Postcard from the North African coast Nov 2007
POSTCARD FROM DISCOVERYNORTH AFRICAN COAST TO LISBON
October – November 2007
My slightly delayed flight from London to Alexandria arrived at 8.15pm and although I had a very swift departure from the airport it took my taxi well over an hour to get to the Sheraton Montazah in Alexandria. It did not however take me very long to hit the sack for a good night’s sleep in a comfortable little room overlooking the Med. The next three days were gloriously sunny so I spent them by the Sheraton pool.
On Monday I left the hotel at 1pm and embarked Discovery, after a struggle with the Port Authorities, at 1.45pm. The first person I see is the Captain! Michael and I had a quick chat and then I went on to unpack and sort myself out. On Tuesday have a late breakfast – most people have gone on tours – see Michael and wife, Wendy, to say Good Morning; spend the morning in the sunshine and then have lunch with them, and then back to the sunshine for the rest of the day. The following day was a quiet day at sea in glorious sunshine, and in the evening we had the formal evening and I was on the Captain’s Table. I went to the reception and met up with some old Minerva friends, which was great. Then I went to meet up with other guests at the Captain’s Table and found more friends. I was luckily seated on Michael’s left so we had a very good chat all evening. After dinner a few of u
s went on for a nightcap before the bars closed for four days…. as we approached Libya.
Very early on Wednesday morning we arrived in Benghazi, Libya. Having been before I stayed on board all day. Met up with Michael and Wendy for breakfast, but otherwise I just lay in the glorious sunshine all day. In the evening some old Minerva friends came to my cabin for drinks before we all went to the Yacht Club restaurant for dinner. A lovely evening! The next day we were still in Benghazi so I spent it on deck in the rather sandy hazy sunshine! We left Benghazi at 1.20pm and sailed for Al Khums, where we eventually arrived the next morning at 9am – a sleepy pilot was very late reaching us! Then the authorities caused havoc so we were not allowed to disembark until well after 10am. It was such chaos that I decided to spend the morning on the ship in the sunshine and in the afternoon went ashore to see the incredible site of Leptis Magna – a wonderful afternoon wondering around this amazing place. In the evening after dinner I went to the Bridge Deck with my dining friends to watch us depart Al Khums. We arrived in Tripoli the next morning at 7.30am – delayed once again by the late and rather difficult pilot. Having been here before I decided to spend the day on board. The sunshine was great but we were pestered by a plague of flies! Having had mosquitoes all the way through Libya and then flies, we were all glad to depart Libya!
I was up bright and early to watch the wonderful approach to Malta and into the Harbour on Monday 5 November. The sun was out and it was pretty spectacular. Soon after we had berthed I went ashore and walked around the town of Valetta for two or three hours. After a quick and early lunch Michael invited me on to the Bridge to watch us sail out of Valetta. Then back to the sunshine for a little while, but a bit cooler on deck now. Very early the next morning we arrived at La Goulette in Tunisia – here I went on a panoramic bus tour of Tunis, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said – I have been before but it was quite a pleasant little tour and jogged my memory! At 2 o’clock we sailed for Almeria in Spain. Spent the afternoon on a rather cool deck but in the sunshine. The following day we were at sea – a quiet day but I did go to a Discovery Club drinks party at lunch time. In the evening it was the farewell party – met quite a few people at the party who I hadn’t seen all cruise!
On Thursday 8 November we arrived in Almeria, Spain, at 8am watching a beautiful sunrise in a clear sky. Spent the morning walking around the town in glorious sunshine, then back to a few hours on the top deck. In the afternoon went on a tour of Cabo de Gata Nature Park, Mojacar, a little white-housed town in the mountains, and then went on a drive through some spectacular desert scenery on the way back to the ship. In the evening I dined with my Minerva friends, the Hewetts, in the Yacht Club which was good fun. Very early on Friday morning I was up on deck to watch us sail into Gibraltar, and by 9am I was in Town doing a bit of retail therapy, then back to the ship to watch us sail for Lisbon soon after midday.
On Saturday 10 November I was up very early to watch us come into Lisbon – a very difficult approach and the Captain has to change the side of his arrival many times because of the strong currents. However we had some wonderful scenes coming in with clear skies and a glorious sunrise. After saying my ‘goodbyes’ to Michael and Wendy I went ashore and met up with my friend Sue Sheridan, and we spent the day ‘doing’ Lisbon. Open top bus, sardine lunch, delicious white wines, and finally a walk up to the cathedral and the castle. In the evening we went to a lousy restaurant which was a shame.
On Sunday Sue and I took the train to Sintra and had a wonderful day walking for hours and hours visiting palaces and castles! We met an amusing couple of ‘gays’ on the train who we kept bumping into! Then found ourselves at the same restaurant at lunchtime, where we had an excellent lunch. When our bill came in we found these fun guys had paid our wine bill for us! We returned back to the hotel around 6pm after a lovely day. In the evening went out for a quiet Italian dinner. The following morning we walked around Bairro Alto and stopped for a glass of wine or two in the glorious sunshine. After checking out of our hotel we took ourselves to lunch at the top of the hotel, which was excellent and then made our way to the airport for our rather delayed flight home.
A wonderful holiday!
On Monday I left the hotel at 1pm and embarked Discovery, after a struggle with the Port Authorities, at 1.45pm. The first person I see is the Captain! Michael and I had a quick chat and then I went on to unpack and sort myself out. On Tuesday have a late breakfast – most people have gone on tours – see Michael and wife, Wendy, to say Good Morning; spend the morning in the sunshine and then have lunch with them, and then back to the sunshine for the rest of the day. The following day was a quiet day at sea in glorious sunshine, and in the evening we had the formal evening and I was on the Captain’s Table. I went to the reception and met up with some old Minerva friends, which was great. Then I went to meet up with other guests at the Captain’s Table and found more friends. I was luckily seated on Michael’s left so we had a very good chat all evening. After dinner a few of u
s went on for a nightcap before the bars closed for four days…. as we approached Libya.Very early on Wednesday morning we arrived in Benghazi, Libya. Having been before I stayed on board all day. Met up with Michael and Wendy for breakfast, but otherwise I just lay in the glorious sunshine all day. In the evening some old Minerva friends came to my cabin for drinks before we all went to the Yacht Club restaurant for dinner. A lovely evening! The next day we were still in Benghazi so I spent it on deck in the rather sandy hazy sunshine! We left Benghazi at 1.20pm and sailed for Al Khums, where we eventually arrived the next morning at 9am – a sleepy pilot was very late reaching us! Then the authorities caused havoc so we were not allowed to disembark until well after 10am. It was such chaos that I decided to spend the morning on the ship in the sunshine and in the afternoon went ashore to see the incredible site of Leptis Magna – a wonderful afternoon wondering around this amazing place. In the evening after dinner I went to the Bridge Deck with my dining friends to watch us depart Al Khums. We arrived in Tripoli the next morning at 7.30am – delayed once again by the late and rather difficult pilot. Having been here before I decided to spend the day on board. The sunshine was great but we were pestered by a plague of flies! Having had mosquitoes all the way through Libya and then flies, we were all glad to depart Libya!
I was up bright and early to watch the wonderful approach to Malta and into the Harbour on Monday 5 November. The sun was out and it was pretty spectacular. Soon after we had berthed I went ashore and walked around the town of Valetta for two or three hours. After a quick and early lunch Michael invited me on to the Bridge to watch us sail out of Valetta. Then back to the sunshine for a little while, but a bit cooler on deck now. Very early the next morning we arrived at La Goulette in Tunisia – here I went on a panoramic bus tour of Tunis, Carthage and Sidi Bou Said – I have been before but it was quite a pleasant little tour and jogged my memory! At 2 o’clock we sailed for Almeria in Spain. Spent the afternoon on a rather cool deck but in the sunshine. The following day we were at sea – a quiet day but I did go to a Discovery Club drinks party at lunch time. In the evening it was the farewell party – met quite a few people at the party who I hadn’t seen all cruise!
On Thursday 8 November we arrived in Almeria, Spain, at 8am watching a beautiful sunrise in a clear sky. Spent the morning walking around the town in glorious sunshine, then back to a few hours on the top deck. In the afternoon went on a tour of Cabo de Gata Nature Park, Mojacar, a little white-housed town in the mountains, and then went on a drive through some spectacular desert scenery on the way back to the ship. In the evening I dined with my Minerva friends, the Hewetts, in the Yacht Club which was good fun. Very early on Friday morning I was up on deck to watch us sail into Gibraltar, and by 9am I was in Town doing a bit of retail therapy, then back to the ship to watch us sail for Lisbon soon after midday.
On Saturday 10 November I was up very early to watch us come into Lisbon – a very difficult approach and the Captain has to change the side of his arrival many times because of the strong currents. However we had some wonderful scenes coming in with clear skies and a glorious sunrise. After saying my ‘goodbyes’ to Michael and Wendy I went ashore and met up with my friend Sue Sheridan, and we spent the day ‘doing’ Lisbon. Open top bus, sardine lunch, delicious white wines, and finally a walk up to the cathedral and the castle. In the evening we went to a lousy restaurant which was a shame.
On Sunday Sue and I took the train to Sintra and had a wonderful day walking for hours and hours visiting palaces and castles! We met an amusing couple of ‘gays’ on the train who we kept bumping into! Then found ourselves at the same restaurant at lunchtime, where we had an excellent lunch. When our bill came in we found these fun guys had paid our wine bill for us! We returned back to the hotel around 6pm after a lovely day. In the evening went out for a quiet Italian dinner. The following morning we walked around Bairro Alto and stopped for a glass of wine or two in the glorious sunshine. After checking out of our hotel we took ourselves to lunch at the top of the hotel, which was excellent and then made our way to the airport for our rather delayed flight home.
A wonderful holiday!
posted by Anne Bullen | 8:51 AM
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