At breakfast time we started to pass between Italy and Sicily. The mainland was on our starboard side and Sicily on our port side. Mount Etna was clearly visible. The sun was shining as I walked my mile and the temperature was 18 with a bit of a cool breeze. We passed through the Straits of Messina at lunch time. I didn't realise the mainland and the island were so close. I saw the pilot just after he disembarked. When I was playing deck quoits (los...

Another sea day where the men are losing at Battle of the Sexes. The weather has been cool and windy and the sea conditions described as rough on the navigation channel on the television. Deck quoits was cancelled this morning due to deck 13 being closed because of the conditions. We had started the afternoon competition, when the Safety Officer appeared and said that the deck shouldn't be open. So we all went back downstairs. The conditions were much bett...

A cool day, the temperature was about 18, but it was overcast with a cool wind blowing. According to the Captayn, we're going to hit some rough weather in the evening and then we should be set fair for Civitavecchia. The men pulled back 15 points in Battle of the Sexes but are still a fair way behind. We won two more bottles of wine tonight, completing another set. That means we have a complete sets for the next two formal nights and Linda's birthday. ...

An early start, up at 6:00 and off by just gone 7:30. The Golden Iris was moored nearby. A long drive to Jerusalem. When we arrived we went straight to the Mount of Olives. From there we saw the Dome of the Rock, the Al Aqsa mosque and much of Jerusalem. Then we went to Gethsemene. There was a small garden with olive trees, one of which is over 2,000 years old. We went into the Sanctuary of Gethsemene. Then we went to the Wailing Wall, past the Al Aqs...

The temperature was only 16 when I got up, but the day warmed up nicely. I had an excursion books for today. After driving through Limassol, we went to Curium. This is an old ruined town. It was built before Christ and hit by an earthquake in the 700's. Much of it is flattened, but the entrance to the Bishops house and the public baths can be seen. There is also a restored amphitheatre and a place under cover, called Eustopholis' house. This contained s...