10 Jun 2026 15:59:16
Have a look on the BBC football website for the new rules on VAR, time wasting and other stuff. All very good in my opinion, especially as they come from Pierluigi Collins, surely the greatest football referee ever imo.
Long overdue ….
Get plenty of drinks in, some matches will last a lot longer….

1.) 10 Jun 2026
10 Jun 2026 17:11:32
I'm on my cruise starting Monday from Athens to Istanbul via Rhodes, Crete, Ephesus and Troy. As England's kick-offs are at 9 pm and the Greeks and Turks are 2 hours ahead of us anyway, I can't see me staying awake with a combination of England's midfield, the extra 20 minutes and a large number of whiskey sours. ?
A blessed relief, I think. ?

2.) 10 Jun 2026
10 Jun 2026 17:25:37
Sounds great (other than the time diff). Have a fab time.
Maybe just get up 2 hours later and go from there. :)

3.) 10 Jun 2026
10 Jun 2026 18:23:56
That's an interesting idea, Ginger, mate, but then I'd miss the organized guided tours by experts. We particularly want to see the archaeological excavations at Knossos and Ephesus, and we are very excited about going to Troy, the place of Greek legends.


So, a lie in is not an option. My wife and I are 70, and time is probably short. Whereas World Cups come and go.

4.) 10 Jun 2026
10 Jun 2026 21:07:06
Don't exaggerate, Stokey - although you look it, you're not quite 70 yet, mate! Have a great cruise, my friend. I would seriously love to visit Troy. Send me some pics, please.

5.) 11 Jun 2026
11 Jun 2026 10:56:12
Try Troysrus, Stokey. ?

6.) 11 Jun 2026
11 Jun 2026 12:18:51
Will do Lego. Really excited about the trip. I never thought that, as a working class lad at University reading the Iliad I'd ever see the remains of Troy.
The ship follows what must have been the route the invading Greeks took over " the wine dark sea".
Also looking forward to seeing the Palace of Knossos. I wonder what the Minotaur really was.Half man, half Bull apparently according to legend.


Likewise Ephesus. Biblical sources ( for what they're worth) say Mary Mother of Jesus lived here after Christs crucifixion and St Paul also.
The beauty of going with Viking is, it's educational too, with on board library, state of the art lecture theatre and resident historians. None of this SAGA ( which stands for Send a Grandad Abroad apparently). ?????

7.) 11 Jun 2026
11 Jun 2026 13:31:39
Acropolis booked (should be a good tester for the old pacemaker at 35 degrees up the steps), then (much cooler) Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque.
Lego, showing my optimism here, mate, by booking next year's cruise from Rome to Barcelona via Marseille and Casablanca!

8.) 11 Jun 2026
11 Jun 2026 17:31:31
Meanwhile back at the taverna.

9.) 12 Jun 2026
12 Jun 2026 07:51:10
I'll stick with sitting in the sunshine over xmas in Lanzarote blowing the froth off a few. ???

10.) 12 Jun 2026
12 Jun 2026 08:02:53
And watching the ruins walk by. ??

11.) 12 Jun 2026
12 Jun 2026 10:59:47
Excellent, Bowie. ??????????.
DTP, the best thing about a cruise is that you take your luxurious hotel room with you, huge balcony with an ever-changing view and 7 or 8 different bars and restaurants. There's still scope for a cold beer ashore. I remember us having several glasses seated outside looking into the Grand Canal in Venice last year. I've never seen anything like it. Drinks package covers all the bases.

We ordered a glass of champagne on a river cruise 2 years ago and a Serb barman just said "Drinks package? Save my legs filling up your glasses. Take the bottle and if you can't drink it, just pour it away." We drank it...
Got a more sedate poolside holiday booked later in the summer at Mallorca. We are still going to visit Palma Old Town, the 13th century Cathedral and Castle, and have a scout for a few bars, mate....

12.) 12 Jun 2026
12 Jun 2026 12:41:58
Not for me Stokey, doesn't float my boat. ?