Canaries Cruise 6: Agadir

Posted on December 20, 2012 by lindaharley

I’d been really looking forward to visiting Morocco. Rog had been through it on a motorbike a few years ago, raising funds for the Gambia Horse and Donkey Trust and their Calum’s Road project. So I’d enjoyed vicariously their exploits in Rabat trying to get visas, Marrakech where they felt it was spoilt by being overly touristy, and the stunning scenery passing the Atlas mountains.

The berth in Agadir is in a large industrial port. The information on Cruise News advised passengers to get a taxi into town, as it is a 40 minute walk through not terribly savoury surroundings. Despite this, we passed several couples obviously trying to do just that – as our taxi cost 6 euros it seemed very miserly to adopt such an approach. Maybe people don’t actually read the information readily available to them. I (unsurprisingly) had done my research, and having agreed that getting the wee tourist train around town to get our bearings would be a good first move, asked the taxi driver to take us to “le petit train”. He duly obliged, and we then spent 20 minutes wandering along the very beautiful wide paved promenade by the stunning miles-long beach, before indulging in a little of Rog’s favourite activity of “aimless wandering”. Don’t get me wrong, “aimless wandering” is all very well in the right time and place, but
1. We were in a town unfamiliar to either of us….
2. in Morocco, where we had been warned about being on our guard…
3. in the heat…
4. and since we’d been congratulating each other on reading the info and following the guidance, and pointing and laughing at others who were doing their own thing, I was more than a little aggrieved to have my plans deviated from in this fashion. Harumph.

This was not helped by the badly laid out map provided by the boat, so we did a bit of forward and backing (fending off hashish sellers) until we got back to the Petit Train stop. Two tickets cost the princely sum of 4 euros, which was just as well, as the route it took wasn’t very exciting, covering many of the same picturesque car parks and roundabouts we’d passed on the earlier “aimless wandering”.

We lunched at the little cafe right by the train stop. I was keen to try a chicken tagine (the restaurateur pointed out the menu du jour, 3 courses including a tagine main course option for 6 euro). It was fabulous. The owner tried to take a photo of us together, but couldn’t manage to work my iphone. Rog had a tomato an mozzarella salad. Add in 2 vodkas, half a bottle of wine, and 20 euros included a very generous tip.

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I had gone for my seasoned traveller look: cotton trousers, rolled up to mid calf, cream Tshirt with beaded neck, and cream long sleeved craghoppers shirt, block strip scarf, hat, and crocs.  And cheap sunglasses!.  I was also prepared for any eventuality, with loo roll, hand sanitiser, and a bottle of water in my handbag.

We asked one of the little red taxis to take us to the souk. He was imprecise about price, saying simply “comme tu veux!”. I suggested 5 euro, and that didn’t seem to displease him.
On the way, I was enjoying conversing in French, but perhaps made the mistake of revealing that I was looking for saffron and argan oil, as the taxi driver offered to take us first to somewhere to compare the prices. Rog, who doesn’t speak French, was a little concerned when we arrived at this argan oil shop, and I was unsure as to whether I ought to buy some here, or wait for the souk. Anyway, I bought a small bottle of the cosmetic oil, and I did learn quite a lot about how it is made, and the various uses in both culinary and bodycare.

At the souk, there was a debate with the taxi driver, who said he’d wait for us. We said we didn’t know how long we’d be, and I gave him 10 euro in the hope that would dissuade him, but as we started to explore the souk, it was clear he was following us round, and also tipping the stall holders off with what I was after.

The souk was incredible, I loved seeing the variety of goods for sale, from live turtles, to every kinds of spice and tea, and each stall holder was keen to show you what each thing did, how argan oil feels on your skin, how this plant can be used as a toothpick, how these seeds could be inhaled to relieve a cold….and please come and have some tea.  I was eventually enticed into the store of Jamal, who was eager to show me his guest book, where many satisfied customers had paid testimony to his good value spices and no, he wasn’t going to rip you off.  I bought some powdered saffron for cooking, some mixed tagine spice, some star anise, and he threw in as a souvenir for Monsieur a rock that would stop bleeding, and some of those toothpick plants.

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Now, I know my role as a rich Western tourist.  I know I’m going to be paying way over the odds for items.  Some people get very irate about this, I’m more philosophic.  I have  a good idea what I’m prepared to pay for something – easier in euro than it is in Moroccan dirham or Chinese yuan, granted.  But £5-10 for a Tshirt, say, or the 7 euro that I paid for a pair of leather mocassins in this souk.  I still think I was pretty overcharged for the saffron, but it’ll last me a long time, and I’ll always be able to think back to where I bought it when I use it.

Our pet taxi driver was waiting for us, and I offered him 10 euro to take us back to the boat, but via the old Kasbah, as it reportedly had lovely views.  There were quite  few street traders about in the car park, but at least with our taxi driver acting as minder, we weren’t too badly harried.

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Back on the boat, many passengers hadn’t even got off.  Those who had, complained about the dirt, the hassling by the street vendors, the predatory taxi drivers.  We were in time to catch the ice carving demonstration, and the cocktail making masterclass.

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For the evening, I changed into black sleeveless dress with black open weave/ sparkling stone jumper, black tux and black evening sandals.  We dined in the 7 seas – I had avocado and seafood timbale, asparagus soup, osso buco, and it was baked Alaska night, so all the kitchen staff enjoyed the applause as they paraded around the dining room bearing flaming desserts.  I watched the Moulin Rouge show in the jubilee, which had fabulous costumes, a bit of karaoke in the Fireworks, and managed not to join in, and a nightcap Manhattan in the Royal Observatory before hitting the sack.  Oh, and there was a chocolate fountain going at various points around the ship this evening, which was a decadent treat!

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Cruise tip of the day: Read the information on the ports -perhaps the cruise company ought to provide shuttle buses when the ship is a not very salubrious 40 minute walk away from town, but if they don’t it’ll be worth the taxi fare.

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Canaries Cruise 5: Day at sea

Posted on December 18, 2012 by lindaharley

I was a bit worried about this day at sea, as we’d experienced some rough seas so far, but it wasn’t too bad. I’d got up in time for the yoga class at 8 am, only the instructor didn’t appear! Another participant arrived, we waited for 10 minutes, I went to reception to see if they knew anything. Eventually she arrived, half an hour late, and so too late to start the class as she was supposed to have a pilates class in 10 minutes (though really, I don’t think there was anybody showing up for that one). We agreed to have the class instead at 5.30 this afternoon. Hmmmmm.

I had booked a spa taster session at 10 am – I do wonder how qualified the spa staff really are, it wasn’t the best reflexology session I’ve had, and at the end the therapist just seemed keen to sell me some products. Cha cha class at 12 – this was good fun with the on-board professionals, who ran a good spirited lesson. I volunteered to be a man when we paired up, and ended up with a really nice Scottish lass who had great rhythm. I told her that – in the spirit of the song “I danced with a man, who’d’ danced with a gal, who’d danced with the Prince of Wales” – she’d just danced with a gal who’d danced with Strictly winner Chris Hollins. Of my many claims to fame, that’s the one that always gets the best reaction!

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1 oclock – line dancing class – great fun, even though I detest the Electric Slide, with it’s ghastly 18 bar structure. Theatre comedy drama at 1.30 (twas OK, very old fashioned farce) and grabbed a bit of lunch before the quiz at 2, and the fashion show with afternoon tea at 3. I later heard someone complain that sea days are so boring!

Was chased by my yoga teacher to make the class at 5.30, though I was a little uncomfortable about doing my downward facing dogs in front of what was now an audience in the lounge the class was in.

Booked a tour for our Lanzarote day on Thursday (it’s a shuttle bus to town location, a public holiday in Spain, and we’re only there 4 hours, so this maximises the available time.)

Cocktail of the day was a Cosmopolitan. I changed into my green tunic with mesh shoulders over black crops, green shrug, and we went back to the 4 seasons where the staff greeted us like long lost friends! Called into the Abba show in the theatre – impressive costume changes from the talented performers! Wiped away a tear when they played Supertrooper – this song always reminds me of much missed friend Gert – tomorrow is Morocco, and the last time Rog was here, Gert was by his side on a motorbike.

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Cruise tip of the day: wear nice undies if you’re going for a spa treatment, you never know how much of you they’re going to reveal!

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Canaries Cruise 4: Madeira

Posted on December 17, 2012 by lindaharley

The sailing to Madeira was much smoother than expected – rumour had it that the weather had been so bad recently that the ship hadn’t been able to dock at this little island for the past fortnight! We were in the berth by 7.30 am, next to and dwarfed by the German vessel Aida.   I wore black crops, black sandals, and a multi  beaded top.  And my striped scarf. We ventured ashore straight after breakfast, and were immediately confronted with a booth manned by 2 rival hop-on-hop-off buses – they were both the same price so I went for the red one as it seemed to run more frequently. However, the walk to the pick up point was quite a distance, and we were accosted (though not too aggressively) by taxi drivers all the way there, who would have negotiated a price for an individual tour. The HOHO bus was 12 euro each.

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The scenery was quite beautiful – steep hillsides with vegetation of all sorts growing in abundance. There are three zones where different kinds of produce is grown – bananas at the lowest level, then grapes for wine and the eponymous Madeira drink, and finally cherries. We got off at a viewing point, Pico dos Barcelos, where the customary pan-pipers were serenading us and flogging their CDs.  We manage to resist those, but instead, the cool weather and stiff breeze drew us to the knitwear stall.  I bought a lovely blue poncho with white detailing for 25 euro, and Rog got a very nice warm jacket, with a free tea towel thrown in.

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The bus continued to the little village of Camera de Lobos (which means sea lions), a place frequented by Churchill.  We weren’t quick enough to get off the bus (there were no bells to press)  but it looked like a lovely spot for lunch.

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Back into town – I’d hoped we could have afternoon tea at Reids, but you needed to reserve, and there was a dress code, so we skipped that.  We found a little cafe at the foot of the cable car, where I had a plate of ham and cheese 9 euro, and a glass of Madeira 2 euro.

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Wandering around the corner we found the old market, a lovely building with tiled walls, cobbled floors, and selling a vast array of fish, fruit and flowers.  Back to the cable car – I couldn’t work out where the famous toboggans went from, or if they returned you to town, so we opted for a return ticket on the cable car at 15 euro each.  Once on board, Rog revealed that he really didn’t like cable cars, so I suspect any future trips in this mode of transport will be taken by me alone.  And we should have pursued the toboggan idea, or just asked someone.  The views from the outdoor terrace at the top were fantastic, and the prices very reasonable – an espresso, glass of wine, and a bottle of water came to 5 euro.  Back down in Funchal, I bought a bottle of Madeira (it seems only right), and we took a taxi back to the boat.  I tried a quick dip in the pool – which was freezing!  And then the ship hooted its horn, and we realised that Aida was leaving, to the strains of Enya’s Sail Away, so we crowded onto the sun deck and waved furiously.

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We ate in the Four Seasons for a change, to see if the tables were any different, and ended up sharing with 2 other couples form Norn Irn!  Either the waiter recognised our accents and put us together, or more likely it was because we were eating a NI dining times.  I wore my red and blue dress with a salsa flounce, and a red mesh shrug, and called into the Jubilee lounge before retiring to watch a bit of the Tutti Voce show.

Cruise tip of the day:  Make sure you have enough clothes with you to pass muster for a famous afternoon tea at a hotel with a dress code!

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Canaries Cruise 3: Santa Cruz de la Palma

Posted on December 16, 2012 by lindaharley

Wow, I think we completely underestimated the difference between June in the Med, and December in the Atlantic! It was really rough last night, drawers were falling open, the boat was lurching up and down, and rather worrying bangs and crashes were heard. I did make it to the yoga class at 8 am though – was the only one there which was probably just as well, as trying to balance on one leg while the horizon was rising and falling outside was certainly an experience. We docked at 9, and I decided to try the eggs benedict for breakfast – not a good idea. The poached eggs are already cooked, and just warmed through before serving, the ham, muffin and sauce are all luke-warm. Stuck to the freshly prepared omelettes for the rest of the holiday, which were always first rate. Showered and dressed for the rather windy weather:
Black sandals
Turquoise crops
Turquoise/ purple strappy Tshirt
cream long sleeved craghoppers shirt
and what is rapidly becoming my favourite item this cruise – a light wool scarf in block stripes of grey, navy and turquoise. Light enough to squish into a handbag, warm enough to act as a shawl, effortlessly stylish when draped around the neck.

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Our first experience of Santa Cruz, main town on La Isla Bonita, was a sort of car boot sale in the car park.   I tried some of the local liqueur in fig, and bought a bottle of naranja for é1.80.  We strolled along the curiously named  and charmingly cobbled O’Daly Street, admiring the beautiful balconies and bright poinsettia plants growing everywhere.  Bought a necklace made of basalt stone, and an orange scarf trimmed with wooden beads.  The impact of the recession is hard to ignore – many places are empty, to let, or closing down.  I had hoped to go and see La Barca, a replica of Columbus’ ship the Santa Maria, but Rog’s feet were starting to hurt, so we cut down onto the Avenue Maritime, and enjoyed a couple of espressos while looking at the still crashing seas.  I’d done my research beforehand, and found my way to the recommended pastry shop on Avenido de la Puente, and bought a few delicious treats.  Rog went back to the boat, and carried on up the very steep side streets to the old town, for a fabulous view of the harbour.  I bought a bottle of La Palm wine and some goats milk soap, and was back on board for 1.20.  had lunch by the pool enjoying music provided by Top Men, and then wee Sammi came round with quiz sheets.  If I’d remembered correctly who wrote “Now We are 6” we might have won!

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Wine Tasting at 3 – enjoyed the company at my table as we tried chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, cabernet sauvignon, chateauneuf du pape and a rose d’anjou.

I swapped the long-sleeved shirt for a sleeveless coffee coloured blouse, the sandals for blue crocs,  and took photos of the sunset.

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It was formal dinner night – changed into my beaded maxi halter-neck dress and bronze wedges.  Champagne in the Jubilee lounge – was a bit odd, we weren’t too sure what was supposed to be involved in this Captain’s reception, other than it was an opportunity for the on board photographers to take some more pictures to try to sell us.  For dinner I had escargots, French onion soup, fish, and the cheeseboard with a glass of port.

 

Cruise tip of the day:  Sunday mornings can be a bit quiet, but that makes them a great time to take photos, when there’s not many people around.

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Canaries Cruise Part 2: We’re off!

Posted on December 15, 2012 by lindaharley

The flight was leaving Dublin very early on a Saturday morning, so we opted to stay the night before with our best man, Val, in Donabate. We took the dogs to their usual kennels on the Friday afternoon, and after some last minute faffing, left Lisburn at 4.30, euros in hand ready for the toll bridge, and reached our destination at 6. Had an Indian takeaway – a rather odd chicken dansak with pineapple in – and settled down to watch the famous Late Late Toy Show on RTE. I grew increasingly despairing at the gender specificity of the toys, even lego.

Val ran us to the shiny new airport building at 5.30 a.m, and the security procedures were very much improved since last I was here. (Hint, take the queue beside the VIP fast queue – if there’s non-one in the latter then they’ll call you forward). We had a rather unsatisfactory breakfast in the Hot Stone. My porridge with honey and pumpkin seeds was delightful, but Rog’s fry was really disappointing – hard fried egg, cold potato bread, and a very odd paying system which required each of us to pay separately.

The gate given on the boarding pass was 313, but when we got there, we found that the gate had been changed to 108, a good 15 mins walk away. Bought a bottle of water at a coffee place – not a good idea, while everyone is taking so long to choose a skinny-mocha-frappa-chino, and then waiting for it to be made.

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Good flight – left on time, no bumps or lumps, and had the tapas box and bottle of wine combo for £7.50, which was delicious. The sea below seemed very flecked with white – perhaps this should have forewarned me about what was ahead! The fields of Gran Canaria seemed to be covered in a grey film as we approached – couldn’t work out of they were solar panels, but as we landed I could see they were a mesh covering. Pretty seamless disembarking, luggage collection, and coach transfer – our experience of Thompson is that they are very good at this logistical part.  Las Palmas seemed a fairly industrial port – we weren’t tempted to go ashore, but familiarised ourselves with the Majesty, and had our safety briefing.  The 2 beds couldn’t be put together without making it awkward to get out of bed, so we left them as 2 singles.  Other than that, the cabin on deck 3 was a decent size, with plenty of drawers and wardrobe space.  The soft topped luggage was able to fit under the bed.

Showered (at last!) and had dinner in the Seven Seas, where our waiter Tarek and wine waiter Laron made sure we had everything we could need.  Rog’s tomato and mozzarella salad was definitely not the cheese it claimed to be, so it was swiftly replaced with a mushroom vol-au-vent.  I had the consommé followed by fried cod fillet, and both were excellent.  I wore the short pink floral shirt dress with a long black jacket and fancy black sandals.  Another couple joined us during the meal, but the conversation was a little stilted – Tarek asked us very discreetly later if we would prefer a table for 2, he’d see what he could do.  Signed up for a wine tasting tomorrow, and have booked a spa treatment for our day at sea.  Early night – there’s an 8 am yoga class I want to get to!

Tip of the day:  Take soft cases rather than hard suitcases, they’re easier to store in the confined space of a cabin.

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Canaries Cruise Part 1: preparations.

Posted on November 23, 2012 by lindaharley

I love the anticipation build-up to a holiday, and part of the fun is
all the various preparations and getting ready. So here’s what I’ve
been doing in the few weeks before our Canaries Cruise:

DOCUMENTS
Make sure I have all the tickets and passports. Make a note of
passport numbers in the notes section of my phone. Check all
passports are in date. Check travel insurance is up to date, and
print out the cover note or contact details. Check what currency is
needed and arrange to pick up some notes from bank or post office –
try to get some smaller value notes or coins if possible. There’s
nothing worse than arriving at a foreign airport, needing a one euro
coin for baggage trolley or for tipping porters, when all you have is
a wad of 50 euro notes.

black leather passport holder with the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy logo embossed on it
CLOTHES
Dig out suitcase. Spread all possible clothes and shoes on the spare
bed. Every time I walk past, remove something that is least likely to
be worn. I took a criminal 10 pairs of shoes with me last time I went
on a cruise – not making that mistake again! Choose a hand luggage
bag that will double as a day-bag for shore excursions. Since it
might be some hours on board before the main suitcase appears, I pack
in my hand luggage a T-shirt, pair of shorts, swimsuit and flip-flops
so that I can hit the pool to refresh after the journey. Put one
outfit (crop trousers, top, sandals, underwear) in husband’s suitcase,
so that in the unlikely event of mine going missing at least I have a
change of clothes. Likewise, put one of husband’s outfits in my
suitcase.
EQUIPMENT
Will my phone be enough to take photos, or do I need a camera as well?
Find the various chargers or batteries. iPad and charger –check
there will be wifi on board.  Check what sort of plugs are on board, and pack a suitable adaptor.  Kindle for reading – make sure it’s fully
charged. Possibly a paperback that can be used for leaving on sunbed.
POTIONS AND LOTIONS
Find last year’s suncreams, anti-mosquito sprays and insect repellent.
See if more really truly are needed – best option is to take a half
full bottle and then leave it there to save luggage space on the
return trip. (More room for duty-free goodies!) Same logic for
moisturiser and deodorant. Pack a first aid kit/ medical supplies
with aspirin and paracetemol, plasters, diocalm and rehydration salts,
antihistamines, rescue remedy, arnica cream, alcohol wipes, hand
sanitiser and alka-seltzer. Put any prescribed meds into a weekly
pill box, doubling up if away for more than one week. If any liquids
are going into hand luggage, make sure they are in containers less
than 100ml, in a clear plastic bag.
BODY BEAUTIFUL
A few weeks before departure, do a toning exercise regime. This year
I am doing Jillian Michaels Ripped In 30. Banish pale limbs by using
a self-tanning moisturiser. I like the Palmer’s Cocoa Butter one (£4
from Boots). There are cheaper ones available, but this is the nicest
smelling. And paint finger and toenails – avoid bright reds and strong colours. Soft coral, milky coffee, or a shimmery lilac will look summery and sophisticated.

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Med Cruise: Day 8 – Back to Palma

Posted on June 27, 2012 by lindaharley

Leaving day is a bit of a muddle – our main luggage has disappeared, and we have to be out of the cabin by 8 am! Everyone was carting their hand luggage about with them – I took my time over breakfast, and chose porridge to set me up for the day. Transport to the airport was happening throughout the day, and all the cases had colour-coded labels to assist in the logistics of getting nearly 2,000 people safely to their various flights. We relaxed and read for an hour, and then found out that hand luggage could be left at a secure storage point in the Bounty Lounge. So we were free to head off into town relatively unencumbered.

We caught a bus into the centre from just outside the port terminal (1.50 euro) and strolled back into the old town.  I was now in pearl search-mode, but we could only find the ends of the spectrum – either a posh jewellers selling strands for 400 euro, or cheap accessories stores with fake pearls on dodgy clasps for under 10 euro.  There was only one thing for it – find that helpful pearl store we’d been in a week ago!  There followed a full-on session of map-reading and walking round in circles, but after a calming rest by a pond next to the Cathedral, we did indeed locate that very boutique.  And Centre Perles could not have been more helpful, even getting samples brought from their other shop so that I could get the exact length, size of pearl, and colour that I wanted. Roger negotiated a price, and they threw in a little dangle pearl charm for good luck (which I will add to my troll-bead charm bracelet).

We found our way back to the Placa Major, and tucked into some spinach croquettes, clamari, and compulsory manchengo as we enjoyed the street theatre.  I bought some flavoured fleur de sel to have in the kitchen as a daily reminder of our wonderful trip.

We took a taxi back to the boat in plenty of time for our bus transfer.  The plane was delayed slightly, but we made it home by 11 pm.

Cruise Tip Of The Day:  Make the most of your last day – stay on the boat if that’s what you loved the most, or head ashore if you prefer to get every last ounce of foreign delights.  And count the coins you have left to spend at the airport!

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Med Cruise: Day 7 – Barcelona

Posted on June 26, 2012 by lindaharley

The real impetus for going on this cruise was Barcelona. I’d never visited it before, but we found it impossible to find any cheap flights for a weekend trip. So when the itinerary of this cruise included the city, I was delighted.

It was a 9 o’clock docking, so we had a bit of a lie-in, and I managed to get a freshly made omelette for breakfast which was really good.  We were ashore by 10, and very quickly decided to take the open-topped hop-on-hop-off bus option.  I’ve always said this is the best way to get a feel for a new city, and it meant we could see lots of it without having to do too much walking.  In addition, the girl on the ticket desk was undoubtedly one of the best in customer relations I’d ever seen: the guy in front of us was determined he wasn’t going to pay the 24 euro ticket price –  he knew where he was going, and what bus to take, so did she have a map of the ordinary bus routes?  She found out where he wanted to go (Parc Guell) suggested that going by bus might take an hour and anyway Barcelona’s bus routes were really complicated, so why didn’t he take the Metro – nearest stop was just over there behind Columbus.

We set off, passing the Olympic village, before heading uphill.  The leaflet given out with the ticket price is very informative, and it only took me a short time to devise a Gaudi-themed stop-off plan. First stop was at La Pedrada, with its curvaceous balconies and ornate ironwork balconies.  We enjoyed an iced coffee while admiring that such architecture was almost 100 years old.

Next was the second most popular stop on the route – La Sagrada Familia.  Still unfinished, the level of detail on this cornucopia of stonework, rising above a haze of jacaranda trees,  is astonishing.  There’s about a 3 hour queue for tourists not as part of a tour group – if you really want to see inside, go as part of an organised tour, as they have separate entrances.  We did note that the shore excursion offered by the cruise ship did NOT include entrance to the cathedral, and also involved a 15 minute walk from the coach park, whereas our bus stopped right outside.

Back on the bus, we were aiming for Parc Guell, but the helpful information given over the headphones pointed out that it was a 10 minute walk up a steep hill, so we decided to leave that for a return visit some day when we are both in full health.  The bus tour continued past a Gaudi gatehouse, complete with dragon patterned gate, and then to what was the most popular stop – Barca football stadium.  We didnt get off.  Instead, we alighted at the top of La Rambla and pottered our way down.  I’d been warned so much about the dangers of pickpockets in this area that I didn’t have my phone with me, and only very little money.  We decided to eat inside, rather than on one of the pavement cafes, and shared a couple of starters at 111, part of Le Meridien hotel.  We continued our stroll enjoying ice-creams (Crema Cataluna for me), waved up to Columbus, and were back on board at 3.30.

The last night on board is tricky:  you need to pack clever in order to have your suitcase outside the cabin by midnight, and have left out anything you will need the next day, bearing in mind the hand luggage restrictions on liquids.  Some cruises have a formal night on the last evening – what a palaver that must be, trying to pack away your dinner jacket before going to bed!  And my quiz-buddies were successful in the X-factor competition (she was singing I Dreamed a Dream, he won with To Dream the Impossible Dream….too much dreams there shurely…) but what do you do with a bottle of champagne at 11 pm the night before leaving?  And where do you put your dirty laundry (this may explain the thong we found under our bed the day we arrived).

Cruise Tip Of The Day:  Take small bottles of shampoo etc that you can just leave behind.  Charity shops often sell gift sets of potions and lotions, and I took with me an almost finished bottle of cologne that I didn’t want to cart home with me.

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Med Cruise: Day 6 – Toulon

Posted on June 23, 2012 by lindaharley

I would find it very difficult to visit somewhere without having done some basic research into it.  I was amazed reading some reviews of our cruise that one passenger gave it a low rating because “there’s nothing to do in Toulon”.  It’s the main French naval base, and having been heavily bombed in WW2 much of its buildings were hastily erected to provide  a lot of housing quickly – in other words its not very pretty architecturally.  The clue for me was the word “gateway”.  Anywhere that styles itself “gateway to blah blah” is usually an indication that you want to getaway from it as soon as possible.  Toulon calls itself “gateway to the Cote d’Azur”.  On top of all that, it was a Sunday when we visited, so many places would be closed.  This was the best day to go for one of the organised shore excursions.

Our first stop was the pretty little post of Sanary sur Mer.  The market there was yet another feast for the senses – I seem to have spent an inordinate amount of time on this cruise blog extolling the joys of the variety and freshness of the local produce, so I’ll try to resist posting yet another picture of glossy tomatoes.  I bought some delicious fresh macaroons, a punnet of sweet and sharp strawberries, and couldn’t resist joining the queue for this local delicacy, Cade.  It was a sort of chickpea flour pancake, cooked in a wood smoke oven, served with a little salt and pepper.  The texture reminded me of potato bread.

A passing local advised us to climb to the top of the tower, accessible behind the hotel.  It’s free to enter, but quite a few steps and ladders to climb.  The view over the little harbour, with the old-fashioned painted boats – pointus, the pointed ones – was just exquisite.

Our next stop was the seaside resort of Bandol, weekend retreat of choice for the residents of nearby Marseilles.  There was a display of classic British cars (Les Anglaises) along the promenade, and the island off the coast belonged to M Ricard, inventor of the eponymous aperitif.  We had a welcome sit-down in the shade and enjoyed tapas of mussels and aubergine, followed by a gentle stroll in the sunshine enjoying delicious ice-creams from a dizzying choice of flavours.  I went for lavender, this being Provence, while Roger tried a salty caramel.  During the ice-cream purchasing process, he managed to drop a 5 euro note, which a passer-by retrieved and returned to us.  Back on the coach, and we were back on board at 13.30.  The trip had cost 32 euros – they’re not cheap, shore excursions, but this was definitely one we were glad we had taken.

I managed a short session in the gym, and then had a GnT in the Lookout Bar as we set sail. At dinner, there was a crepe station set up, so we enjoyed freshly prepared crepes Suzette for dessert.  I even managed to catch the evening show in the Ocean Theatre, which was very good, high professional standard.

Cruise Tip Of The Day: Check where you’re going to be on a Sunday, as shops and other attractions may be closed.  And look out for the words “Gateway to….”

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Med Cruise; Day 5 – Cannes

Posted on June 19, 2012 by lindaharley

It was meant to be Villefranche, from where I was looking forward to taking a trip to Monte Carlo, but the (very slight) swell meant we instead anchored off Cannes. I’d been here once before as a teenager on a family holiday, but it had been a very brief visit and a very long time ago! Roger had never been, so we decided to leave Monte Carlo for another time, and instead explore this starlet of the French Riveira.
The walk from the tender disembarkation point into town was one of the first times on this trip that we’d encountered street traders, selling handbags and sunglasses. But they were very laid-back, and we had no hassle at all as we strolled towards the famous palm-fringed seafront.
We had as usual picked up a map from the services desk, which we had found to be really useful for making your own way about, but a short explore towards the Old Town revealed that it was extremely hilly, and definitely not something Roger would be able to manage. We went back to a coffee shop overlooking the harbour for cafe frappes, and discussed options. He decided to head back to the ship, while I would go exploring on my own. Cannes is pretty safe, and my French is well able to get me through any situation I was likely to encounter.
I firstly climbed all the way to the church at the top of the hill, and spent some time just drinking in the glorious view.

I pottered back down past the tiny little shops and restaurants nestled tightly on each side of the street. Every available space on each tiny patio was filled with flowers and plants. My next stop was the market – a breathtaking array of fruit and veg.  The scent of strawberries filled the air, and of course being France, everything was displayed beautifully. There were teensy wild woodland strawberries, white aubergines, reminding me of their other name of eggplant, round courgettes, courgettes with their flowers still attached,  mushrooms and ceps, tomatoes of all sorts of shape size and colour,  tightly budded peonies, fish, cheese, cured meats…I could have soaked it all up for hours.

I called into the Cafe des Halles behind the market, which seemed to be frequented by a few market traders, and ordered a vin blanc, which came accompanied by a shot glass of gazpacho, a few baguette croutons, and some olives. Magnifique!
From the bus depot by the town hall, I took the No 8 bus, which is an open topped vehicle that runs along the seafront to Palm Beach. It costs 1 euro per trip, and is definitely worth doing for the great views. At Palm Beach I had a fantastic panorama of our boat moored out at sea, and was able to paddle in the warm waves lapping the shore.

Back in town, I called into Streckers, a beer and wine bar behind l’hotel de ville for a glass of Chardonnay (5 euro) and a rather large plate of cheese (10 euro).
I was back on board for 3, read for a while, did the pub quiz at 5, dinner at 7, and off to bed the old cliche – tired but happy.

Cruise Tip Of The Day: you will need more than 7 days worth of underwear, by the time you go for a swim, or to the gym, or shower and change for dinner. Or else be prepared to do some laundry during your trip.

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