Aegean Cruise - Day 8

And so to the end of our lovely holiday, and it was a slightly rubbish end - but the previous days were so good that they made up for it. If I went on a cruise again I would choose earlier flights because our flight didn't leave Turkey until 8.30pm which made for a VERY long day. We didn't get off the ship until 5.30pm but we didn't have all our luggage so we couldn't do swimming or do much of anything else, really. But as I said I can't complain too much and we did have a nice enough day anyway. 

We had to be out of our cabins by 9am which meant we had to be early getting up and out. We had breakfast in the buffet bar but my mum was starting to feel unwell so she didn't eat much. She ended up sleeping on a sunbed for most of the day.

Lee and I paddled in the little pool but it was a shame we couldn't go swimming. We got sandwiches for lunch and we went into the cafe again and played a card game while having a drink. I sat on a sunbed for a bit and read - I ended up reading 75% of a 500 page book that day because I didn't have much else to do! 

We finally got off the boat at 5.30, got our cases and got on the coach back to Dalaman. The drive was pretty nice with some nice bits to look at, but Turkey honestly looks like a whole load of nothing. I was reading and listening to music which was nice. By the time we got to Dalaman it was dark. The airport isn't huge but the disability access was rubbish and I was just beyond myself at that point and just wanted to get home. We got a couple of sandwiches and drinks which ended up costing the best part of £50, which was annoying. But I did get a cute bag in the shop which was only twenty euros. I had been hoping to buy a bag in Santorini so I was glad I still had a chance to! 

We finally got on the plane and then had a faff about with seats which was a bit stressful. I sat next to Lee but we rarely spoke to each other as we were both listening to stuff. My mum slept a lot and I think my stepdad did too. We had a drink. We finally landed at about 11.45 UK time. We had to faff about again getting back through the airport, and then I banged my head badly while waiting for the cases. Argh! 

We got back to our house about 2am I think and my mum and stepdad got back to theirs not long after. Then I had to get up early the next morning for work! 

But! It's fine, I just wish we had travelled earlier in the day even though that would have meant an earlier start the previous Monday. I'll know for next time! 

This picture gives the impression that Marmaris is not a very busy port, but the other side of the boat proved it is!

They put these flags out while we were in port and we couldn't really figure out why, unless it was to welcome the new week's passengers on to the ship

My last iced decaf vanilla latte

The yellow llama just outside the cafe 

Looking down into the atrium again and I realised that this blingy thing on the far wall was actually a pattern. So odd!

Lee and I paddling in the pool. We could - and maybe should - have gone swimming and then had a shower (you could have a complimentary cabin for 20 minutes, which would've been long enough). Again, next time!

Lee padlding while I was sitting on the side. I really liked the pool set up, it was really nice to have a shallow part too

Sitting with my mum for a bit too

Not a lot of people were left on ship by this time and I guess new people hadn't arrived yet, so it was practically empty

Lee and I while sitting. I was glad to get some last sun!

The moon over the hills on the way back to the airport

Finally here are the souvenirs I got, including these two bags from Patmos...

A ton of postcards and some tacky magnets...

And the stuff I got in the aiport!

Aegean Cruise - Day 7

So as I said in my previous post, we ended up in Patmos and not in Santorini which was where the boat was supposed to go. We decided to get off and have a wander around anyway, so we got the tender boat at about eleven o'clock to Patmos Town. Apparently the island is where St John the Evangelist was exiled so there are a lot of things to do with that, and a lot of churches, and a lot of religious tat. We just wandered around the town, though, which was really pretty. We made friends with some cats and we bought some souvenirs. It was really hot. 

The four of us sat down in a cafe at about half past twelve and had cold drinks and pudding as we had had a big breakfast and didn't really need or want lunch. I had profiteroles filled with ice cream, which were delicious. We wandered a bit more and then got the tender back to the boat. We got back about 2pm. I had been wearing my Sprinkle of Glitter polka dot dress which as I've said before I absolutely love, but I think it might have seen its last summer. It's going a bit funny and has a hole in the neck which isn't really seen but is there. I've asked my mum to draft a pattern from it because I love the shape so much and really don't want to let it go! 

We went and sunbathed and swam for the rest of the day. It was the last swim so we made the best of it! It was lovely. Again we showered and changed and then went up on the Deck 10 to watch the boat sail out of Patmos. Someone took a lovely photo of the four of us but we are squinting in the sunshine! I took some photos of the pool deck from Deck 10 too which give a better view of the place. 

About 7pm we went down to the Glass House for tea. We had had drinks in there previously and had seen the food, so thought we would chance it for our last night. We shared some tapas and then had pizzas; I had vegetarian calzone which was really nice. We could see the sunset from the Glass House which was a real treat, just lovely. 

After we'd eaten we had another wander around the ship. The pool deck was really lovely by night, and the bar was open a bit later I think, so we had another drink out there. We also went through the Atrium again because there was stuff going on, but it was really loud and we didn't stay there. But it had been a really pleasant day, if a little different from what we had thought as we had been booked on a trip in Santorini!

In the evening I was wearing a Yours dress and old crop top jumper from New Look which is one of my favourite summer outfits. 

On the tender boat about 11am

It really was so beautiful

Wandering through town

I loved these bikes just hanging out

And this was one of the many cats we met

I liked this near one of the churches

Religious tat in a shop

Delicious profiteroles in a lovely cafe

I really liked this moped and had half a mind to steal it

Another of the cats we met!

In my Sprinkle of Glitter dress back in the cabin

The pool in the afternoon

Just as we sailed out of Patmos

The four of us on the sun deck just before we went to eat

This was on Deck 10, too

And this is looking down on to the pool area, isn't it so lovely?

The sunset from the Glass House

I think this was later on after we had eaten. I love the sea and being on it for a week is exactly my idea of fun

Back out on the pool deck at night

It was still so warm and lovely to be outside

There was a film showing on the pool deck again

And lastly, looking down into the Atrium while a whole load of things were going on!

Aegean Cruise - Day 6

On the Saturday of our holiday we were in Kusadasi in Turkey. We had talked about getting off the boat and going to Ephesus, because my mum and stepdad and I would have liked to see the Biblical stuff, but my stepdad's friend told him it's not very mobility friendly so we decided against it. Maybe in the future we'll get there, but we decided it wasn't a priority. So we stayed on the ship. My stepdad was feeling a lot better. 

We didn't do much all day! I think we had sandwiches again for lunch, and I had a banana daiquiri at about 1pm which was only okay. My stepdad was taking lots of photos from Deck 10 because there were good views all round the ship, but I hadn't actually been up there! Lee and I went inside to the coffee shop about 4pm again to get ourselves out of the sun, I'm really glad we did that a few times because it was nice! I had a macaron, too, and took some back for my mum and stepdad. They weren't free but they were only about a pound each so it was fine!

My mum and I had prosecco with raspberry liqueur in it which was delicious! Then we went back to the cabins to get showered and dressed for tea. Each previous night we had heard the bing bong of the ship announcement but hadn't heard the actual announcement because it was just outside in the corridors. But on this night, the captain broadcast into everyone's cabins. We were due to be in Santorini on Sunday - which the four of us were looking forward to - but the weather was stormy there apparently and the captain to decided to take us to Patmos instead! How do you even do that?? Do you just ring up Patmos?? We hadn't even heard of it, either, it was not on our Greek island radar at all! But we could go to Santorini at another point. It really didn't matter that much!

For tea, we went to Gallery 47, which was a free restaurant but you had to be dressed up for it. The literature kept saying that it was best to go there between 6 and 6.30 because they didn't do reservations and it got busy quickly. We felt that that was too early to eat, though, so we decided to go about 7pm and chance it, and if we couldn't get in we would go to the buffet restaurant. Lee and I got there just before 7pm and went straight in, there was no problem at all! My mum and stepdad were only a little bit behind us. 

There was plenty of choice and even quite a few vegetarian choices so I was happy. I went for caprese salad, aubergine parmigana, and a trio of tiramisu. It was all so yummy! We shared a bottle of wine which was lovely. Afterwards we went outside to look at the water and the moon for a little bit, and we had a couple of drinks outside too. It was warm, but dark. 

Finally we went inside to the atrium bar and I think I had another bellini before bed. It was a nice and relaxing day. In the evening I was wearing my dotted dress from Yours, it's a lovely dress for holidays and means I don't have to wear tights or anything underneath!

Sign from the ship

Banana daiquiri, which I thought was only okay so didn't have another one. My stepdad liked them, though, he had a few

Another day, more sunbathing and sitting in the shade

Looking down into the atrium again at 4pm. I really liked this area of the boat but I was glad our cabins were well away from it because it was loud and busy!

From the other side of the atrium

Another iced decaf latte which was really needed in the heat!

And a macaron

Prosecco with raspberry liqueur in - they didn't have blackcurrant liqueuer so this was a good stand in!

Caprese salad later on

Aubergine parmigiana which I took a chance on, but I really liked it

Trio of tiramisu - the original was the best one though

One of the ship photographers took this of Lee and I in Gallery 47 and we liked it so we bought a copy

Moon on the water, and an island or other that we were going past

Me against the railing outside, so you can see my dress better here

And finally, a bellini