Cruise – Day 15 Home

21 May 202624 May 2026Carol 1 Comment

Day Fourteen was a sea day as we travelled back to Valletta.

As we have a late flight we relaxed on board for the morning then took a short excursion round Malta which ended up at the airport.

Golden Bay

Mosta Dome. A bomb hit the dome in WW2. It went through the roof but didn’t explode. No one was injured. The bomb is still there to remind everyone of this miracle.

Mdina

View across to Wied Iz-zurrieq, near the Blue Grotto. We swam there on a previous holiday 20 years ago. Amy and I were traumatised by a large white jellyfish (which turned out to be a plastic carrier bag).

Our flight is about to be called. ‘Til the next time!

Cruise – Day 13 Split

19 May 202624 May 2026Carol Leave a comment

We took the road train around Split and the peninsula.

The area is called Marjan Hill. It was scrubland until the people of Split developed it into an area for leisure pursuits.

The road train dropped us at the entrance to the Diocletian Palace and the statue of Gregory of Nin, a 10th century Croatian Bishop. If you rub his toe it is said to bring good luck so he has a very shiny toe!

Then we walked along the waterfront back to the ship, getting caught in a shower on the way!

Sea day tomorrow!

Cruise – Day 12 Trieste

18 May 202624 May 2026Carol Leave a comment

We docked in Trieste, Italy.

We took a coach trip across the border to Piran, Slovenia.

A charming little harbour.

Back on the coach we travelled to Marezige for a visit to the wine fountain and a glass of local Ruby red wine.

Back on the coach to Trieste.

A lovely day out.

Cruise – Day 11 Zadar

17 May 202624 May 2026Carol Leave a comment

We docked at Zadar, a town on the Dalmatian Coast.

We took a coach trip to Sibenik and had a guided walk through the old town.

We drove up in the mountains to the village of Burni. Where we were welcomed by a local family with a home made lunch with wine and entertainment.

We ended up back in Zadar.

Cruise – Day 10 Korcula

16 May 202624 May 2026Carol 1 Comment

We arrived near the island of Korcula. Could not get close to shore so everyone had to get a coloured ticket to get a tender boat to the shore. 2000 people wanted to get off.

It was misty and raining with a storm forecast so I decided not to attempt it and I had a relaxing time reading, chatting to other passengers and drinking coffee.

Andy got a ticket and waited 3 hours! Then they decided it was too rough to go.

They then had to get all the people who had gone earlier back to the ship. There were hundreds waiting on the dock in the rain. One lady managed to get on a tender. It was too dangerous to get to the ship and too dangerous to go back. So they spent an hour in the little boat with people screaming and being sick!

So glad I didn’t go!

This was earlier when the sea was calm.

This is what Korcula looks like!

Weather tomorrow looks good!

Cruise – Day 9 Sea Day

15 May 202624 May 2026Carol Leave a comment

Back at sea, heading from Malta to Croatia.

Some areas of the ship get very busy.

But there are many areas available to sit and read or play Rummikub!

Quizzes happen frequently.

This is a selfie of me with one of the Entertainment Team. Apparently you get extra points for having photos of the team!

The map shows the position of Azura this afternoon.

We are passing Italy on the port side.

The weather tomorrow in Korcula, the Croatian island we are visiting, looks rough!

Watch this space!

Cruise – Day 8 Valletta

14 May 202624 May 2026Carol Leave a comment

Today was changeover day when passengers who have finished their cruise disembark and new passengers arrive. We had a whole day to explore Valletta.

The easiest way to get into the town is via a lift up the cliff.

Our ship, Azura, can be seen in the background.

Due to Malta’s strategic location it has had to defend itself many times as the cannons, walls and forts show.

At the top of the lift were beautiful gardens.

We sat in a pavement cafe, people watching while perusing the map.

Thick walls surround the old town.

There are many bustling squares and narrow streets.

We hopped on a little local tourist bus for a ride around the town.

We passed the opening to the harbour before riding the lift back down to the dock. (€1 each for both trips).

Time for dinner followed by a quiz. We will miss our quiz buddies!

Cruise – Day 7 Sea Day

13 May 202624 May 2026Carol Leave a comment

Today was a sea day as we headed west back to Malta. Some of our fellow cruisers leave the ship tomorrow. We have another week!

We spent much of the day with our quizzing friends, winning two quizzes and having lunch together. Unfortunately they all leave in the morning.

Just a few views around the ship.

The Pursuit – very similar to The Chase!

Hopefully more interesting photos tomorrow.

Cruise – Day 6 Athens

12 May 202624 May 2026Carol 2 Comments

We docked in the port of Piraeus near Athens.

After a leisurely morning we joined a coach tour to central Athens. We stopped to view the Parthenon, the temple of Athena, on the Acropolis.

We passed The Panathenaic Stadium which is the ancient, marble stadium that hosted the first modern Olympic Games in 1896. Originally built in the 4th century B.C. for the Panathenaic Games, it remains a major venue today, used for the Olympic flame handover and the finish of the Athens Marathon.

We stopped again near Hadrian’s Gate built to welcome the Roman Emperor, Hadrian, in recognition for all he did for Athens. This is the same Hadrian who built the wall in the north of England.