Postcard from Minerva in Greece and the Black Sea, September-October 2009

I left home at 4.45am and then eventually took off for Athens at 8.30am. A good flight and nice companions, and was actually in my cabin by 4.30 Greek time. I was greeted by a bottle of wine from a member of the Swan team and a bottle of champagne from a friend who was on the previous cruise. After the safety drill went for a walk around the ship, bumped into Captain Giovanni and put the world to rights over a drink for an hour or so! We were slightly delayed sailing from Athens – late delay of last passengers – so had a quick dinner and then watched us sail before retiring to bed with a whisky!

At 7.30 on Sunday morning the thrusters were deployed which got me out of bed so got up to watch the Captain bring us into Nauplia on a fine but slightly cloudy morning. Spent the morning on the top deck until it started to rain, then went down to watch us leave. Giovanni signalled for me to watch from the Bridge as I was getting rather wet, so had some fun on the Bridge for a while. In the evening it was the Singles party and afterwards I dined with Hugh, the Cruise Director, and two other lady friends of Hugh, followed by quite a few nightcaps! The following morning we were at anchor off Skyros, so I tendered ashore and we were then bused to little Skyros Town, 20 minutes away. After a couple of hours of walking the Town, I got a text message from Giovanni to say he was coming ashore for lunch. Once he arrived we searched the little town for a restaurant serving lunch, but nothing, so we bussed back to the Port and found a delightful little restaurant and there we sat in the glorious sunshine had a wonderful fish lunch with some excellent Greek wine! Later that afternoon we sailed for Volos. In the evening it was the Captain’s Welcome party, and of course I was not only on the Captain’s table but also sat beside him. Had a really excellent evening!

By 8am on Tuesday we had berthed in Volos and at 8.30 I was on my way to get on the little train that takes you up Mount Pelion. It was a really wonderful journey with great views. After a short walk around Milies at the top, we were driven back to the ship, where I spent the afternoon on the top deck in the sunshine. We sailed out of Volos at 8pm and eventually arrived the next morning in Canakkale, Turkey, around 12.30pm. The Captain had a very difficult time berthing us with strong winds and strong currents. It was a masterful piece of seamanship. I decided not to go ashore having been twice before and spent the afternoon relaxing on the top deck. In the evening we sailed for Nessebur in Bulgaria and then I met up with my friends Harry and Jeanne Massey for drinks. We then went into dinner together and I found myself next to an old school friend who had recognised me! After a good dinner table, Harry, Jeanne and I went upstairs for a nightcap and the Captain joined us for a short time while we were there.

On the morning of Thursday 24th we cruised along the Bosphorus in beautiful if windy weather and past Istanbul with some beautiful views of the city and from there we cruised into the Black Sea and passed a pod of dolphins on the way! The wind then died down quite a bit and I was able to spend the whole day on the top deck! In the evening we sailed into Nessebur – a very tricky port to get into but our capable Captain brought us in through the swell. Later he and I went out for a fun dinner in Nessebur! The following morning I took an excursion up to the Balkans to a little town called Eketch seeing how they live up there which was fascinating. On arrival back at Nessebur I walked around the old town for 20 minutes before returning to the ship and the top deck for the afternoon. We sailed at 6.30 that evening for Odessa. Had a good table at dinner and had a good many nightcaps afterwards.

I spent most of Saturday 27th on the top deck enjoying the sunshine. The temperature went down occasionally but it was overall a lovely day. Watched us sail into Odessa at 5.30 and at 6.30 I was off to the Opera House to watch a delightful performance of Giselle. Once back on the ship around 9.30, it was supper and then a reasonably early night. In the morning I went on a walking tour of Odessa in glorious sunshine. There was a bit too much ‘talk’ and not enough ‘walk’! The afternoon was spent on the top deck! In the evening it was the Crew Show – a slightly updated version for me, so I went along, and it was very good indeed. Even Captain Giovanni appeared insisting that the Captain’s band would be playing – he played about one ‘ting’ on the Triangle! A good fun evening!

On Monday morning we sailed into Sevastopol at 8am and I went on an excursion to Bakhchisarai Palace and Assumption Monastery. Discovered I had been there before! However they are very peaceful places and it was a lovely trip under cloudless skies. In the afternoon it was back to the top deck! In the evening we had the Black Sea Fleet Ensemble entertain us for a while and then I watched us depart at 11pm, followed by a few nightcaps. We arrived in Yalta the next morning at 8 o’clock and I went off on the ‘Tsar’s Walk’ which took us on a lovely walk under cloudless skies from St Mikhail’s Church to the Livadia Palace. Once again the afternoon was spent on the top deck – although sunny it was getting cooler! That evening I met up with Hugh’s two friends, Marion and Jane. We had drinks in my cabin and then had a fun dinner together, followed by a few nightcaps!

On Wednesday 30th September I was up and about reasonably early to watch our approach to Kerch in Ukraine. It was a difficult approach - we were almost slaloming through the red and green buoys! The water around was very shallow and Captain Giovanni was very worried that we might not make it – but we did! The band was there to greet us and Giovanni was up to his old tricks – he went out on to the quay with his ‘Triangle’ and joined the band! Later that day I took a short excursion around Kerch, but there was not that much to see, and we had our first rainfall of the cruise, so it was not much fun walking around in the rain! So back to the ship fairly quickly! Had another good table at dinner followed by a few nightcaps!

Thursday was spent at sea. The weather was reasonable so I spent most of the day on the top deck even though it was a little cool. At noon I went to drinks with my friends, Ronald and Lynn, in their suite and then back to the top deck! In the evening it was the Farewell Party – I had a entered a quiz to guess the name of the place on the same Longitude and Latitude, and got it right. Only two of us got it right so we each got a bottle of champagne presented at the party. I then joined Paul Cranny [Swan] for a good dinner table, of course followed by a few nightcaps!

Was woken up at 5am as we arriving at Istanbul so went up to watch us arrive, and then went back to bed. It was a beautiful sunny day so spent the whole day on the top deck. Giovanni sent me a text towards the end of the day, so visited him in his cabin to give him some of my better photos. We then had a coffee together on the Bridge before he set off for a night on the tiles with some colleagues from another ship who were in Port. I had a quiet dinner and packed up and had a fairly early night.

I spent the final morning on the top deck – the weather wasn’t brilliant but it was dry and it was good to relax until 4.30pm when it was time to depart the ship. Goodbye to Giovanni at the bottom of the gangway and then left for a very long night. Our flight was very delayed and I eventually got home at 1am, which was 3am my time. Except for the two charter flights it was a wonderful holiday.