another plan required.

 

K and D and ourselves are all platinum on NCL and had 2 free meals for 2 to use in either Le Bistro or La Trattoria so we booked Le Bistro for the 4 of us tonight

It is a pretty little restaurant and we were able to take in the beautiful views as we sailed past the Italian coastline.

I had soup, filet de boeuf and ice cream. Service was timely and the food good[i don’t like the coq au vin which 6 had as it is too heavily garlicked for my taste]

 

We then ended the night in our usual haunt Champagne Charlies and were joined by M and T

Think we are becoming creatures of habit as several people from the roll call knew to find us there and stop to say hi and compare notes on the cruise.

[fabnfortysomething]

I wrote an email to Rudy from rome-car-tours about our concerns with our Livorno guide and he responded straight away thanking us for our feedback and said he has talked to Maurizio and told him he will not be using his services in future-he even offered to refund part of our tour!

 

Rudy always phones the guides phone on way back to drop off point and to personally check how the tour had gone ,As I was unaware of the issues at this point I did not complain about an average guide as it could have been an off day for him

 

However taking everything into consideration I decided Rudy would want to know if a guide reflects badly on his company and his response shows what a customer focused guy he is

 

well done Rudy and will certainly use and recommend Rome-car-tours in future

[AleeCruiser28]

Ciprian was on our STAR cruise last year to Norway! He was my favorite as well. We are taking your similar cruise in October on the STAR. Tell him I said hi!

 

We have visited Rome several times and 4 years ago did a small van tour with D and K and others to Rome with Rome-car-tours where we had the owner Rudy as our fantastic guide.

 

This time we decided to stay local and D and K got the train to Rome on their own as they still had plenty to see.

We had thought about getting the free shuttle into Civitiveccia but decided to give 6 ankle a rest and stay on ship.

 

We had a late breakfast at Raffles and used my i phone hot spot to connect to wifi[avoid ships expensive provision]

6 found an email from Gatwick customer services asking to clarify what happened. The original email looked clear to me-what part of “I think I have the guy who was pushing my wheelchair mobile phone” is hard to understand?

 

Sun deck 13 aft was deserted so I grabbed my costume, sun creamed up and sunbathed for a while.

6 went for a slow limp around the jogging track taking pictures.

 

12.30 I was feeling a bit hungry so texted 6 “where are you?”

“Shakers bar” was the response

“no such place think you getting ships confused”

It turned out he was in Raffles bar with his new best mate Ciprian the bar waiter.

 

I had been awarded VIP status which offered breakfast and lunch in Cagneys but hadn’t had time to use yet-woke up too late for breakfast and was off the ship for lunch the previous days

We went down and introduced ourselves to the concierge and after that they knew us instantly by sight.

 

We had the place to ourselves for lunch

We decided to try the signature cocktail Mr Worldwide which consisted of vodka ,pimms and champagne-very nice

We had chicken soup followed by New York strip steak and truffle fries-very nice but I’m feeling sorry for the masseuse going to be doing my spa treatment later on with my garlic breath!

I had marinated berries and mango for dessert whilst 6 asked for strawberry ice cream which caused a bit of consternation-apparently they are used to people asking for the more exotic desserts on the menu!

 

The sun was out on our balcony so I sat out there listening to the music coming from the Tivoli pool a few decks above whilst 6 napped on the bed.

 

I was unable to resist the Spatopia package in the Mandara Spa-OK I didn’t put up any resistance!

$159 + 18% gratuity for 75 mins full body massage ,hand and foot massage, facial and scalp massage

Wonderful and no pressure to purchase the products

 

I slid out at 6pm and found 6 in Raffles bar-what a surprise!

Sailaway was 7pm and lots of buses are arriving back 6.15 with on board time 6.30-we found a note on the door that D and K had also just got back 6.15 and were showering and would meet us at Champagne Charlies as the band from the previous night Trio Royale were doing the early shift.

 

We were joined by M and T from the roll call and compared notes on the day

M and T had taken an NCL excursion” off the beaten track” which they recommended .It was a strenuous hike to a hilltop village which was split into 2 years ago by an earthquake.

 

D and K had taken the train into Rome

The express train wasn’t running so it took over an hour and 8 stops. The platform number also changed last minute and they were alerted by crowds of locals heading to a different train. Total 26 euros for the 2 of them.

There was lots of walking involved including 40 mins between St Peters and the Colosseum

 

As we had had a 3 course lunch earlier in the day it took a while to get hungry but we all headed up to Raffles terrace and had a quick snack from the buffet. The temperatures were very pleasant out there under the canopy[the air conditioning can get a bit too cold inside so we spent the rest of the night out there chatting with our newfound and established friends.

 

I headed to bed but 6 headed to Maharinis for a last beer he said he was going to bring back to the room

Mmm didn’t I see something in the freestyle daily about a solo traveller get together there?

My head hit the pillow and I was out so have no idea what time he actually got back!

[fabnfortysomething]

OK will be a break in posting for a couple of days as darling daughter back for the weekend and we going wedding dress shopping!

[shkeh]

Enjoying your review and the walk down memory lane for the boys and I. Really enjoyed meeting you on the cruise. Hope our paths cross again in the future!

[fabnfortysomething]

OK we have had our own episode of Say Yes to the Dress with the assistance of 2 of her bridesmaids

 

I may be biased as her mother but she would look good in a potato sack.

However THE Dress is perfect for her

6 will be proud to limp her down the aisle and her fiancé wont try to run out of the church when he sees her!

 

only a year to go

 

so back to the review

[fabnfortysomething]

Today was the day of the Meet and Greet 10am in Shogun restaurant. With the clocks going back we were unsure how many would actually turn up.

There were about 20 with a few more showing up a little later. There was a good turnout of officers who each did an entertaining introduction and they said this was a very good attendance [should have seen the numbers at our sailaway!]

 

It was good to see familiar faces and we all chatted and compared experiences so far and eventually people drifted away 11.45.

It had been an active and friendly roll call and it was a pleasure to meet so many lovely people in person.

 

Shogun Asian restaurant has creepy looking statues and samurai costumes as decor so wont be a loss if they are removed during the drydock.

 

We had a glass of prosecco in the atrium bar before heading to Cagneys for lunch

There were more people in there than other day[suite and VIP] but it is a very peaceful environment unless you have pretentious people talking at the top of their voice to the concierge and going into great detail about their [not so] interesting days.

 

I had asparagus and proscuito for starters followed by beef burger just to see how it differed from the offerings in the buffet or blue lagoon[not much IMHO]

Washed down with a glass of Mr Worldwide for me and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc for 6

 

I decided to get some sunbathing in. The main pool deck was busy with both people and the ever present towels on otherwise empty chairs but there were plenty of available loungers on deck 13 aft.

 

Returning back to the cabin I found 6 having a nap so sat out on the balcony enjoying the cool breeze and listening to the sounds of the waves-heaven!

 

We had an invite to the Captains cocktail party and it was also Norwegians night out so excuse to dress up a bit if you want to

In the lack of 6 chinos he wore his lightweight trousers and a short sleeved collared cotton shirt and I wore my maxi dress

 

The party was in the art gallery and there was a line of people outside waiting to be invited by a ships officer to step up one by one for small talk and a photo with the captain. Bit like queuing to see Santa Claus when we were children.

 

I did not purchase the photograph- I need advice on how to pose for photographs so I don’t ruin the wedding photos next year. What I do know is facing the camera full on and chin up does not flatter a woman of a certain age who has a few extra pounds on her!

 

After photo with the captain it was into the room where a gauntlet of officers to shake hands with and then a glass of offered wine, We studied the works of art on display, scratched out heads at some of them and decided we are obviously philistines.

 

We met up with our friends at Champagne Charlies and were joined by others throughout the night.

Patricia was handing out chopsticks to tap against your glasses in time to the music[or out of time in my case] and a song sheet with photos of herself posing with some famous musicians. Some of them were obviously taken several years ago as was the cover photo on her CD displayed on her piano!

She invited staff and cruisers to sing with her with varying degrees of talent

 

We ventured further back into Maharinis later on and found a series of leather couches and a full sized leather bed! Strange and wonder if that will survive the dry dock refit!

[CoffeeGoddess]

Thoroughly enjoying your review, I'm glad you both had a good time and it's nice to be remembered. :)

 

In regards to posing: face your body 3/4 towards the camera, shoulders back and down with your spin straight and tall, then turn your head to face the camera with your chin slightly down and forward. That should give you the best presentation. If you're not sure about it, ask the photographer to help you out a bit (a good one will help you all pose anyways).

[fabnfortysomething]

Thoroughly enjoying your review, I'm glad you both had a good time and it's nice to be remembered. :)

 

In regards to posing: face your body 3/4 towards the camera, shoulders back and down with your spin straight and tall, then turn your head to face the camera with your chin slightly down and forward. That should give you the best presentation. If you're not sure about it, ask the photographer to help you out a bit (a good one will help you all pose anyways).

cheers

[fabnfortysomething]

well that was a nice mother daughter weekend

 

Wedding dress bought and collected and now hanging up in her old wardrobe at home

 

went to see Chicago at the theatre last night-great fun

 

She's on the train back to London

 

now back to the review having been home and back to reality for a full week

Edited August 9, 2016 by fabnfortysomething

[fabnfortysomething]

We were in dock 9-6 and a shuttle bus was provided between the ferry port where the ship docked and the old town.

We decided to stay on board having visited Mykonos before and I had a long lie in .

 

11.30 I headed out of the cabin in search of 6 and found him at his usual place in Raffles terrace

I went to take photos of picturesque Mykonos from the back of the ship and rested my elbow on the railing and failed to spot the wet varnish signs!

There is now an elbow shaped smudge on the wooden railing-always has to be one doesn’t there?

Actually it wasn’t just me-several others did the same thing so either we are all blind or the wet varnish signs weren’t obvious-I know what story I’m sticking to!!!

 

My usual sunbathing spot on deck 13 was too breezy to sit out but the Tivoli main pool area was practically deserted , sheltered and no towels reserving seats.

 

There were several people with tape measures and ipads making notes presumably for the dry dock but there were signs of routine maintenance as in the varnishing of the railings so keeping the ship looking good.

 

I bumped into D who said they had gone ashore but it was very windy and the souvenir shops had a fine layer of sand over their wares. She was heading for a shower to get the sand and salt out of her hair

 

I found 6 in the same place and persuaded him to move to the edge so I could sit in the sun and him in the shade and gave him a good laugh when I tried to move one of the tables-they are bolted to the floor!

 

I really like the area Raffles terrace as has shade and sun and some great panoramic views

Mykonos is a typical Greek island with lots of sun and little rain which results in barren brown landscapes. Colour is provided by the deep blue skies and seas and the white buildings.

It’s not a holiday destination for the mobility impaired unless you are staying in Mykonos town or have transport to negotiate the steep hills around the island.

There was plenty of construction work going on of new hotels outside the main town area and on those aforementioned hills .Airplanes taking off from the airport and the ferries frequently depositing holiday makers from mainland and other islands.

 

We opened one of our platinum fizzy wines on our balcony with K and D for sailaway .We noticed that the seas were pretty choppy but not bad enough to cause seasickness

We certainly managed our meal in Windows before retiring to our usual haunt of Champagne Charlies.

[fabnfortysomething]

We were due in port 9 till 7 but were slightly late docking.Fortunately we had priority disembarkation and were able to quickly meet up with our guide Tony from PK Travel holding up a sheet of paper with my name on it. No blank ipads and no problem.

 

We used PK travel 4 years previously and then we filled a 12 seater minivan with members of our roll call and had a comprehensive tour of Athens including the Acropolis

This time we reserved a taxi for the 4 of us to explore Corinth

First surprise was the upgrade to an 8 seater van so we were able to spread out

 

Temperatures of the cruise so far were 30 degrees C or 86 degrees F but today the heating was cranked up and hit 36C or 100 F

Our guide Tony was easy to understand and as this was the first proper tour since Livorno showed us the difference a great guide like him can make.

 

He provided small bottles of cold water which are half the size sold by the ship so easier to carry around and refill.

 

Our first stop was a photo op at the Corinth canal with the advice to be wary of pickpockets.

It was a bit tricky crossing the road at first but some cars did slow down and gesture for us to cross when they saw his walking stick

 

We then drove to ancient Corinth with an hour to wander round the ruins. Admission is 8 euros and you will need sunscreen/hat/umbrella out there .It is fairly flat with gravel paths so just took it easy.

 

We then drove up to Acro Corinth at the top of the mountain-very windy road up but affording some panoramic views across the peninsula.

There was a long slope up to the fortress consisting of slippery worn stones with vegetation in between-Tony advised us to go no further than the flag a couple hundred yards up as it gets tricky after that.

 

Well all I can say the first part was not easy either!

6 managed with his stick and K assistance and to hug the wall as is no handrail

Getting down was even trickier

However that’s another notch on his stick/cane

Acropolis in Athens 4 years ago Acro Corinth today

Actually today was probably easier as didn’t have to cope with throngs of people jostling him

 

We had a slow drive back to the ship and were back onboard about 2.30

Our 5 hour tour cost 170 euros for 4 of us

 

Getting back on board involved 2 sets of Xray machines one in terminal the other on the ship

The ships staff queried the tin of Olive oil D had bought in a local shop-she deliberately chose a tin rather than a bottle in case the ship were policing their recent beverage restrictions. Once they were satisfied we weren’t trying to smuggle on booze, water or soda in a new and novel container they let it pass.

 

We headed for a quick lunch while K went for his usual hour run in the sun[did I mention temperatures hit 36 C or nearly 100F today?]

I tried to sunbathe but it was just too hot so I joined 6 under the shade at Raffles

 

We joined S and her son for Abba trivia 5 o clock

They had also booked PK travel on my recommendation and had a great day

As to the trivia we got 15/20 but were beaten by one team who got 16

 

18.15 Sean was due to do his set but had just got back minutes previously from his Athens tour so a very short time to freshen up.

He told us later that as a guest musician he gets to go on NCL excursions for free/discount rate if he reviews them for the shore excursion desk

 

We very rarely do ship excursions finding independent tours cheaper and less people so more personal experience. However reading the excursions literature I noted that they advise independent tours for those with mobility issues .That is a change from previous cruises where they note which tours are suitable for wheelchair users .Perhaps they had a lot of issues and don’t want the hassle but it’s certainly a departure from the urging to only book ship excursions as the ship will wait for you if you’re late back!

 

Following Sean was Patricia now well into the chop sticks rattle against glasses and encouraging people to come up and sing with her

Finishing off her set she introduced a new game

Couples find a dance partner and as she called “Spirit” they had to immediately find new partners from amongst the audience.

 

A very attractive young lady[young enough to be his granddaughter grabbed K as D was chatting to other cruise mates at this point]

He was twirling her round and chatting to her when he realised 6 was recording this for posterity on his camera.

He tried to explain to D that he was just being polite but was told “you could have said no”

That video clip is now entitled “should have just said no” and may be either used as divorce evidence or uploaded to facebook.

[fabnfortysomething]

OK tomorrow he has bone scan which will determine future surgery plans-wish us luck!

[Sauer-kraut]

OK tomorrow he has bone scan which will determine future surgery plans-wish us luck!

Best of luck! Congrats on the successful shopping trip with your daughter!:D

[Always Cruising]

Loving the stories....and glad the wedding dress has been chosen. Best of luck with the scans for 6 - I remember him smiling all the time, despite his pain. You are both a great testament to "surviving" marriage, and having fun while doing it!

[fabnfortysomething]

I woke up 9.30-early for me!

I filled our second free laundry bag and wandered up to the top deck about 11

The pool area was busy but it was just too hot to sit out-even at the edge of the canopy at Raffles the sweat was pouring off me.

 

Walking round the Tivoli pool on the walking/running track I heard feet pounding behind me and K comes running past-I did mention the extremely hot temperatures today didn’t I –this guy is mad to run in this heat!

 

I did a few circuits of the ships bars trying to find 6 and eventually found him in the cabin-apparently he had seen me earlier walking through Champagne Charlies but was hidden/hiding? behind a pillar.

 

The buffet and blue lagoon were busy and noisy so decided to head for Cagneys again for lunch where it was nice and quiet.

Being a creature of habit I had a Mr Worldwide with chicken noodle soup and a turkey burger. The burger was nice at the time but the pineapple sweet and sour sauce was repeating on me all afternoon.

6 had soup followed by New York strip steak and strawberry ice cream washed down with a glass of Sauvignon Blanc [exactly the same as the other day]

 

I called into the cruise consultants office to see if the ships pins had been delivered as they were not available in Barcelona. They were indeed so now have an almost complete collection of the ships we have sailed on. The exception was the Escape as they were not provided on the inaugural Hamburg to Southampton we were on [or indeed the transatlantic that followed]

I told this tale and he said he had also been on that inaugural and that he may have a spare pin in his luggage and to call back the next day when he had the chance to check.

He did indeed find one so in exchange signing up for 2 cruise next certificates for him was no hardship.

 

I bumped into D and we headed up to the galaxy lounge to check out the sunny sea views through the panoramic windows. It is a nice quiet spot but underused so am afraid may be a casualty of the dry dock as other ships have apparently lost this area in order to accommodate more cabins.

 

We tried our luck at 80’s trivia. S was taking part with her sons but no space near her so we formed a team with M and T from the roll call who were enjoying their first [but not to be last] cruise

T turned out to be a rock chick so we got a score of 32/40

However S beat us by 36/40 but perhaps this was for the best as the winner had to do a dance with Gio the cruise director .Of course 6 was there with his camera to record the moment despite S requests to delete the footage.

 

7 o clock was the latitudes welcome back party .Pre UBP being offered as a perk this was the chance to get free booze but the last few cruises the wine was pretty awful[and I’m no wine buff].There must have been enough complaints that they have changed to something more palatable.

 

K and D joined us for our second speciality restaurant as platinum perk and tonight we chose La Trattoria-very bad choice.

45 minutes after we sat down we were still waiting for our starters. I went up to the head waiter and pointed this out and 1 minute later out came the starters followed 15 minutes later by the main course .

It didn’t seem particularly busy so not sure why there was such a contrast between Le Bistro the other night and this one.

I had calamari and lasagne which was OK but not great and certainly would have begrudged paying extra for it.

 

As usual we ended up the night at Champagne Charlies and were joined by several people from the roll call so ended up being a really sociable night. We made arrangements to meet up the next night and have a meal together in Windows.

[fabnfortysomething]

I woke up early enough to have breakfast in Cagneys and had my first coffee of the cruise as they give you a cafetiere of coffee

The stuff at the buffet is too rough for me, I cant be bothered to fiddle around with the coffee machine in the room and wont pay extra for coffee at the atrium bar

You may have guessed I can take or leave coffee but alcohol............lol

 

We had visited Corfu 2 years ago on the Jade Greek islands cruise and used Corfu taxi tours for a tour with just the 2 of us.

This time I wanted to show D and K the beautiful island of Corfu and we booked the same company but asked not to go to the crowded Achilleon palace as we were put off by the crowds last time and didn’t want to go inside

 

Unlike most Greek islands which have lots of sun and little rain so landscapes are brown and barren Corfu has a high rainfall in winter so the island is very green.

 

There were 3 ships in port and looking from our balcony it seemed to be organised chaos as the port provided shuttle buses seemed to be stopping at random places so passengers had no idea where to queue for the next available bus.

It was too far for 6 to walk to the terminal building so took our chance and fortunately an NCL employee had taken charge and guided people to a waiting bus .There were no seats left so had to hold onto the rail. We set off and came to an emergency stop and I nearly went flying! A woman had just walked straight in front of the bus-fortunately 6 had braced himself so managed to keep upright.

After a second attempt we made it safely to the terminal building where we met up with K and D who had walked from the ship.

 

Our guide Vanzelis[pronounced Vangelis and I cant get the theme tune from Chariots of Fire out of my head] was waiting for us from Corfutaxitours. We had requested an off the beaten track tour avoiding tourists and Vanzelis was happy to oblige .In fact Spiros the company owner had suggested him as the ideal guide for us as he loves the mountain villages.

 

First stop was via windy narrow roads that large tour buses would be unable to access and at the top a beautiful view of the bay below.

We then stopped at a village where locals were sat at an outdoor cafe with 2 tables. They made room for us and Vanzelis brought us water and Greek coffee.

 

K and D wandered around taking photos whilst Vanzelis and 6 chatted together about old cars and doing them up prompted by the sight of the old cars parked around these narrow streets .

In his younger days 6 used to enjoy working on cars but now prefers to let garages do the work but they had a good chat about working on the old fashioned Volkswagen beetle.

 

We heard voices and a group of about 20 people came round the corner wearing NCL stickers-how on earth did they get up here? The answer was a jeep safari as there were about 6 mini jeeps parked around the corner.

 

Back in the taxi for some scenic views and we ended up at a castle where could climb to the top for 2 euro. We took photos from below and made use of the toilet facilities at the nearby restaurant. We were offered lunch there but about a dozen jeeps turned up wearing Costa stickers so we abandoned that place as our aim of the day was to avoid crowds of tourists.

 

To get to the next scenic point we had to pass through a seaside village with very narrow streets. There were traffic lights at either end of the village with a sign saying they change every 7 minutes and 30 seconds. They only stay on green for a very short time but it is to ensure tour buses don’t encounter each other head on in the village as there is no room for manoeuvre.

 

We pulled over for photos whilst Vanzelis went to buy bread, feta cheese and tomatoes which he brought along to a place called Georges cellar.

This was a souvenir shop halfway down the mountain selling their own produce of olive oil and wine as well as postcards and souvenirs. He guided us to a table for 4 in the corner and prepared sandwiches for us with the produce from the village and supplemented with olive oil and herbs from Georges shop.

 

Whilst we were sat there several tourists came in and purchased and sampled Vanzelis food as there was far too much for us.

The owner Spiros and his wife were very welcoming and no pressure to buy which meant you were more inclined to do so!

George after whom the shop was named was his father and he has a son George so the names Spiros and George alternate each generation and to keep a family business. We were given samples of their own wine to try and as we were leaving he gave us a postcard of the place as a souvenir.

 

We had a leisurely drive back to the ship through Corfu town and more landmarks along the way

 

It was a great day away from crowds and spectacular mountainous countryside and villages. The extra touches of the Greek coffee in a remote village and the provision of local produce as a snack were the finishing touches made by a fantastic guide.

 

The 5 hour taxi tour was 200 euros for the 4 of us and worth every penny[or cent as the case may be].

 

We were back on the ship by 2 where we dumped our stuff in the room and headed up to Raffles terrace where we were greeted by bar waitress Priscilla. One order of Becks and a rebellious fish and she took our photo with drinks in hand and backdrop of Corfu with blue skies .One to email back to work to gloat!

We were joined by D and whiled away the afternoon with Priscilla and Ciprian competing with each other as to who could anticipate our next drink!

 

We met a bunch of people from the roll call at 7 as arranged and 8 of us went to eat together at Windows. The place was half empty-perhaps too many tired people from strenuous tours?

Our waiter Nelson was very good but we experienced the usual wait for the food to arrive but nowhere near as bad as in La Trattoria.

 

A nice sociable evening finished off as usual in Champagne Charlies with our new best buddie cruisemates

[fabnfortysomething]

as an aside the bone scan was painless but involved lots of hanging around in hospitals and trying to find a parking space

 

now awaiting orthopaedic surgeon appointment to discuss results and the way forward

[fabnfortysomething]

The clocks had gone back an hour so when woke up it was only 6am so drew back the curtains and enjoyed the sail in.

Kotor Bay has been described as similar to the Norwegian fiords and I can see why with the towering mountains close by the water but I can assure you it’s a lot warmer!

Forecast was for 30 degrees C and there were a few clouds seen for the first time on this cruise but those soon burned off.

 

We went for breakfast at Cagneys 7am and were the only ones in there as most people seemed to be watching sail in and watching lifeboats being lowered for the tendering operation.

We met K and D and took advantage of the priority disembarkation being escorted by the concierge Florentyna to the next available tender at 8.10

The only seats available were at the front and the window was open otherwise would have been unbearably hot.

However during the 20 minute ride to the shore it meant were hit by a fine spray or even splashes if boat hit some waves created by other vessels. There was one other ship there-a Thomson one but can see this port becoming more popular especially as Turkey ports are being abandoned.

 

We met our guide Daniel from ToursbyMilo a young fresh faced man who was 23 years old-younger than our youngest!

All I can say is I hope neither of ours ever drive like him .Not just him all Montenegro drivers are mad-dont ever consider hiring a car there and driving yourself!

Tailgating .overtaking at speed and then nipping back in ahead of oncoming traffic-quite a thrill ride!

In towns it is congested and red traffic lights seem to be optional. We saw police directing traffic sometimes but basically it’s a free for all.

Daniel said you have to be an aggressive driver or you’ll never get anywhere!

 

He was driving an old Volkwagen Touran with no dents apparent but a few scratches. The clutch wasn’t working properly and 6 said the tyres were just about legal but the horn worked and that seems to be essential for all Montenegro drivers.

 

The air conditioning wasn’t very good and as it hit 40 degrees C that was a bit of an issue. It was the old fashioned wind down the windows to catch a breeze[no electric windows]but as we set off through a 2 mile tunnel Daniel suggested we wind up the windows as the air is bad in the tunnel .Translate carbon emissions are not a priority and exhaust fumes are high.

Despite this cant really complain as the 4 hour tour was only 80 euro for the 4 of us.

 

At first we had a bit of trouble understanding each others accents but soon got used to it.

Our first stop was a scenic viewpoint overlooking Budva Bay and then to the town of Budva in bumper to bumper traffic [but apparently this was a good day!]

He parked up the car and led us through the old town with its fortified city walls and inside narrow streets with cafes and shops .It was noticeably cooler in those streets so when came through to the beach area with lots of locals sunbathing the temperature difference was intense.

 

Budva is a hive of activity at night with cafes and bars packed out but this time in the morning was very quiet. There were plenty of old churches to keep D happy as she snapped away on her camera and a Victorias Secrets lingerie shop to keep K happy that he just happened to stop in front of.

 

We walked back to the car along the harbour lined with yachts .One of the interesting things visiting countries that were once part of the communist Yugoslavia is how they have evolved since splitting into separate countries .Montenegro tourism is increasing but as noted cars owned by locals tend to be old and beaten up and there is a serious problem with congestion. However it is a beautiful country as we were about to find out.

 

We had another photo op of the coast with an island monastery in the background then another slow crawl back through Budva to get back to Kotor.

Daniel drove us at top speed round hair pin bends to the top of the hill overlooking the Bay of Kotor and our ship anchored in the distance. He said one of his hobbies is speed racing-no kidding!

He is also a wrestler and his girlfriend is into Judo. When I describe him as about 5 foot 6 and slight build this was a surprise .

 

We had another thrill ride along the winding coast road overtaking whenever there was a 10 yard stretch ahead before either a bend or oncoming traffic and arrived at Perast for 30 mins of free time and the chance for my legs to stop shaking.

 

There were plenty of boats offering sail out to the 2 islands in the bay or glass bottomed boats but we just walked slowly along the waterfront trying to ignore the lace sellers and other souvenir hawkers.

There was no wall between road and drop off to water 6 feet below and I wondered how many badly driven cars or pedestrians partaking of drinks at the bars along the front ended up in the water.

 

I asked Daniel to take it a bit easier on the drive back to the ship with the excuse I was feeling a bit queasy and he did so. We were dropped off back at the port in one piece. Daniel was an entertaining and personable guide and despite the old car with its many faults cannot complain about a 4 hour tour that cost us 20 euros each.

 

2 other groups from our roll call booked Milos company on my advice

 

K and D decided to explore the old town of Kotor but the walk in Perast was 6 limit for the day so we headed back to the ship

This time it was an open boat provided by the port so much more comfortable for the 20 min boat ride back to the ship.

 

Up to Raffles bar for a quick buffet snack and greeted by bar waitress Jhonida calling out “Becks?”

We found a spot with a cool breeze and were joined by D who told us K was still running[it’s 40 degrees C [104F]!!!

 

About 5.30 the sun dipped below the canopy and the temperatures soared so time for a shower.

Sailaway was supposed to be 7pm but actually set off earlier at 6.30 and it was a very picturesque sail through the towering mountains at each side until got to the open sea.

 

The late nights eventually caught up with me and I headed to bed 10.30-more like my normal bedtime at home!

[fabnfortysomething]

Croatia and another hot day.

 

We had breakfast in Cagneys and were chatting to S who also used toursbyMilo and got the man himself. He now has a 2 month old son and this may have moderated his driving as he still drove fast but not as reckless as Daniel .it was supposed to be a 6 hour tour but she cut it short as was feeling nauseous with the hair pin bends being taken at speed.

 

A lady and her husband sitting nearby were smiling at our conversation so we chatted with them for a bit and compared notes.

Conclusion Montenegro is a beautiful country but the drivers are crazy.

 

We had visited Dubrovnik 2 years previously and used Dubrovnikdaytours-a company of 3 tour guides who decided to set up their own business. We decided to hire them again as D and K had not visited before but we asked for highlights of Dubrovnik and at Josip suggestion to explore further out and the wine district.

 

We met our guide 8.30am a delightful young lady called Marijiana who has a husband and young family and extremely good English as a result of watching a lot of English/American TV when she was a child.

Her mother said this was a waste of her time but Marijiana got the last laugh as it is an asset in her job as a tour guide.

She has a degree in Marine Biology but said she didn’t want to go to a career in fishing industry as she likes to talk and the fish aren’t good conversationalists!

 

She went to collect her car, a new Chevrolet with working air conditioning!

She drove [safely and at a reasonable speed] on a one track road to a point below the peak where cable cars end for that classic panoramic view of Dubrovnik below.

 

A minivan pulled in along side us containing fellow cruisers who had booked this company on my recommendation and we recognised Ivo our guide from 2 years previously .I re introduced myself and he said business has now expanded from the 3 of them to be able to hire additional guides such as Marijiana.

Good to hear word of mouth and trip advisor reviews work and am pleased Dubrovnik Day Tours are getting well deserved new business.

 

We then drove to a new parking lot half way down into Dubrovnik old town. Marijiana asked if 6 would be able to manage a couple of hundred yards worth of steps downhill otherwise she would drop us off at the bottom but would add 30 minutes on to when she could meet us as she would have to circle back and park the car before going down those same steps herself.

 

He decided he could do the steps as they were not too steep and was in shade. In fact it was a pleasant walk down and we came out at the Hilton Imperial which was the first hotel built in the 1900s to cope with the new tourism industry. Apparently they advertised as having warm water in each room!

 

There were crowds of people around the Pile gate but she found a shaded area where she told us a lot about the history of the Old Town before actually venturing in there.

 

There were lots of Game of Thrones tours advertised and some tour guides have specialised in this.

Marijiana told us of a previous client who got very excited at the sight of the sweeping steps where a lot of action takes place most notably Cersei walk of shame as she starts off from there stark naked and being flogged along the way by a sadistic nun calling “shame shame”

 

She wanted Marijana to help her set up a photo where she was walking as Cersei with Marijiana pretending to be there with a whip. Marijiana joked whether she wanted to do it naked and she looked as if she was seriously considering it!!!

Her husband was frantically gesturing NOOOOOOO

 

After a tour of the old town she left us to collect the car and we arranged to meet her by the Hilton in 45 minutes. There was no way 6 could do the walls tour so we walked slowly back to the hotel and seat in shade whilst K and D wandered round and took photos.

 

Marijiana picked us up promptly and we headed off to the peljesac peninsula along beautiful winding coastal roads to a family run winery.

Another group from our cruise were there with another tour company but obviously this is a very popular place to visit although very small and it’s like heading into someones private home.

 

The owner offered us some [generous] tastings of grappa[40%] and liquers [20%] before the actual wine tasting

We tried a very nice white wine[12%] and an equally nice rose[12%] described as refreshing everday

He then produced a red he called an everday wine but to be drunk with food as is 15%

And finally a red wine of 16.5%[think will be having snooze on the way back!]

 

The shipping fee to the UK was about £30 and the wines themselves £4-£6 apart from the firewater which was £12

I ordered a mixed case of 12 which are now sitting in my wine rack at home and tempting me.

 

We called off at the medieval city of Ston with its salt pans and source of wealth centuries ago. To protect it there is a wall snaking up and over the large hills/mountains and is 2nd in length to the Great Wall of China.

Each September there is a marathon where runners race up and down the walls-even K said he wouldn’t attempt that!

 

Ston is mostly in disrepair after many residents left after damaging earthquakes in the 1970’s however work is ongoing to restore the town as a tourist attraction and there are many restaurants and souvenir shops.

 

We had a final photo op at the suspension bridge overlooking mouth of harbour with our cruise ship in the background.

 

The day was 240 euros for the 4 of us with a fantastic guide and we had a group hug at the end of the day

 

Compared to Montenegro Croatia has a “tidier” air of beauty about it and the cars are new and well cared for and safer drivers!

 

We were back on board by 3.30 and whiled away the rest of the afternoon just chatting

 

6 picked up an email from Paul from wheelchair assistance with his name and address so we could put his phone in a jiffy bag and mail to him on our return.That is what we did and was what we expected them to suggest so not sure why took them nearly 2 weeks to come up with this suggestion!

 

I headed back to the room for a shower but Jerico was still doing turn down service and in middle of creating a towel animal lobster which was a new one for me. He asked if we liked the towel animals-oh yes am still a big kid at heart!

 

We had all decided to go to Henrys bar tonight as Sean would be playing there and at least this time there were no darts flying past his ear.

 

As a result of the grappa/liquer/wine tasting earlier in the day it was another early night for me and had to be escorted to bed by 6 as was a bit unsteady on my feet.

He stayed out till midnight and then sat out on the balcony listening to the waves and taking photos of me fast asleep under the covers

[fabnfortysomething]

My turn to get revenge.

6 has a device to help him get his socks on that looks like a curved 10 inch square of plastic with a long cord attached to each end.

He was halfway along the hallway when he realised he was wearing this around his neck instead of his lanyard with keycard- dont think the bar waiters will accept that!

 

We had breakfast in Cagneys again and Florentyna the concierge said she would return our passports to us if we called back about 11

Instructions in the freestyle daily was that passport collection was timed by deck and to collect from Maharajas night club throughout the day.

She actually saw us sitting in the atrium before that time so brought our passports over to us.

 

It was almost like holding court sitting there as several people from the roll call passed by and chatted, some asking for my advice on getting around in Venice as we have visited several times .I thought about putting up a sign and compete with the shore excursion desk!:D

 

There was a 50% off pearls event going on so as we celebrated our Pearl anniversary of 30 years of marriage in May and the earrings were $30 I decided 6 would buy these for me as a retrospective present.

Wouldnt you know it the post snapped off 2 weeks after returning home .A local jeweller said wasn’t cost effective to repair and to return to seller-er bit difficult in this case-oh well at least the marriage has survived longer than the earrings!

 

10.45 was the Captain and senior officers Q and A in the galaxy lounge but disappointingly the questions were all quite reasonable-usually there are a few daft ones which make for good entertainment.

 

Time for a bit of sunbathing and as expected the Tivoli pool was crowded as were front and side sundecks but there were plenty of loungers deck 13 aft where I found K and D

 

Feeling a bit peckish I found 6 in the atrium and we headed back up to Raffles terrace where Ciprian had our wine and beer waiting for us by the time we filled our plates from the buffet.

On the Epic Canary Island cruise in March we commented on indifferent bar service which was very unusual for NCL-they certainly made up for it this trip!

 

I was hoping to get a few signatures on my trivia card to actually “earn “ anything so headed for afternoon trivia where joined S to team up for dog breeds before we did the Classic rock trivia 5pm.Between 6 of us which we named the USA/UK special relationship we did get 33/42 but the winning team had 40/42.Again probably best we didn’t win as they had to do a dance

 

We separated for a while as M and T had a reservation in Cagneys at 6.45 for their anniversary

We had a reservation for the same restaurant at 7.30 and they must have been cursing their luck as we arrived in time to witness the waiters and M serenading T with a chorus of “let me call you sweetheart I’m in love with you”

 

We were due to share a private tour with M and T the next day and would be sure to tease them about it.!

We enjoyed the steak but portions were huge and could probably have shared one meal between us!

 

This necessitated a lie down about 9pm to allow food to digest and we rejoined our friends about 10 to listen to Seans set in Henrys.

 

As a result of the lie down earlier I was able to join 6 for a late nightcap on the balcony listening to the waves and broke into the complimentary bottle of red wine we had been given-bliss shame the cruise is coming to an end.

[fabnfortysomething]

Our 3rd country formerly part of communist Yugoslavia-Slovenia this time

This port was substituted for one of the Turkey stops earlier in the year.

 

S had arranged for a post cruise tour from Venice as is only 1 ½ hours drive so she rearranged the tour for this port day.

She had booked a 8 seater van with 4seasons travel Slovenia and a full day tour to Lake Bled

We would have loved to join her but were afraid would be too active a tour for 6 and didn’t want to slow them down.

 

I contacted the company and the owner Graeme confirmed it would be a lot of walking but suggested an alternative tour and so we filled another 8 seater van with 6 and myself ,D and K ,Y and A from our Livorno tour and our anniversary friends M and T

 

As this was our first port returning to the EU we had to go through a passport check before leaving the pier. There were 3 lanes open so did move pretty quickly.US passports holders had theirs stamped but UK were just waved through.

 

We met our guide Helena at 8.30-she is Graemes wife and a great guide.

Firstly she drove us up into the hilltop villages and stopped for a panoramic view of the coast-Slovenia only has a 30 mile coastline and you could see the borders with Italy and Croatia.

 

Helena gave us a quick history lesson of how Slovenia split up from Yugoslavia and how it has fared since. All 3 guides from Montenegro ,Croatia and Slovenia gave differing accounts of the war but one thing in common is that all 3 rely heavily on tourism.

 

We then went to the seaside town of Portoroz for an hour of free time. It was a Sunday and a lot of locals/holidaymakers sunning themselves on the beach.

We had a slow meander along the beach and harbour but to be honest found it difficult to spend an hour there unless you wanted to sit at a cafe and people watch.

 

We then drove along to Piran a larger town with suggested free time of 3 hours but from our experience of Portoroz said 1 ½ hours would be sufficient.

The main attraction was a church 300m above sea level accessed by uneven slopes and steps Another notch on 6 walking stick as he took it steady and views from the top were worth it.

We were all together as a group of 8 at this point but then split up to explore

 

D and K to explore the church

Y and A found some fellow countrymen/women having recognised their language as they were sitting next to them at an outside cafe. By the time we met them again they had an open invitation to visit them in Slovenia as they now live here ! Funny how you form unexpected friendships when going on a cruise!

M and T climbed the steps to the bell tower just as it chimed for 12 o clock-they were deafened for the next few hours!

They then went down the steps in the other direction and out to the lighthouse at edge of town and then wandered back along the seafront.

For our part we found a seat in the shade and people watched until met back up with Helena at our meeting up place 1pm.

 

She checked that we had had enough time in Piran-yes 1 ½ hours was sufficient if you didn’t want to take time for a meal.

 

She detoured via Izola another seaside town which was once an island but 400 years ago sea levels dropped and is now connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of land.

 

A tour through the centre of Koper and we were back at the ship 2pm.Ahead of time because we had declined extra time in Piran but we all felt we had had a good time.

For 8 of us in the van it cost 47.5 euro per person and we met a lovely lady in Helena.

 

Back on the ship for a quick lunch at Raffles and Priscilla urging us to have a beer to wash it down

 

Then back to the room to pack. I had intended to just sling everything in as we were heading straight home the next day but somehow always takes longer than expected. Last time we drank the platinum fizzy wine which seemed to help the packing go quicker until I realised the next day had forgotten to leave out socks for my trainers and had to partially unpack the case in the terminal to find some.

 

There was a note that due to new customs arrangements walk off with your own bags would not be permitted and all cases to be outside doors before midnight and just carry on/off baggage allowed.

Actually I found this worked better as unless you are planning to be one of the first off the ship elevators on disembarkation are clogged with people and their cases and long lines result as people shuffle along slowly with their baggage.

 

There was a storm forecast so headed up to Raffles to watch the darkening clouds but it didn’t actually break until the early hours of the morning-apparently!

I slept through it.

 

I went to redeem my trivia stamps and had enough for a plastic NCL water bottle-assume that will be allowed back on board next time if the own beverages on board policy continues!

 

We arranged to have a final meal together in Windows with our tour mates for the day

Then on to Henrys pub for final set for Sean

 

No darts players but an equal health hazard of a very large and very drunk man wobbling on his bar stool and singing along at the top of his lungs.

No problem until he staggers over to Sean singing over his shoulder and looking at the lyrics on his laptop and pint of beer sloshing around.

If he had knocked into him equipment and Sean would have gone flying.

It was getting a bit of a tense atmosphere and the barman was on the point of picking up the phone to call security when Sean stopped his set early and with nothing to sing along to the drunk weaved his way off to bed.

Chatting to Sean afterwards he says you get used to that and best thing to do is keep calm and take an early break.

 

A final sit out on the balcony listening to the waves and contemplating going home tomorrow-boo .

[fabnfortysomething]

So final morning and instruction from NCL to relax and enjoy your final morning----as long as you are out your cabin by 8.30am

 

Venice was cloudy and evidence of recent rain-complete contrast to the last 14 days of blue skies and hot weather-oh well getting us prepared for home.

 

We got out the room 8am and headed up to Raffles for breakfast and to meet D and K and M and T for farewells. They were all staying an extra day in Venice but we had a 13.15 plane back to UK.

We had pre booked a taxi 9.30 to get us to the airport so 9.15 we hugged each other goodbye and 6 and I went to get off the ship .We timed it just right ahead of the next colour disembark so a fast exit.

 

We collected our suitcases and through the terminal to find a taxi driver holding up a paper with my name.

It was a comfortable 6 seater van and cost 35 euros for the 15 minute journey .

So far everything going swimmingly............

 

Marco Polo airport has a reputation for chaos and pretty well deserved.

The BA check in desks were not yet open and there was nowhere to sit.

 

About 10am lines started forming and I noticed there were 2 BA flights within 15 minutes one to Heathrow and the other to London City which was our destination but the same check in desk. We joined the queue and 1 desk opened with very slow progress until a few other desks opened alongside.

 

We spent the time in line chatting to another couple from the UK who had come off a Cunard ship on Friday and spent a couple extra days in Venice[this was Monday]

There were 5 ships in port on Friday so people mover ,Alilaguna etc were all packed whereas today we were the only ship in port and public transport easier to access.

 

We also noted the Slovenia Olympic team in their uniform and bags and our queue friends commented on why they would be flying out from Venice .I repeated the info our guide from yesterday had said about Venice being less than 2 hours drive from Slovenia.

 

Eventually getting to the check in desk she gave us our boarding cards but no note of wheelchair assistance. I queried this and she said she could organise it but it is a small airport so we decided to just walk.

The lines to security were quiet and it took longer to make our way through the snaking roped off lanes-I was starting to get dizzy!

Why doesn’t someone adjust the ropes so can walk in a straight line when there aren’t many in line?

 

We had 2 hours to kill at the gates so found a seat and read.6 was beginning to discover aches and pains now and no attentive bar waiters to provide pain relief .

 

There was a note on the boards that there was a 10 minutes delay so take off 13.25 instead of 13.15

However once we boarded the Captain announced that due to a broken baggage conveyor the incoming flights baggage had only just been removed and there would be a 10 minute delay whilst our luggage was loaded.

Well an Italian 10 minutes turned out to be 45 minutes in English so we were nearly an hour late taking off.

 

I had booked 1700 train tickets from London Kings Cross to our home station. Purchasing off peak open returns meant we would have not been able to get on a train until 1900 and a 3 hour gap between landing at City airport and allowing an hour to cross London meant we still had a comfortable cushion of 2 hours to wait at the station and even with this flight delay still would be looking at a 1 hour wait.

 

We had arranged to meet our daughter 16.15 at the station as she had a bargain suit she had got from her work[she works for an online fashion firm] for her brother to attend a wedding that week and rather than post it she would hand over to us for delivery.

 

I had pre booked a taxi transfer and was feeling confident they would be tracking the flight and see the delay. They had sent us a text the previous day confirming their service and the arrangements.

Because London city airport has very high parking charges we were to send them a text when we collected our baggage and they would meet us in the arrivals hall .A reasonable assumption to make that they would be parked up round the corner and would drive into the airport compound and meet us within 5 minutes?!

 

We landed 14.55 and were collecting our baggage by 15.15-London City is a very small airport.

As instructed I sent a text to the company and we headed for the arrivals hall-no sign of anyone.

I got a text back saying that he saw the flight was delayed and bear with them .They were allowing 45 minutes to be with us after landing so would meet us 15.45

I pointed out that was 30 minutes time and we were already here and waiting with our baggage so please come earlier as we had a booked train to catch 1700.

No problem came the reply we will get you there in plenty of time

 

At this point I should have obeyed my first instinct and cancel and just get in a waiting taxi as nothing had been pre paid.

 

We waited by the exit doors so could see traffic approaching and waited........

3.45 still no sign of him so sent text again and he sent us his vehicle registration details to look out for and that he was just around the corner!

 

I was getting pretty agitated by then as it would cost us over£100 each to buy new tickets for a later train at the station. I asked a waiting taxi driver how long it would take and he couldn’t guarantee he could get us there on time. He suggested the 20 minute dock railway system into London but that would still involve a tube link and exactly what had tried to avoid with luggage and 6 slow walking.

 

16.05 he eventually turned up [over an hour since landing]and pointed out on the GPS we would be at Kings Cross by 16.40

To me that is tight as they start boarding the train at that time and pull off at exactly 1700.

He kept apologising and took a few short cuts to avoid worst of traffic. I checked the train online on my phone and found that no delays-typical could have done with it this time, Darling daughter kept texting us with updates and were we nearly there!

 

16.50 we pulled up outside the station and the driver apologised again and asked us to text when we on the train.

 

We grabbed our bags and ran/hobbled as fast as we could to the waiting train. Darling daughter met us at the gate grinning at my stressed red face and suggested I have a glass of wine on the train!

We got on board with 5 minutes to spare and texted daughter

Her response was that Northerners turn up 10 minutes early for a train Londoners with 10 seconds to spare-we are definitely Northerners!

We texted the driver to tell him we caught the train and got the following reply

“ I am most relieved and profusely apologise again. Do have a safe jouney. God bless”

 

Fair enough but there is no way will ever use his company or recommend!

 

After a smooth train journey darling son picked us up at the station and home by 20.00

A long day!

 

PS he liked his bargain suit and wore it to his friends wedding