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Published: July 29th 2022
CRUISING
I started writing this blog a few days ago by talking about destinations but half way through I decided to change the format. The reason being, I have been seeing so many wonderful historic sites that even I am beginning to feel jaded and think, oh, yet another cathedral/castle/ancient ruin etc. I have enjoyed them all but there is a limit to how much you can take in day after day! A sea day came as a welcome break. If that is the effect on me I think it could be much worse for readers. Plus I thought some people might like more information about the cruise experience, particularly for a lone traveller so I will start there and then go through the destinations and if boredom sets in you can stop reading.
Jim & I had always said we would not become cruise fanatics, until we tried it. Then we changed our minds with caveats. For us the most important aspect of the cruise was the itinerary, a chance to reach places like Alaska and Antarctica that are less accessible to the independent traveller. The smaller the ship, the better. So
how did I end up on Regal Princess, a ship with the capacity for over 3,000 passengers! It was the combination of an itinerary which would take me to a number of places I had missed but wanted to visit on one trip, at a price that was amazing for a sole traveller, and included all the extras, a drinks package ( up to 15 drinks a day included, for drinks costing a maximum of $15, more than even I could consume!), gratuities, and wifi, but I have to say the WiFi is a touch ‘wobbly’.
The number of passengers was something I could cope with as most days I would be going ashore. In fact, the first week the ship was probably only half full and very pleasant. The second week must be school holidays as the number of families shot up as well as the total number of passengers. The queuing time increased correspondingly but by choosing the time to eat and drink it is manageable. I certainly wouldn’t do it just to cruise, it is only the destinations that make it worthwhile for me.
Now
Ship’s atrium 3 decks high
This is where eggs are thrown from top to bottom in competitionI am going to give a run down of the pros and cons of cruising which is purely my personal view, as I am sure lots of people would disagree with me completely. I had a good sized cabin ( very like a motorhome but without the need to cook!), with very comfortable beds, a steward who takes care of the cabin twice a day & keeps the room topped up with masks in addition to everything else needed. I am seeing 11 destinations in 5 different countries without the need to pack or unpack. The food is excellent and available round the clock in multiple outlets from fast food to a la carte restaurants. I always eat dinner in one of those as it is portion controlled so limits my greed! Having said that there is nothing to stop you ordering multiple courses such as two starters, two main courses and three deserts, or any combination you like, and many people do! I choose to dine alone but the tables are close so most evenings I end up chatting to people and have had some really entertaining conversations.
You can use your
time as you wish. There are numerous bars, a theatre, meeting venues, sports facilities, beauty salon & spa and pools. Events are organised throughout the day, but if they don’t appeal to you, you won’t even notice they are happening. So for example, these are just a few, Knitters and Knatters Get Together, Veteran & Military Personnel Get Together, Paper Plane Competition, Quizzes, Shuffleboard Tournament, Ladies Pamper Party (?), Bible Reading etc. The list is endless and ever changing. Then of course there is a show in the theatre presented twice every evening, live music in various venues throughout the day covering most genres and as you would expect, lectures about destinations. Sometimes there is so much I want to do I can’t fit it all in but then the lectures and some other events are recorded and available on your TV so you can catch up.
Princess Line uses Medallions. These are so close to ‘Big Brother’ it is worrying. You wear them around your neck or you can purchased an upgraded version which looks like a watch. Their primary function is to open your cabin door which they do a second before you
arrive, and the panel then says Hello Susan. They are touched to a device in bars and restaurants and will either check if your drinks are free or add the cost to your bill if you don’t have the drinks package. Plus, you can check activities, ships messages, any dining reservation you have, the weather, location, track down other members of your party onboard and, if like me you spend a lot of time lost, it works like a mini Google maps and tells you where you are and produces a route to get you to where you want to be! It logs you off the ship & back on board. It is very useful but I hate being so dependent upon it and tried to use my own navigational skills, occasionally successfully!
If you are alone you can quickly become involved with people and activities if you wish, but you can choose to stay apart just as easily. Both passengers and crew are diverse, with, I think they said, over 80 nationalities aboard last week. The entertainments crew consist of a UK director supported by people from Italy, Japan, Colombia and Peru,
amongst others.
So, lots to love but what about the negatives? Queues come high on my list, but can sometimes be minimised by good planning and of course it is less of a problem on smaller ships. i think the whole industry is ecologically unsound despite efforts to make it appear to the contrary. There must be a huge amount of waste, including food, and the abundance on board encourages over indulgence but it is up to individuals to make their own choices. Some cruise lines are considered to be more ‘ party ships’ than others. They are high on my list of ‘to be avoided at all costs’.
Although there is much talk of Covid & hygiene precautions, with recommendations to wear masks in lifts & confined spaces, the majority of passengers ignore the advice despite rumours of ‘isolation areas’. I am not sure if they exist or it is the latest version of urban (or in this case maritime?) myths as I heard suggestions it was on at least three different decks!
Going ashore for a day
or two doesn’t give a great insight into the culture of a country especially as ‘cultural’ activities can be devised just for cruise ship passengers. I remember seeing Fijian ‘warriors’ in plastic grass skirts dancing for a cruise group. In the four weeks we were in Fiji it was the only time we saw grass skirts, plastic or otherwise! However, going to see historic sights is probably a more authentic experience?
So definite ethical as well as ecological questions but most people come on board to have fun. The truth is I enjoy it while feeling guilty!
I am not going to write in detail about all the sites because if you are interested you can gather more detailed and accurate information online than I can provide. The photos are just to give a taste of what can be seen.
Barcelona
I have wanted to visit Barcelona for many years but always managed to pass around it or fly over so when I saw this cruise advertised with low prices, I booked quickly, as not only
was Barcelona on the itinerary, it included two nights in a hotel there before embarking, port stops in Naples, Crete, Mykonos, Kusadasi, Istanbul, finally disembarking in Athens with another two nights accommodation there. All the cities Jim and I had on our list to visit in one trip!
So first stop after another easyJet flight was the Hotel Barcelona, just off La Rambla, in the old town. I thought the area would be full of character because of its history, but modern times have added new ambiance as the party culture can be seen and heard everywhere. Not a problem but very lively. However, the next day when I went out early to walk to La Sagrada Familia, the streets were empty until late morning! Partygoers had only just gone home.
I was looking forward to seeing Gaudi’s mammoth work, La Sagrada Familia, a cathedral combining Gothic architecture with modern ‘twists’, which is still not completed, as the scaffolding demonstrates. I am not sure I should say too much at this point as I risk sounding like a cultural Neanderthal. I stood and looked, tried to stay open minded, walked
all the way around, and was left feeling totally deflated. I was expecting something beautiful and inspiring at the very least. What I saw was a fantasy castle, to my eyes poorly executed with ‘wobbly’ bits, merging in places into what looks like left over and forgotten Christmas decorations.
The people around me seemed impressed and excited by what they were seeing so I decided to slip away quietly and leave them to enjoy it. Perhaps I have some ability lacking, like listening to a symphony when you are tone deaf? I believe that the Sagrada Familia is said to have inspired the Disney image of the fairy castle used at the start of their films. If so, then it achieved something and brought excitement and expectation to millions of film goers. I won’t say anymore! I did see other examples of Gaudí’s work on ordinary buildings which I liked. See the photos.
Next I bought a ticket for the hop-on hop-off bus and spent the rest of the day touring the sights and different areas of the city. It is big, densely populated with beautiful buildings, old and new,
most rising at least eight storeys high and some a lot more. But it blends together in a very cohesive and attractive way with wide, tree lined avenues providing necessary shade and good seating everywhere for people to sit and rest. It appears to be extremely affluent, something not as evident in the Las Ramblas area which is more touristy.
The open topped bus took me along the elegant promenade by the harbour, up the hills where there are lots of museums and other attractions as well as the Olympic park. Eventually the road turned down the hill and the ticket attendant came upstairs and asked if anyone wanted to buy a stadium ticket. What stadium?, I was thinking to myself, when we turned a corner, and I caught on. Ah, THAT stadium. Barcelona Football Club! Clearly other people had not needed clarification. You can get off and go to visit the Club museum and have a tour as well as visiting their cafe. Interesting to see from the bus, but I stayed onboard.
Suddenly the bus filled up and a young Spanish teenager sat next to me.
He plugged his earphones in politely over my knees to hear the commentary. Then he realised that I wasn’t listening and he said he was listening to the English version so would I like to share his earbuds ( or whatever they are called! ) I was quite moved by his offer but thinking about Covid and teenage hygiene, I declined. It was very thoughtful of him.
Next day was embarkation day so I took a taxi to the terminal, one of the first to arrive which was just as well. A few days before leaving England I had called the cruise line to double check that I had completed everything necessary and was told, “ You are good to go!” Pity they didn’t mention the compulsory PCR Covid test which had to be done within 72 hours of sailing. My heart sank when I tried to check in and was told, “not without the test!” Thankfully they had everything under control. I was whisked off behind screens, tested and had the negative result in 15 minutes, and was onboard, all documentation taken care of, and in my cabin 15 minutes later. Phew!
But so much for double checking! Not sure what would have happened if I had been positive?
Avignon
I had planned to take a trip to the Camargue to see the bird life when we stopped in Marseille. I had even remembered to pack my binoculars, but waiting for me in my cabin was a note to say that trip was cancelled as it was undersubscribed. Disappointing, but I managed to book a trip to Avignon to see the bridge and more interesting, the Popes’ palace. It was fascinating.
Until the early 14th Century, popes were itinerant, travelling around Europe, then in about 1320 they decided to build a palace in Avignon. At that time Rome was not very powerful. So the palace was started in the 1320s. It was very big with the intention of signalling to others how powerful the popes were. It had a large open courtyard where people could assemble and the Pope would address them from a balcony just as happens at St Peter’s now. Unfortunately, there was a schism in the church not long afterwards and the
Cinque Terre, Italy
Train connects villages through tunnels by sea Pope moved to Rome before the end of that Century, leaving the Avignon palace to be used for a Legate, the Pope’s representative in France.
Cinque Terre from Genoa port
This region of the ‘Five Lands’ is important as it contains villages with early Roman terracing to grow crops, mainly wine and olive oil and it became known as the best source of pesto. That doesn’t sound too exciting until you see it. It is a coastal area overlooking the Ligurian sea where the land rises precipitously from the sea up into steep sided mountains. An area which even now is difficult to travel through because of the hills. We had to take a coach to the edge of the region, then transfer to a train which travels along the edge of the sea connecting the villages and runs through one tunnel after another through the hills. Then the only way to get to some villages is by a small people carrier.
Because the land is so steep the terraces are very narrow, only a couple of feet wide in places
supported by dry stone walls so the effect created is of a vertical wall up the hill. Anyone who suffers from vertigo is advised not to take the paths. I went dizzy just looking up at them! The houses are perched precariously anywhere they can hang on! It was a very hot day and walking up and down the steep paths was exhausting. The question has to be, why did the Romans want to go to all that trouble in the Cinque Terre region?
Lucca from Livorno port
After two full days of walking I chose to go and visit Lucca the following day, only a four hour excursion through the Tuscan landscape not far from Pisa or Florence, which I have visited a few times. Lucca is one of the most beautiful towns I have ever visited, with few tourists, four kilometres of town walls, what was once a Roman forum but has been turned into housing over the centuries, and numerous churches. I could have stayed much longer. There was a lot to see
and some beautiful shops.
Rich Italian families in the Middle Ages were often fighting to protect their possessions from their neighbours so they built towers to see enemies coming, and if threatened would pour boiling oil from the top of the tower. Conveniently, the top of the tower was where the kitchen could be found as the heat and smells could escape upwards so fortunately the oil was always to hand! There are only a couple of towers left at full height but many others have been cut off at the top and are visible lower down and now incorporated into houses.
Rome from Cittavechia port
Having visited Rome a few times I chose to go on an excursion ‘ behind the scenes’, to see the Vatican garden and Pope’s house. The Vatican covers 108 hectares and more than half of it comprises gardens open to the public, but receiving few visitors. It is a beautiful area consisting of a small ‘English’ wood, a rose garden, and an Italian garden. Dotted throughout the grounds are statues, fountains, grottos and seating areas, beautiful in
design and providing peaceful places where the Popes down the years have sat to relax or meditate. They all seemed to have their favourite corner. The contrast of the peace & calm in the garden with the hectic, jam packed St Peter’s Square, only a few minutes walk away was surreal. It also gave good views of the dome of the Basilica. After the garden we went through the main building of St Peter’s, past the amazing wall tapestries and sculptures, until we finally reached the Sistine Chapel and Basilica.
Photography is not allowed in the Sistine Chapel. The guide explained that after a huge renovation of the ceiling paid for by Japanese TV ( I think, not the government) there was a copyright agreement imposed by the Japanese and although after 25 years the copyright has now expired, the Vatican has decided to keep the ban on photography. Who would have thought it had been funded in that way?
It is impossible not to be impressed by the Vatican but I also find St. Peter’s overwhelming because of the scale of the building and the riches within it. It
would take a month to view properly.
Naples
I have wanted to see Pompeii for years so had booked an excursion. But many people say the smaller, less well known site at Herculaneum is better, so I went to both! I loved Herculaneum, only four blocks by four, it is much more human somehow, showing how people lived. There is a lot more of it unexcavated underground, some left because there is no money at present to carry out the work, but most because it stretches under more modern housing and would mean re-homing people. It was covered by mud when Vesuvius erupted in 79AD. Until then it was a small fishing and residential village whereas Pompeii was a huge city and port.
Pompeii was covered under a deluge of ash from the same eruption, sixty feet deep in places. There are differences in the ruins depending upon whether it was ash or mud that fell. I enjoyed seeing Pompeii, learning how to identify shops and houses, seeing where wheels of chariots had cut into the stone etc but it was
Stone seats built in
Guide said Michelangelo designed these? easier to empathise with the inhabitants of Herculaneum as the houses are more recognisable as homes. After the eruption Pompeii was no longer by the sea and Herculeum was inland too. Seeing how the coast changed emphases the power of the eruption.
So I was very happy that I had decided to visit both but after 8 hours in the heat on dusty, rocky paths, and having walked more than 10 miles, I was exhausted! I returned to the ship, straight to the ice cream counter, the first time I had indulged but I felt I deserved it!
Crete
The next day we visited Crete and I went to see the Palace of Knossos, home to the Minoan civilisation which blossomed in the period 2000-1500BC. The surprise was we do not know what they were called as the first archaeologist to discover the ruins gave them that name in recognition of their king Minos. Very little is known about them but 2 stones with their form of writing on have been discovered. Scholars are working to translate
Top of a remaining tower
Looks as if it is covered in marble the writing so perhaps we can learn more when they have completed their task. The guide said they were the only civilisation of the period to have servants but not slaves. I was curious how they knew this and she said it was clear from the language on the stones but it seems an odd thing to refer to?
After Knossos we drove along the coast to a small seaside fishing town, described in the book, The Island’ by Victoria Hislop. Just off shore is the island of Spinalonga, once a leper colony, which is the location in the novel. I read it a few years ago so was interested to see how close Spinalonga was to the mainland.
Kusadasi, to visit the ruins at Ephesus.
This came as a real surprise as there was much more to see than I had expected. There is a long road through the ruins down to the Library at the bottom of the slope and then the theatre but the most interesting part is the recently
Same tower but marble only on 2 top levels
This was done to impress the neighbours! From a distance it appeared that the whole tower was built of expensive marble excavated Terrace Houses, the homes of wealthy Romans ( and earlier people) showing not only the skill of the Romans with plumbing etc but also the superb decoration using floor mosaics and wall paintings.
Istanbul
The entrance into the cruise terminal in Istanbul was superb. We sailed slowly in soon after dawn, across the Bosphorus passing clearly visible sights, the Agia Sofia, the Blue Mosque (largely buried under scaffolding at present), numerous other mosques, the Lighthouse on the Golden Horn and Topkapi Palace, while vessels of all sizes skittered around us as they went about their business. The terminal is not far from the main sites and easy to reach on a tram, or it would be if only there were instructions on how to buy a ticket from the machine in any language other than Turkish!
I visited a couple of the mosques, but the crowds were huge so then moved on to the Palace which contains the Architectural Museum and was well worth visiting. After the bustle I spent an hour
Lucca
Top of tower has been removed and base retained in the beautiful garden adjacent to the Palace to cool off under the trees and recover from the crowds. I would love to see more of Istanbul but preferably at a quieter time of year.
Athens, where I disembarked and moved to the Fresh Hotel for a couple of nights had a roof terrace bar with a superb view of the Acropolis. I took the hop on, hop off bus here too, as well as a boat ride around 3 islands, Hydra, Poros and Aegina.
I enjoyed the cruise. I didn’t feel lonely, although it was very different not having Jim with me to share the trip. We used to enjoy doing the blogs together, choosing photos etc. On my own it felt more like homework! It has encouraged me to think about more cruises, and as I get older, I will appreciate the greater comfort of cruising compared to travelling independently, but having said that, there is nothing as exciting as setting off into the unknown.
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