Cruise Views

 

Corfu Town

 So this is the entry which I promised in my last post, describing a brief but beautiful trip to the Adriatic. The youngest and I made the trip together (Mister E prefers his time on the high seas in small vessels, hence our restoration project).

We flew to and from Corfu Town and took in Koper (Slovenia), Venice (Italy), Split and Dubrovnik (Croatia) and finally Kotor (Montenegro). We chose the cruise based solely on the itinerary and  the fact that save for one sea day, the rest were all spent ashore.

They were all amazing destinations and I had only ever visited Venice before. The weather was splendid at 26 degrees or thereabouts all week with flat seas, blue sky and lots of sunshine. We also had the opportunity for some mother and daughter bonding; patience required on both sides!

Venice

So what was there not to like? Cruising, I'm afraid. Yes, I am beginning to understand where Mister E comes from, although sailing boats can be a little slow and uncomfortable in comparison. Nevertheless, it seems to me that the larger the vessel the more the enjoyment value diminishes. I certainly wouldn't choose to stay in a hotel that caters for thousands of guests, so what is the attraction of being consigned to sea with those kinds of numbers? 

Split

 However with time in short supply on the youngest's behalf and a desire to visit a number of cities that we would, because of their limited size, perhaps only spend a day in anyway (Venice excepted but as I said, I have visited before), it seemed an ideal solution. This was our third cruise and the ship itself was modest in size compared to the first ship we ever travelled on but of course I hadn't factored in arriving at small medieval walled towns when you are accompanied by up to 5 much larger vessels. Still we comforted ourselves with the thought of how much more done by we might feel if we had driven to our ports of call, only to be inundated by cruise passengers.

Dubrovnik

 Our cabin was comfortable with towels changed twice a day if you required it, although there was no obvious place to dry them. A bad mark for any environmental concerns but probably insignificant compared to the fuel burnt in moving the ship along not to mention its voyage across the Venice Lagoon. On the plus side and before the youngest could even engage the house manager with a discussion on his recycling policy it halted the provision of plastic straws. Sipping a cocktail was never the same again! Also and before anyone criticises me too much, I understand that the Italian government in 2021 is banning cruise ships over 55000 tonnes (I have no idea how many storeys that is but it must certainly cover the  15 floor monstrosities) from crossing the basin.

Kotor

I returned feeling rejuvenated; younger, fitter and slimmer than our fellow voyagers, the youngest excepted. She returned feeling that she had escaped from a floating care home. At least we had the ship's staircase pretty much to ourselves as others used the lift and I firmly believe that had we hit an iceberg we'd have easily made it to the front of the queue for the launch of the first lifeboat. It does surprise me that so many people in wheelchairs or with mobility scooters or even simple walking issues place their trust in the buoyancy of these enormous cruise ships. Perhaps they have never heard of the Titanic, but what would happen if the elevators were out of order and they had to make their way up or down perhaps nine flights of stairs to a muster station as the boat heeled over? 

I do think that when  the fear of flying competely takes me in its grip, a cruise ship could be the answer for visiting foreign shores but I'm going to have to be somewhat older and of less mobility to become truly enthused. Whether I could actually overcome the fear of drowning is another matter and either I must follow Mister E's lead on that score and pray that next year's sailing season works its magic or else stay  at home and tend the flowers beds.

Koper

 Finally, attractive though they were, after a week of visiting for the most part medieval cities founded in Roman times, occupied by the Venetians, all with  bell towers and now overcrowded by tourists, I suddenly found myself dreaming about: mountain villages and walking through the woods; staying in modest guest houses and meeting the locals; shopping at markets and cooking our own food; waking up on a morning and deciding where to go; solitude and silence.

So, in summary it was a wonderful experience but not one that has converted me to becoming a cruising afficionado.