Back to Africa

Today I stayed on board. John and I had a wonderful tour through Egypt, including a Nile River Cruise, so I felt no need to get off. This port is really important as a starting point for the 14-hour tour of the day to Luxor. I would say most people took that tour this morning, starting departures around 7a and the last returning around 10p tonight. In addition, others who have been here before told us there is basically nothing in port. They did have a shuttle to taxis and to a resort. Those who went mostly didn’t bother to get off. So I was glad I didn’t go anywhere. It was a relaxing day of sleeping in, lunch, and by the pool until sunset at approximately 4:45p. Yes, it is warm but dipping in and out of the pool and plenty of iced tea kept me nice and comfortable. We heard the Muslim call to prayer from nearby every few hours. It is Halloween but since we had a schedule change, we will have dress up tomorrow instead of today. Another hour ahead. A beautiful sunset despite the...

We played our usual Mexican Train game because everyone playing has been through the Suez Canal at least once. This was my 3 rd transit. There are several war ships in the area as you can see in the somewhat blurry photo below. It was a nice day and we had a nice dinner with Fred tonight.  

 I have had a hard time getting on to post this blog... I keep trying so be patient those of you who read it. It is coming!!! Here is our location today at 11a. As you can see the course we took to avoid the coast along Israel and Palestine. Sunday Brunch is a tasting menu. I am not sure what I previously posted but here are the photos of the extensive meal today.   Of course, we did all the usual expected from a day at sea. Very enjoyable.

Another NEW country for me. We had a great day. The weather was warm but nice. We first had a stop in the downtown area where I was able to secure a postcard and a stamp. So that’s 2 postcards sent to Sierra so far. Cyprus is unique in that it is half Turkish and half Greek. Now that is not something one would say about the country but that is really what it is. Next, we took almost a 1 hour drive up into the mountains. The area is limestone with abandoned terraces that once held grapevines and olive trees. It is a little unclear why they are abandoned. Our guide is very talkative but I can’t always understand her. We arrived at Lofou Tavern, a charming family-owned restaurant. Oh, what a meal we had. We had a Mezze menu, which is a meal with many small dishes. The dishes may be hot or cold, sweet or savory. Cypriot cuisine includes olives, hummus, seafood, and many other. Beyond that, it was abundant and fabulous! When we arrived the table was already set with red and white wine, sa...

Another Sea Day… That is not a complaint as I am thoroughly enjoying each day! I thought I would have much more time to work on my tan. It seems I am sleeping in late (we have adjusted ahead 10 hours so far!) It takes time to cope. By the time I make it to lunch then it is time for the Mexican Train game. Add in a little time for photos and blogging and before you know it, it is dinnertime followed by either the Billboard Lounge or the show. After that it is time to go to bed or lose a little bit in the casino! Still great days!!!

Today we had a Food and Wine tour of two wineries. It was sponsored by Food and Wine Magazine. We were surprised the only food we had was small plates of rusks and olive oil at one place with rusks, cheese, and dry cure olives (which were delicious by the way). The first winery was Manousakis Winery. We were given the complete tour of all facilities. It was quite interesting with the family history behind the wine making. The property was lovely and we had our tasting in the dining area shown below.   We then took about an hour drive in the countryside to the next winery, Uarauitauis Winery. Another lovely place. We simply wine tasted here with no tour, that was fine.

Today was a sea day but a busy and exciting day. There were all the usual day time adventures but in the evening, it was Casino Royale. We brought some inexpensive items to wear tonight because it was our understanding “everyone” would dress up. No one was as dressed up as we were but nonetheless, it was a lot of fun. There was a special menu with delicious items, champagne fountain, and the casino was bursting.

Finally! A new country to visit for me. Our excursion was pretty good. The down side was the thick smog hanging in the air. We visited 3 different sites with the ruins of Ancient Carthage, a city built by the Phoenicians. Destroyed by the Romans long ago but it is amazing how much is still available to see. Our last stop was in a city called Sidi Bou Said. Every building in this city is painted white with blue trim. A quaint and unique place. All the blue and white reminds me of Greece. I was able to find a postcard today to send to Sierra. Dinner, as always, was wonderful. Early bed for me as I am pretty tired from all the walking today.

It was a great day at sea today. Food, games, entertainment, we have it all! Tomorrow the “real” tour begins as we hit Tunisia, which is a new country for me!!! Our selected tour was canceled but we were given alternatives.

Sleep eludes me and I can barely get up in the morning. I do make it to lunch however! Today was a sea day so we were back to playing Mexican Train. Fred is a very nice man we met at dinner the first night onboard. He lost his wife of 59 years last June. I thought he was so brave to come on this cruise alone. Yesterday he told Stuart he wanted to talk to us privately. He told us how much he appreciated us, it really touched my heart. He is such a nice man we are blessed to know him. We had dinner with him also and followed up with the show afterwards.

Today I did not plan an excursion. I have been here before and I didn’t feel like a long bus ride to Rabat or I would have done that. I’m glad I didn’t because those who went did hundreds of steps and it was very challenging. Relaxing in different areas of the ship was very nice. Enjoyed meals, cribbage, and Rummikub. Can't post photos, I'll try again tomorrow. 

Today I went on a small, private tour. Tina arranged this and she was a delight to meet, along with her husband Rick. The vehicle was not great but the excursion was amazing. After driving out of town we came to the special tree with the goats. This man trained these goats, he is clever as this does draw crowds. I was touched by how much he loves his goats! We had a brief stop at an Argan oil store where we saw a presentation and had a chance to purchase some. It is very expensive… I can get a small cosmetic size at Trader Joe’s so I passed. We had tastes. I didn’t realize one could eat this as well! Back to the port and the ship we tried “express” lunch. It wasn’t great but that was just one try, may try again another day. That was followed by a time of leisure on the Seaview deck before departure. We are supposed to have 16 ft swells tonight so Dramamine is onboard for sure. As we left port the Seaview pool was really making waves and breached the edges surprising a lot of folks! D...

Today we had a tour that we did not do. I have been to this port before with June and there isn’t much here, in my opinion. Stuart isn’t feeling great, still fighting off a cold (took a covid test and neg). I had an enjoyable day by the pool. Dinner in the dining room was lovely followed by the Classical Duo performance. I will be up early in the morning so off to bed!

Funchal, Madeira, Portugal Today we made our first port of call. We had a Tuk Tuk tour that took us up to the toboggans where we had a 6:07 minute ride down the hill. Our Tuk Tuk driver Alex picked us up at the ship, took us to the toboggans, picked us up at the end of that ride, took us sightseeing around the city, and then back to the ship. Then we had a nice tour around the city. This is such a lovely island. It was a very enjoyable day. It is a very tropical climate here. June and I stopped here on our Transatlantic cruise from Barcelona last year. I was so happy we got to ride the toboggans this time. I would not mind at all coming back to this island with the typical Portuguese spirit of the place.  Lunch was at the poolside grill, followed by a nap. We departed right around 5p. These guys were waving good-bye and thanking us for coming. What a fun day!