# 41
   .  .  .   and beyond

Oct 5th

This day had started well and having already docked at 7, it was soon time to gather in the theater area to prepare for our shore excursion.  Once again the weather was a bit "iffy" and staff were handing out plastic ponchos.  I still hadn't opened the other set from a few days ago, so I declined the offer.  We filed into the bus and were soon on our way.  The tour guide for this city was so much more entertaining and knowledgeable than the previous outing.  He spoke English very well, although with an accent, and began giving descriptions as soon as we pulled out of the pier area.  He gave details about the city and the outskirts as we traveled to our destination.

This was one of the places that I really wanted to see, and it didn't disappoint.  We were on site for at least three hours, but I could have spent double that amount of time exploring and taking in all the details.  Amazing how the life and times were captured so poignantly in such a short time frame.

# 40
   .  .  .   and beyond  

Oct 4th

Once again we were docking by 8 a.m.  This time it was the second last stop of our trip.  This island sits west of the toe on the boot and is part of Italy. Mike and I walked a few blocks and inquired about a taxi or small bus to take us on a tour.  In the midst of  negotiations, we met a young couple from Holland who offered to share a car or van with us.  The driver still wouldn't agree to our terms, so the four of us walked away and bought tickets for the local tour train.  Good decision. It returned to the square every hour so we had some time to wait.














Rosemary and Armand spent the day with us, sipping cappuccino, riding the tour train, and shopping for little people clothes.  We were shopping for our grand children, but I think Rosemary was expecting a child as she looked at a lot of little girl outfits.





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The view from the top of the hill was incredible.
When the tour train stopped we all got out to take pictures.  Wow




The ticket for the tour included hop on / hop off for the day so we took advantage and went in the other direction as well.  All this riding and picture taking made the men thirsty so we stopped for a sip at the end of the ride.   I opted for yet another cappuccino. Secret is out, now you know where we were.                                                              

# 39
   .  .  .     and beyond  

Oct 3rd

It was Saturday and by noon we had docked at this island that was our easternmost port.  The original plan was to stop at Tunisia, but after a bus load of tourists was attached when they stopped to visit a church, Tunis was taken off the agenda.  There were plenty of places to shop, have lunch or a nice cappuccino.  We were only stopping here for 6 hours, so we wanted to see as much as we could and attempted to sample the flavours and sights here.






With having such a small taste of this country, it might be a good idea to plan another trip to see the rest of the islands and spend a bit more time exploring.


The beaches were beautiful and the weather left nothing to be desired.  Our one night of wind and waves was long forgotten and once again, cruising was the way to go.

# 38
  .  .  .   and beyond  

Oct 2nd

The cruise ship was docked by 8 a.m. We were at a small island south west of the toe of Italy's boot.  For some reason I didn't order a cappuccino here, but there was a lot to see and do.  We opted for the local tourist bus trip around the island and hurried to get a seat on the upper deck.  (You get better pics when you don't have a roof.)










We stopped to visit a glass blowing factory on our way to the ancient walled city at the top of the mountain.  Once there, the bus driver had us all get off the bus, saying there would be another to take us back to the port in 20 minutes.  An hour and a half later, we flagged down a bus about three blocks away.  It took us back to the main city and then we literally ran back to the pier so we'd be on board by the specified time.

             Can you imagine what would happen if we didn't get back before the ship left?


Because we had some time to kill on the top of the mountain, we did a bit of shopping.  We got straw hats.  Yee haw!   Here's a double selfie while we sat on the end of our bed.  The whole wall was a mirror, so this was easy.

# 37
   .  .  .   and beyond    

Wed or Thurs?

I can't remember which night it was, but one night on the ship was a bit rough.  Well, maybe more than a bit.  It was rather difficult to walk anywhere and when we went to bed, we were being tossed about in our bed quite a bit.   At some point during the night, the suitcases came crashing out of the closet door, and banged into the bathroom.  Yup, it was a rough night.  That doesn't usually bother us much, I have always had pretty steady sea legs, but Mike actually had to go to the duty free shop and get some sea sickness gum.  There was a lot of wind that night and being on the back of the ship, we felt all of the movement.  So the big balcony was the pro making up for that con.  It wasn't that big a deal.  It made for an interesting evening though.

Almost every night after dinner, Mike and I would spend some time at the piano lounge in the middle of the ship. The casino was way too smokey so this was a nice alternative, (and cheaper than losing to the one armed bandits). A South American trio played soft lounge tunes.  The female vocalist had a decent voice, the drummer knew how to play gently, and the piano player could play.  It just so happened that we knew almost every song they played, and it made for a pleasant night.  Free drinks didn't hurt either.  They did a great version of  "No More Lonely Nights", and each night when they noticed us coming into the lounge, they would play it for me.  That's a great way to show customer appreciation.  I wish the pictures had turned out, but sometimes I just get fuzzy photos.

# 36
   ,  ,  ,   and beyond  

Oct 1st    At Sea




We didn't do a lot on board while at sea, but I managed to try three different cocktails in the afternoon and evening.  The price of the trip included a package of 12 free drinks . . . each, so we decided it was time to start sampling. That afternoon the four of us sat around a table and played a game of cards.  Yup, we're that weird.  
The ship actually made a really nice cappuccino, at least they did at the bar just outside the buffet.  This made for a relatively quiet and serene place to enjoy my coffee.  Not only that, the constant top side wind was almost non existent. 

Our first day at sea was our second formal dinner on this cruise. Because we like to travel light, Mike took one suit with two different shirts and ties, and I took two outfits with the same shoes and shawl.  There were some couples with tuxedos and evening gowns, but that's not for us on a cruise. This is about as formal as we got!

# 35
   .  .  .   and beyond  

Sep 30

Before 9 the next morning we had docked and were waiting in the lounge area for our shore excursion. We were taking the city tour because neither of us had been here before.  The day wasn't co-operating very well.  It was cloudy and cool and there was rain off and on with much the same in the forecast for the rest of the day.  Our staff was handing out plastic ponchos for those of us that wanted them.  I took one for each of us, but if it stayed a drizzle all day, I could live with it.  Besides, I had my travel umbrella.  No wonder my shoulder bag was so heavy.  I carried far too much with me everywhere.


This city is the capital of the autonomous community of Catalonia in Spain.  Our tour guide always sounded like she had a lisp when she said the city name. She didn't have a lisp and it still makes me laugh when I think about it.

While on the chartered bus, we passed by this store. Can you tell that I'm a big Paul McCartney fan? Even taking pictures of his daughter's store?  Too much?

While there we toured the ancient city at the top of the hill and spent an hour or so visiting the shops in this major tourist attraction.

This time my cappuccino was in a paper cup and it really wasn't all that bad, but not the best.