We passed Crete just after breakfast this morning. The sea is quite calm. There were jewelry specials on so we bought some Sterling Silver bracelets for the girls. I also bought some diamond earrings and a diamond pendant. This morning we went to a talk on the Naples and Marseilles tours, Tom went to a talk on the Titanic and survivors, and then we both went to a talk on books and children's need for stories to help them rehearse life's experiences. We also went ...

What a great day!! We moved into the Suez Canal early this morning, going so slowly so that we create no waves. Our ship is at the head of the convoy. The canal is interesting - green and populated on the Cairo side, desert and sparse population on the Sinai side. There are military establishments all along the way, a swing railway bridge under construction and a road bridge also under construction. It cost our ship $US1/4 million to transit. It's the 2nd larges...

Well, up early this morning for our early start to Cairo. We had breakfast at The Pavilion - they start the earliest at 6am. Got ourselves organised and up to the grand lounge only to find that the Egyptian authorities have not organised the ships in front of us, so we can't move in to the inner harbour. We are in the outer harbour, at anchor, and there are 30 knot winds which will make it difficult, if not impossible, for the tenders to operate. Will we make it ...

After a restless night we went off to breakfast - aah!! Tomato juice, raisin bran, smoked salmon omelette for me, eggs Benedict for Tom! We had arrived in Safaga - a pretty stark desert mountainous landscape where they specialise in exporting phosphates. We hopped on a shuttle bus to take us to the Holiday Inn. The entry way to the port was manned by military guards with machine guns, and the coach driver was questioned on the way in and out. At the Holiday Inn -...

Awoke at 3.30am!!!! Not surprising. By the time the faithful had been called to prayer at 5am (through loudspeakers attached to the top of minarets adjoining their mosques) we were shaved, showered and shampooed!! We had a leisurely breakfast of the usual spanish omelete, pancakes and maple syrup, toast and local black coffee. Then we went back upstairs and Tom had a nap. When he awoke we wandered up the street and bought another phone card and rang our girls. It...