Where has the time flown?

Was hoping to reflect yesterday and today,as both are sea days, on this Christmas 2017 cruise,but have had not a minute to sit down!Until now.Having settled with my little Toshiba I ordered coffee.The waitress brought it saying - sorry,madame,I could not get the payment with your card.Off to the reception I went - there is $48 in my account,but I could not pay for the coffee, you have frozen me out,I said. Cannot be. Yes,it can and it is. After a few buttons were pressed I was assured all was well.I paid the coffee and went to pick up an after shave lotion. My account could not be accessed again. This time not very happy at all I went back to the reception and spoke with the same person.Cannot be,she said. It can and it is.Let me go and speak with the manager to see what the problem is. No,thank you,I would like to close the account now,get the remaining dollars and the matter is finished. To be embarrassed once I could have lived with,mistakes do happen and the machines are not infallible. To be humiliated twice is twice too often. I deposit cash,because I am not happy giving my debit/credit card details to any-one.I am a platinum customer. I know the routine.I keep my account healthy.Cunard, you should keep your system in decent working order so that unpleasant mistakes like this do not happen.

I have just realized that before today's entry the last time I wrote was a week ago.

Where has the time gone? We left Southampton on Sunday 17th December.Every day on board of the beautifully refurbished Queen Victoria has been absolutely wonderful.The next two days will be sea days and I will have time to reflect. We have now docked alongside the Transatlantic peer,our safe heaven,ahead of the rain and the high winds.

Boxing day 2017, La Coruna, Spain,

as I write am sitting in the most beautiful part of the Queen Victoria, The Library.There is no Library like that at sea.Thank you,Cunard.The ship has just entered the harbour,in a few minutes it will stop.In front of me the familiar sight of one of the ugliest buildings I have been unfortunate to see in a port,more so because it is in Spain,a cultured and developed country. Outside the smell of urine awaits, so very strong after the rain.On my very first visit here in December 2010 the used condoms and the stench around the shopping centre overpowering after the rain, made me want to puke,go back to my cabin and never set a foot on the Spanish soil again. After every cruise I ask why does not the cruise line insist at least the port is kept spotless for the travellers,but it should not even have to be asked,it should be a town's priority,but the town's management does not appear to have pride in their town,it does not care what the strangers think. It is pouring.We should have docked in La Coruna tomorrow morning, but the expected bad weather at the Atlantic ocean had made the commodore Rynd take the decision to sail at full throttle to avoid the strong winds, even though the stabilisers had been deployed.He said the new arrival time would be 18.00 on Boxing day,or sooner,weather allowing.His strategy has paid off, we have sailed hardly noticing the gradually increasing winds and docked smoothly four hours ahead of the new projected time..Commodore Rynd is the master of his craft.

When the taxi dropped me off at my house on 14th December,

I was very happy to see,that my house-sitter did me proud in my absence and had kept the front spick and span,the flower pots watered,just as he had been instructed to do.He took care of the mail,fed the garden residents. Yes,I had a house-sitter,45 nights away without someone keeping an eye on everything would have been irresponsible.I always leave security lights on in my absence,even now the lamps were timed,candles that are battery powered switched on, have learnt every trick under the sun to keep the crooks at bay.Still.Robert is reliable and I was able to leave the boiler on to keep the rooms warm.He was happy to have a lovely break at my home,I was happy to be away and have peace of mind. The mail was piled up in the hallway,I stopped counting the letters when it came to 50.I had just over 2 days to deal with them,pay all bills,check the house as only I can,mainly the roof that no water drainage is blocked with fallen leaves,prepare more food for the inhabitants of the garden,do shopping,cook,unpack,do the laundry,iron.And pack again for the 17 December 12 nights cruise to Canary Islands.And I have done it all.I am writing this seated in the Library of the magnificent Queen Victoria,beautiful,luxurious, warm,cosy,splendidly decked out in the most elegant Christmassy attire, in every corner a shining tree,the banisters dressed to the nines. I dine in the Britannia Club restaurant,knowing the ship would be fully booked for Christmas and wanting to be sure a small table would be there for me only, had decided to stay in a higher class cabin.Is it worth it? I really do not yet know other than I do have a table to myself.And I love every single moment of it,of the five star unadulterated luxury and am not ashamed to admit it. Columbus? Never again !

We were tossed about like lettuce in a bowl

once were were in the open waters after leaving Lisbon. In no time the winds were ferocious.An announcement was made the lifts,bar one for the disabled, were being put out of of action and consequently no hot dinner was going to be provided,only cold Swedish style tables in the Waterfront restaurant.The meagre entertainment was also cancelled or modified.At 18.30 the queue in front of the "Swedish tables" was massive.At 20.30 I joined in.What I saw was unpalatable squares of hard cheese, 3 variations of spam, dishevelled sandwiches I would not feed to a dog,white bread coleslaw sandwiches made even strong men weep,salads I could not stomach,two types of a chocolate cake looking sorry to be on the table.No tea or coffee station.No decent fruit.No bread at all.I asked for some.Grudgingly two white rolls were placed on a plate and handed to me. I said-you touched them with your bare hands, I am not eating it. The next morning breakfast was just as bad,but there were some corn-flakes and fruit,also sliced red melon,every-one's favourite and the moment a tray was placed on the table,the fruit disappeared.But there was some cheese I like and sliced bread I like.I took the plateful to my cabin and made some tea.The lunch.What can I say about the lunch that could distinguish it from the previous breakfast and dinner. It was just as awful.The lifts still not operating.The TV signal we lost on 13,or was it 12 November, still out. And the wi-fi system? Well, as intermittent as ever.Intermittent implies working one minute,not working the next.This was a completely different kettle of intermittent.Not working for days and then after an hour or two hours of trying to login, working intermittently for a while and when trying to logout not working at all and you lose precious expensive good half an hour, if not longer just to end the damn session.The nightmare of it all.Wishing you were anywhere,ANYWHERE, but. Then an announcement was made that we were going to have hot dinner,most of the lifts were usable again and some evening entertainment would take place in the Palladium theatre. I asked several members of staff if the ship had stabilisers.No-one knew for sure, one person said it must have, one was adamant it did not.In my opinion Columbus does not have them.In my opinion it is absolutely criminal that it is not compulsory for a ship crossing the Atlantic with a certain number of human beings on board, to have the stabilisers attached.The Atlantic ocean is the most savage,the most dangerous ocean on earth. When it comes to my safety,my well-being,all bets are off.

Yes,little did I know that much.much worse was to follow,

when I was caught in the mother of all downpours on the way to the ship from the city of Lisbon. The rain continued with greater and greater ferocity without respite and as the ship was leaving the port,the captain warned of the wind picking up a little once we were in the open waters.The little turned out to be quite a lot,but I will come to that. Captain's prediction reminds me now of the BBC weather forecast made by Michael Fish on 15 October 1987.A listener phoned in asking about the impending gale winds.Michael said there was nothing to worry about,no gale winds coming..No gale winds turned into a hurricane the country had not forgotten for years to come.As I will never forget the "wind picking up" when sailing on Columbus.The Atlantic ocean can be ferocious and vicious.What is incomprehensible to me is, that a ship sails across the most dangerous of all oceans with the most precious cargo - human beings - without being fitted out with stabilisers.We were tossed about like lettuce in a bowl.

Well,hurrah,I got the blogger page without trying for an hour,giving up,trying again

and giving up again! But then the British mainland is not far and even Columbus must come up trumps sooner or later,I only wish it has been sooner.For no ship has promised so much and delivered so little. Am sitting in the atrium of the ship, TWO FOR YOU giving their all to just a few passengers.Where is everybody?Was expecting the floor awash with jiving bodies.Nothing.The lady singer,a slip of a girl,my goodness,they are all so young,has a shrieking voice,but holds the tune very well and I like listening to her.Her singing partner,much older,plays the instrument,whatever it is and sings,not so well, but well enough-"Love is in the air" at the moment.She has gone to "Stupid cupid" and this is when her shrieking comes to its own.

The glory days of Lisbon,

in my humble opinion,have not been surpassed since the city's Golden Age,when during the reign of King Manuel [1495-1521],the city thrived beyond belief thanks to Portugal's navigator Vasco Da Gama,who discovered the sea route around the Cape of Good Hope to India and east Africa, and Portugal had it made,colonised large chunks of America,Asia,Africa and became one of the biggest sea -faring empires of all time. The Tower of Belem was built as a lighthouse and fortress to protect the city.The Portugal's most important historical monument, Mosteiro Dos Jeronimos was constructed, the opulence of which cannot be equalled in the whole of the country.The cloistered garden surrounding the monastery is quite enchanting.In 1755 a disaster struck,an earthquake and a fire destroyed most of Lisbon and since then the good old days have never returned. In 1902 Mr Eiffel [yes,that Mr Eiffel] built Santa Justa Elevator,that takes you to the very top of the city, from where the view is magnificent. Lisbon has the longest bridge in Europe,The Vasco Da Gama bridge,17km in length.It also has the longest suspension bridge,Ponte 25 De Abril [ 25th of April Bridge ],2.4km long. Since I was in Lisbon last a money-changing shop has opened on Rua Augusta, No 293,if I remember correctly,in the hub of a tourist area.But do not go here if you want money changed on the day.The two dumcocks behind the counter have no idea what they are doing.And God knows I was watching them and listening to them for 17 long minutes serving one single customer.[I walked out without having any money changed.]But then Rome was not built in a day. On the way back to the ship I was caught in he mother of all downpours.Bad as it was then, little did I know that much,much worse was to follow.

We are sailing all day today,

woke up at 8,but there was nothing in the daily programme to entice me to take a part,so stayed in bed until 11.Did not go to have breakfast,either.My massive comfortable bed is facing a massive window,must be good 3 x 3 m. I have no sun on my side sailing back to England,but it really does not matter,the view whatever the weather is magnificent.The never ending expanse of water,first slightly blue on the horizon,then it merges with the grey and becomes one big rippling blanket,waves jumping up and down,chasing each other playfully as if to say - catch me if you can- and they never can.Times like these I miss my husband the most,I miss sharing the beauty around me,the moments that make life so precious.And suddenly it was 11.And I got up and got ready for lunch proceeded by a brisk walk on the 14th floor.The fellow travellers soaking up the not very strong rays of the sun,some stripped to the waist,one or two in swimming trunks. What I like in every ship's daily newsletter are the snippets of information.Madeira means in Portuguese "timber",Funchal is "fennel".When two Portuguese navigators Zarco and Teixeira discovered Madeira in 1419, it was covered by timber and fennel.Now it is covered by flowers.Madeira the beautiful.

When Columbus was crawling into its Madeira berth yesterday morning,

the island was basking in the most glorious sunshine.I did not dilly dally once the ship was cleared by customs and set out on the loveliest of walks to town,I have never timed the walk, the ship's daily newspaper suggested 25 minutes and 25 it may well be. I wanted coffee,good coffee and knew where to get it, then the shoe shop and the clothes shop,and if time allows, Oriflame cosmetics.Well, we have a saying in Slovakia - clovek mieni,pan Boh meni- one can plan,but God has his own ideas!I took a short side street Rua Dos Murcas and came across an immaculate little coffee shop called Bonjour Cafe,empty at the time, with the nicest of staff,and they make the best coffee in Funchal with milk that smells like milk and tastes like milk,and a delicious hot sweet cheese pastry and freshly squeezed orange juice [ I had two glasses].Fortified I continued on my travels.Eureka shop had exactly what I wanted in the shoe department,the most comfortable nude coloured sandals half price, ankle lace up boots for day,black but with red sole and white heel,utterly lovely,and ankle blue kind of velvety suede boots for the evening,low heel,pointed toe,stylish,elegant.The clothes shop had nothing to make me jump with joy except some very expensive though most unusual long designer necklaces,the one I liked the most was 96 euros, but I resisted,when I return to Funchal on 21st December,it may be on sale.Have I mentioned that I am spending Christmas on board of the Queen Victoria,leaving Southampton 17th December for 12 nights?Yes, I will have just two days to get ready,as we are docking in Tilbury,England on the morning of the 14th December.

I do not like cooked chocolate,

I order a chocolate cake when I long for something sweet-and I do have moments like that-and there is nothing else on the menu that entices me.Like tonight at dinner.As a last resort I settled for a Swedish chocolate cake,as there was nothing else whatsoever I fancied.It was individually baked, plonked in some light coloured sauce with a bit of dark coloured sauce dripping from the top.Not with great joy I took a bite and was in heaven.It can't be.I do not like chocolate cakes, I do not eat them,only in an emergency.And here is a chocolate masterpiece,the best cake I have had on Columbus! No point me praising it to the nines in front of the waiters,they will never get the message that I would like another one! Unlike on The Independence of The Seas or on P&O Oceana! So have looked up "Swedish chocolate cake" on the internet and have come up with KLADDKAKA. Well, KLADDKAKA, you are going to be baked in my family,not by me, but you are going to be baked

Mr Trump has formally recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel

and plans to move the American Embassy there from Tel Aviv. Why now? Why at present, when there is so much turmoil in the world?More protests in the Gaza strip will follow,more violence,more deaths. Haven't enough young men died on both sides? And for what? Still no peace in the Middle East. Still no acceptance either by the Jews or the Arabs of the other side's right to life,to existence.If only in 1967 Israel had been magnanimous and made peace. What Israel did in the Six Way war was a masterstroke.Never had so few done so much for their country as the Israeli soldiers did, massively outnumbered by the Egyptian army,Jordan,Syria,they fought like tigers and were so gloriously victorious,they captured Sinai Peninsula,West Bank,Golan Heights,Gaza Strip and the Old City of Jerusalem.Israel had the trump card in their hands,but it never played it to their advantage politically and never has an opportunity like that returned.Great error of judgement on the part of Israel then,great error of judgement on your part now, Mr Trump.

That was the night that was,

the mother of all nights.It rained all day yesterday,the wind slowly picking up and at about 11 at night it showed just what fun and games it can have with a ship the size of Columbus.Mercilessly tossed us about as if we were just a plaything in a bath-tub. It was not possible to sleep.I have a supply of Slovakian magazines PLUS 7 DNI,[ PLUS 7 DAYS ],excellent,they are as merciless with the greedy politicians or the stars who get too big for their boot or any-one else in the public life who behaves inappropriately,as the wind can be with anything in its way.But the hurricane is indiscriminate,the ocean can be cruel,whereas the magazine is just and fair,I particularly like the page written by Nancy Zavodska. Simple,plain,clear, to the point.At 2 in the morning there was an almighty crash,bang wallop above,something must have got loose,probably a deck-chair.Not that it woke me,I could not sleep until about 5-6 anyway.Oh, how I missed the TV then! Yes, in this day and age a cruise ship is not able to provide a working TV.And the internet signal is just as bad, I have to come to the atrium to get some kind of a connection.But it is such a nightmare!Often I cannot log in, and just as often I cannot log out,paying for precious very expensive minutes I am not able to use. It is now 15.15 on Thursday 7 December,the wind is still strong.In the atrium,where I am sitting,people are flying paper airplanes to see who can make the best one.

Who is the woman behind you,do you know anything about her?

The woman "behind" was myself,the question was asked a couple sitting at the table next to me, by a woman sitting with three other people at a table kind of across,they often walk over to each other during dinner.Half the dining room must have heard.I do not know what the answer was.I was sitting there in disbelief.For four weeks I have been watching the escapades of the curious one,how she eats with her elbows on the table, never lets the knife out of her hand,keeps it in the air,as if attached to it,she burps,picks her teeth and having seen it once,God knows it was not a pretty sight, I try not to look in her direction now,but I could not help noticing her husband and herself looking at me all evening, evidently talking about me and then she comes over to her friend and asks if she knows who I am! Well,I am someone who would much rather sit by herself than share a table with an uncouth idiot like you,I was sorely tempted to say to her. But of course I did not.In the olden days she may have been called the salt of the earth,I call her a slob, but I do not purposely hurt feelings of others whatever my opinion of them may be. How wonderful,however, I do not have to spend the evenings in the company of people like her. And what an evening this is turning out to be, the rain and the wind,the wind and the rain.The ship is just a plaything in the hands of the elements.It was much,much worse when I was on my very first cruise on the Independence of the Seas on 29 November 2010,8 months after my husband passed away,but I found it all so soothing,so calming and slept so well for the fist time in months.

Hurraaaah!

As I write the captain has announced the best,absolutely the best news to almost end the cruise.Due to very unfavourable weather conditions we are not going to be able to dock on Horta,Azores,on the 8th,but would be docking in Funchal,Madeira,on the 9th. Wonderful,love Madeira, there are three shops there waiting for me,a shoe shop, a clothes shop and an Oriflame shop [Scandinavian cosmetics]. Cannot wait. Hurrah,hurrah,hurrah! Rain [and it is coming down cats and dogs],wind [ and it is blowing,oh la la ] I love you!!!

What is "NEW" about COLUMBUS other than that it is new to the fleet?

Nothing on the balcony is new.No bathroom furniture is new. "Recently renovated,CMV's flagship is ready to take you to all four corners of the world" says the ship's propaganda.Something must have been done to warrant this claim,but for the life of me I cannot see what it is. The vessel is medium sized.It has 775 cabins of which 150 are single for solo travellers,28 are deluxe balcony cabins and 36 Junior balcony suites.I have originally,in June 2016,booked a deluxe cabin,thinking as it was going to be a "new" ship with so very few deluxe cabins with a balcony,they will sell like hot cakes.They have not.I had been upgraded to a Junior Suite.Heinz booked his Junior Suite two weeks before sailing.I do not dare to ask how much he got the suite for,probably much.much less than I paid for the deluxe cabin.One thing I know.Never ever am I going to book a cruise so far ahead.Never.Last minute buys are the best. So I am in a Junior Suite.It is on the 11th floor.When the ship was originally built in 1988 it was probably a good idea to have the best,most expensive units at the top.But a lot of water has flown under the bridge since then,the Star Princess, as the ship was originally called, having been constructed for the Princess Cruises,has changed hands several times,various alterations have been made to it,things taken away,things added.The structure has changed.Now sleeping in the suite 11140,unless you are hard of hearing,is a nightmare.The infernal sighs, moans,groans,the irritating never ending crackling sounds coming from the ceiling,from all around.The first two weeks I did not get a decent night's sleep,I was ready to climb the crackling walls and knew if I did not get used to it soon,I would either jump the ship or go doolalah.In Ponta Delgada, when stationary, I slept like a baby!The suite is under the swimming pool area and all that it entails.I do not mind the noise in the daytime,but when it gets dark and I want to relax and have the internal noises to cope with, the external racket begins.Crash,bang,wallop. And I want to screaaaaam!The ceiling itself is lovely,probably the nicest ceiling I can remember on a ship,a lot of thought had gone into the work,nice,neat.No dripping from the ventilation on the bed, as there has been on one or two other vessels, making one worry about the Legionnaire's disease.But why,oh why did they not think about what they were putting above the ceiling when "renovating" Columbus? Are there water supply pipes, sewage drainage and the drainage from the swimming pool, does it house loose electricity cables? What is it up there that is making my life hell? And not just mine.Heinz has non-stop noises just above his bed,two similar noises following one another in perpetual motion. The imitation mahogany furniture must have been beautiful when installed and it must have cost a pretty dollar.But almost half a century later with the shine,the gloss gone, it is old,ugly,scruffy,stained and nowhere is it more obvious than on the worn out doors to the safe.The bed is large and comfortable[in fact two beds pushed together],pillows not so much,but sleepable.And it faces the window!That is the most wonderful thing about the cabin.Going to sleep with the view of the never ending sea, waking up to the beauty of it.There is a large sofa,a comfortable armchair with a stool, a round wooden table.The TV set is far too small for the large cabin,there is a dvd player,two large mirrors, nice pictures on the walls.Hair dryer is awkward to use, the small coffee and tea station enable one to make beverages to enjoy on the balcony,and I do.

Is there anything new about the bathroom in the suite 11140 of Columbus?

There was the most beautiful bathroom installed in this suite in 1988 for Princess Cruises.The ship was then called Star Princess.And the star of the whole fleet it must have been,a pretty buck had been spent so well, that the very substantial and perfectly made furniture has lasted 40 years and will probably outlive all other Cruise and Maritime bathroom fittings.Yes, the height of fashion almost half a century ago, now outdated,outdated,outdated.Towels plentiful,soft,immaculately white,and they smell nice,rinsed thoroughly.A tub with a plastic screen and a shower head.Water the best I remember on any ship,cold when it is supposed to be cold and hot,very,very hot,when I want it to be hot.The shower is powerful,absolutely wonderful on my neck and back.I can wash and rinse my plentiful hair at any time of day.The bathroom Pure Herbs toiletries are excellent,smell lovely and are in constant supply.I have run out of my regular toothpaste,Dr Organic Tea Tree,have used the tiny tub supplied by the ship, Colgate,mint cavity,it is absolutely lovely,will definitely buy it when at home.As I have brought my own shampoo and conditioner [Australian] and a body lotion [Si,the best ever,smells divine],so have taken a few bottles to give as a thank you to two tourist guides,after all I have paid handsomely for them.There is a toothbrush,a toothpaste,a shaving kit for a man and a few other bits and bobs,all very nice indeed.But can anything be said about a "new" bathroom? Not even if my imagination was stretched to Timbuctoo.

COLUMBUS, JUNIOR SUITE 11140.

Ask any-one what "a new ship"implies and without exception every-one would say - new as opposite of old, clean,neat,well decorated,well presented,simply the best it can be,new furniture,new bathroom fittings, new balcony furniture,new everything,New. But new Columbus is not. THE BALCONY.It is narrow and long,but fits two chairs and a good-size large round metal table comfortably.It has railings,instead of glass and this suits me perfectly,as I can sunbathe in the nude without being reflected in the glass.The blue patterned flooring is old,badly fitted,partly laid in small pieces that rise up,has holes in them and when it rains it takes forever to drain.But the worst thing of all is,that it is absolutely filthy,covered in stains,as are the the two deck-chairs,the most uncomfortable I have ever had on a ship and absolutely not suitable for a Junior Suite,utter disgrace,Cruise and Maritime,utter disgrace. There is rust all around.splashes I cannot tell of what on the white walls. There is absolutely nothing new abut this shabby scruffy balcony.

When I returned from the Aerial Tram tour in St Lucia

I found Kit Kat on my bed with a little note FROM DINCHA. Dincha is my cabin attendant.I asked him - what have I done to deserve this? It is my birthday,today I am 27,he said. But on your birthday you should be getting a present, not giving one! I ran to pick something from the gifts I had bought for my family and friends.I chose a box of Caribbean chocolates filled with rum,made in St Lucia. I could see he was quite touched.He is a nice boy.The staff on Columbus is predominantly Ukrainian.Cruise and Maritime Voyages are very lucky to have them.In the Waterfront restaurant there is a Ukrainian waiter serving in the evenings the tables adjoining mine.Never have I seen any-one work quite like him.He moves with the speed of lightning,sees everything that needs to be done, does everything with efficiency and smile,constantly moving,constantly re-filling the glasses with water,always on the spot when wine needs topping up.He is twice as fast as his co-waiter,who is his superior and five tines as fast as both my waiters.After five weeks on board I can say with clear conscience, that I have the worst restaurant service I have ever had on a cruise.The worst. Columbus has two redeeming features - good food, certainly much better that the often inedible rubbish served on a five star Queen Elizabeth,not always, not every meal, but generally good, and the Ukrainian workers.It still is the worst ship and the worst cruise I have been on,and without the food and the good staff it would be absolutely awful.

My neighbour's wife has quite a commanding voice,

he may have been a colonel in the army,but she is a sergeant major at home.

There is a Sheila on every ship,

a glass in one hand, always a glass in a hand,staggering about,talking loudly.Columbus is no exception.There are at least four Ozzies on board.I met one of them three or so weeks ago when jogging at 6.30 in the morning, tanned,perfect physique,yellow rabbit like teeth,we exchanged pleasantries.Another was ironing his shirt in the launderette the other day,we chattered about everything and nothing.If the men get drunk,they know how to hold their liquor. It is the Waltzing Matildas,who are the problem.When I got to the top deck this morning at 9.30,she was already sprawled out on a double sofa,shaded from the sun by a canopy, an empty glass on the side table.It was not a pretty sight.Then she started snoring quite loudly,but I had already pulled out a heavy deck-chair,prepared it for lying down and was not going do it again.She had to wake up sooner or later.Three workers came to paint the railings.They are obsessed with the railings on Columbus.If only they paid as much attention to stained arm-chairs in the Palladium theatre or in the self-service restaurant, or to anything else on the ship,God knows,it needs it.The workers were very loud,completely disregarding the presence of the passengers.I caught the eye of the most eloquent one, smiled, pointed to the sleeping beauty,as I felt sorry for her and she seemed familiar, put my finger to my lips and said shhhh. But too late, Sheila was already up,she lifted herself with great difficulty,staggered towards me and said, hey,primadonna,don't shhsh me,if you do not like it here,go somewhere else.I rarely argue and I never argue with a drunk.Hey,I am talking to you,she continued even louder.I did not respond.She was swaying and looking at me.She returned the sofa muttering - stupid cow, you think you are better than me, you fucking English stupid cow.She dropped heavily on the sofa and soon was snoring again.I gathered my belongings and moved as far away as I could.An hour or so later a man joined the sleeping Matilda.It was my jogging companion.Yes, the Ozzies are lovely people when they do not drink.

It was to be the mother of all parties,

saying good-bye to the Caribbean.The plan was to hold it by the pool from 22.15 until midnight,but strong winds and possible rain put paid to that and the do was moved to the Atrium.When I got there just after 9.30,my usual time to leave the dinner table,the music was at full blast,my favourite singer giving it her best,dancers swaying on the the dance floor,among them a very obviously drunk couple, he barely able to stay straight,leaning at her, touching her sexually, quite unpleasant,she laughing like a fool who had just seen a naked bottom,as my mother would say, propping him up.Both young,both large in size.There was the cruise director a couple of feet from them, numerous waiters, officers and other ship's personnel all looking at them, all taking about them all,all laughing at them.But this was not a laughing matter.Many times it looked that they were going to fall down injuring themselves or other passengers.Why were they served drinks when they were so obviously legless? Where was the ship's security who should have politely but firmly removed them from the Atrium and take them to their cabin to sleep it off.Is Cruise and Maritime fit to run a cruise line? Since posting this piece I looked up what there is in the ship's manual about the passengers inappropriate behaviour and getting inebriated. Nothing. Britannia,a P & O vessel, deals with drunks and those, who put the passengers and the ship in danger, mercilessly,and that is the way it should be on every ship. Safety and well-being of passengers must be a priority above all else.

The Aerial Tram Tour on the island of St Lucia was my second choice,

What I wanted was an Adrenaline Zip Line Adventure,but as I was the only one,yes,out of the well over a thousand people on Columbus, there was no-one else wanting to do it,it could not take place and it had to be the Aerial Tram tour for me.Sixteen of us were up for it and a very nice comfortable bus,identical to the one in Costa Rica, came to pick us up.The driver was competent,too,unlike the Tobago nightmare. I was on St Lucia several years ago, cruising on the Queen Elizabeth.I did not take a tour then as heavy rain was forecast,but I went for a very long walk.I liked very much what I saw,the terminal clean with numerous shops and small restaurants.Castries,the capital,has the most enviable position - it is set in a bay,the setting is glorious and that is what I remembered the most,the utterly exquisite picture postcard views of the ships and the whole of the harbour from the other side of the bay. The drive to The Aerial Tram took us in a totally different direction.An effort had been made to keep the sides of the roads shrub and grass free.Posh,large cars stationary outside dirty,crumbling shacks,men washing their pride and joy whilst the courtyards were overflowing with refuse of every kind.Shabby,scruffy deserted settlements.People leave in search of work, of a better life and never come back.No-one to take care of what once was a hearth and a home.Suddenly several colourful buildings,neat,tidy,clothes flowing on a wash line,flowers in the front little garden,just a tiny patch,at the back a forest,spectacular,never ending forest. We pass The Baronneau Police Station and then we stop, the road undriveable,massive holes,we move at a snail's pace.The bus driver shows his mettle.New structures next to fallen down shacks,no effort taken to clear out the remnants of life that once was.Rum,rum,rum sold everywhere,opium of the poor.Men barely on their feet leaning against counters, against walls,sitting on the ground.And more shacks with signs of life,then a beautiful house on stilts.two cars in the forecourt,a small boat.Round the corner a banana plantation with a rich owners's ostentatious house and the poor workers little sheds.More deserted villages.The neglect,the poverty omnipresent.And so much greenery,one large forest.And we have arrived.Calabash.The Sky Rides Base is situated at 2000 ft [609 m] above sea level in the Ecological Park of St Lucia's Forest Reserve.Open air gondolas seat 8 plus a naturalist guide.We see hummingbirds but no bananaquits.We take photos of majestic gommiers,towering chatanniers,the strangler ficus that will soon kill the host tree it is wrapping itself around.There are giant ferns and heliconias,and magnolia trees, centuries old trees.The wonder of it all. I took a photograph of a dragon's blood tree.[ Rodial make cosmetics from the sap of the tree.I must try it when I return home.] The tram ride ends too soon.I leave humbled by the magnificence of nature,The Aerial Tram tour was my second choice,but I am so glad I went.

Today at 7 in the morning we docked in Bridgetown,the capital of Barbados.

Barbados was a British colony until 1966.Walking around Bridgetown,if it was not for the scorching temperatures of 30 plus, you would think you are in a humpty-dumpty of a town in England.I was here four or was it five years ago on the Queen Elizabeth,walked to town from the terminal,came across the most wonderful little shop full of hand painted blouses.I was rather apprehensive then that washing the blouse would be a palava, and even though I liked a few,bought just one.It washed like dream and I knew that when in Barbados again, my first stop would be to this little boutique.Today was the day. The strange thing happened to me as I left the terminal and set out on the mile or so long walk.A taxi driver looked at me and said - you will not be getting a taxi.Puzzled I asked - why do you think so, do I look so poor, that I cannot afford one? No, you look too fit to take a taxi! In no time I found myself at the shop.It was a boutique no more.Empty,door chained, advertised to rent. Not expecting this,I did not check out "hand painted blouses" on the internet,there was nothing else I wanted except retinol face cream,but the pharmacy had it on prescription only,so I bought aloe vera lotion for my sun-burnt shoulders and went in search of a latte.I found one in a department store, I wish I never bothered,it was awful,but the locals were pleasant,friendly,asked questions with interest.And the WC was spotless and free to use.I never object paying, getting water in these countries must be very expensive and operating the sewage system,too.At the terminal they have a Post Office,oh,what a joy.I found the most delightful postcards,2 monkeys in love.The children will love them. There was a small stall with various sweet things,all made on the island.I never buy sweets,but these looked so inviting and ginger toffees in particular.But they cost two Barbadian Dollars and all I had left was one.Do you have something for a dollar,please? That is all I have left.You were looking at the ginger ones. Do you like ginger? Yes, love it. So you can have them for a dollar. How utterly kind.What a wonderful end to a disappointing start of this 1st December 2017.

The nicest thing about "The Tobago Highlights and Folklore Show" tour

was the itinerary and the lovely lady tour guide.She was knowledgeable with the right mixture of information and lighthearted delivery.And she was very observant.Had it not been for her, twice we would have had an accident,for the driver of the bus was the worst driver I have ever had the misfortune to be driven by.Two near misses were two misses too many.One I may have closed my eyes to,two I cannot and have voiced my concern to the Columbus representative.As the driver was the worst,so was the bus.There was something sticking into my side,I had to either sit on the edge of the seat,or be poked constantly, and to add insult to injury,had to pay for the privilege!The folklore show at the Cultural Centre where a welcome fruit or rum punch would await us turned out a bit of a disappointment.The Centre was too cold and the acoustics deafening.It would make Carnegie Hall proud. The calypso band was very competent but played far too long,every time I thought end,finally, nope, it was not,it just went on and on and on,the same beat.The dancers were well trained and the shortest of them with the thickest waist and the biggest bum was the best mover,a lovely mover. I never had any punch,fruit or rum,they had run out of everything when it was my turn to indulge.Judging by the look on everyone's face I did not miss much. The short not even ten minute drive from the Centre to the terminal was a revelation.The road.the only nod to the 21st century I had observed on the island,other than a school,a lovely greenish,square glass building.For two or so km the lush green scenery,the perfect road,cars passing by at some speed...you could have been in any European country.And then the gentle hustle and bustle of the port of Scarborough,the capital of Tobago,that is still firmly rooted in the 50's and may it remain there,in true Caribbean spirit, for years to come.

After the tour and a quick lunch

I went out again to see what the town of Scarborough had to offer.It was hot.Very,very hot.Scorchingly hot.But I walked.That is how I see places and get to know them.At every step same old,same old.Old.Town fell asleep in the 50's and has not yet woken up.Maybe I need a bit of help from the locals to point me in the right direction.Oh,there are two lovely ladies coming towards me, clean, smart, coiffured hair,bottoms the size that would make an American proud.I bowed my head slightly,smiled,because the smile is one accessory a tourist must always have at hand.Hello, you are two lovely looking ladies,you would know where I can find some nice boutiques.The shock and utter disbelief on their faces.What have I said.Is my accent too strange to them,or,perhaps,they do not speak English. Shop with nice clothes, I tried again, slowly. Aaah, shop,they looked at each other with relief. Yes, a shop, where is the main shopping street,please? This is the main shopping street,said one and pointed in the direction I came from.And there,pointed the other,just where the white car is parked,you go up and further on the left is a clothes shop where I bought this dress. No you didn't,not there. Yes I did. Oh,yes,you did. I did not have the heart to tell them I had just come from the market,because the local market was where they directed me.Trying hard not to laugh I thanked them profusely and hurried out of their sight and back to the ship.Two,three minutes later there was a tug on my sleeve.You are going the wrong way,said a familiar voice, only this time out of breath,gasping for air, you must cross the road and go up where the white car is.My goodness,I got completely distracted looking at your lovely town,thank you so much for running after me,you are very kind. And she was. I did not have the heart to disappoint her,so I crossed the road, walked again into the market and all the way up,making sure this time I was completely out of their sight,as they were standing watching me,waving,smiling and nodding,before I turned towards the terminal.

"Her kind indulgencies to him"

says inscription on the head - stone of a young black girl who got pregnant by her white master some 200 years ago, and died in the back yard together with her baby, in childbirth.I have heard sex or love making described in many ways,but never as "kind indulgencies".Quite beautiful.

Goat racing.

Tobago prides itself in this sport that began 80 years ago and is still going strong.God only knows what had possessed the locals to begin this indulgence. I suppose horse racing for the rich,goat racing for the poor.The race takes place in a village called Buccoo on Easter Tuesday.The goat and its jockey,for every goat must run the race with a jockey [and no, the jockey does not sit on the poor animal]train together,they eat together, bathe together,sleep together and then on the big day run side by side to the finish line together. And God help the goat that outruns its partner! They both get disqualified and off to the cooking pot with the traitor.

I have the best of neighbours and I have the worst of neighbours.

On one side an English colonel,retired, and his well presented wife, who would not say a boo to a moo.When I meet her in the corridor I smile and say hello, she reciprocates the greeting without the smile and rushes past me.The colonel calls me his neighbour,I do not call him anything,we have not actually introduced ourselves.I did warn him at the earliest suitable opportunity I sunbathe in the nude,so that we sensibly avoid embarrassing each other.He said he has seen it all, and being in the army all his life, no doubt he has.We exchange pleasantries when we see each other,he called out to me in Havana and I said-finally I can see you in all your glory.He laughed until his hat almost fell off.He calls out to me when he hears me on the balcony and in the few minutes we have to chat,we discuss the world and its problems,but we never finish anything,because his wife always calls him in. She who must obeyed. I like both of them. On the other side I was neighbourless for over two weeks.I thought the Gods were smiling at me.Then they moved in.Why were these two people moved in from the fifth floor I do not know. Were they upgraded or moved up after they complained? Did they pay to change to a junior suite?They certainly do not belong. Noisy,drawers go crash,bang.wallop every day at all times,I can clearly hear their TV.They are loud on the balcony,talk constantly with raised voices as if on the verge of an argument.Uncouth,uncultured. I do not like them.

At 8.30 this morning we docked in the capital of Scarborough,Tobago.

At 9.30 I boarded a bus with about 20 other fellow travellers to take us on a " Tobago Highlights & Folklore Show " tour,which lasted about 4 hours.I am still digesting what I have seen and most importantly not seen on the island. I have not seen a Caribbean island quite like this.There is a kind of enchanting sloppiness about that goes in keeping with its leisurely way of life,where a police car with 2 of their finest guard a hole by the Mysterious Tombstone to ensure no tourist falls into it,rather than have it covered! Am I in cuckoo land? Am sitting here,staring at the screen utterly confused,lost for words,and I am never lost for words Well,tomorrow is another day.And the rendition of my experiences must wait until tomorrow.

With a full day in Aruba

I had a plan - The Eagle Beach, The Ostrich Farm, The Aloe Vera plantation and shop, and a bit of pampering at the Spa Cove on The Renaissance Aruba Private Island.A lot, but I had the whole day for it and plenty of determination.I was ready for Aruba, but Aruba was not ready for me. The island was practically asleep when I left the terminal,no shops open, no tour touts,nothing,not even a Hop On Hop Off,only a couple of taxi driver offering their services.So I quickly decided that The Eagle Beach would be the first option to start my adventures,even though originally I had wanted to go there last and stay until dark,but as the morning progressed, I was very happy with the decision.I returned to the ship at 3 soaked to the bone with sweat. After quick shower I was out like shot, and this time Aruba was ready,but in the wrong order! The ostrich farm bus would not leave for an hour, the bus for the Aloe Vera farm left 10 or so minutes earlier,the queue for the Renaissance Island boat was long and even though I hate queuing I took my place without a murmur and then I saw a familiar red sight - a Hop On Hop Off approaching! All my plans had changed instantly and I was like a shot on the bus, taking me in no time around Oranjestad,the capital of Aruba. Now, I fell in love with Cartagena without hesitation and reservation. Aruba? Not so fast.In fact looking out of my balcony I thought- Good heavens, are we in Civitavecchia,[ Italian port servicing Rome,one of my least favourite, where everything is hot, gormless and charmless.They did not even have a freshly squeezed orange juice there in the whole town]but once out of the terminal I was beginning to warm up to the town,it was clean,and I liked it.And the more I walked,the more I liked it.Not a speck of dirt anywhere.My kind of town. Of course there is some building work going on, but every such area is closed to the public and there is not unnecessary mess anywhere.                                    

People are friendly,kind,helpful.The drivers are courteous,every time I wanted to cross the road they would stop at a distance giving me plenty of time to do so.Shops are immaculate and sell everything I would need should I live on the island.And between the Tamarinj and the Eagle Beach I saw the most beautiful building containing I presume apartments, where I certainly would not mind spending a considerable length of time.

The blue clean,warm water to swim in,the sand soft,a cross between poppy seeds and granualated sugar to take daily walks on.Yes,slowly but surely I had fallen in love with Aruba and the island has gone high up on my list of the places to retire to. 

The bus tour took about an hour, I left my watch in the cabin,but time was of no consequence,I had let the bus take the strain and just sat back and enjoyed.As we returned to the terminal I saw people boarding a bus to the Aloe Vera plantation.I would have liked to go, the spirit was willing,but the flesh,oh the flesh was weak!Back to the cabin and there in my air conditioned sanctuary I stayed for hours!

3 ships had docked in the port of Aruba this morning,

now imagine if there were just a 1000 tourists on each ship,but there were many more, and imagine if just 300 of those had descended on the Eagle Beach,but many,many more than that did,what do you think would the beach be like. I had to see for myself.Taxi,Madam?,asked the polite driver outside the terminal.Thank you,so much,not today,I am walking.And walk I did,it is just a couple of miles from the terminal and the weather at 9 in the morning pleasant enough for the walk to be brisk,or briskish, as with each passing minute it was hotter and hotter and I was relieved to come across a Divi Dutch Village, were drinks and shelter beckoned, a nice safety net,but

I was neither thirsty nor too hot yet,so I soldiered on and found myself in Tamarijn Aruba All Inclusive.Full of Americans.And you know, where there are Americans,there is quality.The sun loungers!Thick and white as snow and nicely set out in just the right direction - towards the azure blue sea.And the bars...ajajaj, this is the place for me.The orange juice was served without ice and I rested for good half an hour on one of the pristine white deck-chairs.

Reluctantly but determined I continued walking on the softest sand,water warm and blue splashing against my feet,cleaning them one minute and covering them with more sand the next. Eagle Beach filled to the brim.I sat down,took some photos and turned back and soon found myself on the same lovely comfortable deck-chair in Tamarijn,ice cold water by my side.

Inside the terminal almost the last shop on the left houses the most exquisite jewellery, not cheap, but not excessively pricey either,cheerful,colourful and just different from anything I have seen.I bought myself a necklace and matching ear-rings,spectacular,then a bracelet and a matching ring,oh lala, and 3 rings as gifts.I was not hungry,just soaked to the bone with sweat,quick shower and out again. For my adventures had not finished.We are in Aruba from 8 in the morning til 9 in the evening.I had lots to do yet.

My dearest friend's brother passed away last January.

She is also called Ludka,we were born 2 years apart in neighbouring houses.Her mother died from breast cancer when she was a child. I remember the funeral well, the children,all 5 of them, too young to understand what death was,the finality of it.My mother was always there for them and helped the dad and the grand-parents with advice and in practical terms,as the father worked away from home during the week,treating the children as if they were her own,as if they were my brothers and sisters.I used to go and read the youngest boy stories in the evenings when he would cry for his mother.We all were a nice,solid unit.Then the older boy went to University and things began to change.He met a girl there,she was working in the school library,googly eyes,almost pretty,the daughter of a very prominent member of the Communist party.Full of self-importance and the air of entitlement about her,she never had to wear hand me downs.Her prospective father-in-law did not take to her,saying to my mother,that she had cruel,selfish streak in her. They married.The wedding was a great social affair in Bratislava.My family was not invited.When Ludka's father passed away,both grand-parents being dead by then,too, there was a discord in the family over the division of the assets,the oldest brother took it upon himself,with the encouragement of his father-in-law, to make all decisions, expecting his siblings dance as he whistled.I believe that all relationships within the family are as good as the women make it,the men just follow.And Ludka's sister-in-law had always dismissed her husband's family as not quite good enough or clever enough,even though she herself had no brains to speak of and dropped out of University,neither the bribes nor her father's stature could help.My dear friend would often cry but there was nothing I could do,just listen and comfort her.And then her brother stopped talking to me and my entire family.By way of association I became the enemy. And that was the way it was until he passed away.Since his death I have had the same dream about him,always the same,nothing changes.We are young and stand holding onto each other and our cheeks move to touch.

The Court of the Holy Inquisition

I always say that the reason I prefer dining at a table just to myself, is,because I hate the Spanish Inquisition.I could not not visit The Inquisition Palace in Cartagena.Even now the torture chambers on show are quite menacing.It must have been horrifying for the "heretics" to wait for death to come only because they did not believe in Jesus Christ.Muslims were persecuted,but mainly Jews,the last non-believer was executed in 1826.The Pope Sixtus 1V was the instigator and the Spanish Queen Isabella and her husband Ferdinand the founders of this blot on the Spanish history. One monumental historic site,The Fort of San Felipe de Barajas, I did not go to see today,as I wanted to give my foot the chance to completely recover,knowing that I would be visiting Cartagena in January 2019 with plenty of time then to visit what I had no time for today.One has to be sensible and know when to say yay and when to say nay.

It has been the best day.It has been the worst day.

The cruise terminal in Cartagena is beyond beautiful.Lusciously green,as if walking into a well kept garden,pink flamingos cackling happily and bowing graciously to the appreciative audience,outdoing each other in presenting their impeccably groomed finery for the cameras.Parrots perched in the open aviary parroting in harmony.And there is a cat running around trying to attract attention, failing miserably, for the competition is stiff. Wi-fi available to purchase, an immaculate shop full of nicely presented souvenirs.And lovely postcards.And they sell stamps!Taxi,madame?Taxi?The word is not in my vocabulary. Thank you so much, no, I am going to walk.But you can't walk,it is 25 minutes by car!Can't I, I am made of sterner stuff!So off I went.And I walked,and walked,and walked some more and still no Old Town.Have I bitten more than I can chew?I do not dare to look at my watch,the temperature is rising,must be good 34-35,but I have my trusty lemon drink I make up myself in the cabin.Massive puddles in the street,have to cross from one side to the other to avoid being splashed by passing cars,but they are careful,sensible drivers and I need not worry.Finally there is a lake ahead of me,I stop at the traffic lights taking in the scenery and when the green beckons I walk.And my right foot goes into a hole.I simply did not obey the cardinal rule of every pedestrian-watch where you are going. Excruciating pain shook my body.My face must have said it all,One of the drivers rolled down his window and said something in Spanish.I do not understand him and make some kind of gesture.Do you need help? No,thank you so much,it will get better soon.He looked at me in disbelief.I walked towards the lake and wet a small towel I used to wrap the bottle with the lemon water in and placed it on my foot,hopping along merrily towards the bridge that would take me,as I found later,to the Old Town.Slowly the pain went.I passed the most enchanting shop with bags and shoes to die for,but it was closed.I bought a large bottle of ice cold water for a dollar and it tasted better than the fruits of the Gods.I followed surreptitiously groups of tourists and their guides,all English speaking,[there was a Princess ship docked in the port and one other the name of which escapes me]listening and two hours later sat down in an Epoca coffee shop.Dripping with sweat, my 15 year old Pucci shirt and favourite M & S linen white shorts stuck to my body.

Large latte that took for ever to come-are they harvesting the beans I thought-was up there amongst the best of them.It was excellent,I said with a wink to the very charming gay waiter,it can only be Costa Rican. Oh,madam,said he and his hand danced the way only a gay boy's hand can dance,touching my arm endearingly, and burst out laughing.

People say that they never forget a face.I never forget a good coffee shop.

Am coming to Cartagena on my world cruise in January 2019,and will find Epoca with ease.There are also many money kiosks,all giving excellent rate, I got 3.500 pesos to an English pound.I walked some more and then retraced my steps to the boutique,it was still closed.I hailed a taxi and returned to the terminal.The driver asked - Americano? No,Slovakian.Slovakian?, he repeated puzzled,it obviously meant nothing to him. Russian,Moscow,I corrected myself hoping that would do the trick.And it did.Oooh,Russian,Moscow.He took me back via Manga,the most exclusive residential area of Cartagena.Beautiful well kept houses with gardens to match,everything spanking clean as is the whole of this enchanting town.My kind of town.

CARTAGENA, I LOVE YOU!

If you were situated in Costa Rica,I would move in lock,stock and two smoking barrels, tomorrow!

"The black money now goes to Panama",

said Heinz indignantly.Yes,my dear, and may it long continue.For decades Switzerland's lifestyle, the envy of the whole world,has been the result of the "black money".Precious stones, priceless paintings,silver,gold,filled the vaults of the Swiss banks before the War and much of it helped make Switzerland rich beyond belief, as most of the treasure has not been claimed,many true owners,the whole families, having been gassed in the concentration camps.So Switzerland has had the double whammy of ill gotten fortune. And when greedy,irresponsible American banks almost brought the world banking system and consequently the world economy to its knees,the pressure was put on Switzerland to disclose the names of the people stashing in their banks billions and the Swiss banks caved in,leaving the way for Panama to accept the cash.And why shouldn't they? Now the Western leaders want Panama to do the "Switzerland",but Panama is refusing to dance to their tune and is sticking up 2 fingers to them. Why should prosperity and unimaginable riches be the privilege of America and Europe? It is Panama's turn now. Heinz,as some of you may remember,is Swiss.He has been pursuing me for days now.After today's heated discussion I hope his ardour has been dampened. Columbus docked in Colon,Panama,this morning at 7 and we departed at 3,should have been 2,but due to heavy rain the traffic was slow.In these quiet waters the ship can easily make up the lost time. Heinz went on tour to Panama city,the capital.I had to cancel,my left thigh was hurting, I fell down in the garden badly scraping the leg some time ago and it still hurts when I sit for a prolonged period as I did yesterday when I went to the banana plantation.So I walked around Colon. A lot of construction is taking place in the port and around town.It must be the "black money". Hurrah to that.

And then there was the Roatan Island,Honduras.

Again the tender was used to ferry the passengers to the mainland."Join us on facebook" a sign outside the first seafront restaurant one comes to ashore,said.Good to know,I thought,but had other things to take care of first - change some £ for $,then walk for a good hour as the island seemed green and luscious from a distance,perfect for a long stretch of the legs.So off in search of the HSBC bank that was supposed to be in the main street,I went.An armed guard ushered me in.No-one there spoke a word of English, but they understood what I wanted and indicated that I was not going to get it.Outside an ATM machine was out of order.I turned back and stopped at a very nice, modern,clean,air-conditioned store to pick up fruit juice and yogurt just so that I could pay with the debit card I had used the previous day, as I had this uncomfortable feeling about it since.The card was blocked.Thank you,Santander,for being overcautious,you came up trumps.Happily I continued walking,but it was becoming uncomfortably hot and the narrow uneven,broken pavements unpleasant to walk on and too crowded,as there were two other cruise ships in the port,both much bigger than Columbus. The streets of Roatan could not cope with the deluge of people,but the shops had an early Christmas.I bought myself a brown beaded bracelet with golden thread through the beads with a dark wooden clasp,all for 13 $,utterly lovely.No-one offered free wi-fi,minutes had to be purchased.I am never going to us a card in Latin America again,ever,so off to the restaurant offering free facebook connection, I went.And suddenly I was ravenous,so ordered the most expensive item on the menu - a lobster with a baked potato for 25 $.And local beer.Yes,me,a beer.It was brought instantly and was cold and oh so good on that steaming hot morning when the temperature was approaching 30 and it was not finished yet.The waiter seemed to have forgotten about the lobster and I had to remind him.He was charming and apologetic.The lobster was superb,the baked potato turned out to be chips that had seen a better day and the fresh looking lettuce and tomatoes I did not touch,as I do not eat cold vegetables on holiday in hot countries.I was sitting in the shade at the massive oblong table in the middle of the restaurant,the small side tables were too hot with the sun beaming upon them.

Three boys,late teens, came to sit next to me, smiled broadly and one turned towards me asking if I would mind him smoking.Not at all, I replied. Would you like a cigarette,he said.No,thank you,I do not smoke.I thought you probably did not smoke, you look very beautiful.I burst out laughing.There was a couple from the ship at one of the tables and later,

 when the boys left,the woman said to me  - that boy was flirting with you,  well,I never!   Yes, he was!

 I left the table with a spring in my step.And yes, I could only get connected to the facebook,but I was grateful for small mercy.The several hours spent on the Roatan Island were wonderful.

The next port was Belize City

The tender was used.When the waters near the mainland are too shallow,the ship stays anchored a km or two,even three away and the passengers are ferried to and fro by small boats called tenders.My tour was cancelled.There was a national holiday in Belize the ship was not aware of,they were selling tours no-one was manning.Some tours took place,but not mine. At 10 I was already walking the streets of the Belize City, wishing I was somewhere, anywhere, but...Drunken or drugged men lying on the pavements,beggars asking with some menace for money.I noticed a clean looking pharmacy and decided to see what it had to offer.A retinol cream for the face and something for my itchy earlobe were chosen and I handed over my debit card.The payment went through but the terminal wold not produce a receipt. I waited for good ten minutes.Neither of the two assistants had the slightest idea what to do,the paper roll clearly visible was stuck and would not budge.I left without the receipt.Outside I bumped into Heinz,a Swiss gentleman also from the ship. He asked where I was going and I replied to see the famous bridge, the only bridge in the world to be raised manually, and as he was about to do the same,we walked together.Then we sat down for a cold drink in The Wet Lizard,Husband Day Care Center,I asked the waitress if they had wi-fi and she said yes, but only after we paid.Hans,a true gentleman,treated me to mineral water and I got my internet connection.Instant.Powerful.Excellent.The best wi-fi I have ever had when travelling.Heinz returned to the ship and I remained sitting with my little Toshiba.

After Progreso I thought it can only get better

and it did.Cozumel was a revelation.Well put together,modern,utterly spotless.Starbucks offered free wi-fi with a purchase.Yes,please.Coffee with an extra shot was passable.Yogurt with mixed fruit delicious. Wi-fi? Just as I was about to connect the electricity went.In the entire shopping complex.I waited,and waited and waited.After half an hour went for a long,long walk loving every moment.Then I felt gentle drops of rain on my face and thought it best to return to the ship.Good choice as ten or so minutes after I was safely indoors the heavens opened.

In Progreso,Mexico

where we docked on 18 November, a shuttle bus was provided to take us from the port to town.Thus I found myself at 9 in the morning in Progreso,there was a bus to the Dzibilchaltun ruins at 10.30 and to Merida at 11.The town was dead. Nowhere to sit, nothing to do.I wanted some fresh orange juice,but when I glanced inside the shop I knew I could never drink there.So I looked for a taxi to take me somewhere.An English speaking driver offered me a ride for 40$ to the Mayan ruins of Dzibilchaltun and I happily accepted. I never argue about a price in poor countries, it is against the grain with me to haggle over a penny when I spend thousands on travelling, the money these people will never see in their entire life.It was a pleasant ride,quick,the driver was good and I felt safe and comfortable.After the ruins I bought us both cold drink and the driver suggested he takes me to Merida.I have 10 $ only,I said.I would take you for 10 $,he replied.And he did.I suppose even the extra 10 $ helped to feed his family.When we returned to Progreso,the shuttle bus was boarding,so I quickly got out of the taxi and boarded the bus. The next day we were docking on the Mexican island of Cozumel.Would that be any better or would I leave it with as heavy heart as I left Progreso?

My husband had always wanted to retire to Miami or Florida

but his untimely death had put paid to all our plans.Since then I have added California to the list,then New England, where the colour of the autumn is breathtaking, I have toyed with the idea of downing my roots, be it temporary, in Vancouver and get to know the whole of Canada and the USA from there,then Costa Rica joined the list for its spectacular nature. The four hour tour to the banana plantation and the Bananito village was quite an education.The tour guide had exalted the virtues of living in Costa Rica,free education til the age of 18,No 1 pineapple exporter in the world, one of the first countries to have electricity,etc.If only was Costa Rica in the first 100 cleanest countries in the world I would have left the bus a happy woman.I cannot comprehend how can people function in squalor,filth,dirt and worst of all consider it a normal, acceptable way of life. I was born in a communist country,and so poor,that even a church mouse was more prosperous than my family.I had my first new dress and new shoes just my size,shoes I did not have to stuff paper into so they would not fall off my small feet,when I was fifteen.We lived hand to mouth,every week my mum would send me to borrow money from my aunt,return it the following week when my father came home from working on the railways,only to go the coming week to borrow money again,and this was our life. But we were clean.I knew how to use a broom and wash the floor like a professional when I was five.Our windows were always shining and the curtains were as white as snow,"the whitest in the village",every-one would say admiringly.The yards were immaculate and I had to sweep the street alongside our long garden! Costa Rica has so much to offer to my vision of a carefree life,content,peaceful,joyful. But I like immaculate,comfortable, luxurious just as much.Would I be able to compromise so much of what is me,the grain of me? I do not know.

It is an unwritten law in the cruising world that every ship must have a speedo man on board.

Every ship.There he lies resplendent with his predicaments tightly squeezed into the 3 sizes too small speedos that he has very likely been hoping to slim down into since the mid 70s,when he was possibly in his bloom, but has bloomed out and about far too much since, yet unable to accept that the good old days will never return,he brings the speedos out every year on every cruise,living in hope.

Return to the 80's

Said the invitation to the Palladium Show Lounge last night.The Columbus Show Team took us to the era of leg warmers and head bands.Choreography - utterly delightful,charming ,a joy from the beginning to the end that came far too soon. The costumes befitting the carefree mood of the time,the songs executed perfectly.One of my absolutely most favourite productions at sea to date and I have seen quite a few. It was a formal night,almost every-one dressed up to the nines [there are always some not initiated to the cruising world,who do not realize what a social event a formal evening is ],excellent dinner o match.And then to bed.Bliss.

Hurrah,finally civilization!

My mobile buzzed with excitement letting me know all is well and it can be used.And it was!Have sent countless messages to friends and family members not connected to the internet.In an hour and half we are docking in Puerto Limon,Costa Rica.I have a tour to a banana plantation.Now,I,for one, dislike the ruddy things,the smell!Oh,I know all about the goodness of a banana and have even moments when I buy one or two.The banana business had brought in its heyday prosperity to the Puerto Limon region,thus the whole of Costa Rica and it still flourishes here. I want to know more about this gold fruit I do not like yet the lives of so many people depend on.I have seen bananas grow in Israel many years ago when I had spent the most wonderful months on a kibbutz Sedot Yam. Puerto Limon has tropical climate and today good 28 C is expected,but some rain,too,as November is the beginning of the rainy season. It is claimed that Costa Ricans are the happiest people in the world as their country appears to have everything a human being needs to be content- waters to fish in, good soil to grow things, perfect climate,sands for an easy enjoyable life and the forests,the wonderful forests. Christopher Columbus landed on 12 October in 1502 on an island Isla Uvita, that is about 20 minute boat ride from Puerto Limon.Every year on 12th October a festival begins in Limon to celebrate this date.The festival lasts for 14 days.But apparently it is not to celebrate the day of the island's discovery,but a cultural festival that just happens to begin on the 12th.I do not understand the logic. And here we are pulling into the harbour.Holland America'magnificent Zuiderdam is already stationary.No,it is not a ship,it is a house and a half!

Karol Mello,Slovakian ex member of the most vicious,ruthless gang

that terrorised Slovakia in the fledgling years of the country's new democracy in the 90's,had taken refuge in Belize.I could never understand why would any country give shelter to a 6 time murderer [and these are the murders he is accused of committing himself,he had allegedly taken part in many other gangland killings] and have this vicious monster live amongst its people.When Columbus docked in the Belize City on 20th November I knew why.Poverty,dirt,neglect,overpowering stench, men lying on the pavements either in drunken stupor or drugged at 10 in the morning.Mr Mello's ill gotten fortune must have been a godsend to the country,he must have paid heavily for the privilege of not being extradited to Slovakia.I have no doubt his living quaters are not those of an average Belizian.And there is no life better than that on money he never lifted a finger to earn other than take a gun or an axe and take a life of another human being.

HAVANA,CUBA

had been for me the highlight of the cruise,I had been so excited to see the place where one man's whim and ill judgement had brought the world to the brink of a nuclear war.The world was saved but the price Cuba had paid for the political convictions of Castro and Guevara... Havana fell asleep a sleeping beauty and half a century later woke up an ugly sister.For hours I had walked the streets of this once magnificent city,many of them where no tourist has set a foot for decades.And so often did I think - surely no human being can live here.And then I saw the clothes drying on the balcony,heard a child cry, and I knew they do,they do. And I walked and walked and cried.

Mr Trump plans to erect an insurmountable wall between Mexico and the USA.

It will cost millions to build.Mr Trump wants the Mexicans to pay half.Several days ago Columbus docked in Progreso.I had expected very little in the way of luxury.What I saw was omnipresent poverty.The US dollar is a lifeline for millions of Mexicans.Take that away from them and the life for these people will be unlivable.Mr Trump has brains very few men can match.He has made his family very rich.Now he wants to do the same for his countrymen.His intention to always put America first is commendable.My husband used to say the Yanks are the kindest people on earth.Without them the German boot would be marching across the whole of Europe now.The Mexican labour, legal or illegal, has been invaluable to the US economy.Mr Trump,please go to Progreso without the fanfare,without the cavalcade.See how the Mexicans live.There must be a way to do what is best for the American people without it being the worst for the Mexicans.Mr President,you are a good man and have good team around you,you will find it.

The moment we entered the Cuban territorial waters,about a week ago now,

the satellite went down,I have had neither a TV signal in the cabin,thus no TV,nor have I been able to use the internet on the ship. This is truly unacceptable at this day and age.Now is the first time I have actually been connected and am so surprised as I have not been expecting it [have heard people say at breakfast - no wi-fi yet]that I have come to the computer room unprepared.But I am not likely to turn this off,then go to my cabin for my notebook and start again!

The money exchange,

HAVANA,Cuba.A good looking kindly face in a cuddly sort of way took my 20 $.I thought we could pay with the American dollars,I said, but we cannot. No,replied the face.You American? I am from Slovakia,I continued. Slovakia? Aaah,Hamzik. You know Hamzik, I exclaimed in astonishment. Slovakian people good people and good footballers. You are very kind.Cuban people very nice people.

A little smile goes a long way

HAVANA,CUBA.Passport control.My queue was slow.Very slow. What on earth are they looking at,everybody was asking.A tiny girl with a severe face sitting behind a counter.I nodded and with a beaming smile handed her my passport and the visa form.She looked at me quite startled and pointed to the small camera.My picture was taken,I kept my smile on.The passport was stamped and returned to me, I nodded again,the smile never left my face.And she smiled back.You were so quick, said the lady leaving the next boot.A little smile goes a long way,I said.

Unmitigated disaster!

From today have neighbours in 11138, a couple upgraded from the deck 5.It was too good to last. Good-bye the carefree enjoyment of the balcony,now have 2 lots of neighbours not to offend the next four weeks and a bit.Ajajajajaj.

Yesterday had a super day.In the morning watched on TV a film Bastille Day,the most enjoyable,fast moving, well acted 92 minutes to date.Short and sweet, that is how I like my films to be, not 3 hour marathons. At lunch in the self-service restaurant had the best chicken to date,pieces on a massive baking tray,baked in the oven in their own juices with just a bit of spice,utterly scrumptious.And when the evening came, the ship's band, musicians from probably Ukraine,maybe with a sprinkling of Russians,certainly all Russian native speakers,played for an hour jazzy tunes, my type of music,my type of an evening, no hoola-hoola skirts,singing or dancing was needed.All musicians, especially the band leader, looked so very young, just children still,yet all very,very talented,very accomplished. It is absolutely wonderful that these young people from the old communist block now have the opportunity to expand their horizons,spread their wings and see the world. So all in all not only was yesterday utter perfection, the day before yesterday had the bestest cake ever.DIVINE does not do it justice.Blueberry roulade, and I had an extra helping.Really,I could have happily had 2,even 3 more of these heavenly concoctions, but one has to be sensible and know when to say yay and when to say nay.

I have seen many things on ships, but never a walking office.

There I was strolling happily,feeling on he top of the world, well, the top of the ship,this morning at 7, minding my own business,when suddenly a dark suit with a bag under left arm had overtaken me,turned at the next corner and disappeared from sight. A bigwig rushing to a meeting, thought I,and gave it no further heed, until several minutes later I hear behind me-good morning.It was the suit.Quite startled I was lost for words,but quickly gathered my thoughts and wished him good morning, too. So the morning's apparition was a cruiser like myself. And talking about apparitions.Walking to the Waterfront restaurant at 8.30 last night I passed a couple sitting at a coffee table, the man resplendent in a dark jacket,lighter coloured trousers,white shirt,bow tie.On his head a trilby and wearing sandals without socks.Do we have a fancy ball tonight,I asked myself.When later I came to learn it was a formal evening,and I come to it in consequential fashion,I was so impressed by this eccentric old boy sticking up his 2 fingers to convention. As did I, in an unintentional way.Completely forgot to look at the appropriate page of the daily newspaper how to dress for the evening,so put on white knee-length shorts, red oversized silk shirt coming almost to the turn-ups of the shorts,red suede loafers,matching bag,silver jewellery,feeling wonderful.In the atrium there were some people in glad rags,but as I could see some new strange decorations, thought a wedding would be taking place later,have seen quite a few of those on ships over the years.But slowly there appeared more and more shiny tops and black ties and I new it could only be a formal evening.Well, soon the theatre performance was starting,Mr opera man and joke teller on stage for the last time and I was not going to miss that, formal night or not. Mr Morgan Lee James said his wife had asked him if he would still love her,if he won the lottery.I would always love you. And miss you,he told her.

GLOBE, Cruise & Maritime Voyages own magazine issue one

refers to Columbus:"Our new ship launched in June 2017..."This cruise was advertised on 16 June 2016.Columbus was going to be extensively refitted in Singapore in June 2017 before re-launch.The only reason I booked this cruise was,that I was expecting a spankingly new vessel.But shipshape and bristol fashion it is not.What we were promised and what we got are two completely different things and in my opinion the advertising campaign has been and is grossly misleading. There does not appear anything "new"about Columbus.It is a rickety old ship built in 1988 for the Princess Cruises that has had its day.The best has been taken out of it and not enough invested in improvements by Cruise and Maritime to justify the word "new". The outside is ugly and what appears to have been painted was done so badly,I would have done a better job with closed eyes and one hand tied behind my back. There have been workmen working on the banisters on the top most important level for us,passengers, for at least week now,rubbing them down and preparing for painting.The banisters are taped off,people with walking difficulties cannot lean against them.When I go for a walk or want to sunbathe I have dust and dirt fly into my eyes on a cruise I had paid £15.700 for on a ship that was supposed to have been extensively refurbished in June.The ship is work in progress. What should be in progress is hygiene,but it is not.The ship is dirty.The seating in the PALLADIUM theatre is disgustingly stained as if it had been urinated on,on almost every chair.The black tables in THE DOME never look clean, always kind of smothered,the legs have on them thick sediment of dust.The atrium has three levels,tables and chairs on each floor.When I want to sit down and place something on a table I have to wipe it first, the crumbs and stains.No,I have not looked at the legs,I shudder to think what lies beneath.In the Gym there are two damp sponges and 2 sprays with instructions to wipe all instruments before and after use.The same dirty wet sponges spreading the bacteria and sweat from one machine to the next. After the rain,and it does rain every night, the outside tables next to the self-service restaurant are never wiped.The ship on this cruise is patronised by people whose average age must be 75. Yet none of the staff go the extra way to help the old people many of whom are using walking sticks. But the most despicable and utterly disgraceful way is how some staff in this self-service restaurant behave towards the customers.A lady,good 75, dropped a fork the other day.I am sorry,she said, my hands shake. A server behind a counter said quite loudly to his colleague - it is always something with these people,now it is my hands shake,why are they not careful. I was utterly disgusted,I heard similar remarks on 2 occasions before.No respect towards us.We pay their wages.If we stop cruising,they will not have any jobs. I went to the customer service department and clearly explained how troubled I was not only by the bad attitude of the staff,but also by the hygiene.The receptionist wrote down what I said, including my cabin number 11140.This was 3-4 days ago.

Is it Tuesday or is it Wednesday?

I have lost the sense of time and that's how I like it. It has been a glorious day.A long walk on the 14th floor just after seven in the morning,the sun rose at 6.33,but it was hidden under ominous dark clouds,yet a rainbow in the cone-like shape appeared unexpectedly and joyfully took its time to cross over the horizon.Breakfast of porridge and freshly squeezed orange juice was satisfying and I retired to my cabin.At 9 a thirty minute workout.Just when I think I am in good shape, 30 minutes of vigorous movement reminds me my muscles are far too many and they ache in unison! Aaah,the joy of the balcony,of being able to shed my inhibitions together with all my clothes and let the by then powerful sun-rays do their magic.The vast expanse of never ending blue water rocking this mighty vessel and you never want it to end.Yet the ocean can be so very fickle and unpredictable thus so very dangerous.The strong winds suddenly raised the waves and dispersed the innocent merry playful clouds and covered the sky with an almost black blanket instead, only to chase that away,too, quite quickly and efficiently.And then there was the captain's talk at 12 over the loud speaker and time for lunch.The lunch was a pleasant affair in the Waterfront dining room,Swedish meatballs and tandoori chicken with rice.I was craving a nice desert,a really,really nice desert and went up to the self-service to look for one, but it was mouse after mouse after mouse,all soft and floppy,so took two pieces of the freshest bestest brown bread and 2 slices of cheese,some red melon and quite pleased with myself went to my cabin only to be met by a room attendant who has seen me carrying plateful of food several times before,we had a good laugh,I said I have a lodger, a stowaway in my cabin. Then it was the balcony again and before I said Jack Robinson it was time for shower and 19.00 theatre show,DIVAS,tribute to Gloria Gaynor,Whitney Houston,Adele and many more. Dinner at 8.30 in the Waterfront restaurant was excellent,a savoury pancake,yes,I got my pancake,filled with mushrooms and it was sooo good,then pea soup,very green,very pea as pea soup should be and tasty and even though I ordered Jack Dory,got sweet and sour chicken instead and I did not mind at all, it was delicious.I even had a pudding,rum baba, and I didn't find anything wrong with it,had the lot quite happily with a nice cup of tea, tea looked anaemic,but was nice, next time must put in less milk. And so to bed. Well,that's what you were expecting me to say,because that is what I would usually do.But tonight there is a party for the employees starting at 22.00,so we,the travellers, are being treated to a movie "Flight" under the stars, with Denzel Washington.I have seen it,so have decided to walk on the 14th floor,just one floor above the screen.Wonderful.And now to bed. Yes,now to bed.

The entertainment

The backbone of entertainment on every ship is the dancing and singing troupe. They are on stage almost every evening from the first day of the cruise to the last. You do not expect much from the dancing and singing troupe on a 3 star ship and you do not get much either.But who cares.What they lack in finesse, execution of the notes or the dance symmetry they make up in enthusiasm.The other evening the girls had Hawaian style get up on,the hoola hoola skirts just under their little bellies had the men transfixed.Remember this is an old folks cruise,for only retired or self-employed or such can go away for 45 nights and not be missed,so an average age of man-folk is I reckon,75, if a day.The men have not seen enticing bellies like this since their courting days,some not even then.Enraptured I am sure they did not even hear what the girls were singing,the high notes not quite high enough,the low notes lost in translation, it was the twirling swirling hips that counted,the applause was thundering. Yeap,the dancing girls can do no wrong these 45 nights. Yesterday we had Mr Morgan Lee James entertaining with opera singing and jokes telling.An hour passed by and I did not want it to end. A couple are having dinner in a restaurant,laughing,talking.Food is brought,they begin to eat.Suddenly the man slips under the table and is not coming up,the woman continues to eat as if nothing had happened.The worried waiter goes to her and says,madam,your husband is under the table, is he all right.It is not my husband,says she,my husband has just walked into the restaurant. Mr James was full of harmless jokes like this.He is decamping in Antigua,but we will have the pleasure of his company tomorrow evening.

At lunch today I heard a woman say to her table companions

My husband does not like fat women,I must be careful what I eat.Never in my entire life have I heard a woman say anything like that at a dining table in front of complete strangers. You give and take in a marriage.A man wants to be proud of his partner and in a good relationship where mutual needs are understood and appreciated there is no other way,only then the partnership can be fulfilling and happy.You make an effort to look good.A lot of women on this ship as on any other ship are a proof,if a proof was needed, that there is nothing worse than if a woman lets herself go.Yet those words ... The waiter came to take the order and the woman asked - what should I have? A razor sharp male voice made the choice. Having eaten I got up to leave and looked at the man.There he was an elephant and a half overflowing in the chair.Sandals with buckles unfastened,sweat stain in he pit of his arm resting on the table.So this is the man who tells his wife what to eat. He looked well over 70,as did his wife.The woman glanced at me, our eyes met.She had dead eyes.I have seen those eyes before several years ago on another ship during another lunch when an Englishman dined with his Filipino wife.

If I were to guess what the word AZORES means,

I would most certainly associate it with AZURE,the bluest blue colour.How wrong I wold be. ACORES, ACOR is a Portuguese word for the Northern goshawk.Azores is the land of the Northern goshawks.

Come to a Bonfire night exquisite event,

the invitation said,crepes and bananas flambe cooked by an executive chef no less, it promised. Now, if there is one thing I like it is a pancake.No-one makes them better than my friend Ludka,her inventive fillings are legendary and have to be sampled to be believed. But I like things simple,no fancy footwork for me when the simplest of the simplest will do,a little sugar and a few drops of fresh lemon juice or home-made jam and a sprinkling of ground walnuts.Those of you who have been kind enough to read my travel adventures know, that on this cruise to date I have eaten four desserts only.There were some dark dry fruity squares I liked enormously,a dick with too many spots for dinner neither looked nor tasted the part but I consumed the lot trying to determine what on earth it was the taste reminded me of, but the lot gone I was none the wiser.The apple strudel resembled a cake but a strudel it was not neither in taste nor appearance, but as I love all things appled,I thought I had nothing to lose.And I did lose nothing except my faith in ever getting a dessert to my liking on Columbus.Because even the ice cream was far too sweet for me and thus inedible. But things were about to change I was convinced, thinking of the executive chef and his pancakes.There I was, at the bonfire night exquisite event, three decorations hanging from the staircase across the dance floor, a singer swaying and a couple prancing about heavily, as if they had an executive pancake too many.But no sight of the executive chef or his team.The pans cold and empty.Aah, am too early,I thought,I am always on time for everything,thus often far too early. So I waited.And waited.And waited.And then I decided to wait no longer and went up to my room only to see the naked posterior of a Swedish princess waiting to be enjoyed by Eggsy,the Kingsman. All I wanted was a pancake and did not even get that!

The Gods are smiling at me today.

When I opened the door onto the balcony this morning the warm air embraced me and in no time the sun enveloped my whole body.The gloriousness of a day like this is why I love cruising so.The vast expanse of the water as far as the eye can see.The clouds floating in unison yet each on a journey of its own are as white as a morning snow,and when they join into one big wholenesness they become almost pearly white and you wonder at the miraculous beauty of it all. After breakfast I joined the crowd doing the early morning walk on the top of the ship. After 10 rounds I settled on the balcony,no clothes at all necessary,I have no neighbours on one side and a couple in the suite on the other side who never come to sit outside and even if they did, the balcony has no glass wall to reflect a naked or any other body. I watched the white and the silvery white clouds to disperse and the unfettered sun-rays were kissing me all over. Yes, the Gods are smiling at me today.

Having had the most excellent coffee and a sandwich

served by the most delightful young people I stood at the corner of the street weighing my options,should I return to the ship or take the chance with the unpredictable weather.Suddenly I heard banging behind me, thinking I was obstructing someone's way I looked back and it was the waiter who gifted me the cake,smiling broadly and waving,mouthing good-bye,I quickly pulled out my camera and by the time I was ready to snap,a waitress was standing beside him.I will for ever treasure the photograph.Memories are made of moments like these.I could not face returning to the ship.No-one there to share with the feeling of utter contentment,of joy.I wanted it to continue in he warmth of the sun and decided to walk.I passed a large hotel at the sea front, then some buildings being constructed,behind them ugly,shabby grafitinized houses,clothes hanging outside to dry,so they must be occupied but unloved,uncared for.I came to a large grey platform reminiscent of the structures by the port and the most foul stench overcame me, I realized I was standing on the top of a sewage plant and it reminded me of Tortola only there was no plant there just raw excrement and urine seeping into the sea.I turned back and returned to the ship.With the delicious sandwiches and a cake to enjoy I made a cup of tea and settled to watch the excellent film The Martian.

Sao Miguel is not called "The Green Island" for nothing.

It is green.It rains there a lot.It poured yesterday at times quite heavily,it spitted a lot of the time gently.It did not deter me.I went for a walk looking for a nice place to sit down and have a nice cup of coffee with real milk.The moment I saw the Buondi caffe at the corner of Rua Dos Mercadores I knew I had found it.The menu was simple,everything looked fresh,inviting,I even fancied the black what must have been a chocolate cake,and I never buy a chocolate cake,but this time I seriously toyed with the idea.But there were white and brown rolls and they could be filled with what a customer wanted.I chose a brown roll,a delightful smiling waiter suggested ham and cheese.You cannot go wrong with ham and cheese so ham and cheese it was.Delicious.In March 2011 on the Independence of the Sea from Southampton to Canary Islands the very first day we were offered sandwiches not equalled to date on any ship.My sister still dreams abut them.The simple cheese and ham roll in the caffe Buondi was just as good.I said I wanted the type of coffee the waiter made to a lady before me but with hot milk on the side.After a great discussion, looks of unbelief,heads being shaken, I was told never ever has any-one asked for an expresso with milk on the side.But boiling hot milk I got.Fresh orange juice was pressed for me. Never in my entire life have I tasted juice like it. Fit for the Gods.Before I left I said I would like to have the same waiter make me another roll just like then one I had before, to take away.Why don't you want me to make it, asked another waiter reproachingly. Because the one Pedro made was lovely and I would like him to make me one just like it.But I will make you a better one, was a reply.I burst out laughing.I was happy.This is what I so much miss on Columbus.Being made fuss of.Being made feel special.So I said you can also make me a sandwich,any sandwich you like,surprise me.He put together some chicken, lettuce,mayo, wrapped it up and placed into a cake box.Then he took a little tart,placed it into a smaller box and said this is just for you from me.This kind young man I have never seen before and will never see again made my heart dance.

4 November,2017,Azores,Ponta Delgada

Azores are a cluster of nine volcanic islands in the North Atlantic,about half-way between Portugal and New York.Ponta Delgada is the capital of the largest of them,Sao Miguel.Sao Miguel and the island of Santa Maria were discovered by the Portuguese explorer Diego de Silves in 1427.Azores have been self-governing since 1976.The language spoken is Portuguese,the currency is Euro. Sao Miguel acts as a stop-gap to the yachts crossing the Atlantic.Yachts come,yachts go.Truth be told, I cannot imagine any-one voluntarily deciding to settle here.This is my third visit to the Azores,the cruise ships sailing to the Caribbean usually give passengers a breather after 3-4 solid days at sea.I wish they didn't,there is nothing here to offer a discerning traveller,except the alluring name -AZORES.It implies something utterly wonderful and nothing cold be further from the truth.Th architecture at the port would make proud Mr Ceausescu as it resembles the buildings of his era in Rumania,to perfection.Grey slabs thrown on top of each other without any rhyme or reason.If there was a structure that Jack built this is the one.Wires and cables hanging from the exposed ceilings.Sao Diego is not rich.I have walked the breadth and the width of it and can confirm it does not have one single ostentatious house.At least I have not come cross one.Nor have I seen a porsche on the streets.But the port is the first thing the thousands of people the ships bring,see, it is sad to how little pride the town has in itself.How much would it cost to cover the ceilings,make them safe, and spruce the ugly greyness up with white paint?

Mr Harrison Ford and the master of Columbus Mr Carlo Servillo

have one thing in common-each has two favourite facial expressions.Mr Ford. when filming, either smirks, or doesn't. Mr Servillo, wen being photographed with passengers, either looks ever so surprised,or he doesn't.

The tragedy of life is not that it ends so soon,

but that we wait so long to begin it.

2nd November 2017

Columbus,lunch in the warm and welcoming Waterfront restaurant,table 242 in a cosy alcove,New Zealand muscles and some vegetables,the three pieces of seafood having sailed across the seas and the oceans deserved something better than the tasteless greasy vegetables they came nestled on,the mushroom cobbler would have made happy even the Queen of England, the pieces of cheesy little dough on the top were divine,would have been happy with a plateful of those to make my lunch complete,the brown rolls are always tasty and as fresh as a daisy,I had 2 and feeling so utterly comfortable did not want to leave the soft sofa and the padding I was leaning against,so ordered some cheese,came with biscuits, would have preferred bread but was too slow to tell the nice obliging waiters and it really did not matter,the cheese,three kinds was good, came with some dry,very dry pieces of what may have been prunes but could have been anything, all washed down with two cups of tea brewed to perfection. And I even had decent neighbours, pleasant, not inquisitive.

Why do some people take so little pride in the way they look?

A sea of heads that had not seen inside of a barber's shop for months,around me. So many men so badly groomed. And they haven't taken their socks off yet.

TAURUS

Your love life should be getting better and better.You have the lucky planet Jupiter,romantic Venus and the new moon all in your love zone.Whichever way you slice it,there is love and romance in the air-plus,even your non-romantic relationships should be flowing quite well.Be optimistic,cheerful and generous and you will attract same, the November horoscope says.

I think I am going to like this cruise.

Oh, it is not all perfection personified,in fact a list of don't likes is a mile long already.But it is nitpicking.And what you absolutely do not like today tomorrow may become more palatable.But one thing I will never like,is the way they expect us to wipe the machines in the gym after use.The same wet sponge re-used time and time again, just spreading the bacteria about.Then they write about norovirus, how to avoid it.Cleanliness begins at home,Cruise and Maritime, at home. With disposable wipes,please.And when I complained to the girl at the counter she said it had nothing to do with them,it is housekeeping. There is warmth in the air,on Saturday we are docking in the Azores.It has been raining all night and was still spitting when I went for walk on the 14th floor just before breakfast.My first breakfast on the ship.Porridge,some fruit and freshly squeezed orange,this is chargeable, £2.20 per glass,but there really is nothing like fresh juice being pressed in front of your eyes.All very pleasant indeed. I have been told the best place to get a decent signal is in the atrium in the reception area,so this is where I will be sitting with my Toshiba.Yes, it s the chromebook I have taken on my travels and not the new HP. Drinking black coffee, because I find the milk ships use quite unpalatable,the smell off putting.Yet yesterday after dinner the tea with milk was pleasant.The dinner was altogether a pleasant affair.The large table just to myself, no Spanish inquisition from the neighbours.Had a magazine to read, have taken at least 11 of them on this cruise.The waiters behave as if they have never served a woman travelling alone, sitting alone at a table.They do not know what to do with me.They avoid me,I feel abandoned like a sinking ship.I am not fussed over.I am not cossetted.I am not being made feel special.The menu was thrust into my hands without a word.Without a word. The starter was salmon rivette I think it is spelled,delicious,the Britannia soup would have been very pleasant had it not come lukewarm.Risotto was hot and care had gone into making and presenting it,but after the first spoonful I was struck by this strange mustiness and for the life of me I could not tell what it reminded me of,I kept eating a spoon after spoon determined to diagnose the strange taste and having swallowed the last bit I was none the wiser. The spotted dick.Never have I had a dick that had so many spots on it.As if dressed for a fancy halloween party,smothered in glossy pomada,encircled with pinkish sauce and yet another sauce brown in colour. I looked for the custard and a smattering of it was attached to the side of the dick. Tea with milk washed it down. Yet again no wine waiter came to ask if madam would like to order a beverage.And so it was time for bed. Yes, I am going to like this cruise.

Is it Tuesday or is it Wednesday?

Have "lost count" and that is how I like it.No sense of time, no urgency to go anywhere,to do anything.Enjoying each day as it comes without planning,without the need to take part in this,that or the other.Am sitting in the Hemmingway's in the atrium,all around a gentle hustle and bustle,the travellers waiting with abated breath for the daily newspaper delivered to a stand next to me,and here it is, they rush in trodding on my feet however far under the chair I store them,hey,it is my foot,I say reproachingly with a smile,some turn round and say sorry,some ignore me.Same old,same old.The cultured.The buffoons.They are on every ship. Yesterday had the first formal evening. That is when the finery is donned.Had dinner in the Waterfront restaurant for the first time.A table 146 for four just to myself.And this is the way it is going to be until 14th December.Why such a large table for one person only,you may ask? When booking the cruise on 16 June 2016 I mentioned to my travel agent my sister may come with me but it is far too early to know as she may not be able to get the 47 days off work.The booking offer was one person pays, the other goes free.The agent suggested her name is written down anyway as I would save the cost of adding it on later. So this was what was done, And even though I never confirmed it,Cruise and Maritime presumed she would be travelling.Accomodation booked was de lux cabin [there are only 28 of them on the ship],but we were upgraded to Junior Suite and were given this lovely table for four rather than 2.And this is how I have come to enjoy a table big enough for a family,just by myself. As is customary there was a captain's reception yesterday, I was not there,never am.Went to the gym instead.The first time in a long time.Pulled what can be pulled, pushed what can be pushed, walked on the walking thing,rolled on the big ball and did the exercise my sister had taught me-lying on 2 chairs against a corner of the wall one leg goes up,you push your bottom against the wall as near as you can,the other leg touches the floor.After at least five minutes you change the legs.You must change the position of the chairs,too.I was told that if I ever did only one exercise, this is the one.In the gym there are no chairs but there is a longish thingie to lie on an it did the job. While lying down I lifted some weights. Then a quick shower and dinner. The restaurant was warm and welcoming,with little nooks and crannies hiding nicely presented tables.My table is near a window bar one,I do have a choice of sitting in four directions and I aim to utilise it.The starter was a baked in cheese medley of seafood.If I could have it every day,I would.The beef Wellington cooked in the classic way - covered with mushrooms and wrapped in pastry-was overdone for my taste, I like meat rare and slightly red. If it was a chicken I would want it to go kikiriki. I like traditional cooking.On Silversea Cloud they like to experiment. Not for me.They messed with my schnitzel at their peril.The desserts last night offered nothing to my liking,I settled for ice cream, seemed home cooked a la captain,it had walnuts,that did it for me.It came all pink with a bit of biscuit sticking out,liked the biscuit,left most of the very sweet concoction.I never order ice cream and this is the first and the last time I have tried it on Columbus.I was not once approached by a sommelier to see if I wanted to drink anything but water.When walking out a couple left a table just before me, both dressed very casual,in some scruffy trousers, sneakers.I could not understand why they were allowed inside on such a special evening.Was tempted to tell them - if you have no respect for your fellow travellers, at least have some respect for yourselves.The man had not seen a barber for good 6 months,she smelled with sweat. As it was 31 October yesterday the ship had lined up special nibbles in the evening at 10.30 in this very atrium and some party took place.I preferred my bed.