Heraklion and Chania

I spent my last 3 days in kind of happy sadness . I really could not be strong with myself because missing her so much. I am partly recovering because meeting so nice people to talk with. Especially I like to mention Ivana, a Serbian waitress in a beautiful jazz cafe in Heraklion
and a new friend Sakis , the headwaiter in a Venician harbour bar here in Chania. Just talking
did help . Thanks for you both, because I know you are reading these words.
I love this place, Chania. It is very romantic even alone, but I shall return here with her.
We are in contact ( sms) several times a day but somehow it is not enough.
I shall stay here for a few days before continuing my trip via Heraklion to
Santorini.

Kusadasi and Efessus

We past some Greek places almost without noticing them. We absolutely were two people alone now.
Efessus was a wonderful Roman experience but somehow we did concentrate in ourselves that moment just outside our tour guides and the group. We did mainly our own way trough history.
Later if necessary we'll be studying more.
Kusadasi was very interesting because of beautiful shoes hops. We made good deals, because I did make almost hundred % the selection of products with price negotations, and she did pay her bills. That was first time in my life I really did enjoy shueshopping.
I am now in Irakhlion in Crete and might move on to Hania tomorrow or so, being in very tight control with her all the time,

From Messina with love

That was aboring day at Messina ,the second Easter day ,all shops and almost all bars closed, people mainly at home. I came early back to the ship without knowing that this evening might be the most important of my future life.
I met in the bar a most atractive young lady, 30 years old and a classic music pedagog from my own home town Helsinki.
Since then we did stay together all days and nights for five days until I just an hour ago brought her to the airport bus . I know that we already miss each other so strange it might sound. She today bought to me a greek bad eye to protect me from every possible evil in the world during my trip. We also decided to meet next time in mid July in Vancouver to drive down to L.A. in three weeks by car. How fantastic a life can be! Many people said before my trip that I might meet somebody during this voyage who could change my life. But if one would have said to me that it will happen on the second week on Kristina Regina I would had a big laugh.

Libya and Malta

Last Thursday our ship Kristina Regina arrived to Tripoli harbour some 2 miles away from city center. Soon I was lucky again then a friendly PR-chef of the harbour , Fathi, offered me a free ride to the city plus an extra sight seeing tour with good advises. The strange news were that in Tripoli it is principally very easy to learn to know a nice lady, if you would live there , and get involved romantically, as in no other arab country,even the women mostly still dress traditionally on the streets. Tripoli is an interesting modern city but all signs in arabic letters and most people speaking only very little english, if at all.
Next day we had a tour to Leptis Magna, probably the best survived ruins of Roman empire in the world. This city was built just 2000 years ago on a much older Fenician trading port.
Absolutely magnificient!
Saturday morning we sailed into La Vallettan quay in the heart of the old town. The best of it was that the most elegant bars and restaurangs very just outside 20 meters from our dear boat
but a couple of hundred meters to walk trough the harbour gate and unformal security control.
On Sunday morning I managed to get opened at 9.00 a big TV screen in Hard Rock's Cafe to see the Formula I race ,even the bar serving hours started just at 10 am.
After the race I met a nice German gentleman with a bit Telly Savalas look and smile.
We onboard had been looking with great interest some days earlier in the high sea some miles away from us a tug boat towing an oil rigg. This man was the capitano of the tug, Peter Deinhardt from Bavaria. He insisted to be my host, and after some beers we had lots and lots of double Cuba libres and laughs before we decided for retirement.
Thank you Peter, when you'll read this, do remember, dass nächstes Mal ich derBoss bin, und Du der Gast.
This morning we found ourselves in Sicily, at Messina harbour. I had one hour walk, one beer
and came back here . Second Easter day , and this city was dead and quite uninteresting.

Sousse

The day before yesterday was a very boring one even sunshine but very cold wind. It's been until now everywhere some five degrees cooler than normally this time of the year. Main thing for me was anyhow my not quite reasonable hangover which absolutely did not allow me to concentrate in anything.
Yesterday in Sousse I could enjoy my life again. That city and also Monastir were more European style than you could expect. The very beautiful and clean M arinas with luxory yachts and cruisers from all over the world reminded me of Puerto Banus in Marbella.

In old Medina most of salesmen spoke more or less Finnish, one even sung Finnish folksongs.
They were very friendly and not too pushy like treir colleagues in many other Arab country.

Now in very few minutes we are arriwing to Tripoli in Libya, where we stay for two days.
I'll wait this visit with great interrest.

Towards to Tunisia

I today spent alone my day in Palma in couple of bars and walking a lot. Due the the rain I escaped to nearest ristorante with local people and local very strange 3 course menu. I still do not know if I liked it or not. After this lunch I asked for a taxi back to my ship but got an response of more than half an hour to get one. I marched out and saw a young lady ( a pretty o ne of course ) stepping out from a car, I did go to her smiled friendly and asked if she could bring
me to the boat some two miles away. She first denied and we politely said goodbyes, but then she shouted after me and told that her filming crew actually including herself would bring me to the boat and of course free of charge.
So, Yolanda Alemany when you read these words you can be
sure that we will meet eachother one day.

Cartagena

I met 3 old friends at the airports of Helsinki and Malaga yesterday. Here on board I believe
that most people are even older than me but nice anyway.
Did I have luck or charishma or whatever, the only alone travelling very pretty young lady ,a freelance press photografer, exactly half of my age decided to have a romantic cruise with me . We were the only ones who kept the orchestra playing and bar open until .....