At Sea – en Route to Southampton

April 18 - In the Mediterranean

Christine presented a lecture on Pompeii – excellent, with all the naughty bits of the mosaics censored! Saw them all in the Naples museum last time!!!!


Spent most of the day at the stern pool, listened to the band and had my last cheeseburger with fries and onion rings.
Booked to come home on the QM2 – am on waiting list – just in case I can’t fly home. Getting very worried and it is really putting a damper on the last few days.


We had a cabin cavalcade before dinner, which was fun. At least we have a terrific group of people at our table: two English widows; two Aussie girls from the Perth area and a British couple. So all the laughter detracts from the problems in Europe.


April 19 - cruising Gibraltar

We all had formal breakfast in the Britannia…..first time for me since the World Cruise. I never go there! Still, it was fun.


At about 1:45 we sailed slowly through the Straits of Gibraltar. It was a gorgeous day with brilliant blue skies, but the rock was partly obscured by clouds at first. We were able to see the Moroccan side very clearly as well. It was very exciting. Shortly after, we played Scrabble with the five girls for most of the afternoon – we had three games going and then we rotated partners and continued.


4:30 brought the World Charity Auction. Compared to two year ago, they were practically giving items away – and the choice was not…..well, choice! Hahaha. I did not bid on anything – some of the others did, but were outbid.


After dinner, we went to the Crew Show, which featured some terrific talent. The man who sang “Unchained Melody” brought the house down.


April 20 - in the Atlantic.

It is hard to focus on anything with the problems at Heathrow. Every other airport and air space seem to be lifting restrictions. Still, we all had another formal breakfast in the dining room. Then we watched the final nautical charts auctioned off for big bucks. That was followed by the Guest Talent Show which was actually one of the better ones.



I started to pack….we are all rather bored! The captain has just announced that the ship has been given permission to make a quick stop in Cherbourg tomorrow night. Cunard has been working on this for a few days. The 250+ Germans will certainly disembark as will other continentals. The Brits have no problems. It’s mainly the Americans, Asians and Downunders,


I’m taking my chances at this point and we’ll see what tomorrow brings. I doubt I’ll get on the QM2 with 1,000 on the waiting list. At least I’ve got family in the UK.


This evening was chock-a-block: private tour of the bridge…I’ve done it on a casual basis, but who turns down an invitation!!! Then cocktails with the Senior Officers, followed by Indian night in Alternative Dining with the entire table. We had a blast, laughing ourselves silly.




April 21 - in the Bay of Biscay and the Channel.



My last post. Heathrow is open, so fingers crossed. The AA flight to Boston is cancelled today - so who knows what tomorrow will bring. We had a champagne breakfast this morning, followed by a wonderful lecture on Henry Moore. Christine is such a good speaker. She brought Moore's work to life for me. Over the years, she has done restoration work on the reclining figure in the reflecting pool at Lincoln Center. Ross and I are had a farewell lunch in Todd English. Tea at 4 with the whole gang and then dinner. Ross will be running around the decks checking out Cherbourg and will join us later.


So, that’s it. We are in the Bay of Biscay now and seas are calm. We have been going top speed for the past few days so that we can stop in Cherbourg and still get to Southampton on time. Can’t wait to see you all.

At Sea – en Route to Southampton – in the Mediterranean

April 18

Christine presented a lecture on Pompeii – excellent, with all the naughty bits of the mosaics censored! Saw them all in the Naples museum last time!!!!
Spent most of the day at the stern pool, listened to the band and had my last cheeseburger with fries and onion rings.
Booked to come home on the QM2 – am on waiting list – just in case I can’t fly home. Getting very worried and it is really putting a damper on the last few days.
We had a cabin cavalcade before dinner, which was fun. At least we have a terrific group of people at our table: two English widows; two Aussie girls from the Perth area and a British couple. So all the laughter detracts from the problems in Europe.

April 19

We all had formal breakfast in the Britannia…..first time for me since the World Cruise. I never go there! Still, it was fun
A about 1:45 we sailed slowly through the Straits of Gibraltar. It was a gorgeous day with brilliant blue skies, but the rock was partly obscured by clouds at first. We were able to see the Moroccan side very clearly as well. It was very exciting. Shrtly after, we
Played Scrabble with the five girls for most of the afternoon – we had three games going and then we rotated partners and continued.
4:30 brought the World Charity Auction. Compared to two year ago, they were practically giving items away – and the choice was not…..well, choice! Hahaha. I did not bid on anything – some of the others did, but were outbid.
The news tonight brought hope to all stranded and potentially stranded air travelers. So it looks as though I am headed for Heathrow – fingers crossed. Can’t wait to get home.
After dinner, we went to the Crew Show, which featured some terrific talent. The man who sang “Unchained Melody” brought the house down.

Civitavecchia, Italy

Another glorious day with blue skies and mild weather.

We docked in Civitavecchia, the main port for Rome. At the entrance to the harbor is the Forte Michelangleo, built partially by the master himself. There is also a statue of Trajan who constructed the harbor. Once just a port which people passed through on the way to or from Rome, people have discovered that the town, “ancient city”, built over a pre-existing Etruscan settlement has its own charms and a very nice shopping precinct where prices for the same articles are cheaper than in Rome.
We took an excursion to Bracciano, an old hillside town dominated by Odescalchi Castle, more simply known as Castle of Bracciano, on the southern shore of Lake Bracciano. The Odescalchi Castle is a majestic construction and it is considered one of the most beautiful feudal castles in Europe.

In 1290 it came in possession of the Hospital of the Holy Spirit of Rome such as other castles and villages in the area of Bracciano. After a short period, Bracciano was conquered by the Bretons at the time of the conflict between Pope Urbano VI and Pope Clemente VII. In 1419 the Orsini family got possession of the castle from Pope Martino V. Napoleone Orsini, was Mayor of Bracciano and belonged to one of the most important Roman families. The Orsini were often in conflict with another important Roman family: the Colonna family. These two families had control of almost the whole city of Rome and kept it constantly under a civil war.

This castle is famous and important because it gave shelter to some of the most renowned people of the time like Pope Sisto IV in 1481, King Umberto I in 1900, the Trittico and Pisanello.

When the power of the Orsini family declined, in 1695 the castle was sold by auction and bought by the Odescalchis, the family of Pope Innocenzo XI. In 1803 the Odescalchis sold the castle to the Torlonia family. In 1861 the castle returned to the Odescalchi family who are still the owners.
We toured several public rooms each one with magnificent wooden beamed and frescoed ceilings…about 10 meters high….and containing beautiful pieces of furniture. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take photos inside. We then toured the old kitchens and the battlements. The views over the lake from the castle were stunning.

After some free time to explore the pretty little town, we went around the lake to Trevignano Romano. We were meant to take a boat ride across the lake, but that was cancelled for some reason, so we had a lot of free time in Trevignano. There were ruins of a castle up on the hill….I did not bother with that. I strolled the lovely streets – prettier than Bracciano – and then settle in to a restaurant on the lakefront. Pasta with mushrooms, pesce di lago (a mixture of fried perch and petite friture, whole with the heads on), delicious bread and a mezzo litre of white wine. Heaven! Ross, who had been climbing to the castle, joined me, took one look at the fish with the heads on, gulped an espresso and beat a hasty retreat. I adore eating fried lake fish (perch) on any lakefront in Europe!!! So that made my day.

We only about and hour from Civitavecchia and so it was not a long day.

Our last excursion. We not have 4 days at sea, 2 in the Med (one of which is cruising Gibraltar) and 2 in the Atlantic….meaning the Bay of Biscay. We still have the Charity Auction…tomorrow. And more lectures – plenty to do.

P.S. We are all very worried about the flight situation in Europe. Some people have already cancelled their flights and booked on the QM2. I am looking into it…but I am really ready to come home. I never thought I’d say that I don’t want 7 more days on a ship. Hahahahahah. I think it is because we now have 4 days in a row at sea – very strange itinerary, but I knew it at the time. But who knew that a volcano was going to blow!!!!

At Sea - en Route to Civitavecchia

Last night, we sailed south out of the Aegean Sea into the Ionian Sea. We picked up our pilot for the Strait of Messina (between Italy and Sicily) at 5 pm today, so we all had a nice view of that. The Strait is a very narrow channel and again, we use a Traffic Separation Scheme which manages the large volume of traffic. Shortly before sunset, we passed Stromboli, a small island with an active volcano in the Tyrhennian Sea.

Today was the 2010 World Voyage Charity Fair. To be honest, it was not as good as that of 2008, so we didn’t spend anything. I donated some clothes and books. But we all paid to have tea served by volunteer passengers. So we did contribute something. I am looking forward to the auction in a few days – but I am not bidding on another engine room tour! Hahahaha.

After dinner, I went down to the Queens Room with Christine and Diane. Diane is a fabulous ballroom dancer. It was Sock Hop Party night with the band. You will all be so proud of me. I danced with everyone and had a ball. I did not step on anyone’s toes – I did not have two left feet………..and I intend to do it again before I leave this ship. So hah to the naysayers! Hah!

Athens (Piraeus)

Our plans to spend the day wandering around the Plaka and then having high tea at the Hotel de Bretagne were scotched when we were told about the taxi and metro strike in Athens. We “could” walk half an hour into the center of Piraeus and take a train, but a) I could barely move after 3 days of heavy walking and b) who knew whether the train schedule would allow us to return to the ship in time. Ross actually walked into Piraeus as soon as the ship docked, found the restaurant where we had dinner two years ago and had a coffee there.

We decided to book a half-day tour to Cape Sounion and it was a lovely excursion. What made it even more delightful was that Christine Roussel (the lecturer) and her daughter, Diane, were along. Christine was raised in Athens and regaled us with stories of weekend jaunts to Sounion with her mother. Plus, she provided additional archeological and historical information.
The highway along the Aegean is scenic – known as the “Attic Riviera” – and we passed through some very attractive and upscale areas. The road wound around little towns and bays – oohs and aahs around every corner!

Cape Sounion is a promontory, southeast of Athens, at the southernmost tip of the Attica peninsula. It is the site of ruins of an ancient Greek temple of Poseidon, built around 450 BC. The remains are perched on the headland, surrounded on three sides by the sea. The ruins bear the deeply engraved name of English Romantic poet Lord Byron, which we did not find, but some people did. Only some columns of the Sounion temple stand today, but intact it would have closely resembled the contemporary and well-preserved Temple of Hephaestus beneath the Acropolis, which may have been designed by the same architect.

From the promontory, the panoramic views of the surrounding Aegean islands – Makronis, Patroklou, Kea, Kithnos, Serifos, Milos, Andros – are stunning.

According to legend, Cape Sounion is the spot where Aegeus, king of Athens, leapt to his death off the cliff, thus giving his name to the Aegean Sea. The story goes that Aegeus, anxiously looking out from Sounion, despaired when he saw a black sail on his son Theseus 's ship, returning from Crete. This led him to believe that his son had been killed in his contest with the dreaded Minotaur, a monster that was half man and half bull. The Minotaur was confined by its owner, King Minos of Crete, in a specially designed labyrinth. Every year, the Athenians were forced to send 7 boys and 7 girls to Minos as tribute. These youths were placed in the labyrinth to be devoured by the Minotaur. Theseus had volunteered to go with the third tribute and attempt to slay the beast. He had agreed with his father that if he survived the contest, he would hoist a white sail. In fact, Theseus had overcome and slain the Minotaur, but tragically had simply forgotten about the white sail.

After an hour at the site, we set off on the return trip and stopped at a Taverna for drinks and meze. We each got a plate of calamari (as good as in Bristol!!!), dolma, tzaziki, baba genoush, and a kind of sesame-encrusted rissole filled with cheese. All washed down with a wonderful white wine. It was absolutely delicious. Yum.

Back to the boat – we were the last bus to return (one half hour late) and they were waiting for us anxiously, especially Darren who rolled his eyes – “You lot again!”
We had a bit of a rest and went to drinks late, then on to dinner with our hilarious table. After dinner, we went to our favorite after-dinner bar, the Mid-Ships Bar…..we sat at the bar itself and proceeded to be absolutely outrageous…and had the best time.

Epilog: Byron mentioned Sounion in “Don Juan”:

Place me on Sunium's marbled steep,
Where nothing, save the waves and I,
May hear our mutual murmurs sweep...

P.S. We encountered some lovely grouse at the temple ruins…..very tame.

At Sea – En Route to Athens

We are in the Med which is a mill pond – no always the case. Later today and through the night, we shall navigate the myriad Greek islands of the Aegean Sea.

Went to Richard Hayman’s lecture on the oceanography and ecology of the Mediterranean. He also included a great deal of mythology – the sea gods etc. It was extremely interesting – I learned a great deal about the currents and winds an how they affected exploration in the past.

Other than that, I stayed “home” to catch up on the blog.

Drinks with Ross in the Commodore, then dinner with our new gang. We closed the dining room at 11pm....a good time was had by all.

I fell into bed and was sound asleep in 11:10! I still ached all over and needed one more good night’s sleep.

Cairo to Port Said

Day Two - Act Two

Now for the real fun. Hahahahah! Our car took us back to the hotel for 11:30, enough time for Ross to take a swim and for me to organize lunch to go(the penalty for being stupid) and buy my one and only souvenir for the entire trip: a black cat with a gold scarab and inscription on the base. We then called the ship to make sure everything as on schedule. Yes it was. We had a car (a very nice Mercedes this time) and drive booked for 1pm for the 3-hour drive to Port Said and we had asked Saied to be our driver (all was forgiven!). With some time to spare, we went up to the lounge and had some soft drinks and snacks and had on last longing look at the city.

And off we went…on schedule….all in order….all according to plan…..all organized according to Queen Victoria’s purser and manifest officer.

You know something’s up, right? But before that, a little about the drive - very dusty and mostly through industrial areas and new housing developments. As we approached the Suez Canal, the scenery became greener (canals) with farms and agriculture. Suddenly, we turned north an we were parallel to the Canal. And, then just as suddenly, there she was… the Vic floating over the farmlands. The driver stopped just by the Bridge and we took loads of photos. We had been told by Ruud, the purser, that there had been delays and that was evident by the fact that she was not first in the convoy as she should have been – there were several freighters ahead of her.

Well, off we went again, after our photo op, and arrived in Port Said. The driver, after questioning many people, finally found the correct gate………………………They would not let us in. We did not have the right visa. We had an entry visa; we needed an exit visa. Well, do I need to tell you how we felt. We had visions of a 3-hour drive back to Ciaro, begging for our room back for another night, flying to Athens, getting a hotel there and rejoining the ship on the 15th. All at a cost of…..don’t ask. We were also furious, especially as we had done everything by the book. We came equipped with the telephone number of the ship’s agent, so our driver, who never left our side, called them -in Cairo.

Eventually we got the branch office in Port Said and we were told to go to their office. Our driver was wonderful, never left our side and handled all the phone calls. I was almost in a total meltdown by the time we arrived at the office. In the meantime, we’d called the ship and told them of our dilemma. By the time we got to the office, I had the purser on my cell phone and the manifest officer was already on the line with the ship’s agent. Everyone greeted us very kindly and we started to tell our story…….Ross turned to me and said: “Let the men take care of this.” Well! In another life……. But he was right…I was surrounded by Muslim men, helloooooooooo! I’m not a feminazi and so I took the seat that was offered to me and played humble woman! Hahahahahah Just blend into the woodwork and pretend you don’t exist!!!

The agents reassured us that there was no problem and that all would be well. We drove to the police station where immigration officials are located. Another warm welcome and I sat demurely on an orange plastic chair. Everyone was so nice. The head immigration officer gave us one pound (Egyptian pounds) coins as souvenirs – beautiful with Tut’s head on one side. We got the requisite stamps in our passports and then we were off again with our agent. We went back to the gate – some backsheesh was handed over and we were in. We bade farewell to our driver whom we tipped handsomely. We walked through the terminal building and onto a little boat as we watched the Vic approach. The immigration officers appeared and off we went. They gave us quite a treat, just for fun. We went out to the ship in tandem with the pilot boat. (We had no idea what was going on!!) The pilot embarked and then we went alongside and the agent and immigration officers embarked up a wood and rope ladder. Darren, Head of Security, took one look at us and said “No, you are not getting back on this ship, laughing all the time.” Then we were taken to the Vic’s berth. Ross got to steer the boat. Everyone was waving at us from the ship. The near disaster had turned into quite an adventure and we are the talk of the ship!!!!

We waited on the dock for the Vic to tie up….we were the first on the ship. Ruud, the purser came out and we hugged him from sheer relief. Darren came down the gangway and yelled to the security officers: “No, not those two - don’t let them on!” Then it was hugs all around.

And then what did we do? Tired but with adrenaline pumping, grubby in our dusty whites, we headed straight for the Veuve Cliquot bar and ordered VC and caviar!!! We sat there and relived the events and just grinned a lot!

Everyone who had watched the boat episode came to greet us. Our heads were spinning. I ordered room service and was sound asleep by 9pm. Exhausted, but very very happy thanks to Ross. What a great guide….and he made all the right choices: hotel, car services, sites to visit, timing. It would not have been the same on an excursion.

P.S. The weather is now cool and will stay cooler as we leave the Middle East behind, but the temperature in Cairo was perfect - 70s. We were lucky.

Cairo

Day Two – Act One

We had booked a car through a big local company with an office in the hotel to take us to the Pyramids for 7:30 and stay with us until we need him to go back. We had been assured that we would be there by 8 am I time to get 2 of the 100 tickets allotted for the dayfor entrance to the Great Pyramid of Cheops – when I say entrance, I mean deep inside. So we got up at 6:20, got ready, had our breakfast and were ready to go. Well, the car was not there. The manager was on the phone doing a lot of yelling and the clock was ticking. Finally, the car arrived and we were assured that the driver had filled it up with gas. But it was almost 8 when we left and we were sure we would not get our tickets. Off we went into the traffic, one half hour worse than at 7:30. Suddenly, the driver veered into a gas station. Well, I have never seen Ross so mad! All the time we get no worries no problem.

Well, we finally got there - by now it is 9:30 and Ross ran like the wind to the ticket office and came back waving them. All was forgiven….and we really did like our driver a lot (wait for Act Two).

Before I go any further, I must tell you that 1) we all know that the Sahara is creeping toward Cairo and 2) we saw, in Christine’s lecture, that the Pyramids are no longer located way out in the desert. It is still a shock to drive through Giza City and see them loom up just over the houses. The Giza Plateau is at the edge of town. From the Sphinx, I turned around and there was a main street!!!

Anyway, my first glimpse of the Great Pyramid of Khufu was breathtaking (sorry!!!). I could already see the two companion small ones and the Pyramid of Khafre
We decided to enter the Great Pyramid first. We climbed up to the entrance and went into the tunnel. We then climbed up and up on a ridged ramp – endless and very narrow. Then up two iron rungs and another ramp; then a final ramp, also endless and narrow, but this time with a low ceiling. Any idea what it is like to climb on a slippery wooden ridged board bent over almost double!!!! No? Well, I do now! Then at the top, almost crawling into the very high-ceilinged burial chamber. The room is empty save for an enormous sarcophagus. That is all that the discoverers found there – not only was the sarcophagus the only item in the room, the lid was missing and it had a damaged corner. They speculated that it was a decoy room. What is interesting about the sarcophagus is that the inner corners are perfectly square. To this day, based on their knowledge of Egyptian tools, scientists do not know how this was accomplished. Ross pointed out two air shafts for the souls to escape.

Then it was back down – even scarier on the slippery wood! But well worth the wait and the stress of the drive out!!

After that, it was one photo op after the next: The Great Pyramid of Khufu (Cheops) which has very little of its polished limestone exterior left…only around the base. The somewhat smaller Pyramid of Khafre has quite a lot at the apex, giving one a good idea of what the finished product once looked liked. Erosion and theft of blocks for building have done their work. We also saw the Pyramid of Menkaure, the smallest of the three large ones. There are also other much smaller pyramids and the flat-topped mastabas, the much older burial chambers. The golden age of pyramid building was during the 23rd century BC. Before that, pharaohs were buried in tombs deep inside the Valley of the Kings in Luxor. Tons of limestone was brought in by barge directly to Giza. Contrary to Hollywood myth, the workmen were not slaves, but paid and proud workers who had their own villages and tombs. Estimates of how many people worked on the tombs vary from 400,000 (Herodotus) to 20-30,000 men. The Pyramids were the tallest buildings on earth until they were eclipsed in1300 by Lincoln Cathedral!!!! Of course, they are no longer the tallest, but they are still the most massive structures on earth.

Ross started walking downhill and I was just trotting along, as is my wont (hahahahah) and I noticed something – a low structure with a huge ball of stone. I pointed and said: “What is that?” Well, the look he gave me told me I was going into the corner with the dunce cap. “What is that…what is that??? It’s the Sphinx you……….” (I forgot exactly what epithet he used as I collapsed in hysterical embarrassment.) “That,” he said, “is going on the blog…I cannot believe it”. Well, in all fairness, I WAS looking at it from behind and the head looks like a ball of stone. I will never live that down.

Anyway, the Sphinx is extremely beautiful and it is my favorite structure on the plateau. What a face! I had to tear myself away. Excavations are still going on – all over the plateau and what is ironic is that they are using sandbags to stay the encroachment of he Sahara.

We could not possibly see everything….but we saw the highlights. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at the Mena Oberoi Hotel – built as a hunting lodge for King Farouk – over the top luxury with views of the pyramids right outside the windows. We had hoped to have some tea there, but we felt we should get back and stay on schedule.

Sharm el Sheikh to Cairo

Views from our balcony.






The Big Adventure. Day One.

7:30 am found us pacing in front of the Purser’s Office waiting for our visa. We finally got it at 8:15 and made a mad dash to the taxi stand – a very long way from the ship – with another couple doing the same thing. Meanwhile I had forgotten my hat twice and had to run back, through security up and down 5 flights of stairs……Ross was very patient indeed and said – go and get it! Good start!

We haggled for a taxi and then we were off to the airport – at high speed until we encountered a road block in front of Mubarak’s summer residence, but then we took off again. We made it! Whew! And with enough time to use the Business Class Lounge – a few chairs and tables in one corner of the main waiting area!!! Haha! Lovely new airport in the middle of the desert. Sharm el Sheikh is another big new diving resort – newer than Aqaba at the tip on the Sinai Peninsula – Biblical country: Mt. Sinai is about two hours away. The mountains are stunning. Again, that stark beauty. One can understand how men could have been in awe of a godly presence here….the cradle of three major religions.

We took an Embraer pubble-jumper – a one-hour flight. Business Class consisted of a courtain between the two sections, otherwise the seats were the same… but….we got tablecloths and a little meal, juices, coffee, tea, etc. Very comfortable an what views. We could see the Red Sea for most of the trip an the colors changed from deep blue/black to green and turquoise. Barely a sign of civilization. And again the mountains…the mountain. The Red Sea (an its extension, the Suze Canal) divides European Egypt from Asian Egypt.

Flawless flight. Haggled for a taxi at Cairo Airport and we were off. We were immediately engulfed in Cairo traffic which is…..well, even frenetic doesn’t quite describe it. There are no rules of the road, no lanes, barely any traffic lights (only saw 4 the entire time). Think Arc de Triomphe/Place Charles de Gaulle in Paris and multiply that by 100!!!! Hahahah. No pedestrian crossings either. You pray and go. Ross calls pedestrians “temporary Egyptians”. Hahaha. I’ve never seen anything like it…not even in India or Vietnam. Of course, with me in the car, we had a fender bender! Haha! Three-car! And what happens? The drivers get out, look at the dings or scrapes, shake hands, smile and get back in their cars. Everyone is happy. Horns blare, bur tempers never flare. Everyone smiles in Egypt! They wave and smile and make the thumbs-up signs all the time. I have never seen such a happy people – even happier than in India.

I am not going to go into the history (as if I could remember all the pharaohs and dynasties!) and politics (suffice it to say that Sadat and Nasser are heroes and Mubarak and his sons are crooks) of Egypt. There is a huge military presence here – on every street corner and the tourism police is extremely visible. Security is high in all buildings and hotels.

On the way to the hotel, we stopped at the Baron’s Palace, an unusual mansion, now derelict inside, but well maintained on the outside. Built by Baron-General Edouard Louis Joseph Empain, a Belgian entrepreneur who built the railway to Port Said and the upscale suburb of Heliopolis (gorgeous area of mansions and embassies) I the early 20th century. He built his mansion it is now a curiosity. I won’t go into all the history, myths and legends surrouding it….we need to move on to things more Egyptian.

The hotel, the Marriott, chosen, by Ross, was just stunning. A former palace, built by King Farouk for the Empress Eugenie (Napoleon III’s wife) on the occasion of her visit to Cairo, is stunning. The palace forms the heart of the hotel; the gardens and pavilions are now the pool area and outdoor restaurants, including a sheesha cafe. Two modern towers flank the complex. We had a wonderful room with balcony, overlooking the Nile and with Executive privileges which including 6 pm check-out and a haven on the 18th floor which we used for breakfast, drinks, refreshments in between jaunts. I would recommend it in a heartbeat.

After a light lunch on the balcony, we set off to walk to the Egyptian Museum, a rose-colored building on the opposite side of the Nile. It was a good stretch and involved crossing a bridge and many lanes of traffic…..but we made it. The Museum holds all (well, except those that are in foreign museums – another story) the treasures of Egypt, half of which are in storage. The museum has certainly seen better days: broken or missing windows, crumbling skylights, dark dusty rooms. Dust, dust, dust …dusty Cairo. Well, when the Sahara is at your doorstep, you can’t prevent the dust which is pervasive. Most of the labels are hand-written, yellowed pieces of paper. A new building out at the Pyramids should rectify some of these problems.

When doing museums, you have to make choices: I decided to forego the mummies and we set off to see as much of the rest as we could: Tutankhamun’s treasures are breathtaking and the workmanship is astonishing. During her lecture, Christine Roussel had shown us slides of the original photos when the tomb was discovered and opened. These photos are included in the exhibits. Since the boy king died at such a young age, there hadn’t been enough time to prepare his tomb so many of the objects were just thrown in in a jumble: chariots, chests, jewelry, chairs, beds etc. And they are all in the museum and they are all stunning. The two main pieces - his gold death mask and the gold sarcophagus – well, I hesitate to use stunning and breathtaking again – how about awesome!!!!!

We then visited the area devoted to Akhenaten, husband of Nefertiti and father of Tutankamun, with enormous and curious statues of this controversial pharaoh. In the short-lived style of the time, he is depicted with an elongated head, sagging breasts, enormous thighs and a protruding stomach, unclothed, but no sigh of genitals. Until then (and afterwards), pharaohs had always been depicted in the prime of physical life - very athletic. The reasons behind this androgynous depiction are a mystery – scholars have been debating them for years. Art or illness? But what is most interesting is that he became a monotheist, his new religion devoted to Aten. His religion did not outlive him and his successors reverted to the traditional polytheism. He was labeled an “enemy” and references to him were removed from many sculptures.

We wandered around other areas – stele, statues, busts – and went back to Tutankhamen’s treasure. Very alluring – one last look! When we could walk no more, we headed back to the hotel. After a swim and a bit of a rest, we had a light meal of a shared Egyptian moussaka in the sheesha area and struck up a conversation with some Kuwaitis on holiday. Then we got a taxi to the Khan al Kalili Bazaar, which is a 16th century bazaar in the heart of Muslim Cairo. The one-hour ride, due to traffic, was fascinating, as we watched European Cairo disappear. All the women wore hijab headscarves, many the full black robes; the men wore grey or brown galibayas with skullcaps or turbans We drove through downtown Cairo with its bustling highly illuminated streets of shops and shoppers even though it was well past 8 pm. As we approached our destination, we saw more and more mosques. There are over 1000 mosques in Cairo. The taxi driver dropped us at the corner of a huge square with a mosque decorated in colored flashing lights. Apparently there was some sort of local festival going in.

We dove head first into the throng. I hate crowds, and I have only once before felt so crushed - at Mardi Gras in New Orleans- but I took a deep breath and did it. After a few pokes in the ribs, I got the hang of pushing back…..it’s expected. No one is rude…that is the just the way it has to be to keep moving. It was especially bad when we decided to leave the alleyways of the bazaar and make our way around the mosque to our meeting place with the taxi drive. It was madness: Men poured out of the mosque, tents had been set up along one side of the mosque with bands and dancing. The music blared from loud speakers. What an ambiance! At that point we had to hang on to each other or be swept away. Amazingly, I was very calm! But everyone smiled and gave the “Americans” the thumbs up and kept calling Ross “Omar Sharif” – they loved his moustache – very Egyptian they kept saying!

The alleys of the old bazaar itself are very old –there are still some 16th century buildings, gates, a mosque, decorations, etc. There were all sorts of goods to be had – you name it, it’s there. In one very back alley, we noticed smoke coming from the back of a shop and we stopped to ask about it. They were processing henna and showed us how it is done….in a huge cauldron over fire The men were covered in a yellowish dust and the conditions were just horrendous…….by our standards. Fascinating. We did no shopping; we just wanted to wander.

At 10:30, our taxi picked us up as promised and we headed back to the hotel, exhausted but exhilarated.

P.S. I never on felt unsafe in this city.

Aqaba and Petra, Jordan

Petra (Greek "πέτρα" (petra), meaning rock; Arabic: البتراء, Al-Batrāʾ) is a historic and archaeological city in the Jordanian governorate of Ma'an that has rock cut architecture and water conduits system. Established sometime around the 6th century BC as the capital city of the Nabataeans, it is a symbol of Jordan as well as its most visited tourism attraction. It lies on the slope of Mount Hor in a basin among the mountains which form the eastern flank of Arabah (Wadi Araba), the large valley running from the Dead Sea to the Gulf of Aqaba. Petra was chosen as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007 and a World Heritage Site since 1985. Petra was chosen by the BBC as one of "the 40 places you have to see before you die".
The site remained unknown to the Western world until 1812, , hence “the lost city of Petra”, when it was introduced by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt. It was described as "a rose-red city half as old as time" in a Newdigate Prize-winning sonnet by John William Burgon. UNESCO has described it as "one of the most precious cultural properties of man's cultural heritage."

It seems no work of Man's creative hand,
by labour wrought as wavering fancy planned;
But from the rock as if by magic grown,
eternal, silent, beautiful, alone!
Not virgin-white like that old Doric shrine,
where erst Athena held her rites divine;
Not saintly-grey, like many a minster fane,
that crowns the hill and consecrates the plain;
But rose-red as if the blush of dawn,
that first beheld them were not yet withdrawn;
The hues of youth upon a brow of woe,
which Man deemed old two thousand years ago,
match me such marvel save in Eastern clime,
a rose-red city half as old as time.



Pliny the Elder and other writers identify Petra as the capital of the Nabataeans, Aramaic-speaking Semites, and the centre of their caravan trade. Enclosed by towering rocks and watered by a perennial stream, Petra not only possessed the advantages of a fortress, but controlled the main commercial routes which passed through it to Gaza in the west, to Bosra and Damascus in the north, to Aqaba and Leuce Come on the Red Sea, and across the desert to the Persian Gulf.
Petra declined rapidly under Roman rule, in large part due to the revision of sea-based trade routes. In 363 an earthquake destroyed many buildings, and crippled the vital water management system. The ruins of Petra were an object of curiosity in the Middle Ages and were visited by Sultan Baibars of Egypt towards the end of the 13th century. The first European to describe them was Johann Ludwig Burckhardt in 1812.

According to Arab tradition, Petra is the spot where Moses struck a rock with his staff and water came forth, and where Moses' brother, Aaron, is buried, at Mount Hor, known today as Jabal Haroun or Mount Aaron. The Wadi Musa or "Wadi of Moses" is the Arab name for the narrow valley at the head of which Petra is sited.

Excavations have demonstrated that it was the ability of the Nabataeans to control the water supply that led to the rise of the desert city, creating an artificial oasis. The area is visited by flash floods and archaeological evidence demonstrates the Nabataeans controlled these floods by the use of dams, cisterns and water conduits. These innovations stored water for prolonged periods of drought, and enabled the city to prosper from its sale.

Petra is known as the Rose-Red City for the colour of the rocks in which Petra is carved. The impressive eastern entrance leads steeply down through a dark, narrow gorge (in places only 3–4 m (9.8–13 ft) wide) called the Siq ("the shaft"), a natural geological feature formed from a deep split in the sandstone rocks and serving as a waterway flowing into Wadi Musa. At the end of the narrow gorge stands Petra's most elaborate ruin, Al Khazneh (popularly known as "the Treasury" because legend has it that the urn, which you can see I the photos, contained a treasure, which it can’t because it is solid), hewn into the sandstone cliff. A little further from the Treasury, at the foot of the mountain called en-Nejr, is a massive theatre, so placed as to bring the greatest number of tombs within view. At the point where the valley opens out into the plain, the site of the city is revealed with striking effect. The amphitheatre has been cut into the hillside and into several of the tombs during its construction. Rectangular gaps in the seating are still visible. Almost enclosing it on three sides are rose-coloured mountain walls, divided into groups by deep fissures, and lined with knobs cut from the rock in the form of towers.

You can see from the photos that the Nabuteans were adept at reproducing various architectural styles: Roman, Greek, Egyptian, Indian, Syrian…as they controlled the water supply at a crossroads of caravan routes, they absorbed the various styles described to them. You can also see the amazing range of colors – no painting anywhere, just a clever use of the natural shadings of the sandstone.

Basically the Nabuteans were troglodytes who built elaborate tombs. That said, the site is astonishing. The tombs are all carved from the rock; he carving was done from the top down. They used elaborate scaffolding to get to the top of the area to be carved an worked their way down.

What can I add other than to say that, when you emerge from the narrow Siq and the Treasury gradually comes into view, the effect is breathtaking. The rest of the site is wonderful, but nothing compares to that moment. Unforgettable.

A footnote - we docked in Aqaba - famed resort for diving - very attractive town...the drive up to Petra - up to 5,000 feet and then down to 3,000 -was very interesting. Wonderful mountain ranges and desert as far as the eye can see. Some, Bedouin tents, goats, donkeys, barley - but a very stark, but beautiful landscape. The Bedouin settlements have mostly been dismantled and the people dispersed to towns (as in Egypt), but some remain. Same for the cave people of Petra. Our guide claims to have been born in a cave. There are still 15 families that are allowed to live in the caves - the others have been resettled. From Aqaba we could see Eilat in Israel - one could walk there. And we encountered a sandstorm on the way back.

At Sea - En Route to Aqaba

April 8th.

We are now in the Gulf of Aden, the infamous stretch of water which is approximately 150 nautical meters across and lies between Yemen to the north and Somalia to the south. We will be transiting this area for the whole day, “making best speed” in the captain’s words.

Went to two lectures, one on Aqaba and the other on Petra, the “lost city” which we will visit on the 11th – both were extremely interesting and touched on the geography and history of Jordan.

Started another book, “Shutter Island”, which I believe has been made into a film. Excellent book with a neat twist at the end.

Had tea with the two classical musicians and two Australian women who embarked in Dubai and whom we had run into before. They are great fun. As I said in 2008….once the Aussies join us….

Ross and I switched to early seating – we’ve decided to table hop for a while – and sat with some more Aussies and had a delightful evening.

April 9th.

Early this morning, we transited the Bab el Mandeb, a very narrow (10 nm) stretch of water which connects the Gulf of Aden with the Red Sea. Using the International Maritim Djibouti and then Eritrea. We are now in the Red Sea until we reach Aqaba.

Today’s lectures, one on Sharm el Sheikh, the other on Tutankhamun: his Tomb and its Treasures were very interesting. The woman who spoke on Tut is an art historian and restorer who has worked on some of the treasures and participated in organizing the worldwide exhibition, Treasures of Tutankhamun.

In the afternoon, the Entertainment Dept. presented their annual Musical Murder Mystery which I enjoy: “Murder on the High Seas”. I am pretty sure that, if I check my previous blog, it is exactly the dame as two years ago. But who remember? And it is very silly and very funny – full of typically British double entendres and innuendoes. Every so often there3 is a musical clue: 25 In all. Well, I got 18….and I think that was my score last time. With 50 points for guessing the murderer, I got 230 out of 300 points. The winner got 280!!!! I missed “Try to Remember” and “Sheikh of Araby”….arrgggh. Ross provided “Food, Glorious Food” before rolling his eyes and shuffling off.

We met up with our new Australian friends, Denise and Jennifer, for drinks and joined them at their table for dinner – along with 4 Brits. A good time was had by all. A lot of laughter.

April 10th

We continue our passage through the Red Sea passing the coastlines of Sudan and Egypt on the port side and Saudi Arabia to starboard. This morning, we passed 90 nm to the west of Mecca. From time to time we see our escorts and some freighters. It is amazing how few ships we se in the very narrow passage. The Red Sea is very deep in the middle, but the coasts are littered with islands and coral shelves.

We went to two more lectures this morning. First, Port Said, which was mainly about Cairo and the Pyramids: what to see and how to deal with taxis, shopkeepers, etc. Second lecture was on the story of the Red Sea: it’s history and ecology. Now I wish I had taken up SCUBA diving…this is THE place for it.

Classical concert at 2pm with Neil Georgeson and William Burrows whom we have befriended. All Brahms. A Rhapsody for piano alone; then a Concerto and a Hungarian dance for both instruments. All in minor keys – beautifully executed, but not my favorites!

Tea with Jennifer and Denise, our Aussie friends, and Neil and William., followed by a visit with Ruud, the chief purser where we finalized our plans for Cairo. Armed with all sorts of telephone numbers and back-up plans, we have bitten the bullet. We are going for it. The tour office is holding out excursion tickets until 4 pm in Sharm el Sheikh, just in case we miss the plane and have to return to the ship. That is our big back-up plan so we can see the Pyramids. Keep your fingers crossed!

Dinner in Todd English with the two lecturers, Richard Hayman and Christine Roussel and her daughter
Diane. Both lecturers are fascinating people and we had a great evening. And how did this come about you might ask. Well, we were sitting at our table for two, having just ordered......Ross spotted them coming in, jumped up and asked them to join us, necessitating moving to a larger table. Yes, that is what he does!!!!

Salalah

Beautiful day. We are only here for a half day. Since we did an extensive and very long tour last time, we are not doing an excursion. I went to a very interesting lecture: “When China Ruled the Seas”. If any of you have read Gavin Menzies’ book, “1421”, then you know what it is all about: the voyages of the legendary Zheng Ze during the Ming Dynasty. I find it absolutely fascinating: the sheer size of the ships; the contributions to maritime science before DaGama, Magellan, Columbus etc. And, you won’t believe this: the Rhode Island connection! Apparently, Verrazzano mentioned a people on Jamestown who lived in stone houses and wore long silk robes. He sailed on and never mentioned it again. And……the mysterious stone structure in Newport….could it have been a Chinese observatory? Who knows? There may have been stone tribute markers in Rhode Island also. You can imagine that my ears perked up at all that and the photos of Newport. L’il ole Rhody!!!!

Spent the day relaxing and reading – deep into “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” – it’s very long, so it is taking me some time. It is fascinating. Ross is under the weather, so I had a light bite for dinner in the Lido. We left late and all the curtains were drawn by the time we left the dock, so we could not see anything. Tonight, the captain made an announcement to the cabins (usually, only emergency announcements are made to the cabins) reminding us to close curtains, turn off balcony lights and, in general, only use lights as necessary. We are entering the Gulf of Aden – pirate territory.

Btw , Mr Diamond Esq., Bau is having a wonderful time, basking in the sun on the patio. As for the photos, it is very hard to put them I the right place, because Blogger uploads them all to the top of the post. I then have to cut and paste the codes…. Very very time-consuming…which only costs money! Hahahah. So I do my best!

At Sea- En route to Salalah

Last night, in all the clubs and bars, the shades and curtains were drawn. My steward came at dusk to make sure my drapes were closed – they were!!! This will be the routine until we clear Egypt and sail into the Med.

Last night, we met four of our new tablemates: a British couple of Coventry and an American mother and daughter from Connecticut. When we got to the table, each couple was sitting at opposite ends…with four empty seats in between. Not a good sign! Well Ross worked one end of the table and I worked the other. Tough going and the people at the table behind came up to Ross later on and told him that they thought we had our work cut out for us!!!! I must say Ross is a charmer and even crusty Yanks can cave, but the mother was not a happy camper from the get-go. We’ll see what tonight brings….and maybe the other two tablemates will show up.

We had a nightcap in our favorite after-dinner bar and turned in.

Today is a bit overcast, but perfect temperature, with nice breeze as we head southwest along the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea. We sailed through the Strait of Hormuz again last night – basically we re doubling back to get from Dubai to Salalah.

Here are some photos of the security measures then ship has taken – much more than 2 years ago. We had a security drill this morning. When the alarm sounded, we returned to our cabins. If you had windows or balconies you stood or sat in the corridor outside our rooms; if you had an inside cabin, you could occupy it. Stewards checked all the cabins. Same rules for crew. I gather it went very smoothly. My corridor certainly complied very well.

We went to the afternoon concert: pianist and cello player from the UK – played Mendelssohn’s “Song without Word” and Beethoven’s ‘Sonata No. 3. Excellent.

Then afternoon tea – my first in the Queen’s Room – we did one on my balcony; otherwise, I’ve been trying to avoid it!

Cocktail hour found us in the Veuve Cliquot Champagne Bar where Ross treated us to champagne and caviar – with all the fixings. YUM! Then on to dinner where two seats had been removed from the table – so we are only six after all. We did our best, Ross and I asking all the questions….but it was tough going again. We’ll do some alternative dining for a while.

Dubai

April 4th

We docked right behind the QE2 which, despite a new coat of paint, looked quite forlorn…AND she is sporting, on her stern, the new place of her registration: Port Vila. Where is that you ask? Fiji! Fiji? Fiji! The name of the great port of Southampton has been obliterated. Sad! The sheikh’s yacht, Dubai, came out to greet us.

The gang got together for breakfast and some emotional farewells. Now Ross and I are “on our own”, but knowing the “people magnet” as I do….not for long!

We set off for our Atlantis adventure at 11am. We took a taxi to the maglev monorail on Palm Jumeirah Island. A very short ride, but fun…and spectacular views of the island and its sandy fronds. We alit, not at the grand main entrance, but at the back entrance, right in the middle of Aquaventure, the huge water park. Well you can imagine: a resort of this size….Easter weekend (an Arab country notwithstanding)….a hotel capacity of thousands….children as far as the eye can see…..it was bedlam. We were dazed and confused and got very lost trying to find reception to check in. We were almost ready to do an about face and hightail it back to the ship. We finally checked it, but our room wasn’t ready….well, we were two hours early!!! So we checked our bags and headed off for lunch on one of the beaches. After we checked in, we changed into our bathing suits and headed for Aquaventure. First stop, the torrent river, where we picked up our “inner tubes” and set off. Literally going with the flow! ☺ Ross took a detour into the rapids; moi did not! After we’d done two circuits, Ross headed off to do what I call the slide of death. (Jonathan, you will remember all this from “Sun City”, the prototype for Atlantis.) It’s really called the “Leap of Faith” from the top story of the ziggurat, down the steep slide, through the shark (nurse type) tank and out into the lagoon. Shrieks abound!

After a full afternoon, we headed off to Debbie’s new house on Frond E for cocktails with her and the boys. Peter is in London. Debbie had two bottles of Veuve Cliquot on ice. We sat outside and got sozzled yet again! We had hoped to lure them to dinner at Atlantis, but they had just returned from spring break – skiing ion Austria – at 1am and were a bit shattered. We had a great time and went back to the hotel for an amazing buffet dinner at Kaleidoscope. I have never seen such a selection of international food – well the clientele was certainly international: mainly Brits, Indians, Arabs and a smattering of other countries. We even found some Humm Ali –that wonderful bread pudding we’d had in Muscat. Yum! After dinner, we visited the “Lost Chambers”. Hmmmmmmm…very interesting sea life, but hokey Hollywood “Alien” style sets. The main lobby has the gigantic aquarium, as does the Bahamas Atlantis.


Our room, overlooking the Royal Pool and the lagoon was quite splendiferous: large, beautifully decorated and appointed…and a 3-part bathroom to die for! I lost track of the number of restaurants, including a Nobu. The place is enormous. At first, we were overwhelmed by the size, the confusion, the screaming children of the nouveau riche….but once we became acclimatized, we liked it more and more….for a short visit!

Must mention the magnificent Dale Chihuly sculpture in the Main Lobby. Here it is with some of the details - gold shells.





Today is Easter Sunday – the hotel was decorated for the season. There was an Easter shop selling outrageously large chocolate eggs….and there was an Easter Bunny roaming around. And, quite incongruously, women in head scarves and burkas were having their photos taken with him. A great statement – the Easter Bunny isn’t religious!!! Mind you, I am sure the chief ayatollah of Iran would disagree! What a place to people watch!

April 5th

Had breakfast in Saffron…..another amazing buffet: bread station; muffin/pastry station; Chinese station; Indian station; Middle East station; Pork (halal) station; juice station; fruit/cheese/deli station; American/UK station; pancake/waffle station….and tada….. chocolate fountain station with, for dipping, various color marshmallows on sticks and bins of gummie animals. FOR BREAKFAST! And you have no idea how many kids were eating them….and some adults. And ya wonda!!!!!

The service and cleanliness is impeccable. The company treats its employees very well. They are all foreigners, mainly Indian. They get accommodations, all meals, and one month’s home leave, airfare paid.

After breakfast, Ross headed off to more death-defying dives and I went to have my hair cut in the salon. I was sure I’d get a better cut than on the ship…and I was right.

We headed back to the ship around 2 and took some photos of the QE2. We also noticed that the crew has installed razor wire around the railings on the stern of Dek 3, the ain promenade deck. We will be in dangerous waters from now on and the ship is taking more precautions than 2 years ago. We have been given detailed instructions such as: Deck 3 is off limits at night; no balcony lights; all curtains closed at night and all lights off when not required. We are having a special drill tomorrow. We will be under the protection of an International Task Force, including the Royal Navy – I saw a RN ship in Muscat. Well, let’s hope we won’t be throwing balcony chairs at terrorists!

An epilog for Dubai – the city looks like one of those endoftheworld movies where life has been wiped out and everything has been abandoned. There are cranes, heavy equipment and building material everywhere – but nothing is moving and no one is working. Everything has come to a standstill. Of course, we saw the completed Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. I didn’t like the look of it two years ago when it was under construction, but it is really quite elegant. But the ravages of the recession and overbuilding are evident everywhere.