3rd Day at Sea - 5 March 2012

Had an okay sleep but was woken a few times by the rolling ship.  Sometimes it felt like my bed was being shaken.  Didn't worry me at all and so far I've felt absolutely fine.  I've continued taking Stugeron tablets to prevent sea sickness, every 8 hours, since before boarding the ship and they've worked for me.

Breakfast at Cafe Jardin was yummy.  A huge selection of fruit followed by pancakes with maple syrup and lots of coffee.

We've spent a lot of time during the sea days staying indoors.  What with the wind and rain outside, it hasn't looked very inviting on deck.  But today the sun came out briefly and we got out on Deck 7 the Promenade deck.  Oh wow, so beautiful to see the sea.  It makes me feel wonderful, breathing in the fresh air and seeing the glorious ocean.  We are about 200 miles from Madeira.  It feels much warmer today and feeling the sun's warmth is just lovely ..... actually no word describes just how good it feels.

Meditating on Neptune's world

This afternoon Kate and I go to have our hair done.  I'd checked to see if they would be able to wash my hair while I stayed in my wheelchair and had been told it wouldn't be a problem.  But it was a problem because there was no way the basin could be lowered or put near enough for me to get my head on it.  I asked if perhaps they could put my hair up instead as tonight it was the formal night and I wanted to look my best.  Yes but it would cost £29.00 (the same price as the hairwash and blow dry would cost!!!!).  Gulp!  Errm, no thank you.

I was disappointed and wondered why on earth they didn't have at least one sink that was low enough for wheelchair users to use.  Surely with the amount of wheelchair users on the ship, there was a need for one.  At times like this you really do feel like a 3rd class citizen that doesn't really matter.  It is really bad and I will be writing to P&O about it.

My friend Kate had her hair done and when she went to pay £29 (extortionate!), they told her that it would cost £39 because her hair long!!!  Picture below shows Kate's hair is just about shoulder length, not long!  Anyway after that experience we decide not to spend ANY money in the spa!  We were not impressed.

Playing cribbage in the ship's 'card' room

There is always a lot to do on ship.  You can do your own thing or something that is advertised in the ship's daily 'Horizon' leaflet that is delivered to our cabins every night.  There are all sorts of activities like trying out Pilates, playing quoits on deck, watercolour painting, all sorts.  We play a bit of crib and Jim wins.

Later we go and play bingo for a laugh and hopefully to win some money.  After spending £15 on a few games we don't win anything and that's that!

Tonight at dinner poor Kate is feeling unwell again.  The ship has been really rocking about again quite violently at times.  There was a bit of a shudder during dinner tonight.

Fancy more choppy seas?



Tonight was my favourite dinner.  A poached salmon starter followed by stroganoff with buttered saffron rice with beetroot crisps.  Dessert is Strawberry Romanoff MilleFille (I don't think I spelt that right).  Guess what?  Delicious!!!

Yum Yum Yum

Thank you for visiting and tomorrow we arrive in Madeira!

Day 3 - Sea Day 4 March 2013

After another deep sleep we meet with Kate and Jim and go to Cafe Jardin for breakfast.  Cafe Jardin overlooks the Atrium and is a really nice place to eat.  Normally it's a for fee bistro in the evenings and offers a Marco Pierre White menu.  But for breakfast and lunch it's free.

There is a lot of food to choose from.  Lots of fruit including delicious papaya and three types of melon, berries, pineapple, dried fruits.  Also pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, flaked almonds, oatmeal, natural or fruit yoghurts.  And if you had any space left you could choose a cooked breakfast panini, or pancakes with maple syrup or Eggs Royale (which was smoked salmon and egg on a muffin).  Oh yes and croissants too!  I had a bowl of fruit and the Eggs Royale which was super delish.

Kate and Jim

Wearing my new jumper I bought on ship

Our first stop is going to be Madeira so we go to reception to ask whether I will be able to get off the ship and whether there will be a shuttle bus accessible for wheelchairs.  'Yes' to both questions!  I'm really excited because I wasn't sure whether it would be possible, what with me using my electric wheelchair.  I was really surprised to hear there was going to be accessible transport.  Brilliant!

We decided to try out lunch in Cafe Jardin.  It was delicious, I had salmon fishcakes and salad and yes a dessert.  I don't know what it was but it was beautiful and tasted good.  Desserts for lunch!  I know, the decadence!  Jim joined us to tell us poor Kate wasn't feeling too good what with the ship lurching here there and everywhere so she was in her cabin lying down.

By the afternoon the ship was rocking quite violently and it's hard for Andy to walk so he has to grab hold of me to stop him falling over.  Although you can't really tell how bad it felt, here is a short video to see a few of the waves.


Excuse my voice on here, really I wish I hadn't spoken!!

Andy tells me the higher up you are in the ship the more rocking you will feel so might be better to go to a lower deck.  I just want to watch the waves and as I can't see out of our cabin window that well, we set off to a lower floor and hopefully to a better window to look out.  We go down to deck 6 to watch some high waves.  But I wanted to feel the ship being buffeted about more so suggested we go right to the top of the ship for the full effect.  

We went up to deck 14 to the Plaza buffet which has lovely big windows.  Well the place was almost empty!  Must have been the rough ship had put people off eating.  We got a good seat by the window and watched the huge waves and got the full effect all right.  I enjoyed it thoroughly and didn't feel sick at all.

Tonight at dinner we were without Kate as she was still feeling bad. 

The sea is looking a bit wild out there

Dinner was delicious as usual.  I had grass fed British beef followed by New York cheesecake.  Yummmm, check this out ..............

In bed tonight the ship rocked violently all night.  You felt yourself being sucked down into the mattress and then all of a sudden you felt yourself being lifted up almost like you were floating .... such a strange feeling.  Still slept well though.

Day 2 - At Sea (3 March 2013)

After a brill sleep I woke early.  Woke Andy to ask the time.  Andy informs me it's 4am!  Don't think he was impressed.  Then we went back to sleep till 5.30 am.  Kate and Jim were coming to our cabin at 8.30 so we could head on to breakfast together  As I needed more help than usual with having a shower etc I thought it was a good idea to get up earlier than normal.  Andy isn't a morning person, whereas I'm very chirpy.  Poor Andy, he told me he was feeling grumpy but if that was grumpy I was impressed.  I/we had quite a laugh at his tiredness/grumpiness.  Maybe 'I' more than 'we'.

We had breakfast in the Adriatic restuarant where we were served by different waiters.  I started with melon followed by scrambled eggs on a muffin with smoked salmon.  All washed down with coffee which was lovely because they kept refilling our cups.  How luxurious is that?

We had an exploration of the ship and boy is it a beautiful ship!  The most beautiful part of it was the Atrium.  I loved the glass lifts.  If you squint you can see me on the second floor up in the middle.  The service was absolutely brilliant, such nice waiters,

It was glamourous allright.

Andy did this short video which gives you an idea of how lovely it is.



Not long after breakfast, we all met up again at Cafe Jardin (Marco Pierre White's restuarant).  We had coffee and croissants (well you have to, don't you?),

Around lunch time we went to the Starlights Theatre to watch a film 'The Art of Being a Wallflower'.  The other's liked it but I got a bit bored and couldn't wait for it to end.  I'd taken a sea sickness tablet and it made me drowsy.

As we had missed lunch we went up to the Plazza buffet on the top deck to have tea and I had a cake.  Jeez, we're only on day 2 and the calories are mounting up, despite all my good intentions.  The food is amazing though and we feel we need to try everything!  

The Captain makes an announcement on the overhead speaker. The seas are going to get rough so take sea sickness tablets.  Me and Andy have been taking them from before the ship set sail.  I wasn't taking any chances.

We go back to our cabin so Andy can have a snooze and I write up my diary.  We are very near Spain at this point.

Tonight is formal night, so we dress up.  

Me and Andy in our posh togs

The Captain (Simon Terry) gives a welcome speech and everyone is given free Champagne (I decline cos I don't drink),  We meet up with some people who recognise us from Taunton!  Pamela, Sylvia, Brian and Charlie.  It's a small world.  They also know Andy's Uncle and Aunt!

Dinner tonight is Oak Smoked Salmon for starter followed by Sea Bass.  My dessert is a lush Strawberries and Cream with a chocolate biscuit, mmmm

The ship was pitching or as I called it 'rocking and a rolling' quite a bit before we went to bed.  I guess we were in that Force 10 gale by now. Had a great sleep though.

Thanks for visiting and please come back for more adventures at sea when things start to get rough.  Have a good weekend.  I'm not posting this blog at weekends so Monday will be the next episode.

OCEANA 2013 Cruise

I'm back.  It's been ages since I've blogged and to anyone who has followed me previously, I'm sorry for the huge gap.

I've been away recently on a cruise.  I was very lucky in that Andy took me away for a 2 week holiday.  It's been my first holiday in around 30 years!  People wonder at that.  But let me tell you that my disability and being a wheelchair user means that going on holiday isn't easy.  And in the end, rather than going through a lot of hassle, you end up not bothering.  However, cruising is a lot more 'wheelchair friendly' than land travel which is why we went.

We went to the Canaries and Africa, Spain and Portugal for 2 weeks (March 2-March 16).  Because using the internet was so expensive I couldn't blog daily so saved this up for my return.  I want to add pictures but that might take some time.  So bear with me.

Day 1 - Cruise Day

At last our special day has begun.  I got up at around 5.30 am, so excited I couldn't sleep.  Andy arrived at 9 am.  Drew, our taxi driver arrived at 10. am - everything was timed to perfection.  The men loaded me and our luggage into the taxi.  Only fly in the ointment was my manual chair wouldn't fold up, it was totally rusted up, so we had to leave it behind.  I had to banish worrying thoughts flooding my mind about leaving without it (thoughts like my electric chair breaking down, running out of power etc etc).

The journey passed quickly and when we got to Southampton docks we could see this beautiful cruise ship, Oceana, rising high above the buildings next to Ocean Terminal.  As soon as our taxi stopped, there were porters there to take the bulk of our luggage to load onto the ship and be delivered to our cabin.  We kept hand luggage on us.

This picture was taken while we were docked in Gran Canaria

We checked in easily, had a coffee and then joined a huge queue to board the ship.  We had our photos taken and then our hand luggage checked while we are frisked.  All very exciting stuff for me but then I've led a quiet life, ha ha.

On board the ship we got into the lift and went straight up to deck 14 (sun deck) to have lunch at the Plaza buffet.  I was impressed straight away with the lovely decor and huge ceiling to floor windows surrounding the tables.

Food plays a huge part of this cruise so I will be mentioning it frequently.  I had a light salad and a very nice dessert.  A lady came up to us with a tray and welcomed us on board.  She asked if we would like a refreshing fresh orange juice.  'Oh yes please' we both said.  She came back with PINT sized glasses of fresh orange juice and presented Andy with a bill to sign.  Oh!  So not included then???  We were a bit green and I'm sure she could see we were new cruisers so zoomed in on us straightaway.  I asked Andy how much?  £7.10!!!!!!!  What????  Ok so that is the last drink we will be ordering.  I'm sticking to water or coffee or tea from now on.

Next its to our cabin on Deck 8 (Devana Deck).  Our cabin (D315) is LOVELY!!!  We have a big cabin.  It's an adapted 'disabled' cabin so also has a large en suite shower room.  I'm so happy to see that my bed has been raised on blocks as requested. 

I'm also happy that the dressing tables are also high so perfect when I want to do my hair (I  can't lift my arms up so need something to lean on).  

Our steward, Canute, introduces himself to us.  Our luggage is starting to arrive to our cabin and I ask him if my toilet seat has arrived yet because I'm dying to use the loo (it's nearly 2pm and I haven't been since 9.30!).  After a bit of confusion as to what is my loo seat, he returns with it.  I need this seat as I can't use ANY toilet without it .... another reason why I can't easily go on holiday as this seat isn't easily portable.

I also liked the sink unit

Our friends Kate and Jim who are cruising with us, arrive at our cabin.  It's great to see them.

At 4pm we have to go to lifeboat and life jacket lecture at the 'muster' station in the Yacht and Compass Bar.  We get there and get chatting to a nice couple who used to be chemistry teachers (Peter and Sheila).  We are shown how to put on a life jacket.  I'm thinking if the ship goes down, I don't think that's going to do much to save me.  I instantly dismiss all thoughts of drowning, not good when starting out on a cruise!!

Is this gonna help?  Let's hope so!

In the evening Kate and Jim join us and we go for dinner in the Adriatic restuarant.  We are at first sitting which is at 6.30.  Our table is right by the window which is lovely because we can see the sea easily.  

Ok our table (185) isn't easy to get to because of my wheelchair and means other diners have to get up to let me through (who thought it was a good idea to place me there P&O???).  We meet our lovely waiters Daniel and Suchinn.  Meal for me:  Starters melon, beautifully presented.  Followed by Meditteranean tempura vegetables with fried rice.  Desert, kiwi pavlova .... delicious!!!!!!!!  I'm also forgetting to mention a brown roll with butter and also a huge square of foccacia.  The foccacia was absolutely delish and had lumps of sea salt in it which, trust me, just added to it's deliciousness.

Only thing I wasn't keen on was the ICE COLD air conditioning in the dining room We are still in British waters and it is March so?.  What is that all about?????  Actually I noticed several parts of the ship, especially near the lifts, are cold with the pesky air conditioning blasting out ice air.  And did I bring lots of warm clothing????  Nooooooooo!

After dinner Andy and I headed up to our cabin.  We fell into a deep sleep, gently rocked to sleep.  Actually I couldn't tell the ship was moving, it was so gentle.

I will be back tommorow with Day 2.  Thank you for visiting :)

Day out in Torquay

Oh my goodness, we have just had a week of SUNSHINE!!!  Yes, it has been absolutely beautiful weather for at least a whole week.  And it has been HOT and there have been BLUE skies ... yes, BLUE skies, AND not a cloud in sight, no grey skies and no more rain.  Truly it's been miraculous.

And so we planned a day out to Torquay ... yippee!  I've never been to Torquay so I was very excited.  Torquay is a town in the area of Torbay and county of Devon.  It is a tourist resort by the sea, 22 miles east of Exeter in the South West of England and during the peak of summer, it's population can swell to 200,000.

Andy took most of the pictures I've used.  He is so much better at photography for one thing and for the other, I couldn't see my screen most of the time because it was so sunny.  

Here we are at Taunton station, waiting for our train

Which arrived perfectly on time .... thank you Great Western Railways :)

This time we sat on the opposite side of the carriage to the one with spectacular views of the sea so I took a picture of Andy instead

and he took one of me

The journey was around 50 minutes and before we knew it we had arrived in Torquay.  I smelt the delicious smell of the ozone as soon as we got out of the train.  And in the bright sunshine, even the train looks cheerful.

We are walking alongside the sea on our right, towards the Marina area

It almost feels like we are abroad.  Torquay is also known as the English Riviera because it is warm here and sheltered so much so that Palm Trees grow here.   The tide was in but there are plenty of people sunbathing right by it on the concrete walkway.

I feel like I'm in heaven.  The weather conditions are perfect and check out the BLUEness of it all.

This building ahead had a large shopping area inside it.

Love the architecture and wish I was up there on the roof

There are some really nice hotels and buildings on top of the hill overlooking the marina.

The sea was amazingly clear and we saw fish.  Lots of them but this was the best photo.  I don't know what kind of fish it was.  We also saw plenty of jellyfish and also a large crab clinging to a boat's rope.  It was difficult to take pictures because it was so bright and sunny we couldn't see our smartphone's screens that well.  Andy did a great job though.  

You might have to click on the photo for a closer look.  In this picture below there are loads of fish

Torquay really is a picturesque place.

I started having fantasies about owning a boat ... and living a millionaire lifestyle ***sweet dreaming****

We had a lovely lunch (I've forgotten the name of the place now!).  Andy had feta and walnut in a warm bagette (that wasn't warm) with salad and a bowl of chips and I had Lemon and Chilli Glazed chicken with salad.  I was trying hard to be good with my food and not order anything too fattening but the salad had oil all over it.  But hey I still managed to lose 1 and a half lbs this week .... yay!  We saw a lot of fat people in Torquay which helped me stay on the straight and narrow :)

We visited two really nice shops.  One was a gift shop called SeaBreeze with nautically themed giftware and houseware .... I've gotta go back there, I saw a lovely starfish necklace :).  The other place was Haddon Galleries which had some fantastic art work and limited edition prints for sale.  And a lot of Sam Toft paintings (we are big fans of his work).

On the way back to our train, the tide had gone out and there were a lot of people on the beach

And in the sea

We liked this cute ticketing office/building outside what looked like some kind of sports park.

Finally we returned to Torquay railway station.  We had a very friendly guard at Torquay railway station and he kindly took this lovely photo of us both

We were very lucky to get back on the train to Newton Abbot (where we had to change trains to get back to Taunton) because there were only 2 carriages and it was absolutely full.  We had booked our train and so squeezed on but we were squeezed like sardines in a can.  Why only 2 carriages when the school holidays had just begun?  Common sense lacking Great Western Railway?

Once we had got onto our Taunton Train we had room to relax.  And Andy could take artistic photos of our return journey

And I could take really bad photos, then give up and play 'bubble shooter' :)

Thanks for stopping by .....

Seahorse card with Gutsy and Greedy

Another seaside themed card using more clear stamps from Hero Arts.  First I sponged on Salty Ocean and Squeezed Lemonade distress inks, making sure I edged the card with more Salty Ocean to give a nice edge. Then I dropped water from a dropper to get some nice droplet effects.  The seahorse, starfish and little sea flowers (?) I stamped with Salty Ocean.  And then added black glossy accent for the seahorse's eye.

I love the seaside and would love to live there.  I hear it is a lot healthier to live by the sea than inland and O can well believe it.  Andy and I are taking a trip to Torquay next week so I will be showing pictures of our day out soon.

And now I want to show pictures of  'Gutsy' and 'Greedy' our beautiful fantail goldfish.  Although they are just goldfish they seem to have personalities and are quite the greediest little fish you ever did see.  They love eating just about anything I give them.  I feed them mainly fish pellets, bloodworms, peas, broccoli, cucumber and lettuce.

They've come a long way since I got them (August 2011). These two pictures were taken last year whereas the picture above was taken today.   See, they love their broccoli

I've noticed how much they've changed.  The gold coloured one is now totally gold whereas when I got him he was nearly all black with some gold bits as in this picture below.  

The calico fish is a lot bigger now and has a beautiful fantail

We walked up to Watermarque (an aquarium shop) on Sunday.  We saw some beautiful goldfish ...

These are all coldwater fancy goldfish and I love these so much.  Especially the high head Orandas and the little lionhead in the far right corner, sweet.

Oh well, that's enough about fish.  I haven't made any cards in awhile.  I'm just not in a creative mood at the moment.  It'll come back soon enough.

Thanks for stopping by ....