BOOSH BARN: Ship's bLog April 07

Our route, in instalments:

SETTING SAIL FROM SOUTHAMPTON

We set sail from Southampton on Friday March 30th, Barcelona-bound. A 3-day crossing through the Channel, across the Bay of Biscay (particularly choppy for the time of year much to Fif's disgust although it did help with weight loss) and into the Mediterranean.

BARCELONA
We reached Barcelona an hour later than planned, but managed to set off on our Gourmet Shopping tour before they closed for siesta time. There was a group of 25 - men, women and children, including one lady in a wheelchair (bear with me, this is important). We were taken by coach through the rain-sodden streets and deposited at the coach terminal at the top of Las Ramblas. A quick detour to purchase umbrellas then on for a cup of hot chocolate. We left there thinking we were en route to the market but had to test out the umbrellas whilst the guide took some Gauloise 'thinking time'. On to the market which was really interesting and we had the best smoothies ever but all too soon - 20 minutes - we had to meet up with Mme Gauloise. She then took us off Las Ramblas and onto a shopping 'lane' where, bearing in mind this was the Gourmet Shopping tour, we would not be visiting any shops unless we asked her permission. So we did, and she said "Si". Popped into a shop for sunglasses (the Babster had lost hers on board), came out and the whole group had disappeared. Pouff, vamoosh, gorn, vanished - 23 men, women, children and wheelchair all with new umbrellas and our Gauloise Guide sporting the brightest pinkest umbrella known to Spaniards. We ran up street, down lane, along ramblas but could we find them? So we popped into the amazing Cathedral and then, to cut a long, wet story short we took a taxi back to the ship and made our complaint...........

MONTE CARLO

Next stop, the principality of Monaco where we took a tender ashore. No organised trip here, a DIY day. It was an absolutely beautiful day as we checked out the boats in the marina but none took our fancy (she lied), then enjoyed a coffee at a harbourside restaurant. No service with a smile there. We then walked the streets of the Grand Prix and up to the Cafe de Paris, the Casinos and L'Opera before making our way back to the marina and onto the tender with the highly considerate driver who thought he was in training for the Grand Prix. A few passengers made correct use of the sick bags.

and The Crew.....
I always thought that Victoria Wood or Peter Kay sketches were a little far-fetched, the characters a bit OTT, until I went on this cruise. Their research must have been done on P & O ships. Just a few of our fellow passengers, however, were great fun and I'll introduce them over the next few nights. They made up for the lacking je ne sais quoi of the cruise.

Nick, Anne, Debs and Luke. Nick and Anne will shortly be moving up in the world, looking for a property in Cheshire and Debs and Luke managed to put up with us whingeing Poms. They've invited us for Sunday lunch - in Sidney......