Through the Dardanelles

Posted on May 8, 2025 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie
Today was the day I began the blog early in the morning.
6am.
A place we’ve never been, seen or know much about. After quietly cruising out of Istanbul at 11pm last night ( I was fast asleep), I woke at 6am to find our ship in the Dardanelles.

Such a historic Strait, laden with history across the centuries. With land close by, we passed rolling tree covered hills with odd villages and buildings along the way.

The red flag etched out on the hillside is a telling sign we are still in Türkiye. We glide past Eceabat. I should be working but I keep jumping up from my desk to take photos!

The early morning call to prayer has been replaced by the thunking of the deck staff putting up sunbeds. Scarfs and skirts are replaced by sunhats and swim-suits.

Mike went off to the gym. “Work” he said, “the internet was super slow last night, so get some work done in case that happens again.” Ship internet using Starlink has never let me down. I’m not convinced I’ll have a problem, but dutifully got to work.

The pilot vessel meantime followed us along the waterway.

There were some sights to see…

As we began to exit the Dardenelles, we saw the last of the Turkish flags…

The pilot vessel appeared and the Turkish pilot hopped off.

The pilot appeared on the back deck of his boat and waved to all of those who were waving at him. He took a photo or two and then off they went. Very quickly we were in the open water of the Aegean sea – the interesting hillside sights gave way to broad sea-scapes with the occasional islands. We soon passed a large Greek island with a multitude of windmills. They seem to be on every hill & mountain top of every island we pass.

This afternoon, we went downstairs to the coffee shop and had coffee. There is a glass lift so I went and caught it up a floor while Mike took a photo. I think the lady thought I was mad!

Soon Julian will message to ask if I am ready to walk, so I’d better end up here and be prepared.

Psalm 104:31
May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in His works—

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

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On the Ship in Istanbul

Posted on May 7, 2025 by Helga

Wednesday

Today was a day filled with excitement and joy! Great news from home plus we got on the ship in Istanbul. Not all onboarding experiences are equal and today’s was one of the more tedious ones.  We caught a taxi to the port for the sum of R200. There were loads of cars as we approached the port and we got into a long queue to get through the check-in process. The longest queue of all was the passport one –  completely out of the control of MSC, it took a tiring 53 minutes to get through that queue.

But once we were through, it was quick and easy to get onto the ship, which is much bigger than the Fantastica.

First stop was to find the technical desk and get our WIFI. I did some work this afternoon and we settled into our cabins. We have cabins next to each other which is always fun.

The views of Istanbul from the ship are quite spectacular. These are the views from our cabin. When we booked, they gave us these two cabins but said there was an ‘obstructed’ sea view. When I saw we were deck 13 I knew we would be high up and wondered how there would be an obstruction. Turns out it’s the overhang of the deck above.

Below, a refueling vessel arrived to fill the ship…

Lots of lovely views of Istanbul from the deck.

Behind our ship…

We enjoyed a walk on the deck and eating at the buffet. There was lots of food on offer.

Next we are going to do some more walking.

Psalm 104:27-28
All creatures look to you to give them their food at the proper time.  When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things.

God’s hands are open.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Having a Ball In Istanbul

Posted on May 6, 2025 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we had a ball in Istanbul. But not everything goes perfectly when travelling and today we did a few things that would make our return trip on 16th May more comfortable. We changed hotels. The hotel we are currently in is very homely. They have tried to make things comfortable. The bed & linen is fine. On first glance the bathroom looks updated and functional, but it turns out there are a few underlying issues that made me decide to cancel our next booking and find another place. The shower leaks, so water is always on the floor & the tap in the sink is either full blast or a trickle. Also there is mold on the walls around the window. But the real deal-breaker is the internet or lack thereof. I am so dependent on a decent connection that the slow, intermittent, erratic WIFI had me looking elsewhere. I found it 2 buildings away & that’s where I’m sitting now, sipping the strongest of (complimentary) Turkish coffee at 7.23pm knowing that most likely my poor sleep pattern will disintegrate even further! But I’ll catch up eventually. I actually can’t finish it. I’m already feeling I’m getting palpitations! I’ve had this much and Mike had a sip.

Dinner arrived with this …

This was my pasta..

And this is the view..

The day began with a breakfast down at the coast, with this view..

Then we headed to the tram line and bought an Istanbul card which was about R300 for the card and credit for trips on the tram, bus or ferry. We hopped on the tram….

And buzzed up the line and down again and then back to where we began.

By then we were in need of refreshment, so had a coffee and went back to the hotel. I did some more work (I had worked between 5am & 7am, when the internet was as good as it could be). Then we hit the road – this time we caught the tram to the stop closest to the ferry. This was a good trick because tours of the Bosphorus start at about 25 Euros. Our trips on the ferry cost  the equivalent of R17 each! Our ferry…

Front of the ferry on the Bosphorus…

The bridge where West meets East 

Part of the Asia side..

Asian side of Istanbul – the port we stopped at. We had to get off, go through the gate again, tap our card again and get back on.

The Western side…approaching our port..

We then chose to walk the 4km back to our hotel instead of taking the tram.

By then it was dinner time and we were ready for it. A good solid day in Istanbul.

Thinking of Stacey tomorrow. An important meeting for her.

Meanwhile, Julian has just over an hour to go before he lands in Istanbul. Tomorrow, we check out at 9-30am and we are off on another cruise.

Psalm 104:19 & 24
He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down. How many are your works, Lord! In wisdom you made them all;

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

 

 

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We Arrived in Istanbul

Posted on May 5, 2025 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we woke up in Istanbul! Our arrival last night went off as well as we could have hoped. We landed at 7.15pm, local time, taxied for half an hour before coming to a stop outside the airport terminal building. Istanbul airport is enormous. We walked for miles to passport control which went quite quickly. Our luggage took us a few minutes longer, so from landing to the appointed airport transfer meeting point was just over an hour. We were shepherded to an underground parking garage where a large car with a smiling Turkish driver soon appeared. We were the only passengers. Off we went with Mike checking his cell phone map and watching our progress. Eventually, we encountered a humungous amount of traffic. Apparently there was a big soccer match on and the stadium was emptying. It took us more than an hour to arrive at the hotel – we arrived at about 9.45pm.

After a good night sleep, I did some early work on spotty internet and then we went for a walk to find 1. An ATM (tick), 2. a laundry (tick) & 3. Breakfast. After drawing money & identifying the laundry, we walked down to the coast. This is the Bosphorus River. There is no barrier along the water’s edge. I wonder how many have fallen in.

We found a breakfast place and bravely ordered the Turkish breakfast special…it was all very tasty, just not our traditional fare

The cappuccino was amazing.

We came back to the hotel because I had a work meeting. While I was at that, Mike took the washing to the laundry. When he got back, I finished up and we set off to explore the sights and sounds of Istanbul. It is a loud, busy, car-filled, cat filled, tourist filled city where the dominant business people are  20-50 year old male smokers! We went to the Grand bazaar.

It was a crowded and reminded us of Dubai’s Souk with lots of gold, silver, carpets, clothes, porcelain and of course food!

Julian’s favourite….Baklava

Street food.

What was really interesting and noticeable are all the men. There were very few women shopkeepers. The bazaar, even though indoors was a smoking zone.

We came home, had a nap & I’ve now done the blog. Mike has picked up the laundry. We are about to head on out again for dinner.

It’s been a good day. We are getting ideas for when we return after our cruise. Tomorrow night Julian arrives.

Psalm 104:5
He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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In Rome for a Moment

Posted on May 4, 2025 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today is the day we arrived in Rome. We came by ship overnight from Palermo, Sicily. The closest port is the city of Civitavecchia which is much bigger than expected. Our first look were these chimneys.

We had good breakfast and then vacated our cabin by 8am. We went to deck 7 where we found we would disembark via airbridge. The crew were setting up the departure point.

At the appointed time, we gathered in the lounge at just after 8.30am, we were escorted off the ship, along the airbridge. We’ve never come off a ship like this before.

From there it was passport control, we picked up our luggage and left the terminal building. It all happened very fast, so we ended up having an hour and a half wait for our transport to the airport. That arrived at about 10.15am and it took us more than an hour to get to the airport. I had not been successful checking in online, so with the airport internet and plenty of time, I tried again. Turns out, I needed to put in Mike’s Türkiye visa number & then it all went through but I couldn’t choose a seat. We got in the queue to check in our luggage (were first in the queue) and we had to wait an hour there for check in to open. Time just passes by and soon the very organised Turkish check in staff arrived and the whole process was done in no time at all.

Now we are sitting upstairs at Rome airport using their free WIFI to do this blog. Over the years blogging while travelling has got easier and easier. Everywhere you go, there is free WIFI. It makes it so convenient.

We are drinking 2.30 euro cappuccino which are pretty good. This is my current view….

We are excited about flying to Istanbul. I’m not sure about the hotel we are going to but the people seem friendly, respond quickly and have been very accommodating.

We do love Italy! I want to return to Sicily – it seems to have a laid back rural existence. While we are leaving the country today, we do have the occasional day back here during the upcoming cruise. This has been a day in transit, so it’s a shorter blog. Teddy says hi.

Psalm 104:2-3
The Lord wraps himself in light as with a garment; He stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Sicily Surprised Us

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we went to Sicily! And it surprised us. Fuerteventura at the Canary Islands was expected to be lush and tropical. Today, we expected Sicily to be barren and featureless – it was far from that – beautiful and historic. Our arrival was spectacular. The pilot came out to meet the ship…

Sun rising over the deck.

The port from the deck.

We had a very early breakfast & then got ready to go out for the day. It was an hour’s drive from Palermo, the capital (population 700000) to Cefalu (population 70000). Cefalu began as an ancient fishing village before a King visited and found its beauty alluring enough to move there. It instantly gained popularity and now it’s flooded with tourists most the year but particularly in the summer months.

Cefalu – pronounced Chif-a-loo.

The main event at Cefalu is by far and away the impressive Duomo built in 1142.

Inside is an aisle, an altar and then the most impressive mosaic display dating back to the time of its building.

We bought tickets for 10 Euro each which enabled us to go up the towers and also to take a closer look at the mosaics.

The cross is “only” 16th Century

There is also the Silver Tabernacle

We climbed the (only) 76 steps up one tower, walked across to the other and then down its stairs. These are the photos.

If walls could speak, what stories could be told over the last 883 years

Walking between the two towers…

We took a walk around some narrow roads and alleyways

We found a little restaurant that had 4 amazing attributes – a stunning view, good coffee (black only for Euro 2.5o), WIFI and a free loo!

Cefalu beach..

Then it was back to the ship, but the wonderful tour guide offered to drop us off in the centre of Palermo so we could go check out Italy’s biggest Opera House – a whopping 7000 square meters.

It goes on and on and on…

Once we had taken photos of every side, we strolled back to the ship through the adjacent square where the horse and carts park.

We have had an amazing day in Sicily. I would love to return.

This evening is all about packing. We leave tomorrow at about 8.30am to start the disembarkation process and catch a taxi to the airport at about 10am. There is going to be some hanging around, but I’d rather hang around at Rome airport than at the Cruise terminal where there is absolutely nothing to do.

We’ve had a memorable cruise. Turkey awaits!

I’ve got some meaningful gems from Psalm 104

Psalm 104
Praise the Lord, my soul. Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

 

 

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Last Sea Day for the Moment

Posted on May 2, 2025 by Helga

Friday

Dear Elsie

Today was the last sea day for the moment. Last night we had a lovely dinner and then afterwards came back to the cabin and had quite a long chat with David. We had a video call and I took the phone out to the balcony to show him the sea. As I did so we saw two fishing boats really close by and it looked like one of them had caught a fish that was thrashing around in the water. It was dark, so the glimpse was from the light of the moving ship. It was quite a sight, albeit fleeting.

Right now we are just off Tunisia

Straight line for Palermo.

We passed the Galite islands (there are 6),  which are uninhabited and belong to Tunisia. Tourists find pleasure in visiting them, camping on the solitary beaches, enjoying  unparalleled star gazing and making the most of the islands’ diving and snorkelling spots.

And I’d never heard of them, but they would be an amazing place to visit.

It was a slow start today. We had a late breakfast. This is my regular morning fare…

I did a couple of hours work, walked on the deck and chilled on the balcony..

It was a good last sea day on the MSC Magnifica where we’ve had a magnificent time. Tomorrow Palermo, Sunday disembark at the port closest to Rome and to the airport for a late afternoon flight to Istanbul. The next adventure begins.

We all need this…

Psalm 103:2-5
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—  who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,  who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,  who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Straights of Gibraltar

Posted on May 1, 2025 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day, in the early hours of the morning, we went through the Straights of Gibraltar. We went through here just after midnight.

The land was very close and there were lots of lights.  This is a port city of Ksar Es Seghir…

As we went past this was looking back.

We are on the African side of the ship so didn’t get any photos of the British Gibraltar side, although twas Mike who was up on the deck taking photos. I went back to bed!

A small cruise passing by.

And this is Tangier…

So that was our experience of passing from the wild Atlantic into the calmness of the start of the Mediterranean Sea. Our current location…

There is quite a lot of mist – a very gloomy day. In the photo below it looks like there are hills on the coast but as we are 50km away, it’s most likely they are clouds.

Today Mike did some art…

And I did some work.

We are soaking up each moment of our penultimate sea day on the ship. Tomorrow is our last sea day for this cruise.

With all the nature that surrounds us, it’s easy to believe this…

Amos 4:13
He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals His thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth— the Lord God Almighty is His name.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Creeping Past Casablanca

Posted on April 30, 2025 by Helga

Wednesday

Dear Elsie

Today it was 2 weeks since we got on the ship. It’s hard to believe it’s gone so fast. Our map location shows us off the coast of Morocco. The Ship’s captain in his 12 noon message said we are 22 nautical miles off the coast and at 4pm were due to pass Casablanca. In this map, we are headed towards the Straights of Gibraltar, then across the Mediterranean to Palermo which is on the Italian island of Sicily (far right in the middle). From there, it’s onto Rome on Sunday, which is where we disembark.

So here we are most recently.

Looking through our binoculars we can see the coast. We’ve seen signs of a city and we’ve also seen a bunch of windmills. There has also been a significant increase in the amount of passing sea traffic with lots of fishing boats, container ships and even a lovely yacht all going about their nautical business.

It’s been a good work day for me. I took some time off this afternoon to go to the spa. It was wonderful. I had a soak in the jacuzzi and then lay on the indoor sunbed and watched the world go by. This was that view…

One of the defining factors of today (which you cannot pick up from the seemingly flat sea in the photo above) is the size of the swell. It’s been quite high and this morning, the rocking of the ship was more significant that usual. It won’t last. Once we get past Gibraltar, it should be as flat and calm as a pond…well that’s the expectation. Tonight at midnight, the ship’s clock moves forward an hour so we will be back on SA time & stay there for the rest of this cruise. When we fly to Istanbul on Sunday, we’ll be an hour later than SA.

And so we bid April 2025 goodbye from (as the Captain says) “my little pretty ship the MSC Magnifica!”

Psalm 148:4-5
Praise Him, highest heavens, And the waters that are above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, For He commanded and they were created.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Canary Islands – Fuerteventura – Ajuy Caves

Posted on April 29, 2025 by Helga

Tuesday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we arrived in the Canary Islands. Our port of call was Fuerteventura, one of the largest islands making up the archipelago. One of the sweetest things on arrival was being met by 2 dolphins porpoising along side the ship as we arrived. I think they were heading for the wake of the liner where all the fish get displaced – easy pickings.

We are here!

We had an excursion planned to the other side of the island where there are the most amazing sea caves. It was an hour drive and the most significant thing about the island is the lack of vegetation. I was expecting a tropical island but it’s arid and dry and semi desert.

We arrived at the cave village

..and set about exploring the caves. They were enormous & cavernous and went on and on and on. Apparently in the 18th Century pirates would stash their loot deep in the caves. The walk way down…

Entering the caves…

If walls could speak, these ones would have amazing stories to tell. 

Mike climbing through from one cave to the next… 

When the tide is high, it must flood the cave. There was a helicopter that was doing training dropping people on the beach and picking them up from the sea (reminds me of home!)

It was quite remarkable. There were lots of dark and spooky places to investigate but (un)fortunately, there was no time and we had to return to the coach!

On the trip back we passed through an old picturesque village.

Canary Cat! Teddy was a bit uncertain. The cat was slightly unhappy to be disturbed. We went back onto the ship, had a cappuccino and then walked back into town to browse through the shops. Mike in the technology shop…

Back of  the ship…

By 5pm, we were ready to ship on out. The view from our cabin was port-side… a beautiful little bay.

Dinner has been had and we are full steam ahead.

Amos 5:8
He who made the Pleiades and Orion, And changes deep darkness into morning,
Who also darkens day into night, Who calls for the waters of the sea And pours them out on the surface of the earth, The Lord is His name.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Boats and Birds

Posted on April 28, 2025 by Helga

Monday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we saw boats and birds. Not a lot of both, mind you, but it does indicate we are closer to the coast than previously. In the Captain’s message at 12 noon today, he said we were 54 nautical miles off the coast of Western Sahara. Boats we have seen from time to time – usually big tankers but today we saw a little fishing boat.

And plenty of these birds – 54 nm from the coast, that’s amazing…long way from land.

It was a very overcast and grey day. Being Monday I got to do a lot of work, which was helpful because tomorrow we are in the Canary Islands.

This afternoon, we took a walk to try see if we could go to the 4-D movie. That was on yesterday’s things to do. Well we are now striking that off!  This sign had something to do with it. I had visions of wrecking my back.

Chairs that move intensely back and forth and side to side and you need seatbelts!

Looks like a bit of a torture chamber. I’m not a movie person in the first instance. This would work when I was 16, but not 60. Onto tamer things. This, I wouldn’t mind trying – the bowling alley…

I have to convince Mike though, because his ‘frozen’ shoulder is still not 100% and it’s his right shoulder so it would put him at a distinct disadvantage. This is what happens when you get older!

Ah a walk on the deck. A bit windy but very refreshing. Mike trying to raise his right arm!

This is our position now:

And with that I’m off to dinner. I over-ate the other day and got tummy gripes, so today I’ve cut back and only had muesli and fruit for breakfast. I’m now 100% hungry. Mike bought a proverbial chemist with us, including pills for tummy gripes. Such a help!

Genesis 1:20
Then God said, “Let the waters teem with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the heavens.”

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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Wind, Wind, Wind and Sunshine at Sea

Posted on April 27, 2025 by Helga

Sunday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day I chatted to your Mom for an hour. It was good to catch up and to hear all about you and all the things you all have been doing.

This is our location..we are headed for the Canary Islands, which is the smaller archipelago just above Western Sahara. While we look quite close to the coast, it is not visible and it’s very misty.

For us it was a very quiet day at sea. I have a short list of things I wanted to do.

  1. Go to the 4-D theatre.
  2. Go to the Aurea (free) spa session and
  3. Get breakfast delivered to the cabin. We have never done this before on any of our cruises. I was curious to see how it worked and how it arrived, so we planned to have breakfast in our cabin this morning.  They have a menu card which I filled in with whatever I wanted delivered (they offer coffee, cereal, fruit juice, yoghurt, jams and pastries). The instructions said to leave it on the outside doorhandle of our cabin which I did. I ordered it for 8.45am and it arrived promptly. We got stuck in and then I remembered I needed to take a photo!

So that’s one of the three done.

The most significant factor about today has been the wind! It’s a very strong head wind and we are ploughing through the waves seeing big swells. Every part of the ship is affected. In our cabin, we can feel the squeaking of the joints as it slightly moves from side to side. I went for a walk early this morning before breakfast arrived. I did 10 laps of the big deck which turned out to be just under 4.5km. When I first got up there, it was windy but the longer I stayed, the stronger it got. Eventually, I was walking into the wind one side of the ship and being blown at jogging speed down the other.  This was the scene this morning, but from this deck, the sea looks far calmer and there’s not sign of how windy it was.

The deckhands started putting the sunbeds up but soon realised it was going to be way too windy, so stacked them back up again.

After breakfast, we hung out on our balcony for a while and watched the big sea go by.

Later we went up to the buffet for a lunchtime cappuccino. It was jam packed with passengers enthusiastically tucking into lobster!  I would be hesitant to have lobster at home in Cape Town. I’m certainly not trying it on a ship. Mike had a bit of lunch. I had my cappuccino. Back in the cabin, we had turned the heat up a little and it made us both very sleepy. I had a little nap and then, while Mike slept on, I took myself up to Top 16 and sat in the whirlpool for a while. I got out, washed the chlorine off and then went to find a sunbed that was slightly sheltered to dry off on. As I walked across the deck, one of the stewards approached me. Very humbly and apologetically, he asked to see my cruise card to see if I was legitimately suppose to be in this very sacredly reserved part of the ship. I said, no problem and dug in my bag for my card and confidently handed it over. He squirmed and apologised and I explained that we had got on at Cape Town, which was why he didn’t recognise me and, furthermore, we had hardly come up here. I think it was the second time. He offered me as much as he could in regards to the comforts of Top 16 and scuttled away. I dried myself off with this windy view.

The sun was shining brightly and I was in fear of sunburn, so didn’t stay too long. I did walk around Top 16 and found one slightly more protected spot. It overlooks the whole main deck.

You can see how few people are down there. That’s how windy it is!

Meanwhile, back in Cape Town, a massive fire has crossed from Elephant’s Eye, across to Silvermine and is now affecting Kalk Bay. One of our neighbours posted these photos.

We are 2 hours behind Cape Town now, so I’m not sure how it’s going to be overnight. I know that there are major traffic issues getting in and out of the valley. I’m so glad David is home from Betty’s Bay. He missed the closures just in time. Hoping the fire department will get it under control.

Nehemiah 9:6
“You alone are the Lord. You have made the heavens, The heaven of heavens with all their host, The earth and all that is on it, The seas and all that is in them. You give life to all of them And the heavenly host bows down before You.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

 

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Dakar, Senegal

Posted on April 26, 2025 by Helga

Saturday

Dear Elsie

Today was the day we arrived in Dakar, Senegal. We did get off the ship and had a 6km walk around town. It is very much in keeping with north-west Africa, but it was worth the walk and we found a beach to create a memory. Here are some of the photos.

At the entrance to the port..

We went left at the gate and hugged the coastal road. Given the number of very fancy diplomatic cars, this clearly is the ‘expensive’ part of town. My tour guide (aka Mike) pointed out the French embassy along this road.

When we spotted a beach with 50 steps going down, we didn’t hesitate.

Onwards along the same road. In some of the gardens were massive baobab trees.

After a couple of kilometers we took a right turn and walked into an area that had more shops and people. We saw the Nelson Mandela Pharmacy, Doctors rooms, no supermarkets, but little side stores and lots of informal vendors. I left my cell phone at the cabin, but Mike took his and we got a few photos of around this part of Dakar. This is outside the hospital.

One of the main streets which wasn’t too bad.

We had passed close to the president’s residence but were not permitted to walk past it. There were armed guards at every intersection. These I did not mind as I felt safer. Eventually, we had to wind our way back to the ship and this was when my guide took me a really grotty way. I won’t dwell on the sights or smells, but I was happy to get back to the ship.

 

Travelling always brings with it a lot of surprises. One of today’s came in the amazing sea eagles that fly over the sea at Dakar.  I’ve never seen an eagle using the sea as its fishing ground before. There were loads of them and as a result no sea gulls.

Our ship is parked along side a Grimaldi Lines cargo ship & this is our view.

What you cannot sense is that it has the most enormous generators going 24/7 and they are LOUD. When we docked and went out on the balcony and heard the din, we figured we needed to get used to it because their ship wasn’t leaving any time soon (given the unloading that was going on) and we are only shipping out at 7pm. How the crew put up with it I don’t know. With our cabin balcony door firmly shut, the noise is but a hum, and tolerable.

That all happened today, but I can’t not mention last night. There was no big party crossing the equator the other day. We figured that was because the world cruisers were crossing it for the 4th time on this voyage. To make up for it, MSC put on an enormous buffet at, wait for it, 11pm last night! We were all encouraged to get there early to take photos and 10.30pm was mentioned. Those of you who know me well, will know I’m usually sawing wood by 10pm. However, I managed to stay awake and, at the appointed time we went up to the top deck and found we were late for the party. It was jam packed.

Amazing ice sculptures.

Celebrating the staff. They worked so hard to pull this off.

So much food.

As soon as the announcements were over and my photos were taken, I bid goodnight to Mike, went back to the cabin & lost no time in going to sleep. I stirred when Mike returned with cake which he offered to share but I was a-slumber so passed on it. He said it was like a scrum up there!

I’ve save the best for last. I went out on the balcony yesterday evening and was astounded to see the most amazing amount of bioluminescence. We had seen red tide, but as we are passing through the ocean, you never know if it will disappear. As the ship stirred up the water, the waves were lined with the most spectacular blue.

Mike took a video.

Yes, travelling always brings these unexpected surprises. That was a good day in Dakar. Having very low expectations helped!

Psalm 95:3-5
For the Lord is the great God, the great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth, and the mountain peaks belong to Him. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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A Very Decadent Day at Sea

Posted on April 25, 2025 by Helga

Friday 25/4/25 – 8 months til Christmas!

Dear Elsie

Today was a deliciously quiet day at sea. When I woke up this morning and looked outside, the moon and Venus were one above the other. This was 7.22am.

Not quite an hour later, the sun was burning through the morning mist and shining its light on a passing tanker.

We had a lazy lie in with no formal exercise done.  I did do some work and then around 10am we went for breakfast. By 11.30am, in ship-appropriate dress we went to the main theatre.

There, the Master and the Chief Officers came out to say hello.

There was also a little dance team that impressed us with their moves.

This afternoon, we lazed around a bit. I did a fraction more work and we had a call with Julian who is cat-sitting in Cape Town. We are looking forward to him joining us in a couple of weeks…less than 2 weeks in fact.

The bulk of the passengers on this ship have been onboard since they left Genoa on about 4th January. I don’t know how they have done it. Their formal round the world cruise ends on 5th May back in Genoa.  On 6th May they will have to go back to the real world. The couple we spoke to the other day are full time travellers so their plan is to do a train trip, then hop on a plane and fly to northern Europe where they do another cruise. We too hop on a plane as soon as we get off this ship and fly to Istanbul where Julian meets us for a shorter Med cruise. We are really enjoying ourselves & lapping up each day. We have learned a few things on this cruise. We don’t need a drinks package. We don’t need an Aurea upgrade, but we do appreciate the balcony. We enjoy going to the evening sit down dinners where our attentive waiter is happy to serve us. Last night we went to the buffet for our evening meal for a change. I really enjoyed that too. Here’s some of the food!

Mike’s favourite spot!

Spoilt for choice. Tonight we will go to the main dining room.

David meantime, has arrived in Betty’s Bay for a short getaway with Anna’s family..

Such a great photo.

Tonight the clocks go back another hour so we’ll be 2 hours behind Cape Town. I don’t think it will be for long because the Canary Islands (Tuesday) are UK time.  Dakar is 2 hours earlier, so we have to change our clocks for our stop there tomorrow.

Genesis 1:9-10
Then God said, “Let the waters below the heavens be gathered into one place, and let the dry land appear”; and it was so. God called the dry land earth, and the gathering of the waters He called seas; and God saw that it was good.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

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Thunder and Lightening at Sea

Posted on April 24, 2025 by Helga

Thursday

Dear Elsie

This month (and especially Easter) has been a pivotal time for you. After almost 7 years of dairy allergies, today you had scrambled eggs for the first time. And over Easter, you had marshmallow Easter Eggs. Both of these you have not been able to eat for the entire duration of your young life. You are growing out of some of your allergies and we couldn’t be happier!

Today is the 8th day we have been on board. And it was the day we went through a storm! The sea was flat but there was thunder and lightening and it was very close. I can’t remember having gone through a storm at sea before. In cruises past, we’ve had some very rough seas, especially off the African coast but there have never been big flashes of lightening and great peals of thunder booming across the sky. It was very dramatic & went on for quite a while. At 7.41am, it still looked very ominous.

We went to the gym for exercise. The gym is at the front of the ship with large windows. Whenever I walk on the treadmill, I imagine we are powering the ship along. This was my view this morning…

The weather cleared and we are now out the doldrums. The wind has picked up as well. We spent most of the day about 200 nm off the coast of Sierra Leone. Our next stop is Dakar which is just south of Mauritania

Last night the dinner theme was supposed to be for a rock concert. I left my rock concert outfit back in the ’80s. What I did have with me is the glitzy top Stacey wore to her Matric dance. It was when I was sitting at dinner with it on that I realised Stacey matriculated 20 years ago this year! Time has certainly flown past. The top has lasted well. It’s only been worn about once every 2-3 years, so it should have.

Today’s been a good work day. I did more than 6 hours. A lot of work came in. Tomorrow I won’t do as much.

Happy 30th birthday Jess!  I hope you’ve had a wonderful day and are doing something special either tonight or over the weekend. Double my age!  Happiest of birthdays! The best is yet to come.

Psalm 139:9-10
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

It’s not about now – we are only passing through.

Keep the smile going.

God bless you.

In His Grip,

Gran xx 🙂

 

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