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.