listen OGF take a bit of advise from an ex cross country runner who has NOT had any cardiac conditions! - sit back on a nice deck chair and read a good book - running around the deck of a ship you have got to look pretty weird - well weirder then!!
relax for change laddie FGS;-)
Right that’s it folks I really must go…so ‘We’ll meet again, don’t know where, don’t know when’ …
Long drive down to Southampton now, darn Souf, A Yorkshire lad doing a raid on the southeners, I’d better watch my back I’ve heard that southeners aren’t very friendly…
See you at t’other end…So this is OldGreyFox reporting from the backwoods of Yorkshire signing off for now…
Happy hols OGF! 
Happy holiday OGF 
Thanks Mags and Myrtle.
Roads were pretty clear for the 220 mile drive down to Southampton.
They did recognise me at the Ibis Budget Hotel when we arrived at t’other end which is always a blessing. There’s nothing worse than two receptionists looking at each other with a vacant look on their faces thinking ‘Who the hell is this guy?’ I wouldn’t mind but If they didn’t take my booking, who did take the money out of my account.
Managed to find a ‘Harry Ramsdens’ for our evening meal, and at the adjacent hotel they had ‘John Smiths’ on tap, which kept Mrs Fox happy. I didn’t realise John Smiths lorries came this far south!
Set out my running kit for the morning, don’t want to wake the missus at six am.
So despite the odd rain shower we encountered on the way down it looks quite decent outside tonight, hope it stays that way until the morning…
Glad things are going according to plan OGF
Quick update. Six this morning, pitch dark and throwing it down with rain. Was out on the road for six thirty and found it wasn’t as bad as it looked through the window. Ran along the West Quay Road past the Britannia which must have docked sometime last night. I ended up doing a six miler but seemed a bit heavy legged on the last three. The roads here are very busy, even early in the morning, had to watch it when crossing road junctions.
Due to board the ship at 15:00 hours.
Quick shower now and off for some breakfast…Laters!
NO he doesn’t ever stop - his heart must be super healthy or just knackered and on the way out -time will tell!
bob put ya missus on I need to re-assure her about the future!!
Hi Gumbud…
Boarded ship at 15:30 hours…You’ve got to worry when they issue you with a map to find your way around…
It’s 16:00 hours now and we’ve only just found our quarters (thats cabin if you’re not sailors)…Got to make our way down to deck six now to be shown what to do if the ship sinks…:shock::shock::shock:
We are on deck twelve by the way so plenty of stairs to train on…
<<>>>>
Oh, and by the way…It’s throwing it down with rain.
Have a fab’ holiday OGF…hope it’s not blowing a gale where You’re headed like it is here,:-p
arhh - I used to watch people running around ships decks on those black and white movies - have you found the cinema lounge yet and don;t forget the captains table and the floor shows!
you do inspire us all OGF as we sit here clutching our chests and waiting for the next stab of pain!
now where is my old copy of the “love boat” series ??
Thanks May, we’re just crossing over the Bay of Biscay noted for it’s bad weather and although it’s cold and windy the sun is out. We have been invited to the Captain’s Gala Ball tonight so it’s a black tie jobby…Tomorrow we will be docking early on in La Coruna, Northern Spain so I hope to get a run done along the sea front. Apparently it’s about 9 kilometres all the way round.
I paid £12 quid for twenty four hours internet, but they didn’t tell me that the meter was running even though you’re not using it, so I’ve only got two hours left…Scandalous!
Yes I’ve found the exercise deck Gumbud and I might decide to use it in the morning instead of on shore, trouble is…We have put our clocks forward by one hour and it’s still pitch dark at 7:00a.m.
Off to iron my shirt for tonight so I’ll catch you later.
Bay of Biscay is a great area for whale watching, and rare seabirds, so Fin Whale and Wilsons Petrel pics please.
PS being seasick over the sides can bring birds in.
After a day crossing the Bay of Biscay we attended the Black Tie do in the evening one member short in our party. Although I have had bumpier rides on the Sheffield bus and didn’t consider our traverse over the bay as being all that bad, Christine took to her bed while us three survivors consumed copious amounts of red wine and Sea Bass cooked to perfection.
We were down to two members of our party when Michael (feeling guilty) went to console his beloved and left just me and Mrs Fox to enjoy the ‘Take That’ performance by three lads who didn’t do a bad job of regurgitating all of their hit singles. In fact, I could have sworn that one of them was the real Garry Barlow…
Christine was feeling a lot better today and after the captain performed an excellent job of parallel parking with a 130 thousand ton ship along the Quay side at La Coruna we disembarked.
I left the party, who were keen to discover the shops, while I ran three miles and back along a beautiful promenade that curved it’s way around the city. I had allowed one hour for my run but after the first mile realised it wasn’t as flat as I thought and had to huff and puff a bit in the warm and humid conditions.
After meeting back up with the party we found a nice little coffee shop to cool down and watch the world go by. We had to be back on board by 14:00 hours and sailed for our next destination (Funchal, Madeira) at 15:00 hours.
Thanks Nom, looking over the rail is my favourite passtime, but managed to keep the contents of my stomach secure…So far. Saw a Pod of Dolphins yesterday but no whales yet. Also caught sight of a nice Sea Bass, but it was surrounded by potatoes and asparagus spears…
Great reading OGF 
Hi
Enjoy Funchal.
I was there a few years ago, sitting on the harbourside admiring the view when a cruise ship arrived.
Rhe waiters came out and changed the prices, upwards.
Thanks Myrtle.
Morning Land Lubbers, got fed up paying for the internet in dribs and drabs, and I know a lot of you would miss me if I didn’t report so I paid for satellite connection for the duration of the cruise.
Just been out on deck and the weather is blustery but warm and humid. We’re somewhere between La Caruna and Madeira but all I can see is an enormous expanse of water. No Whales yet Nom but I keep looking. Been unable to use mobile phones while on land so I’m going to give Vodafone a strongly worded e-mail after breakfast, Mrs Fox who is on Tesco is the only one who can use her phone… And then a swim looks imminent in one of the many pools…
I think I can smell the bacon cooking now (either that or I’ve left the hair dryer on) so off for brecky…Laters!
I love(d) Madeira. When I used to go there in '72 there were only a couple of hotels. and a beautiful place it was. Now , I know it is flooding with timeshare etc. but I’m sure still has some lovely places to enjoy. Enjoy .
Thanks Swim, nice to hear from you, Yes you are right when they see the ship tie up everything will go up in price. We don’t seem to get too long at these places and someone pointed out that today (Friday) the ship had slowed down so we didn’t get to our next destination too early or it cost the company more to birth there.
Thanks also for looking in Puddle Duck. Blimey! 1972 last time you were in Funchal, I was married that year and on the 7th October, that’s next Thursday while we will ‘hopefully’ still be afloat it will be our wedding Anniversary.
I wandered off last night to look at the sunset out on deck and the rest of the party, oblivious to my departure, carried on without me. So after wandering around the ship for two hours I eventually gave it up as a bad job and went to bed. Mrs Fox was well angry.
After trying to make sense of the Vodafone website I gave that up as a bad job too and went for a swim in the adults only pool. Lovely and warm and you can go in naked if you like, anyway that’s what my friend told me, well I got thrown out, turns out he wasn’t my friend after all…Just joking. It was very nice though, and so was the jacuzzi afterwards. I got talking to another couple in the Jacuzzi, turns out they live just five mile away from us…Small world init!
So it’s off the ship as early as possible tomorrow (In Funchal) and get my run done so I can come back and have a shower and some breakfast before going for a look round with the rest of the gang.
The weather has been sunny and warm today as we travel further south. Another black tie night tonight. It’s so hard keeping up appearances when you were born in a Northern Pit Village…Ah well, someone’s got to do it…Now, Where did I put my red high heel shoes and Fishnet Tights…
Hi
Funchal is lovely Bob.
Forget the run, get off as soon as you can and the Cable Car up the mountain to the gardens, stunning views and you can run with some great views.
Nothing up there for Mrs OGF to bend the credit card on either.
When you come down, head out of the Harbour to Winston Churchill’s old Hotel, beautiful, then round the back on the coast path.
Fish and banana is the local delicacy.
Good Luck, Madeira is absolutely beautiful.
