Cruise 2015 - Day 7

Early start today but at least the ship clocks went back last night do it's not as early as the same time yesterday.

Up and out just a few minutes after sunrise. Perfectly calm coming into harbour, with mountains on both sides.

A sailboat tried to race us into berth but local harbour master chased him off. Forecast is for sunny and 28℃

Climbed to the top of the fortress stopping for numerous photo stops on the way. Mostly just to get my breath back. It was a 320m climb in 30℃ temperature.

Beer in the town as we tried to get out breath back and dry my shirt somewhat. Wandered about a bit more before back to the ship.

Absolutely stunning place.

Earlyish departure in the morning. All packed away with bags outside to be brought directly to the plane.

Didn't affect our evening routine of pool, dinner and show.

Cruise 2015 - Day 6

Another cycle today. 

Shorter and cooler than yesterday but the small climbs were tougher as there was less wind. 

Route was a lollipop one today with a small loop at the end where we sampled the Corfu street cafes.

Back to the ship and the afternoon fared in a similar way to the past few ones. Lunch, poolside, dress for dinner, dinner, show. 

Very early start in the morning as we want to be up to see the ship pass through the kotor fjord. Alarm set for sunrise.

Cruise 2015 - Day 5

Small port so we are at anchor and need to use the tenders. 

Meet up with the group cycling and head off. 

Its a Bank Holiday so the roads are reasonable quiet, which is just as well as we are on a moderately main road. Pass some mining sites, signs say what looks like Bauxite, in Greek, and there is a deep copper colour to the spoil. I though Bauxite was Aluminum. I'll need to check this once I get home.

Very warm, mid 30s, but there is a breeze which takes the edge off the heat.

We cycled 11 miles then stopped at the beach. Were quicker coming back. 

Some fellow travellers were not as comfortable on the bikes as Fiona and I.

Usual evening...

Cruise 2015 - Day 4

Another tour this morning. Of to see the ruin of Mycenae.

Tour guide gave a potted history of Greece after explaining why the town's were so far inland.

Spent more than enough time in the museum hearing about pots and some jewellery but most of the items were replicas with the originals in foreign shores. Guide did explain how Homer's books tied in with the actual cities if not with the people.

Finally got to see some of the ruins of Mycenae but with not much time left it was a bit of a rush. 

Then out to see one of the tombs. Above ground, conical. Like low tech Irish passage graves, without the clever alignment.

Back onto the bus for a photo stop at the Corinth canal then back to the ship.

After food it was back into modern Corinth but since it's Sunday almost everything is closed.

Back to the ship for pool, food drink,show cocktails.

Cruise 2015 - Day 3

Off to Olympia to see where the Games all started. 

Guide is grateful that the weather us with us. He expects it to be only 32℃ today. 

Guide is brilliant good fun and excited about telling us what the history is. He dismisses the Roman era stuff with a casual anything made of brick is Roman. I don't actually hear him snort but it's there.

Fiona gets to try the original 193m track.

Back on board and it's poolside. Ethical dilemma: I want to lay on my front to read so I need to drop the chairs back and lie down. This means I will be facing the people behind me. But the girl behind us is topless. 

Oh well stay sitting.

Pre dinner drinks, dinner drinks,drinks at the show, followed by a nightcap because its another early start. Not as early as today but just about.

Hard work this holiday lark

Cruise 2015 - Day 2

At sea all day.

Quiet start. Lie in after the no sleep from yesterday. But excursions meeting at 1030 so dragged out of bed at 1015 and head to talk.

Brunch followed but as it was already 1130 lunch was being started. They made me pancakes specially. 

Ship time was being adjusted at 1200 moving forward. So the captain came on to talk at 1200, finished without mentioning the clock changing, to be followed by the entertainment host who announced it was now 1305. It took Fiona almost 5 minutes to understand my comment that she hadn't spoken in over an hour.

Sun bathing most of the day. Few laps of ship before dinner. Found a Minion who had fallen on tough times...

"What's in a Singapore sling?" she asked. A Chinese guy's sore arm. Boom boom.

Early start for the morning. Struggle to tell our smart phones to be stupid clock and don't try to get network time, and not to worry about time zones.

Alarm set for 5 hours and forty eight minutes. We hope.

Cruise 2015 - Day 1

6 ℃ Glasgow, 34℃ Dubrovnik
Flew out of Glasgow to Dubrovnik to start the cruise.

Got on board needed to wait for luggage but once it arrived we headed out to catch a bus into the old town. Spent the afternoon wandering through town. Apparently it's a game of thrones location but since we only had council telly up until recently we've not watched that show.

A nice beer to start the holidays. We were given 90 Kuna by Fiona's pal but had no idea of the exchange rate. 

It it's about 10 Kuna to a pound. So we had cash for the bus in but could we cover the beers? No. We were willing to pay in Kuna and walk but that wouldn't cover do we had to pay in Euro. This meant we could take the bus back. 

Manic bus ride. So many sweaty people crushed into this bus. A second bus pulled up but we persevered. Made it back in one piece. 

Dinner then outside for some drinks and ultimately to look at stars. Not much to see but some pretty lightning in the distance.

Driven to distraction

I was heading to a  customer meeting last Thursday with 2 colleagues when one of them mentioned my new car.  Apart  from the colour, he knew it was a new car because it only had 11500 miles on it. That's since June.

That got me thinking about the travelling i did last year.
I drove about 17000 miles myself, a good few by train, and a couple of flights because there wasn't  enough time to drive.

Apart from a train  running slow due to very high winds i gave been remarkably lucky with my travels.
A freak blizzard  closed the road about 20 minutes after i passed through.

On the down side there gave been a number of friday meetings in Warrington that keep me late. And more than a fair share of Sunday night starts for Monday morning internal meetings. Also a lot of my train journeys were on the 0512 from Ayr.

Not sure what this year has for me.  I have a personal target to increase my trip efficiency, but that's  OK because that means no more day trips (well fewer  anyway).

Thus being said i got back from Dublin Tuesday night. I drove to Warrington Wednesday morning and home Friday night. Back down Wednesday morning and again back Friday night. This time caught in the snow so it was almost 2200 before i got in. Then away again Sunday afternoon and not due back until Wednesday.

Being in post over a year now makes it easier to say that i don't  agree with some of the plans, but probably  notnin post long enough to affect anything.

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Safety Drive

One thing I have noticed over the past year working at ABB is the attention to safety. In an industry that brought us Bhopal the need to keep safety at the front of our minds is paramount.

I see this on a daily basis. Among the software I sell are programs for sizing pressure relief valves for vessels. These valves help ensure the storage tank doesn't become a high pressure bomb. Others inspect these vessels to make sure they are not being damaged by time, elements, and the job they do, while others help in the safe decommissioning of plants when they reach end of life.

In the office we have to hold the hand rail, use the lift if we have more than 1 bag (ie can't hold the hand rail), and use a tray to carry more than 2 cups of hot or cold drinks. We are expected to stop un-safe actions wherever we see them, including when we are off duty.

Driving is high risk. Distance, weather, distraction and other plebs make it downright dangerous at times. We are encourage to place our safety and that of others high, and we will be supported in this activity. I have been assessed by an AA advanced driver, and have undergone additional training.

So I was not surprised to find that there was a "Winter Driver's Kit" that I was supposed to have in the car with me. Its got things like a warning triangle, a torch, and a shovel. I finally picked my pack up this week.

To misquote Chief Brody, "I'm gonna need a bigger car"

The bag is 65cm by 27cm square - 48litres capacity. In addition to the aforementioned, there is a woolly hat and socks, gloves, a flask and a day glo coat. There's also a first aid kit, a spare battery, deicer and an ice scraper.

I'm not sure, but I think the shovel and coat can be used together as a tent. I'm positive the bag will float, so perhaps I can sail it, or use it as a tauntaun as Han did for Luke in Empire?

Because I played safe when ordering the car I got the full sized tyre instead of the space saver. This means the boot the full of tyre.

I don't know where this bag is going to live...

Ye Olde Grande Day Out

We spent yesterday in Shotts at Izzy's Birthday Tournament.
What a fabulous day - what incredible effort was put into the games and decoration. And the enthusiasm of the games.
High points of the day were the Jousting and the Castle Scaling competitions.

I was just pipped to the post in the Castle Scaling in one of the closer races of the day.
Sadly there are no photos of my joust. I was up and knocked down and bounced out of the ring before Fiona could even lift the camera. It all happened so fast that Master Tait suspected foul play and ordered a rematch. His fears were unfounded as I was again bounced out almost as quickly.
My personal involvement finished, I could enjoy the rest of the day.

As the jousting progressed it became quite serious -

with husband versus wife, brother versus sister, and brothers in law brothers in arms.

But it was all really abut having fun, which we all did.

Great day with good friends.

Mini Cruise

Our Lego mini figures enjoyed our cruise almost as well as Fiona and I did.

LIfeboat Drill

At the House of the Virgin Mary at Ephesus

Reading the description at Ephesus

Waiting for the show to begin on board ship

Being silly at Delos

Enjoying a glass of wine

Taking a dip in the pool

In the castle in Alanya

One of the games of Rummikub