Cruise Capers - in which Mr Lily has some spectacularly senior moments and we both have a bloody good time

We had a fabulous time on the cruise, it exceeded my wildest expectations and we can't wait to do it all again next year so we'll be saving like mad for the next 12 months. The weather was gorgeous, the ship luxurious, the service first class, the food to die for, the company (our two friends and new friends made on board) great fun and the ports of call fascinating (with the possible exception of Istanbul where the Spice and Grand Bazaars were marred by the all-male stallholders' relentless hassling if you even breathed in their direction). Mr Lily gurned through most of the holiday snaps, you could tell when we were photographing him - there'd be a chorus of exasperated cries of "SMILE for goodness' sake!" and his comedy act didn't end there....

• Having set off on our journey down to Southampton, I enquired of Mr Lily whether he had remembered to pack his passport. I expected a withering reply, I did not expect that we would have to return home to collect said passport from the shelf near the music system.
• After a spot of afternoon delight in the cabin (with the curtains open), Mr Lily and I retired to our 12th deck balcony, Mr Lily indulging in some naked sunbathing as he read his book. Imagine our surprise when a window cleaning contraption bearing a member of the crew slowly trundled its way across the front of the balcony. "Keep that book there!" I hissed at ML and only later wondered whether that was the window cleaner's first transit or whether he had already been past whilst we were otherwise engaged :-o
• Packing ready for disembarkation, Mr Lily discovered that he had locked his suitcase keys in the suitcase and had to spend half an hour sawing through the padlock with his Swiss Army knife.

The cruise really did us the power of good, ML only put on a pound and I only put on a pound and a half! ML's hellishly expensive outlay on onboard acupuncture sessions and a personal trainer paid off - his bad back is hugely improved, to the extent that he managed hours walking in very hot weather with no problem at all. And he got to star in the ship's fashion show! Here are a few highlights:
our 'state room' and the balcony of shame

 Pompeii

Parthenon the Aurora

sunrise from our balcony