Well, an unscheduled stop in Crete, so a day on land after so long at sea. No sign of rickets or beri-beri so we were all set to catch the tender to shore after the initial rush. The tender was only about a quarter full and we sat next to Dreena & Johnny from Canada and I was interested to know what they thought of the talent show yesterday. Young Johnny is a dance fanatic specialising in Ukrainian folk dancing and as there are so few youngsters on board, is now well known amongst staff and passengers alike. Both he and mum Dreena claimed that they found "The Man From Snowy River" difficult to understand!
Anyway, a short tender ride and we were soon ashore in the charming little port of Aghios Nikolaos. After so many days at sea, probably any land would have been welcome, but this proved to be a real jewel. We walked through to the edge of the wharf area and decided to head uphill to the centre of town. We only managed a few paces and were sucked into a small local craft and jewellery shop. We emerged half an hour later with Paula's belated birthday gift of locally made metal jewellery and a small free gift from the very nice lady in charge.
We strolled up to the top of the hill and the local centre, then down the other side towards a small local beach. Back up again and down another narrow street where I spied the "Fish Spa". Unlike some places we have seen in other countries, this was a small, immaculate establishment and as my feet weren't in the best of condition, I opted for the 15 minute treatment. After sanitising and washing your feet, you don small plastic galoshes and walk across top a vacant seat. The nice lady in charge then removes your plastics and you put your feet in the water, whereupon a shoal of small Doctor Fish (or Garra Rufa fish – initially discovered in the town of Kangal in Turkey) proceed to feast on the dead skin cells. They have no teeth, so visions of being dunked as in several James Bond films and being eaten alive are soon dispelled as the fish go to work. Whilst feasting, they secrete the enzyme diathanol which encourages skin regeneration.
Paula wasn't game so she wandered around the local shops. Curious passers by often stopped to gawk and one or two kids were heard to utter "yeuk!" - easily translated from whatever their local language.
After the 15 minutes, a quick dry and €10 well spent. A most enjoyable experience. I could probably do with a treatment each day…
We headed back to the quay, intending to ride the little train but they were booked out for an hour and a half. So we called in at a local store and I managed to procure 6 (tall) cans of Strongbow at €2.60 each, which should keep me going for a few days – especially as I only drink one every three or four days anyway.
At this point, it was far too early to head back to the ship as it was just so pleasant, so we opted to sit down and have a bite to eat.
We opted for a place offering 4 pieces of pizza for €7 and sat with Eileen, who is also doing the return leg next year on the Dawn. When we saw the delivery to the next table and enjoying the sun, I asked for a small beer, then later, Paula opted for a fresh orange juice. Bearing in mind we had no real say in what was on the pizza, it turned out to be absolutely delicious. Prosciutto, pepperoni, artichoke hearts (I think!) olives and cheese. Beautifully cooked (not burned at the edges and with minimal topping like the one in Venice last year). Total cost €12.60. We sat around enjoying the atmosphere and the view before ambling back to the tender, once again, not at all full.
A great stop and many others were saying this should be a scheduled Princess stop. Although we had stayed in the quay and town, others had ventured further afield using either public transport or private tours and all, without exception enjoyed Crete. Nice weather, nice people and sensible prices.
As I hadn't had a coffee, a withdrawal headache meant that the first stop was the atrium to cure it.
Quiz time we joined another Kiwi couple we hadn't met before – and we still didn't win.
Sailaway was a warm affair and I wandered over to another kiwi I was sure I already knew. He was on a previous cruise but we hadn't spoken before. I had clicked that we had a mutual friend (who sadly, died last year). It appears that as I was best man at the mutual friend's wedding, the friend was best man at Russell's wedding… It's a small world.
At dinner, it appears that our table companions had had a brilliant day that included sampling local wine and spirits and they were all tired and ready for an early night, so we were amongst the few who went to see David Copperfield's 10pm show. Exactly as in Port Said 2011, the Vista lounge was only about a quarter full. Such a shame, but lots of laughter as always, as he is without a doubt, one of the best performers around. (For those who think immediately of the American Illusionist, this is the British Comedian, formerly a co-star in the UK on "Three Of A Kind", with Tracey Ullman and Lenny Henry. Check out YouTube.) My video will be useless as the camera will have picked up my laughter throughout.
Overall a great day and tomorrow, (Sunday) a private tour organised by Joanne.
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