Blog: Steve Lowe sets sail day two - Messina to Nowhere

LSN Group editor Steve Lowe has taken a great step forward for mankind (well, for him at least) and is swanning around on one of those great cruise ships that pack the Mediterranean at this time of year. Here in a daily despatch from his ship, it has 4,000 passengers on board, is his tale of life on the ocean waves.

Day Two: Messina to Nowhere.

Messina is a beautiful town, bathed in hot sunshine. We were pestered by hawkers and peddlars of every description. But they soon disappeared and cannot be blamed, as 4,000 fairly well off tourists need to be parted from some of their cash. We gave ours to cafe proprietors and bartenders, as well as a couple of Godfather t-shirts for the kids.

One bar owner was the spitting image of Sean, the landlord of the Kings Arms in Bedford. So much so I wondered if he was moonlighting. But when we got two beers for less than 4 euros, complete with free nibbles, I knew it was no more than a freak of nature.

It was a lovely day, made the more relaxing as we were able to leave Lizzie in the cruise equivalent of the ‘groovy gang’.

On our return to the ship we had to have our bags scanned and checked, not because our identities might have been stolen by terrorists or we had passed our time in Messina making incendiary devises but in case we were trying to smuggle any contraband onboard, such as wine we might want to drink in the cabin. Heaven forbid as we have already been warned that the staff have the right to search our cabin unannounced day or night! It would take a brave man to do a dawn raid on my underwear drawer.

The evening was formal attire, where suits and posh rocks were de riguer and dinner suits an option. We are in the less formal dining room, where there isn’t even a vice-captain’s table but we still all did our bit to look grand. We sat with some very agreeable Americans and Germans and I have to say that, so far, one of the myths of cruising is that all the passengers are both old and boring. There is a wide range of ages, nationalities and personalities.

We also managed to get a bottle of wine for the snip of 18 dollars, so are obviously gaining our sea legs

After dinner we had planned to go to the family disco. Sadly this was cancelled at the last moment as private function ran on. Undeterred we went to the top floor and joined a group of Italians playing their own version of ‘Name that tune’ which involved a lot of shouting and the banging of a cymbal.

Today we are in the middle of nowhere.

We have a clear blue sky overhead and calm blue sea in every direction. So far as I can remember it is the first time I have been on a boat with no sight of land, or anything else for that matter.

The boat is crowded as 4,000 of us have nowhere else to go. It is a big ship but today feels a bit like Milton Keynes shopping centre in early December.

To make it worse, some of the public toilets are not coping with the strain. The present Mrs Lowe was even considering hanging over the side, such was her need.

We arrive in Ephesus early in the morning, which I plan to see. A warning letter has been sent, though, for the benefit of the Americans, that they should be careful, as they might not be completely welcomed in a Muslim country.

I am sure they will be ok and while it is a moot point whether travel broadens the mind or simply confirms one‘s prejudices, the more Americans who travel must be a good thing.

So tomorrow it is ancient meets modern.