Rough seas took their toll on passengers and crew at times. On one such evening, the main entertainment was a magician doing tricks that had me gasping, “How does he do that?”
As the ship rolled from side to side and lurched front to back as well, we wondered how the ship’s dancers could possibly have performed if it had been their turn. During his performance, the magician enlisted the aid of members of the audience, as is their wont.
“Hang on,” he said to one, “I’m just going over here to see Janice.” Struggling to keep upright, with unintentional steps backwards to keep his balance as he walked toward the other side of the stage, he added, “I’ll be a while – it’s all uphill!”
Our ship was diverted to the dock at Naples because it was too rough for tenders to take us from ship to shore at our scheduled port of Sorrento. The distance to Pompeii, our excursion’s destination, was the same either way. Under threatening skies, wind bent trees in every direction.
“Welcome to sunny Naples,” jested our guide.
Vesuvius, now with two peaks as a result of its devastating eruption in 79 AD, was beside us, partly hidden in clouds as we drove to view the excavated remains of Pompeii.
“The volcano is still active,” she explained. “It will blow again – but not today. It’s not included!” she grinned, using the catch-all phrase so beloved of tour guides. Magically, the rain held off until we were back on the ship. Walking on cobbled streets, stones indented by chariot wheels centuries ago, was difficult enough when dry. If wet, it would have been a serious challenge for this group, mainly seniors.
One third of that once bustling city is still buried under ash and debris. Many other groups of tourists were exploring this extraordinary archeological dig – but our guide kept telling us how lucky we were that we had escaped the thousands of visitors who flood Pompeii’s streets in the summer.
Pouring rain also “welcomed” us to Nice and the French Riviera, so tour guide and coach driver collaborated to change the route and give us our money’s worth. A perfume factory was already on the list. Demonstration of procedures was quick because flowers used in making those expensive perfumes were no longer blooming. Inevitably, the exit was through the gift shop. John and I escaped. However, “I spent lots of money,” one lady declared happily as she reboarded the bus after dashing in through the rain. “My husband is on a different tour today!”
Our loop brought us back through the elitist country and city of Monaco. “Only 5 per cent of locals work,” we heard. “Over 35,000 people come from nearby France and Italy each day to fill the job market. Princess Stephanie owns a boutique here,” she added, “and worked in it, making her part of that 5 per cent!”
We saw little of the city, for the through road tunnels beneath it, including a complex underground roundabout that sent vehicles scurrying in different directions.
“I come here often,” the guide explained, “but roads are constantly being rebuilt and rerouted. It’s never the same from one month to the next.”
With the highest number of millionaires and billionaires per capita in the world, and the lowest poverty rate, this principality reeks of money. The name of a yacht in one marina is made of solid gold – each letter over a metre in height! And the lady thought she had spent a lot in the perfumery??
Everyone loves to relate such tales. Good humour is contagious – all around the world.
