Thursday 23/4/2015 Home again!

Our final P and O breakfast was an early one, partly because it was hard to sleep, and partly because we had to vacate the cabin by 8 a.m. Even on this last morning we met and sat with a couple we had never seen before.  They had also been right round the world.  Perhaps they hadn't done much mixing,  They told us about their junior suite, their jaccuzzi, their two double beds (?), their own iron and ironing board,  their chauffeur driven Merc to take them home, and how much it had cost. All in the best possible taste.   I was thinking that there's no room service on the last morning, so I suspect this might have been their first communal meal, and a bit of a struggle!

We went outside for our coffee and surprisingly met another couple, again we'd not met before.  This was painless though, they were very pleasant to chat to,  We were off the ship and reunited with our 4 large chock full suitcases by 9 a.m. That process was all executed with military precision, and went quite unbelievably smoothly. No hold ups at customs and no immigration procedures because they'd been done on board throughout the day on 21st deck by deck.  Rumours had it that some people had actually brought 20+ suitcases.  Maybe they had to bring enough clothes to avoid the laundrette or laundry facilities.  We have also learned that some people use cruise ships to emigrate, as there's no extra charge for carrying a lot of suitcases, and there's storage in the lower decks for baggage that won't fit under the cabin beds.

Anyway we were soon out of the grand shed, and on our coach before 9:30 a.m and on the way to the M6 where we were picked up by our own chauffeuse Talene around 3 p.m. and taken home in time for tea.

So now I will start to put all of the pictures in here a day at a time, and also get a little presentation together for Poppy's year 2 class, who have coincidentally just finished a project on the oceans of the world. This will help keep everything going a little bit longer.

But the adventure is over, although I will do as much as I can to keep all the memories alive.

T H E   E N D

Wednesday 22/4/2015 Day 106 The final sea day in the English Channel and other “finals”

Earlier today we turned right from the slightly more turbulent Bay of Biscay into a much less disturbed English Channel for the very, very last stretch at sea of this epic trip.  Three seagulls were like pilots today, for hours and hours flying ahead of the ship, and then dropping to the side of the ship, reminding us of how close we are to islands in the Channel. The sea has been quite rough but the ship has stayed stable.

As we move along we can hear doors opening and our colour coded labelled suitcases being wheeled out all over the place, collected by the staff and moved to the lifts.  Half of the lifts are now out of action as the lifts are being used for suitcases only.  We have had the flyer with details of time slots and places to meet before the grand disembarkation.  It’s all very final now. 

So how have we spent our final day on board? We woke early, had a gorgeous fresh coffee in bed, we took an early breakfast and I attended a 30 minute yoga class at 9 a.m., followed by art where we did a still life -  some brought fruit, croissants and other food on plates, we brought my wooden Buddha carving.  I did a water colour painting and Khachik did a pencil drawing – we are both very happy with our final pieces. Just looking for Khachik's to post with this.

After lunch (which incidentally for me included a very special chocolate chip pudding with toffee sauce) we went for our final art exhibition with Easa and fellow passenger-artists, full of gratitude and other feelings then a 45 minute work-out in the gym, another 45 minute yoga class, a Costa coffee and then the very very final hot tub.

And then it was time to eat a five courser again in the Meridian Restaurant, and get ready for the Palladium. It’s 20.30 hours as I am writing this, and the sun is setting on day 106, very beautifully, so we have captured it on a photo as this one is the sunset of the cruise.  We’re off to the Palladium for some 60’s and 70’s music from Zack Winningham and the Four Seasons Tribute “Walk like a Man”.

P.S.  Performances were fabulous, especially Zack. Would have been great if he’s been able to do another full show instead of sharing.  Tomorrow morning we arrive in Southampton, reunite with our luggage, find the coach and head on up the M6 to junction 18/19 once again. Three months older, 36,000+ miles better travelled, more knowledgeable about 38 ports, and been rendered breathless by several wonders,  having sailed many seas, crossed many “lines” (some certified!!!!), used currencies we’d never heard of, met the most interesting group of people, picked up artists’ brushes for the first time in 45+ years, and learned how to use them, practised a few new dances (even certificates of achievement for the ballroom dancing arrived in our post today). Here's our final cruise sunset.

The goodbyes have started, and there's a lot of reminiscing going on. There could be tears tomorrow.

Tears or not I now can’t wait for whatever’s next, to see and hug our very patient and understanding family and catch up with everything we have missed (hope the bairns remember us!), to get started with teaching yoga again and to relearn how to live off the ship and eat normal sized meals! More of this tomorrow. xx

Tuesday 21/4/2015 Day 105 Penultimate sea day in the Bay of Biscay

So far so good, the ship is stable although the sea is choppy, the swimming pools are swishing well, and walking outside is definitely not recommended.  There’s an easterly force 7 at the moment, but no need for Stugeron. 

Our penultimate sea day has gone just as planned: rhino was hurriedly painted then attractively and more leisurely tweaked.  Sunrise and sunset were gorgeous.

We have spent some time watching the waves. The Arcadia vocalist’s performance was beautiful and quite emotional, a reprise of favourite songs from earlier sectors. Our passports are back in the safe, after about an hour in a very orderly queue, and we have had our face to face with UK immigration on board so there won’t be any delays on Thursday.  All kinds of post has started arriving in our cabin’s mail box – last day for this, last chance for that, final performances, final Captain’s cocktail party and black tie dinner, disembarkation information, luggage labels. So all manner of mixed feelings have been out to play today.

This afternoon we also went to the maybe final session at the gym and I also enjoyed a Pilates class, not the final one, there’s another at 9 a.m. tomorrow, and then the final yoga of my block booking is at 4 p.m. tomorrow.  All being well these final classes will fit in well with the final art class and final art exhibition tomorrow.  So we are fast approaching the end of this unforgettable chapter, and wondering what’s around the corner, and what we can do to keep all of these memories alive for a long long time to come.

Tomorrow the packing will start and we will put away the shorts and t-shirts for a while, leaving warm stuff out to travel home in.

But meanwhile we are trying to eke out the final moments of the ship.  We have just watched a Queen tribute act, Killer Queen, performed by the Headliners - and another good one, and are back in the cabin watching Mama Mia on the telly,  feeling quite sleepy already (10:30 p.m.), so I’ll say goodbye for now and come back for one more time after all the “finals”. xx

Monday 20/4/2015 Day 104 Lisbon – the final frontier

Right on cue we woke this morning, another hour back on the clock bringing us back in synch with UK time and only 3 days to the end of our world circumnavigation. 

It was just before 7 and we could see land in the distance from our window.  As we got closer Sam, the port presenter did another of her commentaries into cabins and public places from the Crow’s Nest on the top of the ship explaining what the monuments signified and a little bit of history behind the “25^th April Bridge” which not at all accidentally looks like another cruise icon, the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco.

We went onto deck 9 outside, right at the front of the ship and took a lot of photos from our spectacular vantage point. It was fresh and breezy again, but still a lot warmer than when we set off 3 months ago. these are on Facebook already - Christ the King particularly.

Then breakfast, which we shared with a lovely man called Tony from Bournemouth who had sadly recently lost his wife. He shared his life story, all about his family and then moved into his life-long love of football, so it was over to Khachik who seemed to be able to remember who scored and when in the last Bournemouth game!  Amazing.   Then a quick pack ready to take the shuttle bus to the town centre.  Once in town, we walked just a few hundred yards, found a coffee shop with wi-fi and then ordered coffee, sitting in the open air enjoying the street café vibe, the buskers, the colourful tiled walls, architecture, balconies, friendly welcome and some down time. It wasn’t too long before Khachik’s coffee became a beer, and the morning became afternoon.  So we returned to the ship for lunch, which we spent chatting with Easa, then into the gym for our daily dose of cardio, stretch, hot tub, sail-away and dinner.

  

And now we are off again, heading northwards towards the Bay of Biscay, 3 sleeps left, 2 days sailing before Southampton.  The sea has already become a lot more bumpy – for weeks we have not felt it much, but now we are back in the Atlantic it’s only to be expected.  Stugeron is here if we need it. So far, the wind is Force 6, outside temperature 15C, Moderate Sea State and Average to Moderate Swell. 

We have just been to a Four Seasons/Jersey Boys Tribute Act in the Palladium, really good.  Although entertainment can be a little bit unpredictable as I mentioned the other day, tonight was really enjoyable.  Tomorrow a Queen Tribute Act, and then on our last night the Four Season Tribute act is doing another show, and Zack is back, singing 60’s and 70’s too.  

Tomorrow we are painting a rhino with Easa, and watching the Arcadia vocalists (passenger choir) perform in the Palladium in the afternoon, and fitting in some form physical activity and very sensible eating!  I suspect sitting in the sun will be out of the question, but let’s see.  Back tomorrow xx

Sunday 19/4/2015 Day 103 Sea Day, Morocco left, Gibraltar right and then right turn towards Lisbon

Fresh breezes, force 5-6, so the decks were closed now and again today, and the roof was closed over the larger pool on deck 9.  It was still lovely and sunny, though, and we were able to enjoy the hot tub for almost an hour again after our gym session. We are happy that we may have gained cardio fitness whilst on the ship, but “may” also have gained a few pounds of fat at the same time. Not too much, but enough to alert us to how we will not be continuing to eat when we get home.

In art we completed our fabulous seascapes – and are both very happy with these. We’ve learned how to make frothy waves, fluffy clouds, wet and dry sand and all with a backdrop of Table Mountain.

It’s also been a time for organising the cruise folder we brought with 5 dividers, one for each sector.  In this I’ve put the Captain’s cruise logs, the Horizon overviews of the cruise sectors and little bits of memorabilia, including pics from brochures that remind us of thing we didn’t manage to photograph ourselves.  Down in the photo gallery I have also chosen some glossy stock photos of the various animals and birds to put in. I can also print a copy of the text from each day’s blog when we get home, and like a jigsaw it will all slot together to remind us of this incredible experience.

And finally, just after 5 we sailed through the Straits of Gibraltar and are now heading for Lisbon.  Back tomorrow from Lisbon and beyond…. xx

Saturday 18/4/2015 Day 102 Sea Day, mid-Mediterranean

Most of today we have been sailing in a straight line westwards, just north of the Tunisian and Algerian coastlines.  Although there’s freshness in the air in the morning it becomes very easy to sit in the warm sun by mid-morning and enjoy coffee and views of the endless peaceful sea, still very flat and smooth.

We did the early morning art class today so we could finish our Samoan warrior dancers, and learn how to create the impression of muscles by lightening and darkening different areas of our dancer’s chest and arms. Although I have managed to create shade and muscle effect, somehow my subject’s body doesn’t have the bulk required to look fierce.  Puny would be the best way to describe it – like one of those adverts for “before” boot camp, in need of nutritional advice. I might have to mess with it to save embarrassment.  Khachik’s on the other hand is just like a Samoan warrior : )

This afternoon became our alternative time for the gym.  Our own strong muscles are almost back to normal after the 39 laps, so we did 45 minutes cardio, a long yoga practce and then more stretching in the hot tub.   We were actually bobbling about for an hour as the water was hot and protected us from any cool breezes. 

At 5 we had drinks in the cabin with Jim, Judy, Phil and Debbie.  Always a treat, and always a thoughtful unexpected gift from Judy, like delicious Arcadia fudge last week, and tonight glossy cruise photos,  sunscreen and a very large glass of ginger beer.  I have developed a liking for ginger beer on these occasions with loads of ice, and today Judy shared her last bottle with me.  It’s been lovely having these pre-dinner get-togethers, getting to know each other even more and making plans to meet up again in the future and holiday in Australia.

Last but one Black Ties dinner - I will miss these.  the men don't feel the same at our table.  they feel restricted by the bow ties and sharp suits! The soft focus photos were lovely though.

Our entertainment after dinner tonight was an  American singer, a young man who really impressed us with his guitar, piano and ukulele as well as his voice and feel good renditions of songs by people like Roy Orbison and John Denver from the sixties and seventies, with a little fascinating life story telling - small farm, mum died when he was 7, dad introduced him to the music he now performs, now 32, married and baby due in a month, began performing when in college aged 21, rather loves beng a "Travelling Man". Lovely, lovely person.  First name Zack (I will hopefully come back with the surname). ........ingham (not Birmingham, ?Winningham)

Tomorrow we pass through the straights of Gibralta at 5 p.m. turn right for Lisbon Monday and then 2 sea days to Southampton. Can this really be happening?  Have 103 days passed already? Only when I read this blog and look at the pictures will I really believe it.

So bye for now, back tomorrow with tales from the Atlantic. XX 

Friday 17/4/2015 Port Day in Malta - "An open air museum"

Just a quick bit of history from my earlier lesson! Before the Middle Ages it seems that the three Maltese Islands (Malta, Gozo and Camino) were governed for about 100 years by the Arabs from nearby North Africa who terraced the land and introduced cotton, citrus fruits and Arabic cuisine.   Europeans came next – French, Italian, British. After both 20^th century world wars the whole nation awarded the George Cross for bravery, because the island was constantly under fire.  There’s evidence of every influence still, language, culture, cuisine. English is still one of the official languages, Maltese is the other official language that is spoken, and quite a lot of Italian. Some words used are Arabic too.

Sailing in it looked as though we were visiting the ruins of Rome or Greece, but the ruins had been restored and kept perfectly clean ever since.  It was quite breath-taking. I have taken many photos and some are already on Facebook.

We had decided to take it fairly easy after yesterday’s effort, so after breakfast we walked to the Barrakka  Lift up the cliffs to the town centre of Valetta.  This lift is amazing as it cuts all effort out of getting from port to town.  It carries up to 800 people per hour for 1 euro “return”.  From there we took a lot more photos of the buildings in the Upper Barrakka Gardens and ruins under restoration and continued walking towards the centre where we found buskers, an open air yoga session, art galleries and art materials, every shop and store you can think of and many cafes and restaurants.

We have had beautiful sunny, cloudless skies today too and a temperature of 22C, which has been very agreeable.  After our visit to Valetta we enjoyed being in the sun back on the ship, resting and stretching while we bobbed about in the hot tub, then into the sauna, which is also becoming pleasant again now the outside temperature has dropped.   Sail away was just before dinner, and we managed to get pictures from our balcony of the side of the ship we’d missed when sailing in, like the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Then it was time for dinner, reminding me that there are only 5 more of these decadent 5-coursers to go.  Thereafter my stomach will not understand what’s going on, but will have to get over itself!

Tonight we were intrigued to find out more about the Saxophone band, Saxation, made up of four really accomplished musicians, all women who have appeared in the West End or toured solo.  They were in the Palladium tonight and their music was excellent.  The only thing I didn’t like was the “choreography” – I wished they’d just played, but maybe they had been advised to do something different, and so they had. They performed things like Baker Street, Bohemian Rhapsody, Lord of the Dance, Pink Panther theme, Flight of the Bumble Bee, a Stevie Wonder Medley, the Storm, something from the Lion King and some I can’t remember, but a great variety, on all  types of sax and also flute, some solo, some in pairs, three or all four. They are coming back in a couple of days too.

We are off on two sea days now, passing through the Straits of Gibralta on Sunday, and Lisbon on Monday, then only two sea days to Southampton.  Bye for now.  I will be back tomorrow, probably after art.