In which we take a cable car, climb down a large rock, and meet some apes....

On the ship, several excursions are arranged at every port, allowing passengers to explore the area without having to arrange travel or think for themselves, and usually costing a lot of money.   Of course, this suits some people very well, and I'm not saying there's anything wrong with these trips, but sometimes it's nicer to wander off by yourselves, to avoid waiting in queues to join coaches. and not be constrained by time schedules (except getting back on board before sailing) which is what we like doing.
So after leaving the ship in the morning when it docked at Gibraltar, we wandered about half a mile into the town, through the square into Main Street,  and along as far as the cable car station.    It takes you up a very steep ascent up to the top of the rock, some 450m high.   The tickets weren't cheap though, £22.50 return for the two of us. Causing Tim to turn purple and exhibit a very sharp intake of breath and muttering how many lagers that would pay for....

At the top of the rock, I was surprised to see one of the famous apes lurking just outside the cable car exit near the viewing gallery.   They obviously take it in turns each day to do this, allowing visitors to takes the obligatory photo of a famous primate.    This one looked very grumpy, especially as he wasn't going to get any food here, as it is illegal to feed them.    The views from the top were breathtaking, and well worth the trip.   You can see right over to the African coast, 15 miles in the distance.     We decided to have a cup of coffee in the cafe, mainly as there was free wifi, so we rushed in to check our emails and check-in on Facebook......   We sat close to the window with more amazing views over the back of the rock, and another ape kindly posed for photos right in front of me.
The people from the ship on the organised excursion arrived in the cafe some time after us, having caught a fleet of white minibuses to the cable car, or being driven part of the way up the rock and walking to the summit.    Another ape took the opportunity of the ever opening door to slip into the cafe too.   Or maybe this was just another cruise ship passenger.....  He proceed to queue up and ordered a cappuccino.  Only joking!

St Michael's cave is another famous attraction on the rock itself, apparently a huge natural cavern complete with stalag tites and mites.    "There was no charge when I last came here over 40 years ago, and you could wander round by yourself..." Tim declared, as we got to the entrance of the caves which had now turned into a glorified tourist shop, cafe and ticket booth, charging £10 each for the pleasure of going underground with dozens of other people.  Needless to say, we didn't get to see this tremendous natural phenomenon.   "£20!  Outrageous!   I'd rather spend that on lunch back in town" declared Tim, and I reluctantly agreed.......

As we were now already walking downhill, bypassing the caves, we decided to keep going and walk all the way back!   Luckily I was wearing trainers as some of the off-road paths were quite steep, very uneven with loose stones.   We saw quite a few of the famous apes, including some very teeny tiny cute baby apes.    We had read that the larger apes will attempt to relieve you of any loose possessions, such as sunglasses, hats,cameras, binoculars, and try to snatch bags containing food.     Obviously they were on commission to supply the market stalls selling such tat, back in town......

Some people on the cruise we spoke to, had been put off by tales of pilfering primates and wouldn't go up the rock for fear of a monkey mugging, but we were made of sterner stuff and weren't fazed by an ape assault.    But we did see one German lady standing near us, have hysterics as a medium sized ape leapt on her back and attempted to remove her shoulder bag.   She was floundering and waving her arms and screaming, while she was also making drunken-like rotations to try and shake off her unwelcome suitor, as her husband attempted to film her ape encounter for YouTube.....

When we finally arrived back in the Main Street, every bone in my body was aching, and we collapsed in a bar to spend our earlier monetary savings on a beer and some grilled sardines.   Later, who should we bump into on the street but Concussion Keith and Donna Kebab (our evening dining companions, see previous blog).   Donna was ecstatic as she had purchased some Swarvowski crystal jewellery for only £99, whereas the onboard price for the same object was £150.    Woo.  Lucky her.   My whole jewellery collection isn't worth a quarter of that.    And Concussion Keith proudly told us he had bought ten 'sleeves' of cigarettes (cartons) for some bargain price of £30 each and would resell them for double that price back in the uk, to go towards his next cruise ticket!  

In which we learn that time doesn't stand still.....

On the fifth evening of our cruise, we arrived in Gibraltar.    In order to escape some bad weather, the Captain increased speed to outrun a storm, and we arrived early at 11pm instead of early the next morning.   We had crossed the notorious Bay of Biscay with hardly a ripple.  It was lovely to go on deck after dinner and watch the ship approach the port of Gibraltar, with the town lights shining and the rock looming high over the harbour.  We were due to leave at 5pm later that day, so we had quite a few hours to explore the small town and large rock, which I had never visited before.  Tim had been a few times previously, but well over 40 years ago, when he used to pick up boats and sail them back to the uk as part of his job as a delivery skipper.

It's sometimes pleasant to go somewhere as a couple when one of you has been before and knows something about the place, as it can save you time deciding where to go, and what to avoid.       On the other hand, it can be slightly annoying when all they say when you are walking round, is -

 ..... "that block of flats wasn't there when I last came"
or - "it's so much busier along this road than when I was last here",
or - "I picked up a boat that was moored just to the left of that yellow bollard",
or - "that shop looks different somehow, compared to when I was here 40 years ago",
or - "I can't believe how its changed so much...."

Yes, of course everything's changed!   That's progress for you!   No need to keep stating the obvious!      Then of course we had to go and track down the bars and restaurants that used to be Tim's local haunts in 1972, so we trek endlessly round the back streets in the 25 degree heat, looking for the Bull and Bush, apparently the most famous and oldest pub in Gibraltar.   Eventually he gives up and asks someone, and as I suspected, it closed down ten years ago......  Similarly with some old restaurant - he was convinced it was going to be just the same as when he last visited, with the same old men sitting at the same tables, same tablecloths, the same menu, but sadly it had turned into an estate agents....

Three days at sea and a gala dinner.....

Blog 4........  Impressions of our cruise ship...

The Magellan was built in 1985, so she is quite an old ship.  She started life with another cruise company, then CMV bought her and she was refurbished in 2014.   I must say that everything on board is spotless and in good condition.   She's a medium sized ship with around 1300 passengers and 600 crew, although when you first board you think you are never going to find your way around, with the endless similar looking corridors and 12 decks.   But in reality, you just need to know how to find your cabin and where the bars and dining rooms are.....

We went for a visit to the bridge, with about 15 other people.  Unfortunately we didn't see the actual Greek captain, but one of the bridge crew showed us round.  He didn't speak English very well, and didn't explain things too clearly, and I think most of the visitors were underwhelmed by mention of radar, AIS, GPS and UTC.  But as we are familiar with these things on boats we thought it was really interesting.   We looked at their weather forecasts, and their actual navigation charts.   I offered to plot our position but he wouldn't let me.  He told us about the stabilisers and he let me stand at the helm.   I guess the most difficult thing is docking the ship when it comes into harbour; there was an extra steering position at the extreme port and starboard sides, with a small glass floor so they could see when the ship was lined up with the quay.     Also on the bridge were some large plant containers with tomato plants growing!   I wonder if they were Greek tomatoes!

At dinner you are allocated a table with either four or six random people.   For breakfast and lunch you can sit anywhere in either of the two dining rooms, but we usually go to the buffet Bistro, which is a bit of a bunfight when you need to find a table.  The buffet is an amazing spread, and of course some people pile their plates as high as they can and come back for seconds!   I haven't actually felt the need to do that, although I thought I would, before I boarded.  I think my food intake has been quite restrained so far.....   Despite some poor reviews about this ship regarding the food, which I don't agree with,  i think the food is excellent, very good standard, fresh, well presented, good choice of dishes on the menu.    In the formal dining room, we decided that if you ate out in a restaurant of this standard back home, it would cost at least £30 or more, for two, without drinks, so for a 15 night cruise that's equivalent to at least £450!   That shows how good value a cruise is, and also how much restaurants rip you off with regards to their prices!

Each evening in your cabin they give you a new schedule of the next day's activities - what's on and where etc.   They also state the dress code for the evening.    Last night was formal, as there was the Captain's cocktail party and gala dinner.   So I donned my best eBay black lacy frock, and Tim wore his freshly laundered multi purpose grey suit.   Of course, he accidentally or maybe on purpose left his newly bought £3 Tesco navy tie at home, so he had to go to the ship's boutique and buy himself another, at some exorbitant price.....  We both agreed not to go to the actual shaking hands with the Captain and cocktail party held in the theatre, as it seemed to involve a lot of standing around and queueing, so instead we had a cocktail to celebrate our anniversary and a nice comfy seat in a bar where there were two girls playing violin and piano, who were amazing, followed by a fabulous dinner.        

As we have three continuous days at sea, you find yourself seeking out activities to while away the time, particularly if the weather isn't pleasant enough to sit on deck in the sunshine.   So far, I have participated in three quizzes (3rd, 2nd and 3rd) and we won the Scattergories game.    We went to a lecture on the History of Gibraltar, saw a cookery demonstration, and I also watched some staff fold towels and napkins into bizarre animal shapes.    I have been to the gym three times, but have given the line dancing and bean bag bowling a miss......

Coffee but no space cake....

Saturday - After an early breakfast, we were the first to leave the ship just after 8am.  We were able to walk into the town in 15 mins, and decided to book our own canal cruise for €16 instead of the £39 each charged if you went on the trip organised by the ship.   I did wonder whether all the people on the organised tour would end up on the same boat as us.    But they didn't, and we had lots of space to ourselves, with just a few other customers on board.   It was a really good way to see the old town.  Dozens of low bridges, beautiful tall buildings, loads of houseboats.   A very photogenic place.

After the canal trip, we walked into the red light district, but at this time of the morning, there wasn't much activity.   But I did get a bit of a shock when we saw quite a largely built woman in a size too small bikini posing in the window in full view of the pedestrians.   What was she thinking?   Didn't dhe realise people could see her?  I'm sure she would catch her death of cold,   Maybe her clothes were still in the wash cycle of the machine.   Then we saw a skinnier but older woman further along the road in another window, similarly dressed.   Or undressed.     Quite an eye opener this morning.   Lots of sex shops, and also lots of shops selling 'happy seeds', magic mushrooms, marijuana biscuits and assorted paraphanalia.

After a nice coffee by the side of the canal watching the world go by, we took a slow stroll back to the boat and had an early lunch in the buffet restaurant before going up to the top deck to watch the ship leave the port and travel slowly down the huge ship channel, and out towards the open sea.    Next stop Gibraltar in a few days time.

This afternoon I could participate in chair aerobics, deck quoits, line dancing, or a lecture on whales and dolphins.   Hmmmm - think I'll give them a miss......

In which we wear orange life jackets and meet our fellow diners.....

Well, we did it.   We have begun our first ever cruise.   And very wonderful it is too.   Despite my worries about being given a cabin in the bowels of the ship, our cabin is actually very very nice.   No window, but about the size and shape of a small hotel room, with a good shower room and lots of storage space.   We are on deck 5, so there are seven decks above us, which takes some getting used to, as I keep getting the deck numbers mixed up..... It's my age.
After finding our cabin, we went for a walk to the top deck to see the ship leave Tilbury.   Not the most exciting place to depart from. But we found a sheltered spot on the top deck and had a coffee.
I must tell you about the lifeboat drill.  Having not been in a cruise before. I was unsure what would happen.   We duly took our life jackets and presented ourselves in Scotts nightclub, our designated muster point.    Many Titanic jokes and hilarity ensued as we attempted to put on the life jackets correctly.    I asked my fellow cruisers if we were actually going to get into a lifeboat, or if we had to keep the life jackets on throughout dinner.    They didn't understand my sense of humour......  Then we were separated into two lines of men and women, we had to hang on to a strap on the jacket of the person in front of us, and in crocodile fashion we had to walk up to the next deck and stand under our designated lifeboat where we waited for ten minutes, doing nothing.   We looked a bit like inflated oranges.     We were told the captain was coming along to inspect us, but we never saw him, unless he was invisible or a one inch high midget.......
Later exploration of the boat revealed a luxury spa, several outside hot tub/whirlpool like pools, and a big theatre.   We also found our allocated dining room and table number.    As the dress code was designated 'casual' for tonight, Tim breathed a sigh of relief as he could wear a casual shirt and no tie or jacket.     We sat on a dining table with four other randoms, who we secretly gave nicknames to, so i could remember them.   There was Concussion Keith (don't ask) and his wife Donna Kebab, and the other couple were Cabby Barry and Eileen Dover.     ......... not the most scintillating dining guests, but i was pleased to learn that we paid the least price for our tickets, less than half of what one couple paid, which i was secretly pleased about.....
We missed the first quiz in the bar, but did go to the second showing of the 'Broadway Musicals' show in the theatre which was very good indeed, and were treated to song and dance routines from Guys and Dolls, Joseph, Cats, Sister Act, Mary Poppins and others.

We have just arrived in Amsterdam, it's still dark.    Lots of people are going on the organised city tour for £39, but we are going on a cheapie DIY tour.   Breakfast first.    A massive luxury spread of every breakfast item imagineable....   When I get back to my cabin, I hope my nightwear has not been fashioned into an animal, as I hate those things!

So far my impressions of cruising are excellent.    I'm practically the youngest on board, and a bit worried at the speed and time that some of the ancients might take to get into our lifeboat.....

Well, I've done it.   Something I swore I'd never do.   I'm almost embarrassed to say it, as in the past I've been rude about these sort of people.  I've criticised their appalling dress sense, laughed at their sheep-like mentality, their lack of imagination.    I don't like queuing, crowds, and being unable to escape my environment.     But I've done it........ Deep breath....

........ I've booked a cruise!    I am now officially a cruise ship tourist.    God help me. What have I done?     My only excuse is that on 4 November I have a special birthday coming up, which is making me so traumatised I can't even say the number of my birthday in case I get palpitations and severe anxiety....

We board the boat this Friday, so we have another few hours before I have to wear a hideous  fluorescent tee shirt, lots of cheap blingy jewellery and a straw hat.......

What am I expecting it to be like?  Not sure really.  I think the ship will be bigger than I expect, bearing in mind the biggest sort of ship I have been on so far is a cross channel ferry.   I think there will be loads of corridors and I will not know which floor I am on.    I think there will be lots of queueing for things - at embarkation, at meal times, at lifeboat drill, when waiting to disembark.   It will be very busy and there won't be enough seats in the popular bars or in the theatre, the gym will be full, the hot to will be packed.    I will be thrilled if I am proved wrong for all this!