2019 Cruise Dubai to Rome with Barb & Ken

Out of the Suez  Canal we berthed at  Ashdod on Monday April 22 After overnight cruising we berthed at Haifa for two nights April 23-24 Day 1 Israel Ashdod April 2 We undertook a 5 hour day tour to Tel Aviv and Jaffa.  Jaffa an old port with historical fort, adjacent to Tel Aviv The first stop was the old railway station.  Basically a market shopping area.  As it was a public holiday the shops opened an hour later than the time we arrived.  A  drive around the streets of Tel Aviv highlighted some of the city buildings and locals going about their business Concert Hall We then visited the markets at the fort base of Jaffa. Had two hours of free time in the markets,,,, best described as a waste of time.  However the market area was housed in some interesting old buildings. Clock Tower and Bad Photo Then drove to the old fort of Jaffa but not let out of the b...

As you can see I am now several days behind with the postings. We are presently at sea heading towards Sorrento having left Crete yesterday afternoon.  Still a lot to report from days gone by. Saturday April 20th  Day at Sea sailing towards the Suez Canal Sunday April 21st  It's Easter Sunday And its Caviar and Champagne breakfast Suez Canal Transit Egypt  We set anchor at sea early on the morning of  Sunday April 21st awaiting our turn to transit Around 10.00 a.m. we entered the canal. In We Go Construction of the canal to provide access between the Red and Mediterranean Seas and hence interrupting the expanse of the Sinai desert began in 1859.    This was achieved essentially by  hand. Thousands of Egyptian men shovelled tons of sand to dig the canal. Ten years later on November 17, 1869, the canal was opened. The history of ownership and management of the canal, originally that of ...

Safaga, Egypt April 19th Snorkelling in the Red Sea A much later start today around 8.45 for either a morning of snorkelling (Barbara and Ken) or out on a glass-bottom boat (Pam and Leon). We have not done any snorkelling since our time in Indonesia.  The quality of the snorkelling was much better in Indonesia. No interesting photos to support the activity but it was a very pleasant day enjoying the activity and then sunning and chatting with others on the way back to shore. Enjoyed a slow lunch back on the ship. At six o'clock we headed up to Galileo's Lounge to enjoy pre-dinner cocktails with some of the Aussies on board. The four of us dined at the Prime 7 restaurant. This is reputably the restaurant of fine dining on the ship.  The meal was certainly of fine quality.  Lobster being one of our favourite tastings. After dinner we went to 'the show'. it was good. The entertainment productio...

Thursday April 18th After a challenging day yesterday we gathered in the theatre to be allocated to the coaches to take us on a 3.5 hour journey to the city of Luxor.  Once again we were about to face a long day. This time 13.5 hours.  The two major attractions of the day were the visits to the Valley of the Kings and Luxor Temple.  Time limitations meant that not all points of interest were to be explored. Luxor Approximately 230k from our port, Safaga; we were to spend a total of around 8 hours on a coach.  It turned out to be the most uncomfortable coach we have had on the cruise, with the seats tightly placed. Luxor stands on the site of the ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes. The ruins of many temples, monuments, and tombs lie in and around this historic city. The lush landscape was a dramatic change from the desert we were travelling through.  This due to the proximity of the mighty Nile River and the many irrigation channels ...

Wednesday April 17th   As you see I am several days behind with my posting.  Very busy time cruising, off the ship tours and late nights plus great company. Remind readers who are getting posting through email.  To get a better view and lay-out click on the webpage indicated at the end of the email. A Day in Petra This has been the biggest day of the cruise so far.  Out on a tour for nine hours and walked about 8-9 kilometres.  We were all 'pretty stuffed' by the time we got back to the ship but it was truly worth it.   Petra is listed as one of the seven wonders of the world and once seen it is very easy to understand why. Briefly Petra was the capital of the Nabataean Empire from the first century BC. it grew rich through the trade in frankincense, myrrh and spices the city was later annexed by the Roman Empire and continued to thrive until a large earthquake 363 AD destroyed much of the city the earthquake coupled with...