Our atlantic cruise with "Mein Schiff 1" followed the itinary below - please click on any date in the table and you will be redirected to the travelogue of the corresponding day in a jiffy.

27.02.2011	Embarkment in Las Palmas / Gran Canaria	Arrival by plane
28.02.2011	Day at sea
01.03.2011	Casablanca / Marokko	Royal city Rabat
02.03.2011	Day at sea
03.03.2011	Funchal / Madeira	Hiking along the Levadas
04.03.2011	Santa Cruz / La Palma	The north of La Palmas
05.03.2011	Puerto del Rosario / Fuerteventura	Into the centre of the island
06.03.2011	Las Palmas / Gran Canaria	Beach trip to Maspalomas
07.03.2011	Day at sea
08.03.2011	Agadir / Morocco	Taroudannt & the Sous plains
09.03.2011	Day at sea
10.03.2011	Santa Cruz / Teneriffe	National park Canadas del Teide
11.03.2011	San Sebastián / La Gomera	Trip cancelled due to illness
12.03.2011	Arrecife / Lanzarote	Big Lanzarote Trip
13.03.2011	Las Palmas / Gran Canaria	Debarkation and flight back

An image of the route:

	27.02.2011 – Gran Canaria, Las Palmas – 27° The sun-burnt wolves Our night ends at 02:40 a.m. Our first vacation day starts in the dark and with rain. "Mein Schiff 1" is waiting in Las Palmas (Canary Islands) to pick us up and cruise through the Atlantic acroos the Canaries and Madeira, also touching the african continent. The flight takes 4 hrs and 10 min. TUIFLY even offers warm breakfast. Good service, but we keep thinking at the late-night-check-in charges of 5 Euros per person - brazenly. Thanks to our junior suite we cut the queue at the check-in terminal and have only to wait for 2 minutes (instead of ninety!) At noon we enter the "Mein Schiff 1” and enjoy the view from the top deck. The cruiser "Aida Cara” parks alongside, a big one but now many, many yards shorter than our ship. Two hours later we are sun-burnt – no wonder as the pool deck thermometer shows 42°. 02:30 p.m. we enter our junior suite – a dream comes true. Such space for only 2 people is pure luxury… Before dinner starts we sound out the ship. It is not brand new but all that we can see wakes our pleasure. All environment is taken care for, everything is clean and many cozy corners for hanging around can be seen. No doubt, the next two weeks will be too short!! "Mein Schiff 1” shall set sails at 10 p.m.. Although we are lacking sleep from last night we plan to watch the sailing. We see it happen – but had gone below as time had not come yet. We sit in one of the countless bars on a lower deck with a drink in our hands. Captain Block couldn’t wait to sail and starts off half an hour earlier than scheduled. We rush to the pool deck just to hear the last tunes of the sailing song "Ocean of Love”. Short time later we rush into our "Ocean of sleep”…

	28.02.2011 – At sea – app. 13° When starts a wind being a storm? The sun welcomes us at 7:00 am. The view from our bed through the terrace door at the sky, the deep-blue sea and the horizon where both melt together is marvelous. A first coffee in the cabin will soon be completed by an opulent breakfast in the cafeteria "La Vela". Our ship "Mein Schiff 1" will cover a distance of total 538 nautical miles today on its way from Las Palmas to Casablanca. My 50th anniversary on the high seas shall be sunny and warm. Sunny – okay, but warm? The mandatory distress exercise has to be cancelled after 15 minutes as the winds are blowing too strong. At wind force 7 the outer decks have to be closed. Despite the sun shines on. I am enjoying a massage pre to the lunch in the restaurant "Gosch Sylt". Fish ahoy! After lunch we have a rest in our suite. Being elder, distinguished, composed, calm and in the second half of my life I am entitled to have a midday rest. In the afternoon we experience how many jubilees are aboard. TUICRUISES invites all jubilees and birthday ‚children’ to the vinothek. We see silver- and even one golden wedding couple and many, many birthday children. Champagne and canapés are given. Not bad as a starter. We have our diner at "Richards Fine Restaurant". Whoever Richard may be – he cooks exceptionally gifted. After all, does one celebrate his 5oth birthday each week? On the high seas? There! We finish this nice evening in the "Blue-World-Bar". A glass of good wine accompanies us. What? I should have drinken two or even more glasses of wine? No comment on this...

	01.03.2011 – Morocco, Casablanca – Sunny, 18° Arabian Impressions Our ship enters the port of Casablanca at 7:00 am. Being the biggest port in North Africa, mainly goods of the textile and paper industry, but also chemical goods are shipped all over the world. Did anyone say Casablanca is arcadian or romantic? Then he should open his eyes for a loud, bustling and dirty town. We have no reason to visit Casablanca a second time after 2007. Rather our choice fell on the "Royal City Rabat". 07:45 a.m. venue "TUI Bar" for this half day trip. "Mein Schiff 1” has the most perfect execution of shore excursions we have ever experienced. Waiting time? Hardly, and if so only because some passengers interpret the starting time generously. A 90 minute bus ride takes us to Rabat. Our moroccan guide explains quite a lot concerning country, folk and current political situation – this is quite remarkable as currently many African countries are not as stable as they wish to be. We visit the „city in the city“ in Rabat – this means the royal palace and the district around. Everything is tidy and clean, whether streets or pavements or green areas. Nobody throws away his butt! We use the litter bin instead. You will see servants wiping the pavement or cutting the grass everywhere. Headword tidiness. Contrary to Casablanca, Rabat is very clean even to European ratio, not only what the district around the royal palace is concerned. On the way to Mohamed V mausoleum we have some stops for shooting photos, for example near the oversized city wall of Rabat – more Great Wall than city wall. We have half an hour break at the mausoleum. We visit the wide open space which is connected to the mausoleum, with its dozens of columns. The open space is still used as a place of prayer. The columns are the remaining rest of the ancient idea to build one of the largest mosques in the known world. At the back entrance of the mausoleum the bus waits for us, but also a lot of "hyenas" - flying sellers who want to sell all kinds of souvenirs. They are really stubborn and a plague. Even the tour guides got to know about this plague and consider to move this stop. On we go to the old citadel. Or better: to the Kasbah of Oudaya. Kasbah means nothing else than citadel. The Kasbah with its garden and the ancient medina is worth seeing! One is actually transferred to historical Greece. The small, winding streets and whitewashed houses with bright blue accents underline this impression. At high noon we return to Casablanca and “Mein Schiff 1”. We get stuck in a traffic jam on the highway and later at the gangway on entering the ship (which is sweetened with apple and orange juice - good idea of the tour guide!) As well the free shuttle buses from the ship to the city of Casablanca are a good idea. One would not find his way and surely get lost in this giant industrial port. The afternoon passes by with reading a book on the pool deck and having various cocktails. The dinner in the restaurant Atlantic is in a different class than on the first evening. Or are we just more relaxed and can enjoy everything now? The sailing is half an hour late because one of the busses got stuck in the rush hour jam. The end of the day is spent in the casino and in the theater where we watch a nice music show with German cult hits of the Seventies.

	02.03.2011 – At sea – Sunny & cloudy, 20° Days of Caviar On the way from Casablanca to Funchal we cover a distance of about 478 nautical miles at sea. Our day starts with caviar. The caviar breakfast in the restaurant 'Atlantic' is a light bulb moment. Fortunately, however, the usual selection of breakfast variety is available because we do not really favor the fish eggs as a day starter. At nine o’clock we enter the gym for having some sports – at least once on this cruise. The remaining forenoon is spent with reading and having fruit punch. Our lunch consists of a plate of grilled specialties from the pool deck BBQ. A nap in the midday heat near the pool, various cocktails, reading, watching the ice-carvers doing their job – and this afternoon is over. At 07:00 pm the captain and his officers hold a reception in the X-Lounge. This reception is for suite guests only, thus we are amongst our own kind, har har. Snob greets. The small talk is included. Time would not pass by and we cling to our drinks. At 8 o’clock we have dinner in the restaurant "Surf & Turf". Here is the sequence of courses: - Crabs "Yin and Yang" - Pumpkin-ginger soup - Filet with baked potato, sour cream and various relish - Three variations of chocolate Simple, but elegant. A bottle of good wine provides the necessary irrigation. And the nightcap once again takes place in the Casino Lounge where I almost start playing roulette. Almost!

	03.03.2011 – Madeira, Funchal – Sun with clouds and rain, 13° Madeira's townfolk is cold-blooded The wonderful island of Madeira greets us early in the morning as it slides along starboard side. A breakfast in the cool area of "La Vela" bar is quickly consumed while our captain parks at the newly built cruise terminal in Funchal. Funchal, with about 45.000 inhabitants in the centre and more than 104.000 residents within the hinterland, is cultural, administrative and economic center. In the 16th Century it was a major port for ships from Europe to the direction of the African and South American colonies, they stocked up with food and merchandise here. In the beginning of the 19th Century Funchal was almost wiped out by floods. Thus the three main rivers which still stamp the cityscape were canalized. Additionally the townscape scores through many idyllic places, streets and parks. At half past nine am we disembark and explore Funchal individually. Our goal is the flower market in which one however can get almost everything: necessary and unnecessary things like fresh fish, meat and poultry, fruits, vegetables and spices, clothing, linens and accessories as well as souvenirs, antiques and rubbish. A colorful image joins the next and various scents are in the air. A quick bathroom break at the base station of the famous cable car, a photo stop at the beach promenade, buy some gifts for the loved ones at home - already we are on the way back to the ship because the guided tour "A walk along the Levadas" is waiting. Which is a real experience! It is a beautiful, romantic walk along ancient irrigation channels, partly along deep edges (where the valleys are steep). We get to know and love this island of eternal spring. Along the trail we see a lot of cow-sheds with "wave plates" (description of the tour guide, meaning “corrugated iron sheeting”) instead of formerly used thatched roofs. What is the advantage of a walk along the Levadas? Each of these channels is within a circle of equal altitude and has only a barely perceptible decline. Therefore we have no up and downs. This makes the way easy. We see however only one climatic zone - no pain no gain. Our local guide is dressed as if we walked through the Arctic: thick sweater, parka with hood, gloves, two pairs of socks – despite of intermingled but not cold weather (app. 13°). Today is supposed to be the second day of the “onset of winter”. Well, who lives in the eternal spring loves warmness. A strong "Pancho" (rum, honey, lemon) at the end of the hike shall help us against the "winter" but actually makes rather tired than warm. At 04:45 pm we are back aboard. At 5:15 pm we enter the X-Lounge to get one or two glasses of champagne for free. The dinner in the restaurant “Atlantic” fulfils all our gourmet wishes. Even the wine (Chardonnay) is almost more than acceptable. At 9:30 pm we enjoy the somewhat mystical show "Almitra & the Prophet" with stunning costumes and stage sets. Narrator Ben Becker is in good humor. This is a first-class-end of a day!

	04.03.2011 – La Palma, Santa Cruz – Sunny, cloudy & rainshowers, 17° All about bananas & banalities Even a morning without entertaining program at all passes quickly. The arrival in Santa Cruz De La Palma is scheduled for 12 o’clock noon, our trip "The North of La Palma" starts at 12:45 pm. How spend a forenoon on a ship? You walk around a little, have a snack every now and then or buy a souvenir, and gather some information on the ship. „Mein Schiff 1“ was built at the Meyer shipyard, entered into service 1996, and was rebuilt in 2009. It is 262.5 m long, 32.2 m wide, a “weight” of 76 998 gross tons, and a mean draft of 8.5 m. 962 cabins, 10 restaurants and 10 bars are distributed on 13 decks. There are also 3 lounges and a lot of other entertainment area. Some 780 crew members take care of the passengers. The diesel-mechanical drive with its power of 31,500 kW runs the ship at a maximum 21.5 knots (40 km / h). But we never were this fast. The islands of the Canary route are too close together. Just in time we arrive in Santa Cruz de La Palma. The capital and port city has a historic town centre with many idyllic places and a lot of bars and restaurants where the Palmeros meet, the inhabitants of La Palma. Every now and then you have a fantastic view on the sea. Small white or pastel-colored houses cling to the hillsides, forming a picturesque town. Again a free shuttle bus from the ship to the city is provided although it is not necessary because the City starts right after the port and can be reached with a few minutes walk. After an early lunch we start our trip. I think the tour guide has missed his profession. He’d rather be a lecturer. We are bombed with all sorts of trivia and superfluous, half of which is gone immediately. La Palma is a very green island, has a lot of rain forest, and above all of bananas. Up to a height of about 300 meters almost every possible patch is planted with bananas. Beyond that altitude bananas do not grow as it gets too cold. At all, the topic coldness! Somehow „Mein Schiff 1” carries a virus with it. We had „caught” the coldest day of the year on Madeira, now the same with La Palma. Bananas are not fine below 20°. The temperature on La Palma is usually never below 19°. Today we have 17°. And the rain forest makes up to its name, it rains hard. A meager menu and a good, simple red wine in a tourist-feeding station complete the trip. What said the tour guide? Cruise passengers must be fed every two hours or they rebel... At 5:30 pm we are back on the ship and we learn that our guest-star "Super Nose" Mike Krueger is already on board. We don’t want to miss his show, after all it is included. 5 courses later we move from the restaurant to the theater in time to catch a seat for his show. 90 minutes and 200 entertaining gags later we let the revue happen at the cocktail bar in the casino. We experienced a diverting show and a good humored “Lord Nose”. Around midnight we shut the light.

	05.03.2011 – Fuerteventura, Puerto Del Rosario – Sun, clouds, rain, 18° Rien ne va plus At 07:00 am arrival in Puerto Del Rosario, the capital of Fuerteventura. Puerto is a small town with a big port and was called Puerto de Cabras, goats harbor, until the 50s of last century. It has a nice beach with almost golden sand nearby in the bay of Playa Blanca which may easily be reached by feet from a cruise ship in the port. Also the promenade can be reached in less than ten minutes walk. Our trip "Island tour to the heart of Fuerte" starts at 09:15 am with a - well? A tour guide with dutch nationality. What a contrast to La Palma! Fuerte is a barren, hardly vegetated island with a predominant landscape color that reminds us a bit of Iceland. The island lacks of high mountains in the midland which capture the rain clouds. A first stop on a farm processing aloe vera is of little interest because it is a pure sales event. The second stop in an old estate called "Casa Santa Maria" in the beautifully restored historic village ‘Betancuria’ is more interesting, but it starts raining, and we all get wet. Rainy days are rare on Fuerteventura. The locals may start having a party because rainy days were all too rare in the last 10 years. We do not party. We have seen rain often enough in our country. Again, this trip is not a highlight, or better the island is no highlight. But at least now we know where we will NOT spend our next vacation. Not for nothing the island was once offered to the NASA for preparing lunar and Mars expeditions (of course, NASA had declined). A visit to a museum with restored original farmhouses from the 18th Century complete this trip which was worth no more than a ‘C’ - to put it in school grades. In the afternoon we walk through Puerto del Rosario on our own. On the first view the port determines the artless town picture. Puerto - how the city is called – has a relatively small center and a handsome promenade called the "Avenida de los Reyes de Espana" where all kinds of modern sculpture spread an artistic flair. The weather becomes better now. The sun breaks through. It is getting hot, up to 29°. Within 90 minutes we stroll under the scorching sun through a small town that really does not blow our minds. This is probably because it's saturday afternoon and the city is almost dead. After an excellent meal in the restaurant “Atlantik” again we move to the casino and enjoy a cocktail and a carafe of wine. The wine makes me lion-hearted. I sit down at the roulette table and start playing a game. The upshot? 100% fun and our budget is restocked. Well, not enough for paying the next vacation...

	06.03.2011 – Gran Canaria, Las Palmas – Sunny, 25° Fast-paced life aboards The cruise ends today for most passengers. One week is over. Sunday is the day of bustle and change. And we are over the hump. We do not let ourselves be infected by the hustle and get ashore at 08:45 am to get a second impression of Las Palmas after 2006. The center offers a somewhat run-down impression. Yesterday's carnival parade has left tons of litter, bottles, broken glass and other survivor's characteristics - including some ‘ghosts’ left over from the night now rushing through the streets in daylight looking for their ilk ... The promenade along the sandy beach of Las Canteras is still beautiful, but that's about the only thing we like about Las Palmas. The "new" town center with its waterfront in the north of Las Palmas is businesslike and does not provide any architectural highlight or grown streets. The districts Vegueta and Triana further south with the downtown area are too far away. Next time we will visit it, promised! Two hours later we are back on board. The decks overflow with hustle and bustle. New passengers are physically present already, but apparently not yet arrived (same as we last week?). After a short lunch siesta we are on a trip to Maspalomas to breathe some beach air. The bus takes us in 45 minute ride into a city that only consists of hotels and apartment buildings. Maspalomas has no old city cores. Where do the locals live who work here? In the hinterland? A jump into the sea (water temperature: pleasant 20°), get some sand between the toes, a walk along the promenade past the lighthouse ‘Faro’, and back we go. At 7:00 pm we are back, and at 7:30 we enter the ‘Atlantik’, this time having another table in another corner and with some unpleasant incidents on the part of the service. It works very little. Their efforts are seen but we always have to point out shortcomings. Times the bread is missing, times the glass is empty, times clearing does not work properly. There is a jinx on it! We blame it on to today's pretty hectic; probably the waiters are simply overstrained. A final cocktail in the Blue World Bar helps swallowing the anger.

	07.03.2011 – At sea – Sunny, 22° All included - understood This is our third full day at sea. On the way from Las Palmas to Agadir "Mein Schiff 1” covers a distance of about 337 nautical miles. How to spend such a morning on board? Very fast! For example: 06:30 - get up, take photos of the sunrise 07:00 - have a shower, get dressed 07:30 - breakfast (smoked salmon with eggs, orange juice, no champagne) – all included, of course. 08:00 - walk through the ship, take photographs 09:00 - Massage & 1 sauna 10:15 - emergency exercise - all included, of course. 10:45 - end of the exercise, 20 hours queuing for a cocktail 11:00 - chilling & sun-bathing on the terrace 12:30 - restaurant “Gosch Sylt”: have fresh fish for lunch - all included, of course. The afternoon consists of a siesta and some minor sports, reading and dozing on the terrace. Then we prepare - slowly - for dinner for example by having a bath in the exclusive whirlpool in the bathroom - all included, of course. While walking to the Atlantic-Restaurant we notice once again that the public areas are being cleaned or wiped steadily. Cleanliness is a headword aboard as well as service. We learn from one of the 100.000 friendly service staff that at least three service personnel must be present in each pub, even if only one guest is sitting at the bar. The dinner and the service are top notch, no comparison to yesterday, and - all included, of course. During the later course of the evening we walk through the shopping-mall, have a glass of wine in the casino lounge, hang around in the photo shop or in the Blue World Bar, ever again with a glass of champagne - all included, of course. The final glass of champagne at around 11:30 pm is taken from the mini-bar in the cabin - of included, all course.

	08.03.2011 – Marokko, Agadir – Sun, 28° The taxi-driver riot We are back in Africa. Shortly before 8:00 am we arrive in Agadir. The old Kasbah which was built on a hill above the town can be seen from afar. Agadir itself was destroyed by an earthquake in 1960 and built up again over years. It lies in some distance to the port. At 8:15 am we leave for our trip "Taroudant and the fertile plains of Sous". The organization of the trip runs smoothly as before. The perfectionism can hardly be exceeded. Waiting times are minimal and only due to some delayed passengers. The guide tells us much about Morocco in general (which we know) and a whole lot about Taroudannt in particular (which is new to us). He takes us into the depths of the souks and to the backyards of the Medina. The colorful, bustling atmosphere is somewhat strange to us. Taroudannt is neither beautiful nor clean, but everything is interesting. We spot a snake charmer on the jugglers market. As I am about to take a picture he gets angry. I break off and move back 20 or 30 yards. Then I fetch him with the zoom. See it works, even without baksheesh. But it does not work a few miles further where the bus driver stops to give us opportunity to take some photos of goats that climb trees. The goat farmers demand bribes and get plenty... A Berber breakfast at lunch time in a stately state orchard completes the trip. Pita bread, small pancakes and all sorts of sweet and savory sauces for dipping are presented with freshly squeezed orange juice and hot mint tea. They do not live such bad, the old Berber. Well rested we return to the ship. Originally we had planned to use the free afternoon to visit Agadir's boardwalk and the miles of sandy beach which can be seen in the distance. Two things hold us off, however: first of all, the beautiful weather. The hot sun of Agadir directly shines on our terrace aboard. Second, the free shuttle service to the city was cancelled because the local taxi drivers complained and threatened to sink the ship. Uh, forgive me this poetic burlesque. They did not threat to sink the ship. But the shuttle was cancelled nevertheless. And we are too lazy to walk from the port to the city as it is more than an hour to go. The laziness wins, and we hang out all afternoon on our terrace. The evening starts with a glass of bubbly, then goes to a fantastic five-course dinner and a subsequent visit of a musical show and finishes after 11 pm in the casino lounge.

	09.03.2011 – At sea – Sunny & cloudy, 24° Dr. Feelgood and Dr. Wellness aboard Our last day at sea is ahead. We will travel about 367 nautical miles on the way from Agadir to Tenerife. The distance is easily sailed in a day. Thus, full steam ahead is not necessary. The vastness of the Atlantic Ocean let the ship rock slightly. Unfortunately again, we will not experience a storm on this cruise. In the morning we lie at the pool, enjoy the bustle of people, the music of "Shipping wizards" and the colorful variety of the barbeque grill. We would not take hold of the grilled delicacies because we have reserved a table in the restaurant “Gosch Sylt” again. Today is wellness and spa time. If it gets too cold on the deck chair - despite 24° - a sauna round becomes necessary. Or a break in the whirlpool, the water is hotter than in the bathtub. Or we enjoy a bowl of strawberries or a "coconut-kiss" (without alcohol, but with 1.700 calories). For lunch we have oysters and prawns. We arrange an afternoon reading circle on our terrace. Maybe a little ice cream or rather a waffle with eggnog? Ice cream makes cold: again have a sauna round. What shall we prefer? The salt fog or the herbal sauna? Later hanging in the relaxation room and watching the endless blue ocean. The soul relaxes. In this second week over 320 children and young people are on board. The vessel is filled with more than 2.000 passengers. The tables in the restaurants and the deck chairs are filled more quickly. But we do not feel an uncomfortable narrowness because on this ship there are too many ways to distribute; be it in the gym, in the shopping mall, the spa area, in one of the many indoor or outdoor bars, the wine cellar, theater or the library, the card room or the lobby atrium, the outdoor deck or the Wii-play corner. The latter is the only place crowded on this journey - the kids have fun… As the soul shall not only relax but also laugh we have decided that the conclusion of the day shall be a funny show with sketches of Loriot, a famous German humorist. We see a first-class stage performance where the many pitfalls in the interaction between men and women are exposed...

	10.03.2011 – Teneriffa, Santa Cruz – Sun and rainshowers, 21° Birthday under the volcano Today is bumble bee’s birthday. She is warmly welcomed by Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands, which glides alongside in the morning. We go anchor in the capital Santa Cruz de Tenerife which we have seen a few times before. Still we look forward to the Calle Castillo, the main shopping street with its shoe stores, boutiques and other clothing shops. But first of all we want to complete the morning trip to the National park “Canadas del Teide” which brings us to heights of 2.400 meters and close to the “Pico del Teide”. On the way there we have several photo-stops below the Teide and near to quite interesting soil formations from which you may read a lot concerning geology - if you can read it. A coffee break with snacks brings us closer to the wild canaries which circulate by the dozens around the tables and hope to get some food. Our bus driver is called Jesus. This is a good omen because the road is getting more adventurous the higher we go. We pass by rugged gorges and deep slopes as we approach the Teide. This highest mountain in Spain is a relatively nonhazardous volcano. Even before an outbreak (can happen in 100 years or nine months) there is enough warning time as the Teide is a strato-volcano and thus gives clear signs of life before it wakes up. Surrounding soil formations have different colors and can clearly be distinguished from each other. Darker layers had their “birth” in freezing temperatures in winter. As they fell through the air to the ground they quickly cooled from about 1.000° to -12° and oxidized. Lighter layers experienced their onset in summer temperatures and cooled off during several hours. Another stop at the "Los Roques" offers a fascinating view on single lava columns with layers of different colors, and a magnificent snow-capped Pico del Teide in the background. Overall seen, this trip is – as birthday program - more interesting than an afternoon with aunt Betsy offering coffee and cake. At noon we are back on the ship, and after a little gift giving on the cabin we have another shopping trip in Santa Cruz on our own. With limited success, however, because it is siesta time. Between 1 and 4 pm most shops are closed. In addition, a visit to the Canary Islands during the carnival season is not really worth unless you just come here to celebrate. Everywhere in the town centre you will find closed booths, abandoned stages and mobile toilets during that period. It might be great to have party in the night but during the day it does not look very picturesque. I have reserved a cosmetic treatment for bumble bee in the spa area of the ship so we have to be back on time. The treatment - including champagne service from the Wolf - is to my uh bee’s satisfaction, and after another glass of champagne in the X-Lounge (incl. checking mails) we enter the restaurant "Surf & Turf" again. This restaurant is included for suite passengers once per trip and peer week. But in contrary to last week’s visit the diner is a complete disappointment. The menu served is identical to the menu during our last week's visit. A bit more variety had been helpful. The courses are served as if the waiters want to set a record. Barely 90 minutes after entering the restaurant we finished already. The selected wine – an old grape from Hesse - can be recommended but the service is bottom of the barrel. The glasses are refilled irregularly and sometimes even fall dry. Therefore I finally get all the rest while bumble bee is on dry land. This is a definite faux pas, which should not happen. We are early in bed but at half past 12 the night is over. Thanks to an intestinal virus we let the doctor come who gives bumble bee a syringe and leaves some tablets and suppositoriy. We are also put under quarantine because the hygienic rules on board of a cruise ship are strict! We would get hardly more sleep this night. Yawn!

	11.03.2011 – La Gomera, San Sebastián – Sun & rain, 18° The cancelled day The planned island tour has been cancelled. La Palma remains terra incognito for the both of us. Thanks to the virus infection (the prawns in the Surf & Turf are under suspicion) bumble bee has been put under quarantine. Amazingly I may move freely on the ship. The advantage of a Junior Suite can really be seen if you are sick. There is plenty of space, the drinks from the mini-bar and the coffee machine are included, and we have an X-box and an oversized flat screen TV for amusement. And of course we may enjoy the large terrace from which I can now observe the rain making the ocean wet. I stay with my sick bee and spend the time with her. How does the saying go? In good and in bad days ... But sometime during the morning she throws me out of the cabin. I have to go for a walk to San Sebastián and take pictures in order for her to get an idea of the island’s capital. The way from the ship into town is short and hardly takes ten minutes. It takes me along the magnificent marina. For one hour and a half I walk through the town which clings picturesque to a hill. You would not feel any metropolitan bustle in San Sebastián. Barely 4500 residents occupy the small island's capital in which Columbus is said to have covered his water stocks before crossing the Atlantic and discovering America. I walk through the small main street to the local market which is located at the bus station and hike through some outlying district beyond the tourist attractions. Everything is somehow interesting but it's no fun being alone on the road. In the afternoon my bee feels slightly better although by no means she recovered. I spend my time with one or two sauna rounds but mainly remain in the immediate vicinity of my Lazarus. The terrace gets more and more sunny and I start reading a new book, but my main job is health care and emotional support - important for the recovery, so it is.

	12.03.2011 – Lanzarote, Arrecife – Sunny to cloudy, 18° Pictorial masterpieces of Manrique The arrival in Arrecife, capital of Lanzarote, is scheduled for 8:00 am. On the first look Lanzarote appears desert-like and little colorful. But if you look closer the picture is constantly changing: From brown to ocher or yellow, to rusty red and vermilion - only a deep green is missing somehow. The desert island awaits us with dark, thick rain clouds over the Massif Central. In the meantime such sight has become familiar to us. The gastrointestinal virus slowly dies down. Thus we stick on the planned day trip. We opted for the "Great Lanzarote-tour" because the volcanic island is an unknown land for the both of us. A full day program is waiting for us. It starts early. Our first stop in the “Timanfaya National Park” invites us to a camel ride. Through dark volcanic rock we ride about 20 minutes on these “ships of the desert”. The feeling is actually similar to a “real" ship. During the second stop in the fire mountains we think back to the area solfataras Hveraönd on Iceland. The proximity to volcanic activity can be seen everywhere. Cesar Manrique has created here a restaurant in his lifetime. The rounded, earth-colored forms and the processing of "living" materials such as wood are distinctive and make the charm of his architecture. Volcanic "experiments" are presented - for example an artificial water fountain that works like a geyser in principle, or geothermal energy which is used for igniting wood and grilling meat. We strengthen ourselves on a Canarian lunch buffet with all kinds of meat dishes and the typical potatoes in different variations. On it goes into the vineyard of the "La Geria” where the ingenuity of the islanders is apt. Who else has the idea to plant demanding vines on volcanic ash? A half-meter high defensive wall has been built and a hole in the volcanic soil has been dug for each individual vine. What a job! I never want to hear again the Mosel wine-growers bellyache about their steep growing areas. After a further photo stop which is much too long at a lookout point where there’s not much to see, with a restaurant which is far too expensive (is the owner perhaps a cousin of the tour guide?), we visit the next Manrique jewel: the restaurant “Mirador del Rio” with fantastic view on the sea. One feels that this architect has seen the world through different eyes. With unerring eye for the unusual an ultra-modern looking building has been built into the rocks. The open terrace offers an unforgettable view on the small neighboring islands corresponding to Lanzarote. Manrique opens your eyes for the unusual perspective. In the early afternoon we visit the underground cave system “Jameos del Agua”. Here, too, Cesar Manrique has brought his influence to bear and turned the caves which were created by hot lava into a fantastic paradise. Why was never shot a James Bond movie here? These caves are much more picturesque than the rocky islands in Thailand which were backdrop for the "Man with the Golden Gun". At 5:00 pm a very interesting day trip ends. We are both enthused about the wonderful impressions and somehow blue because the last evening of our cruise dawns. The dinner consists of some courses less than usual. This is the tribute to the virus that had seized bumble bee. Later on we will pack our suitcase and take a last cocktail in the casino lounge. At 10 pm we go to bed. Just before going to sleep the virus also catches the Wolf. Fortunately, however, not as bad as bumble bee.

Bording card - no more valid

13.03.2011 – Gran Canaria, Las Palmas – Sunny, 18°
Good-bye with handicap

A restless night would end at 5:15 am. The transfer to the airport is possible thanks to some pills. Our flight starts with a delay of 50 minutes. 3 hours 50 minutes later we arrive safely in Dusseldorf.
Overall, we have traveled 2.716 nautical miles or 5029 km on this cruise.
GOOD-BYE „MEIN SCHIFF 1“ !!!

Biggi's new friend on Fuerte

Fishing boats report the coming good-bye

Good-bye Mein Schiff 1

See you again for sure!!

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