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Cruise to West Afica

February - March 2024
  • Susan Merrall
A 31-day adventure by Susan Read more
  • Susan Merrall
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  • Susan MerrallTravelerCruise to West Afica

    All aboard

    February 3, 2024 in England ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    We are now installed in our cabin on A deck and I'm on the balcony looking at HMS Victory and the naval buildings in the distance . I've unpacked my clothes but Susan's case hasn't arrived so we are discussing which of my clothes will fit her. Problem solved just as we are about to muster for our safety drill. How is it that the Captain decides to make his announcement just two minutes before the end of the Italy v England game and the TV switches off for safety reasons?
    Dinner in the Grill tonight. Four cheese tart with grape and walnut salad, chef's roast beef (rare) and apple and blueberry crumble. Dinner discussions with a couple who have not cruised before so we imparted our wisdom on how to dress, where to eat, etc. pretending that we knew what we were talking about.
    Now in the bar with my second G&T. Susan has opted for cointreau. The resident duo are performing 70's and 80's songs and we feel very relaxed but a little tired. The same host from the Philippines whom we enjoyed in August has just introduced himself with the same jokes. We feel like we belong.    Read more

  • Susan MerrallTravelerCruise to West Afica

    Bay of Biscay

    February 4, 2024, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Back to our cabin quite early as we did not sleep that well last night. Just the usual first night issues. A Motown tribute act named Masterpiece have entertained us well in the theatre this evening so we've been tapping and clapping along to the likes of 'Me and Mrs Jones', 'I 'll be there', ' My guy' and 'Tears of a clown'. They were very good'.
    My internet isn't working well and this is why I'm blogging using Susan's phone.
    The photo of the seascape watercolour is not, as you might think, from the walls of the ship, but is the result of my fist ever attempt at this art form. Just a mixture of simple washes and subsequent paint removal, I found the experience relaxing and enjoyable and will be back in the class after breakfast tomorrow morning. I've also been revising and playing Bridge. In the duplicate competition this afternoon my partner, Dennis, and I didn't do too well but I think that his errors were more to blame than mine. More about Dennis tomorrow.
    Meanwhile, Susan has found no need to justify immersing herself in a book. She attended a talk on our first port of call, Cadiz, bringing back memories of 20 years ago with Yvonne, John and the children.
    I kept my promise to myself and , dressed in my snazzy new training gear from Primark went for a brisk walk on the treadmill in the fitness centre. I was the only person there!, Susan returned from the lecture by Julia Bradbury worried because she found out that she has been breathing incorrectly for the past sixty years. Apparently her father was right when he used to tell her to breath through her nose.
    We went for the less formal Grill again tonight. Venison carpaccio, cold plum and Armagnac soup and duck for Susan and prawns on toast with avocado, parsnip soup and monkfish in bacon for me. We both ended with French apple tart and ice-cream. Passed the meal in quite animated conversation with an ex fireman and special needs teacher worried about the current state of the world. We agreed that our generation have been very fortunate and had not faced any real problems requiring fortitude until covid.    Read more

  • Susan MerrallTravelerCruise to West Afica

    Off the coast of northern Spain

    February 5, 2024, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    Second sea day. The Atlantic is much calmer and it is warmer with only a slight breeze which encourages walks on deck but is not yet conducive to eating alfresco. We walked the upper deck together after lunch to help clock up the steps.
    Today's art work was produced on blank paper using a grid to achieve correct proportions. I'm like a schoolboy achieving something new and loving the praise.
    Dennis and I came 5th out of 16 in yesterday's bridge tournament and are getting to know each other. He is one of those Saga customers, invited to the Captain's table for the formal dinner this evening, driven directly to the embarkation point when boarding (while the rest of us have to walk the gang planks) and is known by many of the staff. He is a retired marine engineer who had his own ship (not boat) repair business, has just downsized from his 7 bedroom house set in 4 acres and has lived near Gravesend all his life. I must arrange dinner with him and his wife so that Susan and he can compare geographical anecdotes.
    I'm maintaining my promise to visit the gym dailly. I must be the only person to work out to Elgar's Dream of Gerotius.
    Susan is now an expert on medieval and renaissance architecture and it is rumoured that she has been seen on the dance floor. This was when I was not there to keep her in check as I was watching the comedian in the theatre at the time.
    Formal dinner this evening but Susan and I managed to book a table at the Amalfi, the speciality Italian restaurant. Very nice. Prawns, spaghetti con aïoli and seafood stew. Lemon tart for dessert. I can't remember the Italian names for the dishes.
    Congratulations to the Birchalls and the Smiths on the birth of Casper. Thanks for the photos - he is wonderful.    Read more

  • Susan MerrallTravelerCruise to West Afica

    South of Portugal

    February 6, 2024, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 18 °C

    Just about to change time zone. Portugal is one hour behind Spain and we are near the border. It is warming up and passengers are venturing on deck and sitting in shirt sleeves to read, drink and chat the time away.
    Had difficulty with trees in the art lesson today which involved the use of various types of brushes. Amazing, I thought they just came in different sizes, not different shapes and cuts as well.
    Not doing so well in bridge tournament. Last place today - will I be able to look Dennis in the face from here on?
    Dinner of grilled sardines followed by halibut in the company of a couple from Cambridgeshire who were born about the same time as our parents. Great conversationalists and fun to be with. Drinks and entertainment in the Britannia Lounge. A comedian & juggler that managed to make Susan laugh so obviously quite good.    Read more

  • Susan MerrallTravelerCruise to West Afica
    Civic hall and main squareThe CathedralView from the ship at berth.Fish market

    Cadiz

    February 7, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    Cadiz has been a trading port for 3000 years but is now dependent on shipbuilding and tourism. It is surrounded by sea and ancient salt marshes where flamingos feed and nest. They are a much paler pink than those in zoos.
    Not so keen on the newest parts of the city, full of hotels to feed the beautiful beaches, but the old quarter has a charm to it that has it's own style as you can see from the photos . The cathedral is built from oyster stone - but we don't know what that is.
    We loved the market area with its tapas bars and small stalls surrounding the massive fish market. Full of the life at 2 pm that we enjoyed in Madrid a year or so ago. Susan stocked up on paella spices and saffron.
    Cadiz is twinned with Havana in Cuba and has certain common characteristics. The old tobacco rolling factory is a preserved building as is the beautiful but austere old orphanage.
    The city is very quiet out of season so I suppose they are grateful for the cruise ships that dock by the city gates but dominate the landscape as one looks south.
    We ate in the dining room this evening with Dennis and his wife Val. They have their own table! They discussed places and experiences in common from time in and around Gravesend with Susan. Good company and food. Scallops followed by calves liver for me.
    This evening's entertainment was from an Hungarian classical violinist and Spanish flamenco dancer who have paired up and do their own thing since winning Spain's got talent! Both very gifted and earning a standing ovation which is quite something considering the age and agility of some of our fellow passengers.    Read more

  • Susan MerrallTravelerCruise to West Afica
    Sunrise over the docks. Casablanca is the third largest port in Africa.
    The Hassan II Mosque completed in the 1990s. It has the tallest minaret in the world.Market in the royal quarter.Pigeon square with a water carrier.

    Casablanca

    February 8, 2024 in Morocco ⋅ ☁️ 13 °C

    My lasting memory of Casablanca won't be of the city itself or any of its varied sites but of our arrival at breakfast time with a sunrise over the docks giving magnificent orange, red and yellow hues, through which thousands of birds awoke and took flight - the experience was spectacular and amazing. Gulls, cormorants, starlings and crows. I recorded it with my camera so will add it to this blog later.
    Casablanca is large and needs a longer visit. We visited the Hassan II Mosque, the Royal quarter , the diplomatic area and travelled along the Corniche. We spent some time in a market. It was all very quiet compared to the
    hustle and bustle of Marrakesh a few years ago. A mix of French grandeur and modern islamic architecture. The beaches were lovely and the parks well maintained and colourful.
    Bourgainveilia mixed with other flowers of many colours adorn low hedges on the roadside.
    A lot of traffic on large roads crossing the city but still the odd inclusion of hand pushed carts, cars that are falling apart and motorcycle carts with the driver wearing what can only be described as a riding helmet .
    We did see some of the shabby apartments where most of the 4.5 million inhabitants of this city live which give Morocco much of its character and there is a shanty town occupied by fishing families within the city.
    Proud of Susan in that resisted buying yet another pashmina from the very pushy vendors in the market.
    Later, after lunch on board our ship, I did succome to a small power nap while Susan investigated the washing and ironing facilities on board.
    Relaxed dining with two ex nurses this evening - they have a very similar view on the way nursing has changed to our views on the changes in education - it's all to do with finance !
    We are due for some stormy weather at sea tomorrow!    Read more

  • Susan MerrallTravelerCruise to West Afica

    Off the coast of Morocco

    February 9, 2024, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌧 20 °C

    Another sea day but this time through the rain and gales of force 8 - 10. We both seem to travel well though in such conditions. Susan is now on her third book although it took a while to get into this novel ( An orchestra of minorities ) for her library reading group.
    Art class today was on sunsets so my effort is inspired by a photo I took last August near the Isle of Man. We came third in the bridge competition this afternoon so Dennis and I are definitely improving. I haven't seen him since the results were punished but he will be pleased.
    Dinner in the Supper Club this evening, an intimate restaurant specialising in English grilled food. The prawn cocktail starter is something different. Susan had grilled turbot and I had a fillet steak. Excellent. Conversation was with two retired PE teachers so we were able to compare experiences of the state system for some of the evening before venturing into Putin and his likely successor.
    The weather tomorrow is set fair so I plan to start wearing shorts.    Read more

  • Susan MerrallTravelerCruise to West Afica
    Agadir from afar
    The beach from the KasbahThe fishing port with sardine boatsThe KasbahThe mosque in AgadirAn argan tree

    Agadir

    February 10, 2024 in Morocco ⋅ 🌬 19 °C

    We've just been tapping away to a group called The Decades in the Britannia Lounge playing music from the 60s . Susan says that I have lived a sheltered life because there was some well known stuff that I claim never to have heard. I did know some tracks. They were very good musicians.
    We quite liked Agadir. It had some atmosphere and although a seaside resort with few buildings of interest due to an earthquake in 1960, it exhibits many of the cultural aspects of daily life that one associates with Morocco. We visited the Kasbah to view the fishing port below, the crescent shaped beach and the Atlas foothills. Also the inevitable camels provided for tourists.
    We were indoctrinated into the merits of argan oil which is produced in this region from the low growing almond like fruit of the unattractive argan tree ( more like a shrub really). Production of the oil is not yet mechanised but is made by women grinding the nut kernels in a pestle to give a paste that is then hand squeezed.
    The Soukh here is large but, being February, very quiet. We bought some ceramics and had another go at haggling. We were advised to reduce initial price down to a third but this is very hard work with practiced vendors and only managed a 30% reduction. Quite fun though.
    A brief walk along the Corniche reveals a lovely beach and surfing waves but it was very windy and the fine sand was being carried in the air . Susan likes mint tea.
    We ate fish and chips on the sundeck today as a late lunch and spent the rest of the day taking in the sun, reading or doing the ironing!!    Read more

  • Susan MerrallTravelerCruise to West Afica

    Arrecife

    February 11, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    It is 6pm as I start to write today's journal and the Captain has just announced that we have not broken down but are intentionally drifting off the coast of Lanzarote as our next port is only 120 miles away and the Chief Engineer instructs that it is better for the engines to run a shorter time at a faster rate than a longer time at a slower rate. The Captain is informing us because he doesn't want any adverse social media comments - he is joking. He keeps us informed of all the good and bad instances of note such as the port not having a suitable gangway to hand or moving our berthing location without telling him, buses not being allowed on the jetty, etc.
    Arricife was lovely. Low blue and white buildings surrounding the boating lagoon offering tapas bars. The church bell tolls indicating that it is a Sunday morning and that is why it is so quiet and restful. 23 degrees with a gentle breeze in a cloud dappled blue sky. Wow. We now understand the attraction of winter sun. This town is apart from the beach block hotels and apartments of Lanzarote and, today anyway, quite to our taste. Few shops open and no market today.
    Beautiful lamb cutlets for dinner this evening and we won the evening quiz for the second night running. We'll give it a rest for the next few days before we start getting a reputation.
    This evening's entertainment in the theatre was from our new cruise director who joined the ship yesterday. He thinks he can sing - well he can but insists on performing outside of his limits. I will never forget his rendition of Nessun Dorma. It compares with the last time we heard it live at the Verona opera festival 2 years ago, for all the wrong reasons. Many of the audience gave raucous or polite applause. We didn't. Why attempt this when it is too difficult for your voice and outside your range? Adam would have said that he cheated in his performance of songs from Les Miserables and Phantom. He certainly thinks a lot of himself - we didn't.    Read more

  • Susan MerrallTravelerCruise to West Afica
    Laurel tree in TerorTerorPeacock in a dragon treeBotanical gardens snapshot

    Teror

    February 12, 2024 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    A morning tour of north Gran Canaria included a stop in this lovely village. It's pronunciation gives you chance to roll your r's. The wooden balconies are delightful and some interesting trees. The surroundings are very hilly and very green. The public toilets are brand new and only opened last week or so our guide told us.
    We spent some time at the botanical gardens in Arucas. Our guide insisted on explaining the cultivation of bananas, interesting but not as interesting as some of the beautiful blooms and the peacocks jumping through the dragon trees. We sampled some honeyed rum , banana liqueur and caramel vodka. They gave me indigestion! It was a good garden though. The weather was a splendid 26° by the time we returned to the ship for a light lunch.    Read more

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