Continued from last Week (Monday 5 DEC) - (and 7, 14, 21 and 28 Nov)

Thursday morning saw us docked in Palermo Sicily we were again very near the town centre so easy to access but the pavements and traffic were once more horrific. My fellow cruisers once more came to my rescue and helped me to get on and off the pavements. Trying to cross roads was nearly impossible the crossings had pedestrian lights but the traffic just ignored them and we really did dice with death trying to get across.  I spent all morning in Palermo and managed to find a pharmacy to buy some medication for my sore throat.  When the time came for us to leave port it was a major feat for our Captain to steer our ship out of harbour because there were a good dozen other cruise ships anchored in dock.

Friday was a quiet day so that we could do our packing and last minute shopping from the ships boutiques. As usual I had to buy another small bag as I had more to bring home than I brought. Dinner tonight was time to say farewell to our fellow diners and table staff so it was quite sad but we all agreed we had enjoyed a really good cruise and the staff could definitely not have done more for us.

We arrived back in Barcelona harbour early and I had to be off the ship by 7.00.am because my flight to Heathrow was at 11.00.am. A wheelchair taxi was waiting at the port and I had an uneventful journey to the airport. A representative was waiting to escort me to the BA check in desk but this was manned by Iberian staff who spoke little English and the lady was very unhelpful and obviously not used to dealing with passengers who had wheelchairs to transport. I had paid £10 for a pre booked seat in row 12 but the check-in lady insisted I had to sit in row 24 as people with disabilities had to be seated near the rear of the plane. She then sent for two special needs helpers who also could not speak English and had no idea at all how to get my electric chair to the plane. It was a complete nightmare and I was locked up in a room with two hard seats made to transfer while my wheelchairs were checked for drugs. By the time this was done my electric chair was wheeled away and I was pushed to the departure gate and left there for two hours on my own with no help to get to the toilet facilities.

Luckily my plane left on time and I was soon re-united with my chair and luggage in the reclaim hall. Heathrow staff were excellent and I had a mobile phone call from Mark my taxi driver to say he would be with me about 1.00.p.m. I sat with my luggage and Mark arrived he soon had me and my bags stowed away and we were home in about two hours after an uneventful journey home. I had only been back half an hour when my two cats arrived fit and well from the cattery and I knew I was well and truly home.

Continued from last Week (Monday 28) - (and 7, 14 and 21 Nov)

Monday Day at Sea I had tea and toast in bed because I had an invite to the Captains Brunch at 9.30.am. It was a very lavish affair with every delicacy you can think of. I had Spanish omelette, peppered mackerel, smoked salmon, cheese and croissants it was all so delicious. One of the ships officers chatted with me for a long time because he has tried to get his grandmother who is a little older than me to have some cruises but all she does is languish at home although she is fit and well.

Apparently a lot of the officers and cruise Director saw me return to the ship yesterday like a drowned rat and wanted to know about my escapade.

I must add here that the whole crew of Brilliance of the Seas were fantastic and helped me incessantly yes friends were around but the freedom I felt by having a stateroom to myself was absolutely wonderful. Shella my stewardess could not do enough to help me.

There were a couple of American men three cabins away from mine one was very extrovert and had bought a Turkish Sultan’s robe and hat while in Istanbul so he cam e to my cabin to show himself off/ The hilarity was so great that the other guests on our deck came to see what it was going on. I took photos and the Sultans friend also took some. I was still suffering from cold and chill so just had some soup for lunch then had a nap before it was time for a game of bingo. I didn’t win but decided not to continue paying 30$ a time for the privilege when the winnings were so poor in my opinion it was definitely not a fair deal. I did play a few times on the slot machines but again the chance of winning had diminished greatly since my last cruise.

Tuesday morning saw us docked in Athens. I had a disabled friendly two and a half hour tour booked so after breakfast in the dining room I went to the dock gates to find the mini bus. The tour was very educating and we were taken to various points of interest including the Metropolis and we saw all the buildings that were used for the Athens Olympic Games. Our lady guide and man driver were very helpful indeed. The following day a huge Industrial Strike had been organised involving the euro and several of the street we tried to access were blocked because of large groups of people collecting to demonstrate ready for the next day. I took quite a few photos one of an old Roman Bath encased in glass. My cold and sore throat was really bad today so rested as much as possible between visits to the dining room.

Wednesday October 19 we had another day at sea with a chance to rest and try and get rid of my cold. Dinner was another formal event so we all had to put our finery on again and I took pictures of our waiters and my fellow table companions.