Day 33- At rest in the Seychelles!
I was awake at about 7.30 am to greet the day with a swim with Cooper!
The weather was warm with scattered clouds and brief periods of sunshine… temperatures in the mid twenties with high humidity!
After the swim it was off to breakfast with the normal fare of juice, yogurt and scrambled eggs, washed down with 2 cups of cappuccino! A perfect start for the day.
After breakfast we retreated to our room balconies and enjoyed some reading time interspersed with a couple of swims. At lunch we had some fare that was purchased from the local supermarket!!! ( I think that it was!) and a beer or 2 !
It was time to tune into the AFL preliminary final between the pies and the lions…. Seems a good game which the Lions won quite well in the end!
After this it was more reading and swimming for the rest of the day. The grandchildren enjoyed the surf on the beach near our rooms which was great!
At around 6.15 we watched the sunset and enjoyed a drink to celebrate the day. We later showered and enjoyed a good dinner in the Rockpool restaurant… far cry from it’s simmerly named cousin in Australia… good food though!
We finally finished dinner at around 9.30 pm and after a bit or reading I was ready for b d an hour later…
Today was our last full day in the Seychelles… we leave for home tomorrow!
The picture today is the grandchildren playing on the balcony near our rooms adjacent to the beach.
Day 32- Seychelles bus trip
After waking at about 8.00 am I had a swim with Cooper ahead of breakfast. I have found the swim great to get the juices flowing for the breakfast!
After breakfast we sorted out the local bus ticket app and took the short trip to the nearby village of Beau Vallon … the bus trip was “ hairy” to say the least with the driver taking the corners in the winding road at what seemed to be high speed!!! The stops at each bus stop were very sudden which made the whole trip a bit of a thrill.
Arriving at the town we enjoyed a walk along the white sandy beach looking at the various hotels and beach clubs which was interesting. We managed to find a restaurant called La Plag for a drink and snack lunch. It overlooked the beach and we enjoyed a fare of sushi, chips and ice cream….
After lunch we bused back to the hotel… this time the trip was even more “scary “ with the driver taking all sorts of risks… At one stage I looked at the back of the bus to see our party lurching from one side of the bus to another as we sped around the corners…. We were glad to get off the bus safely needless to say!
At the hotel it was time for a rest and time to listen to the AFL preliminary final between the Hawks and the Cats… good that the Cats were victorious!
After this we were greeted with cloudy skies and some light rain… Robyn had organised for one of the hotel staff to crack open a few coconuts for us to enjoy… he did a great job with a pick as the agent to prize open the shell and a mashetti to open the inner shell. Our show on this was enjoyed by a number of other guests particularly a German Gus and his wife. We presented a coconut to him at dinner which he declined… the translation of his reasoning for not accepting our gift was very unclear.
After this it was off to the buffet dinner which was Mediterranean tonight…. A good feed with some white South African wine. We were in bed a little after 8.45 pm
Another great day with the weather deteriorating at the end of the day.
Picture today is the inside of the bus!!!
Rather scary!!!
Day 31- in the Seychelles the surf was up!
Today after a great night of sleep I was awake at about 8.00 am and had a early swim!
The weather was perfect and the temperatures were in the mid twenties… as the day wore on the humidity increased a bit… being near the equator makes a big difference … the Seychelles are about 4 degrees off the equator.
After breakfast it was a lazy day of rest until the surf started to increase and before too long we were into it!
There were big sets of waves every 5-10 minutes which was great fun for Cooper and Mikayla. I guess the waves might have been about a metre and were all shore breaks. All great fun for the grandchildren.
Chris and I did a shop at the local shop about 500 metres from the hotel. We got bread , cheese, salami and various other assorted things for us to enjoy at lunch.
After lunch I had a break in the alternative area near the swimming pool where there was a lovely shaded deck where I could read a book! I think I did a bit of sleeping along the way.
After this it was back to enjoy the sunset and have a final swim for the day!!! Great to enjoy the swim as the sun was setting!
Dinner tonight was most enjoyable are Al La carte restaurant where we enjoyed locally caught fish with salad, frito miso, and some chips… great meal to reflect on the day!
All enjoyed by us all
Today’s picture is the surf!
Day 30 - In the Seychelles
It is hard to believe that we have been away from home 30 days!!!
This morning I woke at about 8.00 am after a good night night of sleep… the weather was good so I went for a swim ahead of breakfast.
We had again to do a tour to Victoria to see the big tortoises in the botanical gardens. So at about 10.00 am we were piked up by our taxi driver… grumpy Joe … who transported us to the botanical gardens…
The weather was quite hot and we walked to the enclosure where there were about 30 larger tortoises!! Magnificent to see and it seems they have long lives with ages around 250 years! Quite incredible.
After this we had a walk around the botanical gardens which were ok at the best!!! Seems they need to do a bit of upkeep to make them a real tourist attraction.
We walked to the centre of Victoria which is the capital of the Seychelles to meet our taxi driver… grumpy Joe!
The ride back to the hotel along the coast was good and we stopped at a nearby beach to buy a couple of boogie boards for the grandchildren… the beach was magnificent with white sand!
After arriving back at the hotel we relaxed in shade from the hot sun and humidity!!
At sunset we adjourned to the balcony to watch the sunset and enjoy a a glass of wine and beer!
After sunset we cleaned up for dinner which was a creole bbq which was at best okay!
We went to bed again around 9.30 pm
Another great day!
See below for the picture of the giant tortoises!!!
Day 29- at our hotel
I am writing this blog after a big night and day at our location at the hotel near Victoria…
The day started a little late for me at around 8.00 am with a swim and shower and breakfast… the weather was warm with some cloud cover but temperatures in the mid twenties.
After breakfast we lazed by the beach outside our room and enjoyed the warm weather. The grandkids enjoyed the surf that was offered up and found a floating foam cover from an ice bucket to do some body surfing along the beach.
We had a snack for lunch and a couple of them local beers!!! After this it was reading and sleeping for me to while away the afternoon…. God knows how much weight I have put on in this trip!!!!
As we watched the sunset with a glass of wine we reflected on the day and readied ourselves for dinner…. The choice was clear Indian or al la carte … we chose the latter!!! The thought of a vindaloo made me feel bad!
The meal was very good and we enjoyed the company of Chris , Neat and the grandchildren…
After a lovely dinner we were done by 9.30 pm!!!
Another great day
The picture is surfing nippers style in the Seychelles!
Day 28- At the Seychelles!
I am not sure what day it is??? Confusion rains !
The trip yesterday played havoc with my body clock… traveling in an easterly direction is the worst for me as the time zones shorten the trip!!!
The trip yesterday ended with a lovely dinner ahead of an early night to bed and a good night of rest…. We can hear the breaking waves outside our room which makes for a restful night of sleep!
Robyn was awake at about 6.00am and I was up at around 7.30…. Bit of a change as I am normally up first!
We waited for CC and Neat and Cooper and Mikayla who were coming in from Dubai on the same flight we had the day before… sure enough at about 8.00 am they arrived a bit tired after the flights from Johanesburg to Dubai then Dubai to the Seychelles….
As their room was not ready we had buffet breakfast which was good… g th e chatting for the day really was a catch up on our respective trips so far. For them it was about the excitement of the visit to Kruger National Park and the safari driving and for us it was the sophistication of our trip through Europe.. such a contrast on both accounts to the tropical islands of the Seychelles!
After breakfast the room was ready so after changing into bathing toga it was into the water for a swim… the weather was hot and sunny with some humidity! The temperature would have been near 30 degrees!
Around lunchtime we adjourned to the buffet lunch and had a snack lunch.
We went for a walk in the afternoon up the road to see other close by areas which was interesting but it was hot!
Getting back to the hotel we were glad to have a swim and laze around the beach outside our apartments which was refreshing!
Throughout the day both Cooper and Mykala had some sleeps as they were very tired.
At the end of the day we enjoyed a lovely sunset…. See photo…. And enjoyed a Chinese buffet for dinner.
We were in bed by about 9.00 pm …. Good to catch up with the family again after a long time.
Day 27- Travel to Seychelles
The morning began with a cup of cappuccino in a cafe I found quite near the main square near our hotel. I have been there several times now and the lady in the cafe seemed to know me!
Heading back to the hotel it was time to pack ahead of going on the next leg of our journey to the Seychelles which involves a leg from Madrid to Dubai then from Dubai to the Seychelles.
After packing and having our last breakfast at the hotel we did some shopping for about an hour. The weather was quite warm at about 25 degrees and quite humid.
After checking out of the hotel we were driven by the Emirates shuttle to the airport which is huge!
Checking in was ok but sorting out the VAT refund was quite difficult…. Seems that giving refunds on taxes is not a high priority… can’t understand why!
Before I leave Madrid I want to say how much I enjoyed the city and its ambience. The people were friendly and the trips we did on foot were amazing. We stayed in a very funky hotel which had some interesting quirks which were annoying at times… the most difficult being the small room size!
The flight to Dubai was running a bit late due to some mechanical issue but the 7 hours were spent sleeping and watching movies.
We arrived at Dubai at about 1.30 am and we had to make a quick transfer to our connecting flight to the Seychelles…. It was made more difficult as we had to change terminals! There were also some issues about the directions to change terminals which made the whole thing a bit more stressful. We arrived at the plane as they were making the final boarding call which was a relief! Hopefully the bags would be on our flight too!
The flight from Dubai to the Seychelles was about 4 and a half hours…. It is almost directly south from the UAE …Fortunately we had some breakfast on the flight before landing at about 6.30 am!!!
Fortunately our bags made it and we were able to find our hotel shuttle driver who took us on the 30 minute drive to the hotel resort where we are staying for the next week.
The main island of the Seychelles is Mahe and it is a bit south of the equator. The weather here is fine and somewhat cloudy with an odd shower every now and then. The drive was through the main city of the Seychelles which is Victoria. The terrain is hilly and from what our driver says there are some agricultural activities including coconut oil and cinnamon.i think tourism is a big contributor to the economy.
We arrived at the Bliss Hotel which is right on the coast with a small beach. Our hotel room is great with a view over the beach and ocean. Unfortunately our room was not ready when we arrived so we had a small wait which for me provided time to catch up on some sleep.
It will be good to stop here after the hectic few weeks we have had so far with travel and sightseeing… the weather looks like being warm and tropical. Good for me to find a palm tree to read a book!
The staff seem friendly here which will make our time more enjoyable.
Picture is a view from our balcony at the Bliss Hotel.
Day 26- in Madrid
I was up early this morning looking for a coffee at about 7.30 am …. Seems that there must have been some big celebrations last night with all the garbage that was being collected on my way to the cafe…
The morning started coolish but developed into a fine an clear day! The temperature reached the mid twenties which was quite acceptable.
After coming back to the hotel , I showered and changed and we went to the buffet breakfast which was quite good. A muesli and scrambled eggs for me….
After breakfast we made our way to the Royal Palace as we were advised that there King was in town and there would be much ado with horses and chariots… more like carriages…. Sure enough there was plenty to see around the Palace as the horses and guards made about 4 trips to collect the VIP’s. We both think the King was in one of the parades!!! We are completely uncertain as to why he was in town as normal residence is quite away from Madrid. I tried to look online to see whether there was something but to no avail… urrrggg!
After the pomp and circumstance of this we wondered up to the San Miguel market for a bit of lunch which was a fruit salad washed down with a fruit juice.
After this we made our way back to the hotel and I sorted out the washing while Robyn did some online work at the business desk. This included getting our visas to the Seychelles.
After sorting out the washing and the “admin” we settled in for a few hours by the pool. I managed to finish my fourth book… bit of a record for me!
At about 6.30 pm we returned to our room to shower and change for the Flamingo dance show! Not sure how you dress for these events but we looked good for the show.
The short walk to the venue was through parts of Madrid we have not really explored and it would seems the area was in the more affluent parts of the city.
We arrived early for the show and were able to look at possible venues for dinner…
The show commenced at about 7.30 pm and went for about hour. It was high intensity dancing by the ladies which was quite impressive. The guitar player was very good and there were 2 blokes who sang , tapped their feet and clapped!
The dancing was very good and the flamingo dresses added real colour to the show.
After the show we went for dinner at a nearby restaurant called “ Cannibal” and the food was excellent. We ended up sharing each of 4 dish s which seems to be the way here in Madrid.
The walk back to the hotel was pleasant as there was a lot of people out for the Friday evening either for drinks or dinner or both….
The day for me was probably a bit of a “ bad hair” day as it seemed nothing went right but the dinner and the flamingo show made it rather special.
Tomorrow we are off to the Seychelles via Dubai so it will be a big day of travel.
The picture today is the carriage going to the Palace!
Day 25- In Madrid
It was an early start for me with me being up at about 7.39 am and dressed and off for a coffee at a local cafe…. Good coffee and only € 3 …. Quite cheap!
After coffee it was back to the hotel for breakfast ahead of doing our tour of the Spanish Royal Palace…
I was somewhat nervous at the tour given the tour I had last year in Buckingham Palace… the tour guide was terrific and the tour of the formal area of the palace was well worth it… in some areas it was a bit “ over the top” with the decorations in some of the rooms! But certainly it was impressive!
The palace has over 3000 rooms making it the largest in Europe which surprised me… I thought Versailles would have b en bigger..
After the palace tour we made our way back to our favourite market at San Miguel for a bite of lunch and a lovely glass of white wine.
The afternoon was dedicated to a Tuk Tuk tour of the city which was just okay…. Would not recommend it frankly!
After this we made our way back to the hotel to sit by the pool ahead of going out for dinner.
We again went to the city square for diner at the same cafe as last evening… it was ok but not as good as the previous evening.
After dinner we went to the San Miguel market which was still humming at 9,00pm for a desert and glass of pink champagne…. I think it was champagne but was not sure. The great thing about the market is that you are sharing tables and benches with others… at lunch we met a couple from Florida and at dinner or desert we met a family from Valencia…. Good to have conversations with them all about family and for the Americans politics.
After a big day it was good to head back to the hotel to enjoy a good night of sleep at our rather “ funky hotel”
The picture today is of the outside of the Royal Palace…. Tomorrow we might see the King as he is due in town!
Day 24- Tracvel from Barcelona to Madrid
It was a late start again this morning with me being awake at about 7.39 am . I had a bit of a restless night as I am coming down with a bit of a cold!!! I think I caught it on the ship… bugger.
After a bit of breakfast we packed and were on our way down in the lift to check our train departures when we realised we had 10.40 train and not a 1.30 pm train!!!!
So it was panic stations for a while but it was relatively easy to check our, catch a cab to the station… we arrived in good time to board the high speed train to Madrid.
The journey was about 3 and a half hours but was quite comfortable. We were seated. Near a few Canadian travelers who were on an extended trip through Spain. Good to chat with them about life in Canada and the Trump effect on their lives… ugggh!
Arriving in Madrid we made our way by cab to the hotel… it is called the Umusic Hotel and is what I would call rather hip!!! The room we have is rather small but ok but it has a rooftop bar which is great and it seems to have a concert venue!
After doing a tour around the facilities we then went on a short walk around the town… I was staggered at the parts we visited which included the Mayor Plaza with its many restaurants on the square. We then came across this lovely market with an assortment of takeout shops and seating which was great… seems like it was a small version of the Victoria Market with takeout venues of every imaginable type. We had a glass of wine and shared some oysters which was really good!
After this we made our way to the Kings Palace and cathedral which were very impressive. The walk back to the hotel was interesting going through side streets and many open spaces with cafes and bars.
After a short rest at the hotel we went back to the Mayor Square for dinner and had a lovely paella and salad for dinner. It was very good and one of the best meals so far on the trip.
After making our way back to the hotel it was time for bed after a big day.
To be frank the first day in Madrid was outstanding…
The San Miguel market!!! Wow what an experience!
Day 23 - In Barcelona
We had a late wake- up this morning at about 8.pp am… I had breakfast down in the restaurant whilst Robyn had coffee in the room.
The breakfast was ok being a buffet style of fruit juice and cereal followed by an omelette.
After breakfast we walked to the Basilica designed by Gaudi which was about 2 kms from our hotel. Unfortunately it was raining but still quite warm at about 25 degrees. The walk was along the wide boulevards of Barcelona with shoped and cafes everywhere.
We arrived at the Basilica and the crowds were large. We were hoping to do a tour but the queues were long and it seemed that the tours did not go into the church….
To me the basilica is fairly ugly but its size is very impressive. The building project has been going for 150 yeas and still has another year or 2 to go. Makes the blow out in construction work in Melbourne seem small by comparison. The other surprise to me was the fact that there is no real plazas around the church in the way you see others in Europe… it seems rather hemmed in… True there is a small park at either end of the church but they don’t form a natural amphitheater for the building…
After this we walked down further boulevards to the area near the zoo and the train station near the port area. Once again there were people everywhere and the shops seemed busy.
We enjoyed a lunch of cheese and biscuits and bread with a tomato paste all washed down with a glass of wine!!!
After lunch we made our way back to the hotel after walking about 10 kms for the day….
The day of walking was so interesting as we passed by a couple of local markets in the areas we visited… they all had a variety of stalls for meat, fruits, vegetables, fish , flowers, deli’s etc. Seems the locals in the area do their shopping and enjoy a glass of wine or a coffee ahead of enjoying the day! European life has its own special occasions!
When we arrived back at the hotel it was time for a rest ahead of venturing out for dinner… we were recommended a place near the hotel which had excellent tapas food. We sampled a few tapas dishes to enjoy our last night in Barcelona.
It was a lovely day despite the cooler weather and rain in the morning… tomorrow we are off to Madrid by train where the weather is quite warm!
Here is a picture of the Gaudi Basilica of de la Sagrada Familia….
Day 22-Disembarking Barcelona
We had to wake up early to get our breakfast ahead of disembarking at the port of Barcelona. I was up very early at about 6.00 am to watch the QV as she came alongside the port. It is amazing how manoeuvrable these big ships are in tight spaces. At one point the ship was turning a full circle almost on it’s own length.
After breakfast in the Lido dinning room we said our goodbyes to the ship and made our way to the terminal where we were able to retrieve our bags. We had a car booked to take us to the hotel in Barcelona but found there were 2 cars for us! Not sure what happened but after a bit of sorting out we made the short trip to the Catalonia Ramblas hotel where we are staying for the next 2 nights.
As our room was not ready we agreed to to a “ hop on and hop off” bus tour of the city….
We made our way to the bus stop near the big street called the Ramblas for the trip. The trip was over 4 hours and took in most of the sights of Barcelona including the famous Gaudi designed basilica, the Olympic Games venues, the beach areas, the famous streets of Barcelona etc,
It was a great trip but at the end we were a bit tired of all we saw. At one point we had to change busses and unfortunately the second bus was crowded which meant we were not on the top deck! We were crammed into space with very overweight Americans and British tourists which was awful!, it also inhibited our ability to see some of the sights!
After the tour we made our way back to the hotel to check in to our room… to our delight we were upgraded to a suite which gave us a lot more space!!
After unpacking we had a leisurely 2 hours or so relaxing in the room and by the pool ahead of changing for dinner.
For dinner we walked to the Ramblas which is a huge walking mall right through Barcelona. We found a lovely restaurant on the mall and enjoyed some lovely Tapas and wine for dinner. It was interesting to watch the pedestrian traffic walking down the Ramblas going shopping or for dinner and the like. We made comments that the number of shops which were busy at 9.00 pm at night was incredible.
After the short walk back to our hotel we were ready for bed after another day of adventure…
Before I close this days blog , I want to reflect on the QV Cruise… I was really impressed with the facilities on the ship, the friendly staff and the places we visited for the 7 days. It was great to dress up as we did a couple of times and having the special dining in the Britianna Club was excellent. By the end , I think we were both pleased to finish the cruise and move on. It was an excellent experience for me!
Here is a picture of us at dinner on the Ramblas
Day 21- At Valencia
Overnight we sailed from Mallorca to Valencia and the trip was smooth sailing. I awoke early at about 7.00 am to see us berth at the Valencia port. It is quite large and we berthed quite near the container terminal which had a large number of ships in port . Very few cruise ships which was a difference from earlier ports we visited.
We had breakfast in the Lido dining area which makes quite good omelettes ahead of getting off the ship to discover Valencia.
The plan was to try and find a beach as the weather was quite warm and humid. Temperature was in the low 30’s .
We took the shuttle bus to the arts and sciences precinct which is an area recently constructed with Calatrava designed buildings which are quite striking. After this we took the “ hop on and hop off “ bus to get an overview of the city noticing it had part of it’s route going near the beach. We hopped off in the centre of the old city near the bull ring and enjoys cool drink. Rather than hop back on the bus we walked back to the shuttle bus stop which was a distance of about 2 kms. The walk was along wide boulevards which were tree lined which was pleasant in the heat!
Arriving back at the QV bus shuttle we disbanded our plan to head to the beach and “shuttled” back to the ship. Seems another circuit of the hop on hop off bus would take at least 2 hours and the ship pool was more inviting!
The bus shuttle was more complicated than previous times with the bus needing to offload us all well away from the ship so we go through security then get another bus to take us alongside the ship….all a bit complicated really!
Back onboard we had a snack for lunch ahead of going to the oool for a swim…
After this we started some packing as we have an early morning disembarkation ahead of getting ready for our last dinner in the Britianna room.
The dinner for me was a steak …. Rather tough! And for Robyn duck…. She nearly always has duck when it is on the menu. I think the duck was ok???
We enjoyed talking to our fellow travelers on the adjoining table from the Uk. It was interesting discussions on politics, travel journeys in the past and family.
After dinner we made our way back to our room to finish packing as we had to put our suitcases outside our room to be collected by 11.00 pm!
After this it was bed on the ship for the last night as we sailed from Valencia to Barcelona up the coast of Spain.
It was a good day to see Valencia but not sure whether I would go back there again…
The picture shows the Calatrave buildings in the Arts and Sciences precinct
Day 20 - Mallorca (Palma)
We were awake at about 7.00 am to see the QV dock at Palma the capital of Mallorca. It was an impressive sight to dock in the harbour with other cruise ships nearby and a lot of expensive yachts in the harbour.
After breakfast in the Britannia room we made our way to the “hop on hop off” bus stop outside the port area. We thought we would get an early start but had to wait for about 45 minutes for the start of the journey.
We thought we would do the whole trip then stop for a snack then maybe have another trip on the bus. To be frank it was ok to see the town and the sights briefly so we thought we would not continue after our stop for a snack.
We stopped in the main street near the cathedral and found a cafe where we had some lovely bruschetta and a glass of aperol spritz…. Robyn had a glass of local rose wine.
We made a couple of phone calls back home to wish a couple of the grandchildren happy birthday and to see how Cooper and Mikayla did in the skiing races.
After this it was off for a walk to the street market and the main Cathedral. The cathedral is very impressive but we did not have tickets to do the tour…. We were also in shorts which is forbidden in the churches here.
After buying a couple of things for the grandchildren we joined the QV shuttle back to the ship.
Fortunately we were on time for the white glove and silver service afternoon tea which was good. It was complete with English Breakfast Tea, cucumber sandwiches and other cakes including scones with jam and clotted cream. Gosh after this it is going to be hard to fit in dinner!
As I write this blog I am on the deck outside our room watching the movement of all manner of boats in the harbour. A lovely sight.
Dinner tonight will be a less formal affair with a jacket only requirement…
Not sure whether I will need to eat a lot!
Been a good day but we both agreed that we have seen enough of Palma
Picture is of us enjoying a snack at a cafe in the main street by the harbour .
Day 19- At sea
We had a sleep in this morning until 9.00 am !!! Gosh it was a surprise to have a late start to the day.
As a result breakfast in the Britianna area was closed and we had to have it in the Lido because buffet. I had a lovely omelette which was freshly cooked…. Seems that the meals are not conducive to Jeremy weight down.
After breakfast we did some washing in the laundry which is near our stateroom…One of the few things that are free onboard the ship.
We had a lazy day of reading and rest all day apart from going to a briefing on the upcoming visit to Mallorca.
Tonight was another black ties dress up for us and as pre- dinner drinks we had our welcome bottle of champagne on our balcony… great way to start the evening.
At dinner in the Britianna room we enjoyed beef Wellington for our main course! There were no mushrooms thankfully but the meal was delicious. We spent time talking to the folks on our neighbouring tables which was interesting. We are all assigned a table for the whole cruise and it makes sense to talk to our fellow guests to see what they do each day. Our table is surrounded by British travelers which is interesting. A couple from Birmingham a table of 3 older folks from Reading and another retired couple.
After a late finish to our dinner at about 9.30 pm we made our way to our stateroom for bed.
A good day of rest for us both!
Pre- dinner drinks on our balcony
Day 18- Toulon and St Tropez
Awake at about 7.00 am and feeling a bit “ dusty “ after some great red wine last night at dinner.
Breakfast this morning was at the Lido buffet which was quite good…. Eggs and bacon for me! Gosh the weight is going on fast!
We then picked up the bus trip to St Tropez which was about an hour and a half from Toulon. It was through some hills with a lot of vineyards and olive groves…. Unfortunately the bus a/c was pretty bad which made the trip a bit uncomfortable for some. We had to do a stop to allow one traveller to relieve his travel sickness….
Arriving at St Tropez we were given a short walking tour through the town which is all about lifestyle of the rich and famous! Big boats everywhere and exclusive restaurants and designer label shops. Being seen here seems to be the thing. Several big name movie stars have places here including Brigette Bardot, Leonardo DiCaprio etc.
We walked the town a bit had a glass of wine and a baguette then made our way back to the bus for a short trip to Grimaud which is an interesting place modeled on Venice with canals . We had a canal cruise which was interesting around the canals. Seems that it is a real estate development on the water where you but a property like a traditional French semi detached home with a back mooring for your luxury yacht!
It was interesting to see ahead of the trip back in the bus over the hills with a/c yuck!
Anyway we arrived back at the QV at about 4.30 pm … after an interesting day!
One thing we saw in the distance was the town of St Maxime where we stayed many years ago with our family in a rented home… good times were had at that time with all the family.
Tonight is a more leisurely dinner with a jacket and open shirt in the Britannia room.. good chance to swap stories of the day with our fellow travellers.
Tonight we begin our journey to Mallorca with a full day at sea tomorrow…
Picture of Robyn’s new boat!!!
Day 17- A day at sea with a grand dinner!
Awake at about 7.30 am as today is a lazy day at sea on our way from Livorno to Toulon ….
The weather was pleasant with temperatures in the 20’s and a breeze with the ship traveling in a northerly direction to the French Riviera!
Breakfast this morning was in the Britannia room with white tablecloth service… the breakfast for me was an omelette which was good ….
After breakfast we went to a presentation by the marketing team on the features of the ship which was a half hour PowerPoint presentation on how we could spend our money….the captain made a short speech which was quite informative…
After this we did a short tour of the ship then made our way to the pool for the rest of the day.
Late in the afternoon Robyn did a bit of tailoring on my new dinner suit and got dressed for the gala dinner in the Britianna Room… we made a good couple in our fine dining gear!
The dinner was splendid with us enjoying Chateaubriand steak… and a soufflé.
We enjoyed talking to our adjacent table folks which was very interesting… on both sides and behind us we were surrounded by British tourists!
A great night and day of rest.
Picture below is of us in the main staircase before dinner!
Day 16- Day trip to Florence
Well up at 6.00 am as we had an early start to do our day trip to Florence from Livorno which is a road distance of about 70 kms.
We had breakfast delivered to our room which was ok but the bacon and scrambled eggs were lukewarm…
Anyway after breakfast we assembled in the Queens Lounge to await our call to meet the bus for the trip.
The weather we had been warned was a little cooler in Livorno after a thunderstorm last night…. We heard the thunder! It was expected that the day would warm up and Florence being inland would be a lot warmer…. Turned out to be true with temperatures in the high twenties. We did however get a rain shower at one stage.
The trip up in the bus was relaxing and our guide was very informative. I guess there was about 40 of us on the trip. They were mostly older people with many it seems from the US. Our guide was Danish but very knowledgeable on all things Florence.
After arriving in the outskirts of the city we had a short walk to the start of the tour. The highlights were the Ponte de Vechio, Medici Palace, Duomo, Palazzo Vecchio and seeing the replica of David. Our guide was virtually non stop on the commentary which was great. I learned more on the 3 hour we had with her than on the past 4 visits to Florence… great stuff.
The streets were as usual quite busy but not as busy as last year thankfully.
We had some free time around lunchtime and we stopped for a sandwich by the Arno River near the Pont de Vecchio. After this we had a drink at a street side restaurant bar which was fortunate as there was a heavy rain shower!
After this we made our way back to the meeting point with our guide… we stopped for an Aperol spritz in a bar which was quite refreshing!
The walk back to the bus and the trip back to the port was uneventful but I must admit to having a bit of a snooze!
Getting back to the QV we sorted out a drink as I am sitting in the Lido Lounge with a glass of beer enjoying the rest after walking about 15 kms today.
Tonight we have dinner in the Britannia Room which is our exclusive restaurant… Should be a good meal as we get a bit dressed up and I am looking forward to the roast lamb…. Robyn is having duck…. Hope it is ok for her.
Been a good and interesting day and I have enjoyed my 5th time in Florence….
Will sleep well…
Ps…. Learned today my granddaughter Mikayla did very well in the Australian all- schools ski championships… well done to both Mikayla and Cooper for their amazing efforts.
Also my other granddaughter Sienna was BOG in her grand final win with the Glen Iris Gladiators!!!
Picture of David… you know this is David of David and Goliath!
Day 15- Travel to Queen Victoria Ship
We had an early rise again to travel to Civitaveechia being the port where we are picking up the cruise of the Queen Victoria.
After breakfast it off to the train station to take our ride on the train ….getting the tickets on line was relatively easy.
Earlier we had real issues trying to sort out our travel arrangements to the port from Rome as we thought it was included in the cruise package… it seems after numerous calls back home to the travel agency, we were on our own!
But being inveterate explorers we organised our own adventure on the train.
Fortunately we arrived early at the station only to find we had a long walk to our designated station platform ( 29!!)
Boarding the train was interesting with our 3 roller cases but we found a less popular carriage and settled in for the 1 hour trip to the port. ….
We arrived at the port station…. The name of the town is too complicated to spell out each time on the blog… to find we had another trip from the station to the port… I thought we had paid for a shuttle to get to the ship… no wrong!
We had to get a taxi to the port which cost € 10 but at least we were there! God only knows what the shuttle service was!
At the port we went to the Cunard boarding terminal and after a bit of mucking around with security and boarding passes we boarded the ship.
The QV is very impressive and on boarding we had to go to our emergency meeting station to get registered and look at an emergency video which was playing in our room.
Our stateroom cabin is quite generous and has an excellent deck balcony where I am writing this blog. The room has plenty of space to unpack which is a change from our recent accommodation spots.
After unpacking we explored the ship a bit and had a bite of lunch in the Lido buffet…. Not bad lunch really. We then made enquiries at the Pursers office about various tour options at places where the ship was to dock along the cruise. We also made enquiries about what was and was not included in our package and it seems that most things are not including drinks…. Bugger!
So it really is a cost plus trip!
After this we went and had a rest by one of the swimming pools on the ship ahead of the ship leaving the port…. It was good to be on our way!
As the ship left we went to the bar for a drink…. Robyn had a Prosecco and me an aperol spritz…. Robyn’s drink was only half full and after enquiring it seems that this is the norm!!! Money again!
After watching the ship navigate out of the port we went to our stateroom to change for dinner…. Neat casual was the order of the day. Our designated dining room was the Britannia Bar which is an exclusive area for guests in our staterooms on the ship. We have our designated table with food and wine butlers!!! All very nice.
Dinner was good with excellent Sancerre wine.
Then it was off to bed to reflect on the day of the day!
Boarding the QV!
Day 14- In Rome
It was up at around 8.00 am and after showers and dressing it was downstairs for breakfast.
After that we made our way to Roma Termi to sort out travel arrangements to the Civitechi port where we pick up our cruise ship. Although the ship does not leave until tomorrow we are completely unsure whether the travel company has organised travel to the port???
After sorting out the options we went to a men’s clothing store to buy a dress dinner suit for the cruise. Seems we might have a night to dress up in our best!!! Could be interesting!
The store owner was very good and helpful and we managed to buy a suit, dress shirt, bow tie, black shoes and dress belt for about € 400 but I can get back about €50 on the sales tax refund scheme…. If it works!
After this we had a short walk to the Basilica where Pope Francis is buried and then made our way back to the hotel.
After this it was a short walk to the venue where we are doing our cooking classes….the weather was quite warm in the mid twenties with a coolish breeze so after registering for the class we had a short walk to the Colosseum where there were huge crowds!
Arriving back at the cooking class venue we found we were in a class with 2 others from St Helens in Tasmania. Their names were Steve and Carol. Our chef was Marco… he was very good and extremely knowledgeable and entertaining as we managed to prepare and enjoy our fare of Arancini Balls, Pizza and Gelato…
The recipes for these were strictly ones devyby Marco and we enjoyed the experience with a glass or 2 of wine.
The whole experience was about 3 hours and we enjoyed our time with Steve, Carol and Marco…. We even received a certificate of our achievements!
I was the poorest chef but was nicknamed “ Michealanglo “ for my efforts!!!!
After a big lunch it was off for a walk back to the hotel and after a drink of Aperol Spritz we decided to do another walk to the Trevi Fountain… the walk was about 3 kms there and back and the crowds at the fountain were huge!
Along the way back to the hotel we stopped at the church of St Peterin Chains and were able to marvel at the Michangelo’s statue of Moses…
We managed to get into a small church in the square adjacent to the fountain which was lovely .. they were doing mass on the Sunday …. Seems we have been to a lot of churches today!
After arriving back at the hotel we had a snack dinner at the bar and drink. I had 2 Aperol spritz drinks which were great and refreshing!! I am enjoying these more than a beer on this trip!
After a snack dinner it was off to bed after a big day of adventure and enjoyment… the cooking class was a great way to enjoy the best of Rome…
FYI…. We are having some trouble with the arrangements for boarding the cruise ship which is causing us to make calls back home to My Cruises… their service has been nothing short of terrible… thank god we are resourceful as the 24 hour helpline with My Cruises was closed!
Looks like we will be spending time on this again tomorrow.
Our cooking class!!!
