Transit days are never the best, today’s is worse than most as we start before the sparrows fart today (NB here it’s probably swallow farts that signal dawn, but it’s too early to be pedantic, well actually it’s never too early but that’s another debate!)
Alarm at 03:30, hit the road 04:30, arrive airport 05:30. Saving grace so far, it was a lovely drive, even though our little C3 had headlamps powered by glow worms. Drop off the car, queue for bleeding ages, watch bolshy woman push to the front, manhandle the luggage repeatedly, squash into an overcrowded, overheated waiting room. Saving grace here is that security took 30 seconds, passport control zero seconds. Board 06:30 ... it’s so nice to have such predictable time slots, but from now it’s going to change as we depart in fifteen minutes.
Although everything appears equally chaotic and laid back, we all board (there’s only one plane and it’s parked outside the door of the terminal) in good time. Distance from drop off to plane door is about 200 feet, 620 steps including a lot of stomping around in the queues!
Of course the bolshy woman pushing in and generally bring a pain is sat right next to me and doesn’t shut up even to draw breath! I wasn’t going to mention her nationality but half the cabin can hear her conversations so I don’t feel bad repeating she’s an American originally from Greece, and had an opinion on everything! No wonder Kosta (that’s her second husband) is sat on the other side of the aircraft. Couldn’t hear the Captain’s message.
The flight is so quick, I’m sure some people up the plane only just got service, as it was we’d bearly managed a coffee before we were descending into Athens. A tetchy moment when a truculent child escaped and the mother had to get out of her seat to fetch it, causing the stewardesses to have kittens.
M. Bolshy passed me my bag, so she’s forgiven now, although the same can’t be said for the baggage handlers - 45 minutes staring at an empty moving conveyor belt, anticipation peaked every time it groaned, only to be deflated a moment later.
Eventually we’re out of the airport and our besuited Black Lane driver is explaining the morning staff are notoriously slow! A black S Class was our reward for patience and as it’s 50km to the port, a worthwhile journey befitting a nice car.
Arriving at the port before 09:00 for a 12:00 check-in inevitably causes some difficulty for the terminal staff, but a lovely port boy called Angelou took our luggage and ensured it would be processed for us so we could do our planned walk around Piraeus.
Having already planned this, we head off to take in the churches, marinas, theatres, antiquities and other bits on our route. Of course, being a suspicious Yorkshireman I won’t leave my tech, so I’m packing a MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, Surface, camera and four (heavy) lenses! Add in 2l of water and we’re talking 10kg extra to lug around in the 34 degree heat - mad dogs etc?
Piraeus is as hilly as San Francisco, except it’s not (yet, they’re building it now) got a tram system. My Google map planned walk didn’t take topology into consideration so the route was at times up and down steps and inclines, but think of those calories falling off!
On our return to the port we did a final two churches, miraculously they were mostly open today, but it is Saturday so maybe that’s significant in the orthodox calendar, I’m afraid I don’t know enough about this religion. The last we visit is the tiniest, right on the edge of the port, presumably easy for sailors to access, their spiritual needs are very important.
It’s about 12:30, Angelou confirmed our bags have been sent onboard, so we head into the terminal building to check-in. It’s deserted so after a quick welcome cocktail we are rapidly processed, security checked and walk onboard. The rooms are not available this early so we plonk ourselves in the patio grill and within seconds champagne has arrived - we’re home!
It’s got to be a burger, but in typically arrogant fasion, Thomas Keller won’t allow his burgers to be prepared on a turnaround day (that’s cruise-speak for passengers leaving and new ones arriving) so we have a normal burger instead - it’s lovely! Excellent bar manager Martin came and chatted, he remembers us from past cruises.
When the rooms are available we go and check all is well (of course it will be) and usually meet our steward, but she’s on shore leave (this is very usual on turnaround day) so the assistant housekeeper xxx greets us with more champagne instead, we’ll meet at Tania tomorrow. The bags are missing st present, so we decide to go and do a mile around the deck, before checking back, as they arrive randomly we unpack a bit, go out again then return to do a bit more.
At 16:15 the mandatory fire-drill is enacted for all new people arriving today, we head to the restaurant, listen to the security officer (who tuned out to be the housekeeper from earlier) and Staff Captain xxx give us a detailed briefing. As usual some folks managed to not get swiped so there’s a bit of messing around to ensure everyone is present. Failure to attend means you will not be allowed to sail!
Soon we’re fully unpacked, and it’s into shorts and the pool for sail away, the band playing right behind us, and Martin supplying drinks - mojhitos now - until it’s time to shower and dress for dinner.
We both opted for TK pea agnolotti, which is wonderful, garlic soup also wonderful, then Hubby had the lovely chicken whilst I had TK swordfish which was so salty it was ruined, so I had half of Hubby’s instead! Of course they would have changed my dish, but by then it was too late, Vhalrona chocolate dessert, another TK creation, was excellent.
It’s been a very long day, an early night beckons and we’re soon asleep, indeed when I woke around 04:30 to write this, some lights were still on!
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