Haynes World - ships, ferries, a laugh on the ocean wave, and other interesting things...

19 September 2012

Greece 2012 Part 3


Thursday 30th August

Venice view from the Arandora Star, 1st October 1930, photographed by my Father, Engineer Harry Williams

Another Venice view from the Arandora Star, 1st October 1930, photographed by my Father, Engineer Harry Williams

At sea on Kriti II
I sat on deck partly in the sunshine, watching the islands on the starboard side and then the land mass on the port side, under a clear blue sky, and thinking how lucky I was. Quiet and gentle music started on deck at 11 a.m. possibly as a distraction whilst three overalled ANEK men painted today whatever it was they were hammering yesterday.

Painting whatever they were hammering yesterday

Camping and sleeping on deck

The ramps and wake

The pool was filled

A Saipem vessel (I wonder which one it is?)

Enjoying the scenery

Spacious Reception and Bureau Square (just had to get the Union-Castle Line connection in there somewhere)

The Grand Descent

Another deck hand was filling the swimming pool with a hose; many of us simply walked around the whole deck, admiring babies or toddlers, watching dogs sleeping and comparing them with their owners, reading, avoiding passengers still asleep on deck, trying Sudoku like the two German ladies I sat near to do the same at one point, and generally enjoying the warmth and scenery. On one circuit of the deck I walked towards a young lady with her little white dog in a handbag on her shoulder. That dog was obviously not going to get much exercise, with its little face peeking out from the top of the bag.

Lunch was available in the Self-Service Restaurant and then it was back to doing nothing much on deck again. I saw a gap in the land mass on the port side and photographed a distant ferry – very distant – and realised it was coming from Dures, in Albania, so it was found to be IONIAN SPIRIT.

Following another good dinner in the a la Carte Restaurant, the ship called at Igoumenitsa, where we could see what seemed to be a new terminal building, ferries, and a dredger in the darkness. Many people left the ship and many more got on, ready for our call at Corfu a little later.

Night-time call at Igoumenitsa

Cruise Olympia

Car deck view

After that call, the ship settled for the night on the final part of the journey to Patras, where we will arrive at an early hour.

Night-time deck scene

Kriti II life ring


Ships seen: Silver Sea?, Ionian Spirit, the weird looking vessel of Saipem company (I wonder which one it is?), Agia Theodora, Ionian Sky, Bridge, Cruise Olympia, 2 Superflexes Agios Nikolaos and ? ex Reggio, Pantokrator, and Aichaios at Corfu, plus 1 double-ender with prow masts

To be continued….