Sharon and I are back cruising
with Oceania Cruise Lines. We are on back to back cruises on Riviera. The
first cruise travels 14 days from Barcelona to Istanbul.
Earlier in the week we were in
Malta. To my surprise we visited a winery and came back to the ship with two
bottles of wine which cost us a total of E18.00.
For the balance of this cruise we
are moving between Greek islands and mainland Turkey. Tomorrow will be Alanya
in Turkey.
As usual, when I am on Oceania I
went to the shipboard library on the first day of the cruise. As shown on the
photo (which is the same photo I used on an earlier post on a cruise with
sister ship, Marina) of the library it is an inviting place for a booklover.
I picked out 3 books from the
library:
1.)
Crooked Letter Crooked Letter by Tom
Franklin;
2.)
An Officer and a Spy by Robert
Harris; and,
3.)
The Blackhouse by Peter May.
It was hard to limit myself to 3
books.
Unfortunately (if it is
unfortunate not to be reading because we are busy with cruise ship activities
and shore excursions) I am still reading Crooked
Letter Crooked Letter.
Regular blog reader Kathy D.
highly recommended the book. Many other bloggers have written positive reviews
of the book. I am enjoying the book.
During the cruise day I play team
trivia once or twice a day.
My mystery blogger credentials
were left suspect when I could not come up with the second most translated
English author (Shakespeare is most translated). I thought it might Arthur
Conan Doyle. The team consensus was Charles Dickens. The correct answer was
Agatha Christie.
This evening we are gliding
through the Mediterranean.
Bill - I am so glad you're having such a lovely time!! And it's good to hear you're enjoying CLCL. It's a very powerful novel in my opinion. Looking forward to more nautical news!
ReplyDeleteMargot: Thanks for the comment. Just got ashore from some sightseeing and walking about in Alanya. It is a beautiful city. I was fascinated by the 800 year old covered (huge stone blocks) shipyard.
DeleteBill, a cruise and a library — the perfect ingredients for a great holiday. I'm glad you and Sharon are having a lovely time. I believe the Mediterranean is emerald green.
ReplyDeletePrashant: Thanks for the comment. In this part of the Mediterranean the water is a lovely blue. I am headed up to the library shortly.
DeleteSounds like lots of fun and many adventures ahead of you. I will be honest and say I am afraid of ships (being on the water), but the idea of a cruise sounds nice. And a library with such great books. Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteTracyK: I find cruises a grand escape and think you would enjoy them greatly. With the ship 250 yards long and 11 storeys above the water you have no reason to be afraid. It is a very inviting library.
DeleteBill, I haven't read An Officer and a Spy but have exceelent references of it. I very much enjoyed the other two, you're in for a treat. Enjoy the rest of your Med tour.
ReplyDeleteJose Ignacio: Thanks for the comment. An Officer an a Spy will be next book. It is our first time in Mediterranean. I am sure we will be back.
DeleteThat one I would have gotten right. I do know that Christie is the most translated crime fiction writer worldwide.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful time on the Mediterranean with food, wine, activities -- and mysteries. What could be better? You've got good books there.
I must say I cried through parts of CLCL as I thought the author really understood his characters' emotional lives and explained them well. Well, that book is about the human condition and friendships, lost and found. Poignant.
Kathy D.: It is hard to beat a cruise with Oceania. I had not realized Crooked Letter Crooked Letter had earned its own acronym. I hope to finish it soon.
DeleteSounds great Bill, the perfect relaxation. I read and very much enjoyed the Robert Harris book, hope you do too.
ReplyDeleteMoira: It has been some time since I read a Harris book. I am also looking forward to An Officer and a Spy.
DeleteI want to read your review of the Harris book. I may read it, but find it dismaying to
ReplyDeleteread about the horrible anti-Semitism in France at the time of Dreyfus' trial.
Kathy D.: It may be awhile. I am finding myself busy on the cruise and not reading as much as I expected.
Delete