I have a question. Where has 2015 gone to? It seems like only yesterday that I was thinking back on 2014.
It's been a bit of a funny old year. We started the year knowing that my brother-in-law was terminally ill, and I'll be starting 2016 by going to a funeral of a friend who passed away before Christmas. My brother-in-law passed away not long after his 60th birthday my friend had also not long celebrated his 60th birthday. A sobering thought, especially as in 2016 I'll be celebrating my 60th. Once again I've been reminded of just how short life is and the importance of making the most of every day.
I'm still determined to have as many adventures as possible and try not to let things get to me, but I'm realising just how hard that can be at times. I'm also aware that it's up to me how I choose to react when life throws me one of its many curve balls.
Scratch Messiah at Royal Albert Hall
I've got a couple of adventures planned and I'm also eagerly awaiting to hear what WOAPA will have in store for us. We might be entering the Chipping Norton Musical Festival competition again, and who knows, we might even get an outstanding award this year. There's also a strong possibility that, once again, we'll be taking part in the Scratch Messiah in the Royal Albert Hall.
There also may be an adventure involving flying.
One of the reasons this year has gone so fast is there's been a lot going on, and as I have already said, not all of it good. But I'm feeling grateful that at the end of 2015, my family and I are safe and healthy. We've been fortunate enough not to be affected by the terrible flooding that has spoilt so many people's Christmas and New Year. Both my sons have overcome their health scares and I didn't get pneumonia. All in all, I've got a lot to be grateful for, and I am.
Who knows what 2016 has in store for me and mine? All I know is that whatever it is, good or bad, I'm ready. I'm still determined to be a vase mended with 'Golden Seams', On my facebook page I share inspirational quotes and funny or cute photos to make people smile. If I can help someone to feel better, even if only for a moment, then that makes me happy.
2016 is almost upon us. I don't make resolutions, why set myself up to fail? I'll just keep on trying my best. I wish all who are reading this, happiness, health and the strength to cope if life gets difficult. Find joy in the little things. After all, that's what most of our lives are made up of; the little things. Most importantly: Remember to believe that good things are on their way.
Remember quote courtesy of :- https://www.facebook.com/powerofpositivity/?fref=photo
A couple of weeks ago I was excited because my singing group had just performed in the great Hall at Blenheim Palace. It was an amazing experience to be able to sing in such a beautiful setting. What could possibly top that?
This time last year I was in the process of recovering from a bout of pneumonia. It was particularly frustrating for me as I fell ill only a few days before I was due to take part in the Scratch Messiah, in the Royal Albert Hall. Instead I was stuck in hospital, having intravenous antibiotics and feeling a little sorry for myself. Months of screeching around the house trying to learn the alto part had all been for nothing. I was so disappointed that I couldn't even bring myself to listen to a recording of the Hallelujah Chorus that was uploaded to youtube.
Alto section
For those who have never heard of the Scratch Messiah, every year, for the past 41 years, singers from all around the world have gathered in the Royal Albert Hall to perform Handel's Messiah. This is known as the Scratch Messiah as everyone who takes part is expected to rehearse it and then turn up on the night and sing, with no final rehearsal beforehand.
A year late, but, finally I got my chance to take part.
It's almost impossible to describe to anyone who's never been inside the Albert Hall, just how stunningly beautiful it is. I'll let the photographs speak for themselves. Around 3,500 singers, either individuals or choirs, had gathered from all around the UK, Europe, Canada and Bermuda. The altos had to wear something red, the sopranos, blue and the tenors and basses dark suits. There were singers seated on every level of the hall, and even up in the gods you could see blocks of red and blue. It was an incredible sight.
Louise and Tracy from WOAPA
Before the performance, the hall buzzed with the sound of excited, if nervous, chatter. People milled around taking selfies or group photographs as a reminder of a special evening. When the members of the orchestra began to arrive, the noise briefly increased as we all hurried to find our seats. Finally, the conductor and soloists arrived and an expectant hush fell on the building.
At a flick of the hand of the conductor, the hauntingly beautiful notes of the introduction began to fill the hall. I expected to feel nervous, but having been worried right up until I boarded the coach, that something might yet prevent me from going, I felt like I was in a dream and would wake up at any moment.
Brian Kay, the conductor
After the introduction, the first soloist sand a couple of short recitatives and then conductor indicated that we should all stand. This was it. Again it's hard to describe the sound of 3,500 voices singing. A friend who was in the audience said, " When everyone started to sing, it was like a wave of sound had washed over us and enveloped us." She also said that when we sang the Hallelujah Chorus, "It felt as if the hairs on the back of my neck stood up and it made me feel very emotional." I can safely say that this also describes the way I felt throughout the performance.
At the end of the performance, we were given a standing ovation which seemed to go on for ever. The conductor and soloists left the stage to more rapturous applause, before leaving the hall, clutching a large bouquet of flowers each.
Me waiting for the performance to begin.
When I was in my late teens/early twenties, I was part of a gospel choir and we performed in many large venues, including the Usher Hall in Edinburgh. But performing Handel's Messiah in the Royal Albert Hall, with around 3,500 other people, has got to be the most thrilling performance I've ever participated in. Many of my fellow choir members, who'd taken part last year, said that they were less nervous this time, but they would never forget their 'first time'. Brian has already asked if anyone would be interested in taking part again next year, and I've said a resounding,YES.
We weren't allowed to make any recordings, but I've found the recording of the Hallelujah Chorus from last year's Scratch Messiah. I'm sure it sounded just as great this year. Enjoy.
Photos courtesy of WOAPA, Diane Iverson Mullinger and Isabel's own.
Three years ago I embarked on a creative writing course with the
Open University. I must admit that this was the hardest, most challenging thing
that I've ever done. I was used to being assessed and marked on my academic writing, but when it came to my creative writing, I didn't find it so easy. I was really demoralised by the mark I got for my final
assignment. The most cutting comment was that the storyline was ' poor'. It's
based on a true story of a man I met on a plane a few years ago, who had been
in the north tower when the planes hit in 9/11, but the woman is a complete fiction. For a couple of years I let this get to me and apart from writing my blog, I stopped writing anything else.
Then last year I decided to stop feeling sorry for myself and do something about it. So after a few changes, an author never thinks their work is completely finished anyway, I submitted the story in a Writer's Magazine writing competition. I wasn't placed, but I was given some really encouraging feedback that led me to believe that, with a few more changes, I might stand a chance if I resubmitted it. So, armed with a renewed feeling of optimism, I did just that. This was the result.
A Twist of Fate
Thanks for entering the Writers’ Forum competition.
Presentation: Manuscript layout is good. When
someone is addressed in dialogue there should be a comma before and/or after
the name.
Title: Apt for the story on more than one
level.
Opening: This is good scene setting, introduces
the main character, and contains a hook to grab the reader’s attention, giving
us a reason to read on.
Dialogue: Good – the dialogue aids
characterisation and helps to drive the story onwards.
Characterisation: The characters are well drawn
and credible.
Overall: You have a lovely style and I enjoyed
reading your work very much indeed. I’m short-listing this – congratulations!
Should the story move forward to the top three, someone will be in touch to let
you know.
Shortlisted
No one did get in touch with me, so I didn't make the top three. but I didn't really mind. As far as I was concerned I'd done what I set out to do and changed it from being a 'poor idea' a story was that was highly commended. This was confirmed when in the March edition of the magazine, was listed as having been shortlisted and highly commended.
This has done so much for me on so many levels. It's restored my confidence for one thing. Unfortunately, I'm a bit too busy with my Open University degree to do much writing at the moment, but I fully intend to take it up again when I finish, hopefully in May 2018. I'm a bit annoyed with myself that I let myself be affected by this in the first place, but I'm proud of myself for picking myself up and turning it around.
Since becoming a part of WOAPA Adult Singing Group, my life has become quite exciting at times. So far we've performed at music festivals, made a couple of Cd's and videos, including the Diggy, Diggy Hole video for Oxfam, and helped raise a lot of money for charity. We've even been awarded a couple of distinctions at the Chipping Norton music festival and, this year had the honour of being asked to close the festival.
A few weeks ago, Brian announced that we had been asked to sing in the Great Hall at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire, as part of their run up to Christmas celebrations. Normally I'm not a great fan of singing Christmas songs before December, but I was very happy to make an exception in this instance.
Great Hall at Blenheim Palace.
On Saturday, 14th November, around 12.30pm, I, along with around 70 others of the WOAPA Adult Singing Group, began to gather in the Great Hall for the first of two performances. The hall had been decorated for Christmas and it took my breath away when I entered and saw the two Christmas trees, each standing about 40 feet tall, that flanked the area where we would be performing. Any nerves I had grew even more intense at the sight, and I'm sure that I wasn't the only one.
WOAPA Adult Singing Group
At 12.50pm, we began to take our places ready for the first performance. There was a lot of shuffling and murmuring, but finally Louise signalled us that it was time to begin and we gave her our full attention. We started with a Jingle Bell Rock/White Christmas medley. The acoustics in the Great Hall are amazing and the sound of the choir singing resonated along the corridors and up into the rafters. One of the palace staff who was working in an office along the corridor told us that she could even hear us in there. When we finished singing, we were enthusiastically applauded by the crowd that had gathered to listen.
Feelimg a bit less nervous , we waited for the intro to the next song to begin. It should have been, Somewhere Only We Know. Instead the unmistakable opening chords of Let It Go started to play. There then followed a lot of frantic page turning, as we all tried to find the right song. Fortunately, it's one we're all familiar with and we managed to sing it without a hitch. Being a bit unnerved by this, we waited with bated breath to see what song would come next. It turned out that the ipod had inadvertently been put on shuffle and instead of playing the songs in the order that we'd rehearsed, the rest of the songs appeared at random. But, being the consummate professionals we are, we managed to complete the rest of the performance, without any further mishap, It was quite a challenge trying to identify which song was coming next, and find the words in time to start singing. I was very thankful that I knew most of the songs by heart. But I don't think it affected our performance too much. The audience still seemed to enjoy it.
The ipod having been taken off shuffle, the second performance went according to plan, I had goosebumps at times, especially when we sang, Real Love, and Somewhere Only We Know, and at the end of Let It Go, I observed one lady with her hands clasped in front of her mouth, with tears in her eyes and a huge smile on her face. After we'd finished, a couple of ladies asked me at what time we'd be singing again. They were very disappointed to find out that we wouldn't be. I would quite happily have done it all again.
After the performances, I decided to have a wander around the palace, and quite a few people stopped me to say how much they'd enjoyed our singing. One German gentleman, actually stopped my friend and said, "You have a beautiful voice." then in typical German soldier fashion, clicked his heels together, bowed and said,'Perfect singing'. Says it all really.
WOAPA afternoon school
The next day it was the turn of the WOAPA school children. I decided to go along and support them. They were also performing twice but what I hadn't realised was, they were splitting into two, with the morning school singing at 1pm and the afternoon school at 2pm and I only managed to catch the second performance.
The children were actually better behaved than the the adults. They sat quietly on the floor until Sian, their tutor, signalled them to stand up and didn't talk between songs. They started by singing a couple of songs that the adults had sung the day before, including Let It Go, although they sang a different arrangement of the songs. The children were amazing. They put on a very polished performance and someone remarked to me that they sounded like angels. Looking around at the crowd I saw a sea of smiling faces and proud parents.
Sian.
The only little hiccough was when one of the youngster's passed out towards the end of the second last song. But Sian acted quickly and managed to catch him before he hit the floor. The others again showed their professionalism by going on to sing the final song, as if nothing untoward had happened. The youngster soon recovered and Louise said to the audience that this had happened to her in the past. One of the joys of show business.
It was a wonderful experience.We couldn't have asked for a more stunning setting and, as I've already mentioned, the acoustics were fantastic, which enhanced the sound of our singing. I'm eternally thankful that I found WOAPA and really appreciate all the hard work put into by Brian, Louise and the WOAPA tutors, making it the success it has become. Who knows what WOAPA will be asked to do next. but it'll have to be pretty special to top this.
Here are a couple of video clips:
Photographs courtesey of Isabel and Diane Iverson Mullinger.
Where is your escape? Do you
have somewhere either real or imagined that you can go when you need some Isabel-time?
This is a blog challenge I was set by a fellow Open University student quite a while ago. I've had a couple of attempts at answering this question, but gave up as I didn't really know what to say.
The real answer to this question is the bath. I love to pour myself a deep, bubble-filled bath and either, lie there with my eyes closed and just relax, or alternatively read. The bath seems to be the only place where I seem able to switch my mind off completely from my studies and other activities. But who wants to read a blog about someone having a bath?
Over the past couple of months life has been a bit stressful for me and my family. Both my sons had health issues, one concerning his heart and the other his lung. At the same time my hubby was going through a difficult time at work and was very stressed about it. I've reached a point in my life where I'm realising that worry is a waste of time and energy and doesn't actually change the outcome of anything, so I try not to do it. But when it comes to my children, as any parents reading this will know, that's easier said than done.
But it was during this period that I discovered that I do have a place, a real place, where I can go to escape, and it's on my doorstep.
Manor house from cafe courtyard
Those who've read some of my previous blogs will know that I'm a volunteer at Cogges Manor Farm in Witney. For those not familiar with this place, it's a heritage site consisting of a manor house and grounds. The house is stunning and is beautifully set off by the walled garden and lawns surrounding it. There's an orchard, with a variety of apple trees and fields where some sheep and a couple of Shetland ponies graze. Down in the woodland area you can still see the the double moated area that surrounded the original Cogges Castle that was built there in the eleventh century. It's now the site of a castle themed adventure playground and is often ringing to the sound of children of all ages, enjoying themselves. you can even build your own den.
Timmy, Louis and Jonathan, Cogges' goats
There are a variety of small animals, including pygmy goats, pigs, rabbits, guinea pigs plus a variety of chickens and ducks. Three rescued cats have made their home on the farm and one of my jobs is to pop in almost every day and feed them.
Most of my time is spent in the house on my own, either writing or studying and, as you may well imagine, that wasn't really very helpful during this worrying time. I've always known how special Cogges is to me. But over the past couple of months I've come to realise just how special it is. There is a peace and tranquillity about the place that is hard to describe. No matter how bad I'm feeling, a visit to Cogges always has the power to lift my spirits.
I feel very privileged to have this special place on my doorstep, it takes me less than five minutes to walk there. Even just writing about it makes me feel good.
Cogges farmyard.
Life has settled down for the moment and I've got one or two special occasions coming up that I'm sure I'll be writing about. But it's good to know that Cogges is there to weave its magic spell whenever I need it.
Where is your escape? Do you have somewhere either real or imagined that you can go when you need some you-time?
Earlier this year I mentioned that I was deferring from my Open University module due to a combination of ill health and family issues. The email to the Open University confirming my deferral had barely been launched into the ether when I was asked if I would be interested in doing two things. One, was to help produce a new guidebook for Cogges, the present one being about twenty years out of date, and the second was to become a tour guide. This would involve taking groups around Cogges and showing them where filming for Downton Abbey had taken place. I immediately said yes to both.
My attempt at dressing as Mrs Drewe.
I was especially excited about the tour guiding, as it meant that I could combine two of my passions; Downton Abbey and Cogges. As any of my friends will tell you, I like to talk and the prospect of being able to do so about these two subjects seemed like my ideal job, especially as I was asked if I would be happy to dress in period costume, although sadly I was asked to dress as Mrs Drewe, not Lady Edith. Not easy. but I managed to put some sort of costume together and was very pleased when one of the set dressers from Downton Abbey told me that I looked the part.
The kind of look I was going for.
Being of an industrious, studious nature, I duly set about doing my research for both projects. I had the onerous task, well OK the enviable task for a fan, of having to watch the complete series of Downton Abbey. Technically I only needed to watch series 4 and 5 along with their corresponding Christmas specials, but like I said, I like to be thorough. I also decided to watch it twice, the second time to make a note of the scenes that were filmed at Cogges.
My homework complete I eagerly awaited the day of my first tour. It was for a group of Japanese tour operators who were visiting the various filming locations for Downton, to see which ones to include in their tours. As you can imagine, I was extremely nervous as I'd never done anything like this before. What didn't help was when they arrived I found out that I had to speak through an interpreter.
Lady Edith and Marigold.
That was the first hurdle I had to overcome that day. The second was, the Japanese had only just finished series three of Downton Abbey so they didn't even know of the existence of Yew Tree Farm, let alone about Lady Edith having an illegitimate child. But one thing I hoped would sell it to them was that filming was due to take place in a couple of days and the house had already been dressed for the filming. Talk about a baptism of fire.
The tour had been organised by Experience Oxfordshire and also in the party was a gentleman who has been a tour guide for a number of years and he was surprised to learn that this was my first tour which was very encouraging.
The second tour was for a group of tour guides from a company called Golden Tours who were planning on including Cogges on their Downton Abbey Tours and my job was to show them the areas that had been used for filming. So I gaily set about taking them to the various places and talking about the scenes that had been filmed there. I thought that they looked a bit lost at times and I found out later that most of them hadn't even watched Downton and therefore hadn't a clue what I was talking about. A couple of them did say that they were going to get the box set and we also passed on a copy of my notes, so hopefully that helped. They regularly bring groups to Cogges, so at least I didn't put them off.
My third group consisted of a number of Downton fans. It was great fun to see them hang on my every word, or so I like to think, and laugh at the little anecdotes I shared about some of the things that had happened during filming. Like the time that the film crew left a gate open and the sheep got out. The leader of the group did comment that they were all quiet and listened as I talked, which she said was a sign of how interesting I was making it for them. Praise indeed.What a difference it makes to have an appreciative audience.
There's certainly been some challenges. Like the time a group from Northern Ireland arrived an hour and a half early. I received a panic phone call from Colin asking me how quickly I could get there. I was dressed and on site in under ten minutes, only to have to wait for about half an hour while they had a cup of tea. To be fair, they hadn't realised that we were providing them with a tour guide so didn't think that it would be a problem to arrive early. But they really seemed to enjoy the tour, so it was worth it in the end.
Farmer Drewe's cottage
Of course not everyone was satisfied. We show them a film of how the art department turn the kitchen into Farmer Drewe's cottage and after one tour an elderly gentleman told me that this had been the highlight of the tour for him. Oh well, you can't win them all.
I certainly feel that I have found my niche. We'll be closing for the season soon and at the moment I haven't got anymore tours booked. But the new season of Downton Abbey has started and I'm enjoying doing my research for next season's tours. There was quite a bit of filming at Cogges this year, so I've got a lot to learn and a few more anecdotes to add to my repertoire.
This season we've had almost 4,000 visitors due to the Downton factor, including other tours which come with their own guides. I expect that next year the numbers will be even higher. Meanwhile, I've restarted my Open University module and will be immersing myself in Ancient Greece and Rome until resuming my tour guiding next year.
Here is a link to a speeded up version of the art department transforming Cogges into Yew Tree Farm.
The autumn equinox has passed and with it has come the return of two of the highlights of my year; Strictly Come Dancing and Downton Abbey. Who cares if it's cold and dark outside when you can sit in the comfort of your own living room and lose yourself in the glamour of spray tans and sequins on a Saturday and dramas of the people at Downton Abbey, both below and above stairs, on a Sunday. I've been eagerly awaiting the start of Downton, as once again, I've been fortunate enough to be on site at Cogges, alias Yew Tree Farm, during the filming that took place here earlier this year.
Hugh Bonneville
On a cold , but sunny day in March, the Victorian kitchen at Cogges, was once again transformed into the home of Farmer Drewe and his family.
The following day, the actors arrived. Farmer Drewe, his wife Marji and the twin girls, who play Marigold, were among them. This intrigued me as at the end of series five, Marigold was happily living up at the big house, with Lady Edith. What was even more intriguing was the presence of Lord and Lady Grantham, aka Hugh Bonneville and Elizabeth McGovern, and Laura Carmichael, who plays Lady Edith.
Most of the filming took place inside the house so we couldn't really see what was going on. But there were a couple of scenes filmed outside, in front of the house. In one of them, Lord Grantham arrived at the farm driving a car that also contained Cora, Edith and Mr Drewe. During one of the takes of this scene, I was in the toilet block near where this was being filmed and had to stay in the block until the filming was finished.
After this, I saw Cora and Edith sitting in the car while Mr Drewe and Lord Grantham were in the house. I assumed that they were just keeping warm. But in the second episode of series 6, there is a scene where Lord Grantham goes into the house on his own , leaving them waiting in the car. I should have realised that it was part of the filming as, earlier on they had all been standing around wearing identical full length, white padded coats over their costumes to keep them warm between takes, and they were in costume when sitting in the car.
Road leading to the house which Lord Grantham drove along.
The technicians had set up the sound and recording equipment behind the wall where the filming was taking place. I was standing beside them and during a break in filming Andrew Scarborough, who plays Farmer Drewe appeared beside me. He was wearing his full length padded coat as, where they'd been filming was in the shade and he'd become very cold during the filming. But where I was standing, the sun was shining and it felt much warmer. He struck up a conversation with me about how much warmer it was in the sun. I was a bit star struck and muttered some inane comment about the weather, but he was very down to earth and friendly and put me at ease.
Cogges/Yew Tree Farm mug
Later on that day Mrs Drewe and the two Marigolds, made their way into the house to do some filming. By this time my mind was in over-drive trying to figure out what the storyline might be. Why were Lord and Lady Grantham and Edith at Yew Tree Farm? Why was Marigold there?
At the end of the day's filming, Hugh Bonneville and some of the others, said 'goodbye' and 'thank you', as they passed through reception on their way back to the car park. But before she left, Emma Lowndes, who plays Mrs Drewe wanted to buy one of the Yew Tree Farm mugs we sell in the shop. She wanted one as a souvenir as this was to be her last time filming at Cogges and she'd enjoyed her time here very much. Colin, the Director of Cogges gave her one free of charge. So now we knew that she at least was leaving the series.
After they'd gone, I was chatting to Colin about what the storyline might be. I came up with the theory that Lord Grantham might want the Drewes to leave because he was worried that Mrs Drewe might cause trouble as she was so upset about losing Marigold. Well, guess what happened in episode two? I should be a script writer.
A little hint maybe?
Later on in the year we had three more Downton actors, who'd never been here before, filming at Cogges. I can't say anymore at this time as I don't want to give the story away. Suffice to say, I was once again correct in my predictions.
In total, they filmed on four separate occasions and I was around for most of them, I was even involved in helping on the last day of filming. One of the hair and make up guys had forgotten his hair spritz bottle and I improvised one for him out of an empty bathroom cleaner bottle. I also had to do my usual gig of chicken wrangling. The chickens naturally, wouldn't stay in shot during filming, then wouldn't stay out of shot when they were no longer required. The Director said that, 'they had fallen under the Downton spell.'
Me in costume doing my tour duties.
It was a very sad day for us all when the Director called, 'cut' for the last time. I'll miss the excitement of knowing that they're coming once again to film. But over the past couple of years we've started having groups of Downton Abbey fans coming to see the location of Yew Tree Farm. This summer, I started working as a Downton Abbey tour guide, taking groups of these fans around the house and grounds, showing them where the filming has taken place and telling them some of the funny incidents that happened during filming. At least I'll still be able to do this for the foreseeable future.
I still haven't given up hope that Julian Fellowes will change his mind and decide to write another series. Maybe I should contact the producers and offer to continue to write the scripts for them. Now wouldn't that be an adventure?
If you would like to visit Yew Tree Farm, you can find out all about us at:- http://www.cogges.org.uk/ If you click on the videos link. you'll be able to see a time lapse video of the kitchen at Cogges being transformed into Yew Tree Farm.
In my last blog, A Duck's Tale, http://isabelj327.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/a-ducks-tale.html
I mentioned that I'd recently been on a cruise. One of my friends asked me to write about the cruise as he's considering going on one and is interested to know what it's like. But I thought that I'd write about my experience of cruising, rather than one specific cruise.
I'll never forget my first cruise. We were looking for something
Setting sail from Venice on a Greek Isles cruise.
special to do to celebrate our silver wedding anniversary and, in my opinion, we couldn't have chosen anything better. It was a classic Mediterranean cruise sailing to and from Barcelona. We were treated like VIP's from the moment we stepped off the plane, although having done quite a few cruises since, this isn't always the case, but we've never had a bad experience, just a bit more of a hectic one shall we say.
The Legend of the Seas from Mykonos.
When we arrived at the cruise terminal my jaw literally dropped at the size of the ship, It was called the Splendour of the Seas and it certainly lived up to its name. I couldn't believe that this was going to be my home for the next 7 days and nights. My excitement and wonder continued to mount each day. From Barcelona, we sailed to Villefranche, in the South of France, where, if we'd wanted to, we could have visited Monte Carlo or Nice. Instead we opted to go ashore and explore the local market and seaside town.The next day we arrived at the port of Livorno, in Italy, where we spent the day exploring the sights of Pisa.
Our cabin on the 12th deck.
During the course of the week, we also visited Rome, stopped off in Naples, the nearest port for Pompeii and Herculaneum, and Valetta the capital of Malta. I couldn't get over how amazing it was to see all these places I'd dreamt about, without having to pack and unpack every day. Instead, we returned to the ship, dressed for dinner, watched a West End style show, danced under the stars and enjoyed a night cap in a sumptuous lounge before retiring to bed. And ladies, you get the chance to wear your posh frocks if you want. but it's not compulsory.
The ship is like a floating all inclusive hotel, with all the facilities
Flow rider on the Explorer of the Seas
that you would expect from a 4* or even 5* hotel. There was even an on board lecturer giving talks for those who like to know a bit about the places they are going to visit,The food is worthy of any Michelin restaurant and there's plenty of it. You can find something to eat 24 hours a day, if you want. But the good news is, there is a gym and jogging track if you want to enjoy yourself, but not gain too much weight.
Me getting into character for the Thriller dance
Even when having a day at sea there is something for everyone. There's bingo, quizzes, basket ball, mini golf, a rock climbing wall and on The Explorer of the Seas, the last ship I was on, there was an ice rink and flow rider, so you can even skate and surf at sea. Once on a trip from Baltimore to the Bahamas, I spent a couple of days at sea, learning Michael Jackson's Thriller dance, with some of my fellow guests and members of the entertainment team. Then on the last evening, we performed it in front of the entire ship. One of my 'adventures', it was awesome.
Cruising is a great way to see some of the Wonders of the World, without having to spend too much time in one place. I've seen the Colosseum, the Vatican, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Pompeii and even where the film Troy was shot, and all in one trip. Plus, I've no particular desire to visit Cairo, but was able to see the Pyramids at Giza.
You may have gathered by now that I'm a big fan of cruising. So much so, that we've booked up another cruise next year to celebrate my 'significant' birthday. There's so much more I could say on the subject, but I think that's enough for now. If you've thought about cruising, I'd say to go for it. After all, you only live once.
For those who missed it, here is the video my hubby took of the Thriller Dance. Enjoy.
