Away again

We've booked another cruise
it has been quite a time
since we have been on holiday
so here that feeling's fine
Before pandemic was the last
time that we left this shore
but that's now set to change again
in twenty twenty-four
Canary Islands wait us there
twelve weeks or so away
so soon the days we'll start to count
down to the sailing day

©Jemverse

Photo – Jempics

The Waverley

On the world's last ocean-going paddle steamer we sailed
from Shoreham to the Isle of Wight
A day on the The Waverley starting at nine
and returning much later that night
It was the best day we could ever wish for
and we both had a wonderful time
sailing the waters of England's South Coast
on a day in September, sublime

©Jemverse

Built in 1946, The Waverley is the world’s last ocean-going passenger-carrying paddle steamer. On 13th September 2023 we had the very great privilege of joining a daytime cruise from our home port of Shoreham-by-Sea to the Isle of Wight and then on to Southampton.

Photo – P.S. Waverley departing Shoreham (Kingston beach in background)

Venice (touch n go)

8 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

The fog came down, it was quite thick
and we weren’t moving far
and dropping anchor out at sea
was unspectacular
Then the captain on the tannoy said
Venice was closed today
which as you might imagine
was met with some dismay
But then out there to starboard
a pale sun made a show
and as the pea soup dissipated
the ship prepared to go
A loud ‘hoorah’ erupted
when the captain later on
said that Venice had re-opened
and it wouldn’t be that long
before the pilot came and joined us
and we’d be underway
into Venetian waters
on this lovely holiday

©Jemverse

Photo – a fog-bound Marella Celebration – Jempics

[‘Venice (touch n go)’ is the eighth of twelve poems capturing our autumn 2019 ‘Adriatic Affair’ cruise aboard the Marella Celebration. From 24 through 31 October we visited…
24/10 – Dubrovnik, Croatia (‘Finding Summer’ (02/11) and ‘Dubrovnik Divine’ (03/11))
25/10 – Hvar, Croatia (‘Hvar’ (04/11) and ‘Hoorah for Hvar’ (05/11))
26/10 – Ancona, Italy (‘Ancona Encore’ (06/11) and ‘Ancona II’ (07/11))
27/10 – Koper, Slovenia (‘Koper’ (08/11))
28/10 – Venice, Italy (‘Venice (touch & go)’ (09/11) and ‘Venice II’ (10/11))
29/10 – Rijeka, Croatia (‘Rijeka’ (11/11)), and
30/10 – Split, Croatia (‘An unexpected tricycle ride’ (12/11) and ‘Split II’ (13/11))
…before sailing back into Dubrovnik for the flight home on the 31st]

Finding summer

1 of 12 in ‘The Adriatic Affair’ series from Jemverse

We’re off to find the summer
for a little while at least
and from now til mid-November
all working has now ceased

Yet we shiver in our shirtsleeves
beneath cold English skies
before towards the summer
our big jet plane it flies

Dubrovnik in Croatia
awaits us basking in the sun
beginning here our autumn break
with eight more days to come

©Jemverse

Photo – Dubrovnik, Croatia – Jempics

[‘Finding summer’ is the first of twelve poems capturing our autumn 2019 ‘Adriatic Affair’ cruise aboard the Marella Celebration. From 24 through 31 October we visited…
24/10 – Dubrovnik, Croatia (‘Finding Summer’ (02/11) and ‘Dubrovnik Divine’ (03/11))
25/10 – Hvar, Croatia (‘Hvar’ (04/11) and ‘Hoorah for Hvar’ (05/11))
26/10 – Ancona, Italy (‘Ancona Encore’ (06/11) and ‘Ancona II’ (07/11))
27/10 – Koper, Slovenia (‘Koper’ (08/11))
28/10 – Venice, Italy (‘Venice (touch & go)’ (09/11) and ‘Venice II’ (10/11))
29/10 – Rijeka, Croatia (‘Rijeka’ (11/11)), and
30/10 – Split, Croatia (‘An unexpected tricycle ride’ (12/11) and ‘Split II’ (13/11))
…before sailing back into Dubrovnik for the flight home on the 31st]

Through the porthole

No 6. of 16 in the Jemverse ‘Venetian Vistas’ series

Outside our porthole as we sail
the water rushes by
Sometimes a flat calm and
sometimes waves are high

This morning we saw dolphins
which was as lovely as could be
Whilst tonight at dusk the moon was bright
shining on the sea

It’s great to have it with us
the oceans deep and wide
as on the Celebration
from Marella here we ride

©Jemverse

Korcula

5 of 16 in the Jemverse ‘Venetian Vistas’ series

To Korcula by tender
Inside the city wall
I climbed the tower of St Marks
some thirty metres tall

The view across the rooftops
full of terracotta red
took my breath away, although
the drop filled me with dread

But I made it back down safely
to walk streets of ancient stone
on this island in Croatia
Marco Polo once called home

©Jemverse

Korcula island has no dock big enough for cruise ships, so we went ashore via tender. The fortified town of the same name is encircled by high stone walls of Venetian origin in the centre of which is the cathedral of St Mark with its 30-metre high tower. It’s believed that Marco Polo was born on the island

Into Gold

4 of 16 in the Jemverse ‘Venetian Vistas’ series

We sailed into the sunset
quite literally into gold
Leaving Bar behind us
to Korcula’s island old
The sky turned red around us
The sun sank to the sea
as into arms of gold we leapt
quite romantically

©Jemverse

Dubrovnik

1 of 16 in the Jemverse ‘Venetian Vistas’ series

Flew into Dubrovnik
Walked round the city wall
It really was quite beautiful
with plenty to enthral

The views of Adriatic
seas with islands in the bay
was really quite breathtaking
and spectacular I’d say

Games of Thrones was filmed here
Kings Landing by the sea
And it gave a special way to start
the cruise for Sal and me

©Jemverse

‘Dubrovnik’ starts the 16 part Jemverse ‘Venetian Vistas’ series, charting a Marella cruise of the same name in August 2018

Traffic into Piraeus

Part 14 of 20 in ‘The Aegean Shores’ series

A traffic jam into Piraeus this morning
Many ships all in a queue
The Pilots letting one in at a time
As I watched from the prow with a view

Over the hills to the east the sun rose
Cast a golden glow everywhere
As each found its berth in the harbour here
(Though some were needing to share)

©Jemverse

[This is part 14 of a 20-part series charting a seven-day cruise with Tui from 11-18 August 2017, travelling from London to Corfu, then Kalamata (Greece), Santorini, Rhodes, Crete, Piraeus (Greece), Kefalonia, Corfu and London, some 3,870 nautical miles]

Kalamata Heat

‘Kalamata Heat’ – 3 of 20 in ‘The Aegean Shores’ series

I found a spot of sunshine
with no-one else around
Overlooking Grecian waters
with just the ocean sound

It was very hot – some forty plus
but pleasant in the breeze
as we sailed to Kalamata
through Mediterranean seas

©Jemverse

[This is part 3 of a 20-part series charting a seven-day cruise with Tui from 11-15 August 2017, travelling from London to Corfu, then Kalamata (Greece), Santorini, Rhodes, Crete, Piraeus (Greece), Kefalonia, Corfu and London, some 3,870 nautical miles]