The sun is shining and the 8 metre waves and Force 8 gale have been left behind. We are some 200 miles from Lisbon and will be on our berth in Funchal, Madeira by 0800 tomorrow.
Canary Islands
This is not easy but we will get through it! Five ports in five days. We are not trained for it. We like a port and then a few sea days to get some rest and build up the stamina with plenty of food and plenty of Malbec for me.
Off again on Queen Victoria
Remembrance Sunday – 9 November 2014. We are excited to be joining Queen Victoria again for two back to back cruises, the first to the Canaries and the second to the Western Med.
They think it’s all over – well it is now!
The last 3 days from Madeira to Southampton passed quickly.
Madeira
We are back in Europe! Madeira was sunny but a bit nippy when we tied up at 0800. Last time we were here it rained heavily all day and we were unable to leave the ship. There were mud slides, massive flooding and houses and dogs were washed into the sea.
When the new runway was opened in 2002 a jumbo apparently landed on it and didn’t fall off the end.
The Last Leg
On Wednesday in Fort Lauderdale, there was a large disembarkation, including all those who had boarded on 12 January in Ft Lauderdale. Theirs was a 94 day voyage that qualified as a Full World Voyage! In the main they were US citizens.
Astronauts
It is not often that you get to shake hands with two astronauts in one day. Well I did it yesterday and today in the Lido Restaurant.
Grand Cayman
“Attorneys at Law” the sign said. I thought It was another jewellery store in the shopping mall but I was wrong. It was a very impressive office, but this is Grand Cayman. Packed with 554 Banks plus Trust Companies, Insurance Companies and all sorts of financial institutions. I decided to leave the lawyers to their own devices.
Aruba
Aruba is about 18 miles north of Venezuela and is now part of the ABC group of islands – Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao. Formerly a part of the Netherlands Antilles, it is now a separate entity within the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
Cloes was the driver. We were told that he was a good driver. He was, when he looked where he was going, but he often turned round to talk to us, and he often took both hands off the wheel to help his explanations!
I climbed them, but the view from the top was not sensational. We then drove to the northern Atlantic coast. An impressive rocky coastline with large waves breaking heavily.
In the sand there are numerous divi divi or Watapana trees whose branches are bent at right angles to the trunk by the ever present trade winds.
The Panama Canal
In 2012 we transited the Canal from the Atlantic to the Pacific in Queen Elizabeth. Today we went in the other direction. We had an amazing, exhausting day.
It was a beautiful morning and Panama City glistened in the distance as the sun rose.
We passed under The Bridge of the Americas at about 0800 and headed for the first series of locks – the Miraflores Locks.
Each locomotive costs between $2 million and $5 million depending on who you speak to! The locomotives do not, usually, pull the ship through, but by means of 2 hawsers and pulleys on each locomotive they keep the ship away from the edge of the canal. The ship is propelled through under its own power.
Decks 5 and 6 forward, usually reserved for the crew, were opened for passengers, and that gave brilliant views of the lock gates and the water levels, but there was no cover and it was hot and humid. My “private” deck on 9 in front of the gym gives a better overall view but Deck 3 astern proved to be the best for Panama.