We had a really great cruise and loved the Oriana. We crossed the Bay of Biscay in a Force 12 and hid the end of a tropical storm in the Med – but it was generally warm and pleasant at the various ports, and we could wear summer clothes. Cairo was very hot with a smog over the city – 18 million people and 16 million live on subsidised bread and beans. We were of course pestered a bit but there was no aggro – I liked the lively, cheeky people! The Pyramids and Sphinx were great – on the Giza plain above smoggy smelly Cairo.
We also visited archaeological sites in Greece and Turkey, and Sardinia and Spain. Ephesus at Kusadasi was stunning – it must have been a splendid city with it large Temples, Librray, Fountains, enormous Amphitheatre, Stadium, Gymasium (School) etc – nearby is the ruins of the Temple of Artemis (Diana of the Ephesians) like the great Pyramid of Cheops one of the 7 wonders of the ancient world – now just one great Ionian column. We went to great places like classical sites, amphitheatres and crusader castles on Cyprus and Rhodes, and visited Poseidon’s Temple at Sounion near Athens – and loads more stuff. Our cabin was large with separate living section and balcony, and we had wonderful service. The food was great all the time but I did manage to be selective and put on no extra weight. Penny enjoyed the cruise, went to talks and attended a Pilates course each day. It was a shock getting back to winter in Hampshire – but it is actually very beautiful here with our large trees, green hills, sunrises and sunsets – so I am back to granddad duties and the school run – and soon it will be Christmas… we are already thinking about another winter otr autumn cruise perhaps in the Caribean…
