All along the Mediterranean Cruise - Trapani & Erice

We trusted to luck & got up at 0611, as the muster time for the Erice trip was 0800! So, we were queueing ready at 7 for breakfast. There was time to take photos of the harbour before the tender. For some reason, probably priority for the car ferries, we were to have tenders to get to shore. Alas, we could not even moor behind the breakwater, so getting into the lifeboats, which were positively luxurious compared to the Marco Polo ones, was a bit tricky, especially for the usual stick-carriers. The objective of the morning, which was all the time we were spending here, was the ancient village of Erice.

Trapani - the fort on the breakwater

The cable car (actually gondolas) was closed because of the wind, which I had suspected would be the case & which is why I booked this tour. The road up very winding, as Erice is about 2,500' up on top of the hill in the panorama above. A village of narrow, cobbled streets & rather cold today, we went round it with the usual competent guide but the view over Trapani was clouded up most of the time until Avis & I went back after the first hot chocolate of the Winter.

Above: Trapani from the Erice Belvedere Below: Castello di Venere

Above: From the castle North; St. Julian's Church; typical street

Ancient Britons visiting	Arch with Virgin	Street of Rubbish Shops
Main Square	This Church inconspicuous from the street	View to the East

We only got into the main church, St. Anthony of Padua's, at the end of our time but it was worth it. Although 13th Century, the interior had been mucked up by the local Victorians, as they do.

We were driven another way back to the port & had to queue for the tender but were back on board by 1320 for lunch in the posh restaurant. After, we had expected to be under way but there was a problem with winching up one of the tenders (the lifeboats) & the result was wire rope wound round the propeller, which had to be sorted out before we could move off. Is this ship jinxed in some way?

In the afternoon, we took turns, Avis first, to crash out. I took over the bed after some photo editing, when Avis went to Choir practise. This made all the difference to the evening, which was formal, so we dressed up & had the late dinner at 2030. Margaret, the Scottish lady on our table is a dish & takes great care of her disabled husband, Eddie. John's bottle of wine was very good Chilean Sauvignon/Merlot. We went to the show: rotten music but slick show & then, on to the jazz in the Lido Bar, where we should have been all the time.