March 23rd, 24th, 25th On the QM2 Bridge

Friday 23rd March. Was the morning that it hit us how close to home we were! Oh dear, all good things have to come to an end and I began to pack a few things in readiness. Alan went to his lecture by Captain Dick Routledge about the Concorde disaster over Paris and we met up later for lunch. During the morning we had started our transit through the Straits of Gibraltar and the sea was calm. This day was the first of the QM2 Charity Days and we were going to attend the World Cruise Charity Fair at 2.00pm. All monies raised will be divided between Shelter Box, Pegasus Children’s Trust Vision and Each – East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices. Alan announced that he had spoken to the Queen’s Grill Maitre D’ for permission and that he would be doing a sponsored minimum 40 length swim in the pool (where he exercises each morning at 4.30am) to raise money for the charities with only the Queen’s Grill guests participating! I was shocked – but had to applaud him and took a photo of him on is scooter to attach to the sponsor sheets that the Maitre D’ had offered to take to each table as he paid his usual visit during dinner. The afternoon fair was great fun and we happily tried out our skill at darts, throwing the bean bag where I won a bottle of Becks, hoop la where I won a bottle of champagne, and hugging and kissing where I paid $2 to kiss three of the crew, one being Victor, our butler! Alan kissed the girls and had his photo taken with one of the Russian dancers. There were many other games that made it most enjoyable for all who attended. The world cruise map was auctioned and raised $3,300 and many of the individual ‘cancelled’ maps were sold for around $100 each. By now we were clear of the Straits of Gibraltar and on a northerly course following the western shoreline of Portugal towards Cape Finisterre and the Bay of Biscay. After all this excitement we returned to our suite to dress in style for the Ascot Ball. Before dinner Alan waited at the dining room entrance whilst I had a quick Kir Royale in the lounge, but his intention was to be seen and recognised for his sponsorship. Most guests know each other now but he thought it would be good PR. After dinner we went to the Ball and joined a few friends until the theatre. The show was excellent as usual, and the Cunard dancers, mostly Russian, performed wonderfully as they showed us many of their traditional dances. Alan called into the dining room to see how his form was going and had a big surprise because it had already amounted to US$1,200 and there was all tomorrow to go! What a lovely end to the day.
Saturday 24th March. Alan came back to our suite at 9.00am and announced that he had achieved a swim of 60 lengths for the charity at 4.15am this morning that had been verified by the housekeeper on duty. An official notice was printed and posted in the dining room for all guests to see. I must say I was very proud of him and particularly pleased for him! Need I say – I spent most of the morning packing (all ten suitcases!) Anyway at 11.30am I went to the White Elephant Auction, this was where any guests who had bought something whilst away and then decided they didn’t want it, could donate to the charity auction. It was fun and I saw a Versace World Cruise tie go for $130! (We will keep ours.) There were all sorts of clothing and souvenirs passengers didn’t want, but I decided I had bought enough anyway and was keeping all mine! The total amount raised was US$20,108 during the two days. As usual Alan went to a lecture and this time it was ‘Safety and Seamanship’. After lunch we got an invitation from the Commodore to go and visit the bridge!! Well that was a pleasant surprise as no one is allowed up there, even by request so we felt quite privileged. It was amazing and I thought how much Andrew and Mark would have enjoyed it too, but they will have to suffice with photos of us!!
We had all the computers and radar explained to us and much, much more. It really was a treat to stand and look out from the bridge window just like all the Officers in charge. We both took a hold of the ships steering wheel as you can see, but I think she was on autopilot at the time! What a memorable occasion this was. Following evening cocktails with a Lancashire couple we had befriended throughout the world cruise, we wandered around to say our ‘good-byes’ to some of the crew because shops would be closed until after the ship sailed from Southampton. We had also arranged that we would dine with friends, Pam and Jerry, from Australia, and Bill and Karen, from Wales, who dined at the table next to us in Queen’s Grill, so a special table for six was organised; (the staff are so obliging and nothing is too much trouble.) It was a most enjoyable and entertaining meal and we were the last to leave the dining room! Then Alan was delighted to hear from the Maitre D’ that all his hard work had paid off (literally) and the final amount he had raised was US$11,840.! Well done Alan, I say!! Tonight clocks had to go forward one hour before we arrived in France.
Sunday 25th March We had arrived in Le Havre at 5.00am where we were berthed for the day. This morning when Alan was having breakfast, as arranged the Maitre D’ gave him the monies and documentation and informed him that the Commodore had invited us to meet him on the bridge at 10.00am when he could make his presentation. We were very pleased to hear that we could present the Commodore in person and were escorted by Beniamino, our Maitre D’, and Anja, the Social Hostess, to the bridge. When Alan announced the amount he had raised Commodore Warner was in shock! Eventually, when both he and his Staff Captain could speak, they were full of praise and gratitude. Alan looked so proud. Photographs were taken and then the Commodore presented Alan with a framed photograph of the QM2 on her maiden call into Southampton.
We returned to our suite delighted with his response and generosity only to receive a telephone call from him five minutes later asking if he could drop in to our suite and sign the photo for us. Whilst Commodore Warner was with us we were able to chat informally having all recovered from the obvious astonishment at the sum donated. Then Alan and I went ashore at Le Havre and hired a taxi for a few hours that took us to Honfleur, a very pretty little port where the streets were lined with old properties dating back to the 17th century. We found a nice restaurant for lunch to celebrate Alan’s very successful achievement and enjoyed a couscous and seafood platter accompanied by a bottle of St. Emilion Grand Cru, 2000, and the buzz of the French enjoying their Sunday lunch. After a walk around the picturesque town and the purchase of some local Calvados we found our taxi and returned to the ship. Our last evening dinner on board was highly charged with enthusiasm when we were thanking everyone in the dining room that had looked after us for three months, they were a great team and we will miss them all. Then farewells to our fellow passengers, after which I left Alan to enjoy a last drink in their company whilst I returned to finalise our packing!! The weather has been chilly and reminded me of home so I am ready now to return to a normal routine and the company of family and friends. We will have to put our clocks back one hour this evening to agree with British Summer Time upon our arrival at Southampton in the morning.
What an amazing World Cruise this has been for us - on the Maiden World Cruise of the Queen Mary 2 - ending March 26th 2007. I hope that you have enjoyed sailing with us.

March 20th, 21st Rome, 22nd.

Tuesday 20th March . After leaving Piraeus we set a southerly course through the Elafonisou Channel south of Peloponnesus, then westwards across the southern Ionian Sea towards the Straits of Messina. Alan went to listen to Carol Marlow, the President of Cunard, for a special presentation about the new Queen Victoria - whilst I struggled to log on to the Internet, which was very slow due to our position. After lunch we took on a pilot to aid our passage through the narrow straits of Messina between Sicily and mainland Italy. We were delighted that Dr Ruth Westheimer had boarded the ship in Athens and went to hear her speak (to a full theatre) in the afternoon. We found her very amusing, yet as expected, explicit in her talk on ‘sex’. Questions were read out from the floor that had been earlier written on paper as passengers arrived – she answered them openly and honestly, but retains them as these are the basis of all her books. At the age of 79 she still lectures at Harvard and Yale and has her own web page. (http://www.drruth.com/) for anyone in need!! We had organised a cocktail evening, ‘soiree’, in our suite before dinner to celebrate our 43rd wedding anniversary with new friends we had made on the QM2, so we hurriedly prepared ourselves so that Victor and our steward could get the suite ready before our guests arrived at 6.45pm. It was a very enjoyable couple of hours spent with 6 couples of different nationalities and yet we were all able to converse freely, mainly due to the fact that our guests spoke good English, and we, being British accepted it (as we do!) We managed to get through five bottles of champagne, half a bottle of gin, two large trays of hot and cold canapés and nibbles – and that was before we all went down to dinner! Groan! In the dining room all our immediate table guests clapped as we entered the room, which was rather unexpected and nice. For dessert the Maitre De presented us with a heart shaped cake and two candles to blow out, which we then shared with a table of four who had earlier been amongst our guests. Even our waiters joined in the celebration in cabaret style! Then the Commodore announced that we were just passing by the volcanic island of Stromboli and that the volcano was active so he had slowed down. We all dashed out on to the deck to see the magnificent sight about half a mile away. The volcano was 1100 feet high with red hot lava oozing out and streaming down the sides into the sea. It was a shame it was dark because although the red hot glow was more impressive in the dark it was not really possible to get a good photograph, but what a sight it was! Afterwards we went to the Queens lounge to end our celebration with friends. We put back our clocks by one hour and are now just one hour ahead of the UK, but if they put their clocks forward next weekend (for spring) we will both be the same when we arrive home on the 26th.
Wednesday 21st March. We arrived in the port of Civitavecchia, Italy, at 6.00am. Our fellow guests told us that the market there was incredible, but as it was very cloudy and cold we decided not to go ashore in the morning. Temperatures had plummeted since we arrived in the Mediterranean and we were back to 16 degrees Celsius with occasional showers – and shivering, just like at home! After an early lunch we boarded our motor coach for Rome, especially organised for world cruisers, so we expected it to live up to the high standards of previous similar events. At 4.15pm we arrived at the famous Villa Miani perched high above the city. The view was amazing; we could see the whole of Rome, the Vatican City and in the background the Seven Hills of Rome. This view is of St Peters and Vatican City. We were welcomed by a group from Capri who sang to us from the terrace walls as we climbed the steps to take our champagne whilst absorbing the wonderful sights in front of us. The villa was built in 1930 to a Georgian design for the Miani family, which has its own story. We entered and admired the elegant rooms as we walked through to where tables had been set for our buffet dinner and entertainment. The group from Capri began to sing and dance whilst we helped ourselves to the array of foods on offer as well as wine that flowed freely - again! It wasn’t long before they asked for audience participation and I was encouraged onto the floor! Very soon a group of us were part of the entertainment, but it was really good fun for everyone and the atmosphere was electric. It was time to say good bye and board our coach for Vatican City. We had been granted a private viewing of the Vatican Museum, which is not a museum of artefacts; surprisingly it is the Vatican itself. We entered through the huge bronze door that the last Pope had designed to replace the older one shown here with Michaelangelo on the left and Raphael on the right, above the door. We were in a small group of disabled, with private head phones so that our guide could talk to us wherever we were instead of the usual head set that is pre-recorded. This turned out to be by far the best way to tour the long corridors because we could stop and ask her questions without missing anything else and also we were not with the larger groups that came with us (150 people in all.) I have to say it was the most magnificent place I have ever walked through because the walls and ceilings were just amazing. The corridors stretched for at least half a mile before we reached the entrance to the Sistine Chapel so it was a good job I had Alan in a wheelchair, also because he was alternating the video and the digital for me so that I could get as much as possible on both cameras as we progressed. (Because it was by special invitation we were allowed to take flash and video, which is not normally allowed.) Here is a section of the Sistine Chapel ceiling and walls but we have it all on video.
The Alter and alter wall is magnificent. I won’t display more photos but I would like to! We returned to the ship at 10.00pm just before we sailed toward our last port of call, Le Havre, on March 25th.

Thursday 22nd March. Back at sea, and what a rough sea! We had been rolling around all night in a Force 8 gale; the first really rough sea and bad weather since our transatlantic crossing in January. It was very cold at 10 degrees Celsius and we have also had hailstones and thunder. The wind was north north-westerly at 50 knots with ‘white horses’ forming on the 14 foot high waves. My steward told me that many of the crew were sea sick, so I expect some passengers would be too! I did decide to have a pill and wear my acupuncture wrist bands when I got up just to be safe, rather than ill, and the chocolate I had for elevenses helped immensely! Alan went to a lecture by Cunard Historian, John G. Langley, and I began writing up my blog, which I am glad I decided to do as I would never have been disciplined enough to write my diary over the full three months. (I can just add a note to my autobiography and refer to this separate journal.) At mid-day we were passing 14 miles off Minorca, the eastern most Balearic Island and then after lunch, at 2.15pm we were passing Mallorca, the largest of the Balearic Islands. The Commodore reassured everyone that the stabilisers were out and that the ship would weather the gales as I understand some passengers had been quite concerned. After all, this is the first bad patch of weather many of them have experienced, but I can’t believe it is the Mediterranean and not the North Sea! We have the Bay of Biscay to weather yet so I hope the ‘high’ around Spain remains stable for our crossing. We went to the theatre in the afternoon to hear Dominique Ava play the violin and she was marvellous; now aged 27, she had been winner of the ‘BBC Young Musician of the Year’ award as well as many others. During the evening we were heading on a south westerly course towards the Alboran Sea and the Straits of Gibralter. The weather had changed to sunshine with a more acceptable sea so the ship was sailing along nicely at last. Alan and I dined in the Chef’s Galley with our Swiss friends, Pierre and Gabrielle; it was an ‘Italian’ theme this time. Unfortunately, we had to refuse an invitation to dine with the Hotel Manager, but we had had this evening booked with our friends for some time. Our evening ended in the Commodore Club sipping brandy before I returned to find a ‘hot spot’ and log onto the Internet to post this blog.

18th, 19th March, Athens

Sunday 18th March. Our world cruise had reached 38,247 n. miles as we arrived in Piraeus, Greece, at about 10.30am. It took an hour to manoeuvre the ship into her mooring through the narrow harbour entrance because we had to reverse in and then turn 180 degrees. After an early lunch we allowed the hoards to exit the port on the shuttle buses before we attempted to take our leave. At 2.30pm we were heading into Athens and looking forward to spending the afternoon and evening in the city. We were dropped off at Plaka, just across the road from Hadrian’s Arch and the Temple of Olympian Zeus so I hopped across and took photos leaving Alan waiting at the pavement cafe. We strolled around some very pleasant small streets with plenty of tourist type shops and lots of jewellers. Then we came across a square with yet another ruin to study, which was overlooked by the hill and The Parthenon, but we didn’t climb up there as we had visited in the 80’s. It had been warm and sunny during the afternoon, about 22 degrees, but by 6.30pm when it was turning cooler, we found a nice restaurant in the square. ‘Diogenes’ was very popular with the locals and the tables outside were soon filled with people wearing warm clothing. We dined in a small room that was tastefully decorated. People we had been talking to in one of the shops had recommended the restaurant and some wine from central Greece. Hatzimichalis, a dry red, from Syrah, Grenache, Cabernets and Carignan grapes, at 26 Euros, was indeed very good! Alan had veal and I had lamb, and although it was tasty it wasn’t anything special, but the atmosphere in the restaurant was most enjoyable. At 8.45pm we strolled to catch our shuttle bus back to port. By the time we were on board again we decided an early night was all we could manage!
Monday 19th March. After a restful night we awoke to brilliant sunshine and a very busy ship. All the tours were heading off in every direction possible so we kept a low profile because we had our formal dinner to look forward to with Carol Marlow, the President and Managing Director of Cunard. About 400 world cruisers had been invited to dine with her at The Athens Ledra. I had made afternoon appointments at the beauty and hair salon to prepare for the occasion so I had a leisurely morning before lunch. We were collected from our suite at 4.45pm because they had organised individual cars for disabled passengers (which was better for us than climbing on a bus.) Upon our arrival we were greeted by a group of school children holding the flags of different countries to symbolise the many nationalities that were attending. Following the red carpet we were guided into the atrium where Carol Marlow welcomed each guest individually and then yet another welcome by the Commodore before taking a glass of pink champagne, or any of the other drinks offered. We moved on to where a string quartet played classical music and then stopped to sit and chat with other guests as we enjoyed the welcome. There were several podiums situated around the open aspect lounge where Roman athletes were depicted by men dressed accordingly as statues that slowly changed their pose. When we entered the dining room my breath was taken away by the magnificent sight of tables dressed with yard high glass vases containing green apples topped with cascading white roses, lilies and green ivy. Even the chairs had a sprig of ivy and a white rose tied to the rear of their covers. The resident orchestra played whilst a group performed several traditional Greek dances, then the school children sang. A lady vocalist entertained us whilst we had dinner, which was four courses with wines, ending with champagne for the loyal toast and then Greek liqueur. After this the ‘athletes’ came and performed their slow motion positions to the theme from Chariots of Fire. We had good company on our table and that made the evening so much more enjoyable, but it had to end at 10.30pm because we had to get back to the ship before she sailed at midnight. It was indeed another well organised event that we will often recall.

15th, 16th March Suez Canal, 17th

Thursday, 15th March. Today we awoke to a cooler breeze than we have had since leaving Fort Lauderdale, it was almost too cool to sit out, but we managed an hour. The sea was rougher than usual but not enough to effect the ship. Alan went to a lecture with Cunard Historian, John Langley, (who had been at the captain’s table with us,) the talk was on Charles Dickens’ notes about his transatlantic voyage to America in 1842, which Alan found very interesting. I strolled around the ship and found interest in the corner of a bar where a group of passengers from Tahiti had began playing their traditional music and singing. I gather the Commodore sat and listened to them yesterday so it must be a daily occurrence! After that I joined the quiz team and sat with a couple from the UK, we scored 12 out of 15 and the three we got wrong were ‘his’ answers! I’ll play on my own if there’s a next time! Throughout the morning we continued on our north north-westerly journey through the Red Sea paralleling the coast of Saudi Arabia to the east and Sudan to the west. Then shortly before noon we sailed 70 miles from the border between Sudan and Egypt as we continued to steam toward the Gulf of Suez. I met up with Alan for lunch and we decided on a lazy afternoon, so I put on a DVD, which lasted three hours forty minutes, so that was the rest of the day gone! Our evening was relaxed too because after dinner we went to the theatre to see Brenda Cochrane sing. During the evening there were two ‘Strangelings’ wandering around the ship, (actually buskers from Covent Garden – again!) The clocks went back a further hour so we are now only 2 hours behind the UK. At 2.15am we arrived at the Suez Canal and took our place in the waiting convoy until our 6.00am start.
Friday, 16th March. At 3.00am Alan woke me up shouting “Quick Marion, come and look at the whales”, I leapt out of bed and fumbled around in the dark until I heard Alan say, “Sorry love, I was talking in my sleep!” Thank you Alan!! He was up early enough to see the ship commence its journey through the Suez Canal at 6.15am. (I looked out and saw miles of sand so turned over for an extra hour.) There were 30 ships including ours in the convoy, and passenger ships take precedence, so we lead the way. It was however, a very interesting day and we spent all morning on the balcony enjoying the sights, but it was a bitterly cold wind with temperatures around 16 degrees all day and no sunshine. Here’s the entrance about 6.30am. The canal was started in 1858 and completed in 1869. There are no locks because the sea level is the same at both ends. On a typical day three convoys transit the canal, two southbound and one north bound and there are passing areas where convoys await their turn. One is Bitter Lake and the others are Lake Timsah and Ismailia. The scenery changed as we progressed, but on the starboard side, the east bank, where there were still many signs of earlier wars, it remained very much a desert, the Sinai. The military presence was very much in evidence with tented outposts spaced at regular intervals. The lookout, which was manned by a lone armed soldier, resembled a tea chest supporting a flag that had been perched on a higher sand bank. The port side, the west bank, developed into a very green and highly populated area, which is due to water being piped a hundred miles from the Nile, mainly for irrigation purposes. There were several ferries across the Suez Canal linking Egypt’s east and west bank. First we saw the Gebel Mary Am World War 1 Memorial on port side. Then around mid-day we were able to see the Camp David Memorial on starboard side, this was erected to commemorate the signing of the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, which was brokered by America at Camp David. The memorial is bayonet shaped and there is a parade ground to one side. To Alan’s great delight we approached the El Ferdan railway bridge, which is the longest swing span bridge in the world. It was completed in 2001 with a span of 340 metres . The previous bridge was destroyed in 1967 during the Arab Israeli conflict. Around 1.30pm we approached the Suez Canal Bridge, also called the Egyptian-Japanese Friendship Bridge. This is a high level fixed road bridge at El Quantara. It has a 68 metres clearance over the canal and was started in 1999, it was completed in 2003. The QM2 had only a 5 metres clearance. We went for lunch at 1.30pm and after more sightseeing we were leaving the canal at 4.00pm and entering familiar territory, the Mediterranean Sea, which was when our pilots disembarked the ship. At this I escaped to the gym to get warm! We had an enjoyable evening dining with our friends, Kay and Peter, and their daughter and her friend who joined the ship at Dubai. We went to the Lotus Asian restaurant again.
Saturday 17th March. We were awakened by the Commodore at 7.00am when he announced that due to strong north westerly gales no shipping was able to enter the harbour at Alexandria. We circled around 35 waiting tankers until 10.00am when the Commodore announced that it was not practical for us to wait any longer as the tours booked for Cairo, the pyramids and Nile cruise would not now be able to complete their journeys. Everyone was most disappointed as it was to have been their big day for many who had not visited Egypt before. I presume the Egyptian salesmen who travelled with us through the canal must have departed with the pilots. We set sail for Greece in a north westerly direction with new plans to arrive in the port of Piraeus around noon tomorrow (18th) and stay overnight before beginning our original planned full day visit to Athens etc (19th). Hence today we are at sea! The temperature is 20 degrees with a breeze but the sea is calm.

13th, 14th March

Tuesday 13th March. (Belated birthday greetings, John Mc, sorry we missed it.) Last evening’s dinner at the Captain’s Table was wonderful. We were seated where our name cards were placed and to my surprise I found myself sitting next to Commodore Bernard Warner. He was a charming man and chatted to us all in a well practised manner. I found some reasonable questions to ask and then enquired about our next port of call, Alexandria. He said he would get back to me with more accurate information, and he did. The next day an envelope arrived with a personal letter from him telling me all I needed to know, which I thought was very gracious as his time is precious. Our meal was excellent and wine flowed freely, as it does! The dessert was specially prepared for his table and was very impressive in presentation as well as the manner in which it was served. Conversation at the table, which seated 7 guests, a lecturer and his wife, the Commodore and his secretary, was lively and most interesting. Unfortunately, the name on my place card read Maria Filby, so I laughed and told Commodore Warner to call me Marion, he apologised for the mistake and said he would get another written out for me, not that I was bothered. However, the next day an envelope arrived addressed to me with a place card for Mary Filby! It was a nice thought but someone got it wrong again!

After our most enjoyable Monday evening Alan had spent all day Tuesday resting on the balcony and taking in the sunshine and fresh air. I joined him and did some odd jobs before going to the gym. We continued west south-westerly during the morning through the eastern extremities of the Arabian Sea. By late afternoon we approached the Gulf of Aden, a stretch of water dividing Yemen from the north coast of Somalia in the African continent. Unfortunately, due to our position we did not have access to satellites and so I was unable to get onto the Internet. We decided not to join in with yet another formal evening and dined in our suite whilst watching a DVD, The Aviator, which was much better than I had expected. Our clocks went back an hour and we are now 3 hours ahead of the UK.
Wednesday 14th March Another leisurely day at sea. This morning we entered the straits of Bab el Mandeb. The straits marked our entry into the Red Sea dividing Yemen from Djibouti and Eritrea. By lunch time we were 40 miles west of Yemen and 80 miles east of Eritrea and had sailed close to a group of small islands. At this point the Red Sea was only 500 metres deep. There are 200 types of coral here and it is the most northerly tropical sea - with more salt due to a higher level of evaporation. Through out the day we sailed parallel to the coast of Saudi Arabia to the east and the Sudan to the west. By nightfall the cities of Jeddah and Mecca will be at a distance of 40 miles off the starboard side. Alan attended a lecture on digital camera use and I went to the last Spanish class. This evening we are invited to a cocktail party for World Club guests and we have just been presented with our platinum badges for reaching the top level of Cunard cruises. (This affords us extra advantages when sailing.)

March 10th,11th Dubai, 12th.

Saturday, 10th March and we were sailing deeper into the Arabian Sea. Humidity was increasing although we were still able to sit out on the balcony with temperatures around 30 degrees, and we were enjoying a calm sea, which was 29 degrees with slight breeze. Alan went off to his lecture on Dubai by Professor John Reich, and I went to finish my beaded necklace and earrings, which turned out quite nice. Then it was Spanish class and I am struggling amongst very advanced students! They want more and I want less! By lunch time we were heading into the Gulf of Oman and because there are 1200 passengers leaving the ship at Dubai, it was quite hectic around the shopping areas. I won’t be sorry to see some of them go; they did seem to be of a miserable disposition! We had more interesting things to do and planned for our day in Dubai seeking out where to go, how to get there and how much cash we would need. At sunset we entered the Gulf of Oman and continued on a north westerly course towards the Straits of Hormuz and the entrance to the Persian Gulf. We passed six miles to the south of Ra’s al Ku in Iran shortly before 10.00pm. Our evening was relaxed with an enjoyable dinner before a visit to the casino where I had a successful hour playing craps before retiring. Alan still had a very bad headache and went to bed earlier. Clocks went back one hour so now we are 4 hours behind the UK. Time is passing far too quickly for us!!
Sunday, 11th March. Unfortunately, Alan was not well enough to go ashore today, so I decided to go alone. At 9.15am our waiter, Hansel, arrived and asked me if I would like him to escort me to the gold souk because he was meeting his friend there at 9.45am. Of course I accepted and off we went; the gray haired English lady and the handsome young Indian! Hmm! We took a taxi into Deira, an old area of Dubai where there are more traditional shops in the souks. I was amazed when we arrived to find that a ‘souk’ was just an area of shops, and not a type of market. There were so many shops and so much gold and magnificent jewellery that I was in my element, and although this was what I had expected it was still a huge surprise. I left Hansel buying an engagement ring for his fiancé and wandered in and out of more jewellery shops. It wasn’t long before I found a nice ring for Alan, so I worked it out in dirham, converted it to dollars, then pounds to see if it was a bargain and by then the jeweller had reduced it even further thinking that I was haggling!! None of the money exchange places were open so I paid in dollars and asked for change in dirhams, but as it happened I didn’t need them. It was a good morning and I was delighted with my purchases, I now have a burkha and a super pashmina to wear, plus something else for the children! Temperatures were about 29 degrees but because the shopping areas were so shaded it was quite pleasant. At lunch time I found a taxi and went on a 45 minute ride along the new coast road to see the new Bur Al Arab hotel. I was a bit disappointed to find that unless you have a reservation you are not allowed into the road leading to the hotel, but I asked the cabby to wait and took a few long distance photos! Back to Port Rashid and enjoying the sights along the way, beautiful expensive new houses and roads. The whole area is still being developed and I took photos of the huge sky scrapers that are quite unique in design. After 2 hours the taxi driver was delighted with his high tip in dirhams because the price of the taxi was so cheap! Everyone was back on board by 5.00pm and we sailed at 6.00pm passing one of the Palm Islands where new housing/hotels/golf course/shops etc is being extensively developed from land reclaimed from the sea. Alan was much better but chose to dine in our suite whilst I dined in the grill and enjoyed sitting with a lady I had made friends with.
Monday, March 12th. Alan went off to hear the lecture on Roman Architecture by Judith Dupré, followed by “The Magic of Concorde” with Captain Dick Routledge, whilst I caught up on all the bits of admin we had outstanding - I can’t believe the number of forms we have to complete for every port of call, but they are a necessity. We had left the Persian Gulf and sailed back through the Straits of Hormuz again during the night and by noon we were 17 miles off the coast of Oman with temperatures around 25 degrees. It was hazy again due to dust particles from the Arabian Desert, which is 900,000 square miles in size and off our starboard side. We have been invited by Commodore Bernard Warner to dine with him at the Captain’s Table this evening, so that will be rather nice as it is a ‘black and white ball’ evening. We have dined with other Officers many times before, but never with the Commodore, so this is a first for us! We are sailing in a south westerly direction toward the Gulf of Aden with a further 2340 n. miles through the Red Sea before the Suez Canal. We expect to arrive at the Suez Canal about 2.15am on Friday (16th) so hopefully we will be able to enjoy the experience when dawn breaks. We have five days at sea until Alexandria on March 17th and there is still plenty to do. We have clocked up 34, 682 nautical miles to date, which is 39,884 miles.

March 7th & 8th Cochin, 9th

Wednesday, March 7th. We received confirmation of our hotel booking at 9.00am and excitedly commenced packing our over-night bag. We watched our arrival into the Port of Kochi and were surprised to see such a flat lush green landscape of palm trees extending into the distance. Cochin is the principal sea port in the State of Kerala. We were welcomed by a group of musicians with two decorated elephants, and beautiful girls who marked us all with red dots on our foreheads, which made our arrival all the more ‘Indian.' We were met at the port by a hotel chauffer who stood holding our name high above the heads of the waiting crowd. It was a delight to get into the car and be given a bottle of water and cold wet towels to wipe our perspiration away; after only ten minutes in the sun we were melting! Maxwell, the concierge travel manager, was awaiting our arrival on the steps of the Taj Malabar Hotel and greeted us like royalty (it was only a mile from the ship.) We were the only ones from the QM2 to stay overnight and they obviously thought we must be very important people. We were given a pierced coconut to sip from whilst being asked what type of bed we wanted, twin or double? We said it didn’t matter about the bed but we would like a room with the best view. This was indeed a superior corner suite on the 5th floor overlooking the ocean and the QM2 on the one side and from the other side we had views across the bay to the modern city of Cochin in the district of Ernakulam. We returned to meet Maxwell who had organised a hotel car to take us wherever we chose. He asked if we would like him to escort us, so off we all went, Maxwell, Verghase (the chauffeur, wearing his official uniform and hat,) Alan and me. First we went to the old town of Cochin where we stopped to photograph elephants on the road along our way, and then we slowed down to allow the wandering ‘holy cows’ that roam freely everywhere, to cross ahead of us. Narrow twisting roads with much tooting of horns and small three wheeler open sided ‘taxis’ called ‘ducducs’ (because they look like mobile rickshaws) swerved regularly to avoid collision. Along the roads were a mix of very poor homes and very wealthy homes because everyone tried to live in this busy area (the land was expensive, but the house building was not.) First we stopped at St. Francis Church where Vasco De Gama (who commissioned it) had been buried, his tomb is still there but his body was returned to Portugal in 1538. Then we went to see the Chinese fishing nets along the Fort Kochi promontory; these are operated with a system of pulleys and weights on a cantilever action, which is incredible to watch. Next was their oldest church, which happened to be Dutch! All along the roadside were stalls filled with bric-a-brac and clothes. We asked to be taken to some shops where I could look at saris and Verghase took us a further mile to Jew Town, the oldest part of Cochin where ‘black Jews’ arrived in the 6th century. Here were small narrow lanes so we had to leave the car and walk a few yards down the very busy road where every shopkeeper invited us, and all the other tourists in! Maxwell suggested which shop we should enter (some looked a bit dodgy) and I was encouraged to try on a sari! I was shown numerous patterns and designs of silk until I chose one that the shopkeeper dutifully wrapped and tucked me into as Alan and Maxwell sat and watched in amazement. I decided against this purchase and then we had silk shawls and jackets produced at such great speed until I was totally confused, but we did cross his palm with dollars in the end!! Moving on quickly we walked a few yards down the road to look inside the synagogue, but first we had to take off our shoes (although Alan was allowed to keep his on.) The floor is finished with imported handmade Cantonese tiles and antique Belgium chandeliers hung elegantly. Maxwell suggested we hurry or the palace would be closed and he wanted to show us it. En route I spotted another shop displaying silk kaftans and stepped inside for a few moments, but managed to find something else for Alan to barter over before we were hurried along our way. Mattancherrry Palace was built by 16th century Portuguese merchants as a gift to Raja Veera Kerala Varma of Kochi in exchange for exclusive building rights. I went inside and looked around at the many wall paintings, not dissimilar to tomb paintings, some furniture and robes. The Varma Raja’s had lived there most of the time and had reigned from 1502 to 1964; it was indeed worth a visit. When I came out the men were all sitting in the car waiting for me and by then, it was 5.30pm and we were ready to return to the hotel. I know Alan enjoyed the bartering experience because he got them much lower than I would have settled for. The challenge was starting in rupees, converting to dollars (used for the purchase) and converting to sterling to see if it was a good buy all at the same time! When we returned to the Taj we both had a swim in the infinity pool that was most welcoming with an unaided temperature of 28 degrees. This was followed by a lazy G&T on the pool terrace as we relaxed and watched the sun set across the bay. Darkness was falling so we decided to shower and dress for the evening because we had booked to dine in the Rice Boat restaurant, which was situated hanging over the backwaters. Our meal was truly Indian because we chose our fish from the fresh catch of the day, and we had Barova, an Indian wine that has an imported Australian shiraz blended with their own Indian grapes. We started with shrimps (one big gambas) cooked in spices that were to die for. Alan’s ‘back water’ fish and my ‘crocker’ fish were served with one fillet grilled and the other served in a banana wrap having been cooked in a mix of fragrant herbs and spices and served with basmati rice. Our Indian desserts were interesting and very sweet. Entertainment for QM2 visitors had been set on the lawns with a traditional South Indian buffet for anyone interested. This included traditional activity counters like cane weaving, pottery, astrology and artifact shops. Dancing such as Kathakali, Mohiniattam and Kalaripayattu were performed throughout the evening. (Male dancers and their make up takes 2 hours to apply.) We browsed the hotel jewellery shop and saw some magnificent traditional designs as well as amazing gems. It was very hot and humid and we were pleased to sleep with both ceiling fan and air conditioning!

Thursday, March 8th. Alan got up very early and had another swim before I joined him for breakfast, which was a traditional three course Indian meal! Our morning was at leisure around the hotel before returning to the ship. The bill was unbelievable, including all the personal attention, transport, meals and tips it was less than one of my new dresses!! We sailed 2 hours late from Cochin but were pleased to see so many local people lining the shores and having boat trips out to see the QM2 before we left. By evening we were well on our way through the Arabian Sea en route to Dubai, a distance of 1613 n miles. We were pleased to be back on board and heading for a new destination, but we have such fond memories of Cochin that we would like to return to India if possible. After a cocktail party and dinner, our evening entertainment was the Theatre Company performing songs by Elton John. We put back our watches by a further half an hour so now we are just 5 hours ahead of the UK.
Friday March 9th was as expected, a lazy day at sea. I went to a new class during the morning, which was beading, so I have to keep going to finish the necklace I have started! Alan rested because it was ‘Friday medication,’ he wins some and loses some, but today was not good. The afternoon was uneventful navigationally as we continued on our course north west towards the Gulf of Oman. I went to the gym but I know I am losing the battle! Tonight is the Masked Ball so we are about to get ready.