I think you know how much we love the sea and outdoor living. Well Daichi was very generous last month and booked us a trip on the MSC (Mediterranean Shipping Company) cruise line, the Grandiosa! We have never been on a ship so big. Oh my, there are enough rooms for up to 6000 passengers as well as several thousand crew. It is magnificent with shops, a chocolate cafe, where they make their own chocolate, restaurants, spa, two theatres, bars and an ice-cream parlour, which of course we had to try… after all it is competition to our own ice-cream and waffle parlour in Weymouth, Wafflicious! I think I am getting a little over excited there… But really it is a splendid vessel. The crew are incredible. From all over the world and each has their own story.
We flew to Rome and got a taxi to Civitavecchia an hour away, where the port is. Staying overnight is a good idea as it takes away the stress of travelling, we find. Especially as this time we were in the plane for three and a half hours before we took off! Better to be safe than sorry though, I would say.
We had a leisurely morning, including coffee and a pain au chocolat at a local bijoux cafe. Just had to be done – we really were now on holiday. Once we were through customs and all the checks were complete, we very excitedly found our cabin and dropped our hand luggage off. The big cases were taken on board by a crew member. We were on the thirteenth floor! Balcony and all. At 5pm off we set. You can hardly tell you are moving, but at night, being so high up there was an unusual side to side motion which I actually found quite soothing after I got used to it.
Palermo in Sicily! Our first stop. Having never been here before it was a delight to see. Stephen and I decided to take our own tours. The ship does provide great excursions, but we wanted to be independent. Google not only tells you where you can go but also how long it takes to walk there, so we (well actually Stephen) were able to work out exactly what we could do and how much time we had. We walked all the way around the centre of Palermo. The twelfth century cathedral is splendid. The horses and carts are delightful. The Massimo Theatre is glorious. I could really feel the splendour, opulence and dramatic setting of this magnificent Italian town. We so enjoyed our walk, gazing in awe, and of course the coffee sitting in one of the narrow streets complete with small, elaborate balconies and music you could almost hear from times gone by.
Malta was our next stop. After an evening of dining and on-board entertainment, we slowly and majestically arrived at our next destination. My dad was in Malta as part of his two-year conscription many years ago. There is a concept… compulsory enlistment, in his case, into the Royal Navy at the age of eighteen. He remembers it well. Today the area has many museums and artifacts in memory of the second world war. There are even hidden underground passages you can now visit, that were once used by important military leaders and politicians. Lots to do. We chose again to take our own path and in fact we walked over 20000 steps that day! A glorious walk around Valletta with fantastic views across the bays. The new square surrounded by street food vendors and a really attractive fountain were in contrast to the military background and gave you hope for the future.
A day’s sailing was next on the agenda! We chose to have a spa day and watch a movie while we glided our way through the deep waters of the Mediterranean. So relaxing.
Barcelona in Spain was our next destination. My parents had their honeymoon 59 years ago in this amazing city. As I was born early and 3 weeks less than nine months later, I do laugh and say, “I was made in Barcelona!” La Sagrada Familia is quite a feat. I thought there were building new on top of old and was dismayed, however that is not the case at all. It is still not complete and is the largest unfinished Catholic church in the world. Started in 1882. The new architecture is looking quite splendid and complements to older stones well. I always remembered that mum and dad went to a bull fight all those years ago, so a walk to Plaza de Toros Monumental de Barcelona was a must for me. It is quite an eerie place really. You can walk in the footsteps of both the matadors and the bulls, as well as enter the ring itself. Cultures change and it is interesting to see old traditions and look back on history, where we were and where we have come from.
The next time we got off the ship was at Genoa! Another unknown town to us and one we re
ally enjoyed walking around. We did not go in the huge aquarium there, but I hear it is highly recommended. Did you know (a bit controversial) that ‘our’ St George’s flag was apparently ‘stolen’ from here? We saw the flag a few times, flying high, and according to Google… “The symbol was adopted by England toward the end of the religious wars, in the 13th century with our ships flying the flag of Genoa as a deterrent to enemies.” Oops… Again, how interesting our history is.
Well, it was time to take our last cruise back to Rome. On disembarking we had a day to explore. Sitting, overlooking the Colosseum having an Italian lunch was awe inspiring. It ended our eight-day, seven night break on a high.
Sailing is not for everyone and certainly I would generally prefer a smaller ship, but we thoroughly enjoyed our self-generated European excursions, coffees in places we had never been before, nights singing to Abba, Italian Opera and the Addams Family in the all-inclusive entertainment each evening. Waited on hand and foot in the restaurants and having as much food as you want in the buffet. We love cruising. Let’s see if Daichi can top that this coming month!
By Debbie Corney
