Day 8,

we were at Livorno, 

which is in Tuscany, we had booked a trip to see the sights and a trip around 'Little Venice' on a boat, 

all set, 

and raring to go!

a look at the dock,

there was one other boat here with us, it is going to be crowded ashore!

into the coach, 

alighting to join the others on the jetty,

"All aboard for the Skylark" used to be the cry at Brighton pier, when speed boats took tourists around the pier and up the coast at breakneck speeds, well it seemed fast to me back in the 1950s!

this was a tad more sedate, 

it made a nice start to our days wandering, 

a quick pose, 

well I just had to, 

we wandered around some of the markets, Diana trying the incredibly strong local coffee, 

meanwhile I followed my usual mantra, when visiting other countries do not make yourself an easy mark and look like a tourists!

did I mention the coffee was really strong?

next shopping, well for Diana, I took a table like other shopping husbands,

we walked around the town, 

and found a nice spot for a late afternoon lunch, 

I am not sure what Diana ordered, but she said it was delicious, 

as was mine! in the evening we went to another show in the theatre, as it happens they were really very good, for some reason I thought the acts would be second class, but they were not, we were both well impressed with every show, after a visit to the Crows Nest were off to bed, now back to the UK. first thing,

the fox was back, I took these through the window, 

as I did not want to disturb him by opening it, but as soon as the window open with a stretch, he was chomping away at his breakfast, at lunch time I dropped Diana off at work, during the day I made up some packs for anyone that might want to see what the different papers were I was offering at fkphotography.org, 

each pack will have a sample of each of the three different papers, the same photograph printed on each, I choose 4 different photographs, 2 colour, 1 black & white and 1 colour with a black background, and put them into one photograph, to show a full range of colours and different strengths of black, on the left a pack ready to go in its clear envelope, that I can post to potential customers, 

which brought me nicely up to my evening read and sherry, 

'Cheers!', as I tuck into a huge smoked salmon salad that Diana had left for me, after which instead of the usual I watched a film,

The Eagle, from the blurb:

"In Roman-ruled Britain, a young Roman soldier endeavours to honour his father's memory by finding his lost legion's golden emblem",

and quite good it was too, after which Diana returned home so we watched,

 Shaun of the Dead, a fun look at a zombie apocalypse in north London, then for us, we were off to bed.

Day 7,

At Sea,

starting with breakfast, 

a healthy one!

quite a change for myself, 

during the day, 

we played cribbage, 

taking lunch there as well, 

in the evening another black tie event, well in my case old school tie, 

we had booked a table, 

and we were a tad early, 

we had decided not to eat in the normal ships restaurant, 

but pushed the boat out and dined in the Ocean Grill,

'Cheers!',

starters, 

and main courses were different to the normal menu,

and another 'Cheers!', well why not, we were on holiday!

on to desserts, 

followed by a stroll on the deck, 

I should have posted this on the previous black tie evening when we meet the captain, as usual we watched the show in the theatre before cocktails in the Crows Nest before we were off to bed.

Day 6,

Alicante, Spain,

Diana had sent me a few more photographs of our cruise,

 off of the boat and into town,

to look around the local market, 

and some of the buildings in the area,

a quick pose, 

before we were down to the beach, 

then back to buildings,

and the heights, 

a pose,

or two from Diana,

and a look over the bay, 

the weather was so hot, 

I needed a beer to cool down!

a J2O for Diana,

and this is where we are, the castle Santa Barbara, 

inside, 

and outside, by the wishing well, it did not work, still no teeth or hair, 

one of the other travellers kindly took this photograph for us, 

on our way back, 

to the boat, 

upstairs to one of the pools,

well I just had to!

'Cheers!',

our evening meal, 

starters, 

then paella for Diana, 

lamb chops for myself, no complaints about the daily ship board meals, they were delicious!

a few ZZZZZ's on deck seems to be a reoccurring theme for me!

Diana also took things easy, 

in the evening a show, it was magic!

afterwards a nightcap in the Crows Nest, 

a bar on the 10th deck looking forward, to our next port of call,

back to the UK I did a bit of work for my photographic website Falcon Kemp Photography, it is here, the site address, fkphotography.org I offer 3 different types of paper, so I made up a number of paper sample packs,

I used the same 4 prints on each of the three different types of paper then cut the sheet down to A6 the result on the right, then stuck a label on the back of each one as to what the paper was, if anyone wants to see the difference in the papers all they have to do is email me at falconkempphotography@gmail.com with their address and I can send them a printed paper sample of each of the three papers, in the evening after I picked up Diana, it was time for a film after our usual programs, for tonight,

With Out A Clue, a really funny film I do not think we had watched before, from one commentator:

"This is a Sherlock Holmes story with a difference. Here, Dr. Watson is the ace detective and has been using an actor to play the part Holmes. Holmes is a drunken actor and gets on Watson's nerves. When Watson tries to go it alone, he doesn't have much success, so he is forced to let Holmes take all the credit once more", we followed that with,

 Lucy, after a drug package in her stomach leaks, Lucy is transformed into a superhuman who with help takes of the drug lord that made her a drug mule, we watched just a short part of it before Diana was off to bed, for myself a Have I Got A Bit More News For You before I too was off to bed.