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2016 Navigator, Med,10 July2016 Navigator, Med,10 July
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A 15-day adventure by Rulocal Read more
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  • RulocalRulocal2016 Navigator, Med,10 July

    Genoa, Italy

    July 19, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Yesterday we docked at Genoa, in Italy 🇮🇹.
    Sheila once again stayed on board ship, so Sue, Maz, and I went ashore and decided to get the open top bus tour of the city.
    Now at €15 each it was a reasonable price, but I'm afraid there's not a lot to see.
    Not like Rome with the Colosseum etc.
    But at about an hour or so it wasn't a bad ride, and there where some very typically Italian buildings to see, with very ornate brickwork and decorations.
    Problem was as with most Italian cities there was also a lot of graffiti, all be it very colourful graffiti, it still tends to spoil the general look of the city.
    But as I said for the price, it was not a bad bus ride.    Read more

  • RulocalRulocal2016 Navigator, Med,10 July

    Villa del Principe, Genoa, Italy

    July 19, 2016 in Italy ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    After we got back to the port on the open top tour bus, Maz and Sue decided to go back to the ship.
    I wanted to have a mooch around the town, so I left them at the port and walked to the main road and crossed over.
    Within about two hundred yards from where the bus had stopped, I came across an open door, and inside I could see some marble or maybe alabaster busts.
    So I wandered in to have a look, just inside the door was a security guard, who informed me that I was welcome to have a look around the gardens, and better still it was free!
    I didn't even know that there where any gardens there.
    I'd only seen the entrance hall, from the street, so off I go for a walk around the gardens.
    Well what a lucky break this was, as the gardens and the villa were beautiful, and only two minutes walk from the port.
    The villa itself was also a museum, and for about €10 you could buy a day pass, which would get you in all the towns museums.
    But we were only in Port for a very short time, so it wasn't worth it to me, so I just wandered the gardens and a very small part of the house.
    The house was called Villa del Principe, and it was build in the 1500s by Prince Andrea Doria. Who apparently was the only Prince of Genoa.
    Anyway I spent a very pleasant hour or so wandering around the gardens, and if you are ever docked in Genoa and don't fancy the hustle and bustle of the city, this is a beautiful place to visit and right by the port.

    Web page below

    http://www.doriapamphilj.it/genova/en/    Read more

  • RulocalRulocal2016 Navigator, Med,10 July

    Bernie Flint, a blast from the past.

    July 19, 2016, Ligurian Sea ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    For a change last night we went to the theatre and saw the show.
    It was Bernie Flint, who was a winner on Opportunity Knocks back in the 1970s.
    In fact he holds the record for the longest run of wins in the shows history, 12 weeks on the run he won.
    Anyway he put on a good show with a mix of comedy and music, and to me he's another example of these talent show winners making a good living after the shows have finished.
    He's never been a superstar, but even after 40 odd years, people still remember his name and he's still travelling the world making a good living.    Read more

  • RulocalRulocal2016 Navigator, Med,10 July

    Giovanni's Table

    July 20, 2016 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Last night Sheila, Sue, Maz and I went to Giovanni's Table restaurant for our evening meal and it was wonderful.
    The fact that it was our complimentary meal from our Mlife accounts, only added to the experience.
    In all seriousness, the meal and the service could not be faulted.    Read more

  • RulocalRulocal2016 Navigator, Med,10 July

    Remote control from Miami

    July 20, 2016 in Spain ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Martin a friend of mine on board reckons that the ship is being driven by remote control from Miami, as the visibility of any senior officers is nil.
    We've not had any senior officers come into either the concierge or the diamond lounges.
    At the lunch with an officer that we get for being above 350 cruise points, there where only very junior officers, and assistants.
    Even at the meal for pinnacles and suite guests, Maz informed me that it was also very junior officers.
    Even around the ship, you never see any officers, and as for the Captain, Staff Captain, or the Hotel Director, I wouldn't know them if I fell over them.
    I have found out why this is by the way.
    It's basically because they don't have to anymore.
    A senior officer that I know on board told me that Miami in their wisdom have stopped scoring ships on officer visibility, so they have stopped being visible.    Read more

  • RulocalRulocal2016 Navigator, Med,10 July

    Málaga, Spain

    July 21, 2016 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 23 °C

    Yesterday we docked at Málaga, Spain 🇪🇸.
    It's a lovely city with plenty to see.
    Sheila, as usual stayed on the ship and relaxed.
    Maz and Sue wanted to do their second favourite thing in port, that is shop at El Corte Inglés, which is a large department store, on the lines of John Lewis in England.
    Btw their favourite thing, is finding a Starbucks and having a coffee ☕.
    I didn't fancy either so I went for a walk around the city, which as I said is a lovely place.
    It has some outstanding buildings.
    Across from the port you have the city hall which is an imposing structure with some beautiful fresco work on the outside walls.
    Right next to that is the Bank of Espanía with its huge columns across the front.
    Then you have what looked to be the oldest of the three buildings, which housed part of the University of Málaga.
    This is also a really beautiful building with unusual roof edgings, which I would describe as having external rafters and some beautiful irregular pointed brickwork. You will see better in the pictures below as my description is a bit crap.
    Further around from the university building there is a small Roman amphitheatre, which looks like it is still used for plays or small concerts.
    Also in this part of the town are lots of the typical Spanish, narrow winding streets, with lots of beautiful old buildings, many of which appeared to be getting renovated.    Read more

  • RulocalRulocal2016 Navigator, Med,10 July

    Castle Gibralfaro, Málaga, Spain

    July 21, 2016 in Spain ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Right across from the port entrance you can see Castle Gibralfaro, perched at the top of Mount Gibralfaro which part of the foothills of the Montes de Málaga.
    Anyway the castle sits 130m on top of the hill, and I thinking that I'm an intrepid explorer, decides to have a walk up to have a look.
    So I set off not realising that the pathway up is about a 1:10 climb! After about 60 minutes and two stops, to let my breathing fall to a more normal rate, I reach a viewing platform which is apparently about 3/4 of the way up. The views I must admit where amazing, you could see right over the port and the city.
    Also from here you could look down into the local bullring which from that vantage point looked particularly impressive.
    I decided that that the views couldn't be much better right at the top, so that was as far as I went.
    Now coming down, although easier on the lungs was murder on the knees.
    Having said that I think it was well worth the climb to get the views and pictures I got and to see the beautiful flowers and trees on the way up and down.
    When I got back to the ship, someone told me that you could get a bus to the top!
    But although that would be less life threatening, it would not be as much fun as the walk lol.
    I've put a Wikipedia link below, for anyone interested in reading about the castle.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gibralfaro    Read more

  • RulocalRulocal2016 Navigator, Med,10 July

    Lisbon, Portugal

    July 22, 2016 in Portugal ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Lisbon, Portugal 🇵🇹, and I know I said I was getting off at all the ports from now on, but we docked right down by the 25 de Abril Bridge, 25th of April bridge for the non Portuguese speakers.
    And that means a 20 minute shuttle bus ride, at $9 per person, which I refuse to pay, or a 45 minute or so walk into the city.
    This really Ps me off when the ship could dock further down where the walk in to the city centre is 5 minutes.
    It's all down to finance, it's a lot cheaper to dock in a container port, than the passenger terminal, and the company gets the added bonus of $9 per head shuttle fees! 😤
    So I'm afraid there's nothing to report from sunny Lisbon.    Read more

  • RulocalRulocal2016 Navigator, Med,10 July

    Last sea day

    July 23, 2016, North Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Well here I am up early again on the last day, and I've just said goodbye to my early morning friends.
    They are a group of cleaners all youngsters who start work at 5am and do a 12 hour shift 7 days a week with only a few hours off every fortnight.
    One of their few perks is to nip in the concierge lounge very early in the morning and take a nice latte back to their mess room.
    Now they are not "officially" supposed to get a coffee from here, and the first morning of the cruise, I'm in my spot writing my blog and having a drink, when the door opens and they all come in.
    Now they are not expecting anyone to be in the lounge, so when they see me they all panic, quickly apologise and leave, before I can say anything.
    So the next morning I'm waiting for them, and just one lad pokes his head in, to see if anyone is in the lounge.
    So I went over to him and said if he's trying to get a coffee, please feel free, as I didn't mind in the slightest.
    So they got their coffees, and left. Each morning since if I've been up early enough, I've seen them, and they are a great set of boys and girls, very respectful and always open the door quietly and wait for me to say come on in, by this I mean they don't just barge in.
    We've all been complaining about the lack of senior officers being visible, which is true.
    But I must say that the general staff, ie, cleaners, bar staff etc, have been lovely and friendly.    Read more

  • RulocalRulocal2016 Navigator, Med,10 July

    Back Home

    July 24, 2016 in England ⋅ ⛅ 19 °C

    Well that's another cruise completed.
    Over all a decent cruise, but mainly due to the friends we have in the diamond and concierge lounges.
    Our cabin was a junior suite number 1354 situated close to the lifts on deck 10,so very handy for both lounges and the Windjammer.
    One of the down sides to the cruise was the lack of senior officer visibility, and also the suites concierge Naja was not the best, her attitude left a lot to be desired.
    Anyway our trip home was excellent and from leaving the ship to arriving at our house took 3 hours 50 minutes and that included a 30 minute coffee break.    Read more

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