Many people stayed up last night to see The Rock of Gibraltar. At 11:30-ish, folks poured out onto open deck to see a distant, barely visible dark shape somewhere out in the darkness. For all the build-up the captain gave it, I have to say it was a bit of an anti-climax, but there you go - Far more interesting were the lights of North Africa, seen from the opposite deck...

Today we arrived in sunny Malaga. After a noticeably better night, I was up at the crack of dawn, waiting with my video camera to capture the exact moment the orb of the sun poked its head out over the horizon. The mountains of Spain were resplendent in the early morning light, the sun glinting golden in numerous windows of the buildings that clung to them. Several people from the classes came up to me and pointed out that said mountains looked almost exactly like the basic-wash mountainscape we painted on the first session - horrah!! Something actually seems to have sunk in...

After a small breakfast, I headed on down to the Neptune Lounge to take up my tour escort duty.

There seems to be much bad feeling about the fact that Fred Olsen are charging passengers £5 per person to use a shuttle bus which will take them from the ship, which is berthed quite a long way out, to the town (think about it: for a couple, that's a tenner just to get into town and back). One bloke made his views on the matter quite vocal at reception this morning (I just happened to be there changing some pounds for euros); he said he was appalled at having to pay out such an extortionate amount, considering all the other cruises he's been on where it is a service automatically laid on and included in the price. For him and his wife , who are quite elderly and don't have any alternative, I must say it does seem a large outlay.

Anyway, the excursion consisted of a large amount of walking. After a brief drive around the town, where the guide pointed out all the most important buildings and told us about some of the most import of their customs,we first went to look around Gilbrafaro's Castle, perched high above the town. The views from here were absolutely awesome, it has to be said, but there wasn't a huge amount of castle to be seen. She advised us to use the loos at the castle since, once we'd return back down into Malaga, public conveniences would become a little thin on the ground.

So, after everyone had taken advantage of the photo opportunity and the opportunity to relieve themselves, we all re-boarded the bus and headed back down into town and over to Picasso's birthplace, and the house that he lived in for the first 17 years of his life. At the very start of the tour, our guide had issued everyone with a receiver that hangs around the neck and an earpiece so that we could hear everything she rambled on about. I must say that this is the first time, in all of the tours that I've done, that I've come across use of such high technology. In principle, I think it is a nice idea, and was was fine when it worked okay; unfortunately for a few people, it kept cutting out and became more trouble than it was worth (I think several people also grew a tired of her constant commentary and switched it off - she didn't like that at all). At Picasso's house everyone who still had reception were treated to the sound of our guide having a bit of a barney with the people in the house. It seemed another group had pipped us to the post and that we would have to kill some time in a nearby park until such time as they could fit us in.

When we did finally get into the house, I think most found it a little underwhelming. Because they would only allow 10 people onto the first floor (where all the living quarters were), we had to split up and take it in turns... whilst the first ten looked upstairs, the rest were left to meander about the ground floor gallery, which was also a tad underwhelming. the gallery consisted mostly of pencil sketches, which were illustrations largely; nothing in colour, and none of his abstract work. A solemn-looking attendant stood on guard to ensure that no photos were taken (I tried surruptitiously to sneak my camera out and take a couple of shots, but she was on to me, alas...). When we finally did get onto the first floor, it was to be shown only one small living room, featuring a large canvas painted by Picasso's father. It was all a little bit disappointing to be perfectly honest; apparently, the rest of the house is undergoing some sort of renovation...

After the excitement of Picasso's house, our tour culminated in a visit to Malaga Cathedral, which was pretty impressive by anybody's standards. Our guide continued to insist that folks use the receivers so that she could talk non-stop about every tiny thing we came across; I think folks were starting to tire of her frankly.

After the Cathedral, we were give about 45 minutes free time. Finding myself bursting for the loo again (I'm still drinking a lot of water, in case you're wondering), I asked the uige where I might find a restroom. She pointed me in the direction of a bar in the corner of the market area, and offered to buy me a drink, which was nice... Crafty minx, I thought; buying the tour escort a drink... surefire way of getting a good report - and yes; of course I gave her a report that positively glowed... I'm so easily bought!

I didn't know this, but it seems there's a long cruise and a short cruise going on here, and some passengers will be leaving at Venice, and going home via the Orient Express.

I've written most of this out on deck, using my mobile dongle. I had to type quickly because the battery on the netbook was about to run out, so this entry has had a bit of post-production tidy up done on it (just in case anyone read the earlier version). The good thing about getting a sqeak out of the dongle is that I've been able to upload a couple of photos - check back a couple of days... there's one of people in the first workshop, and there's one of me dressed up to the nines for the first formal night...

So anyway, this afternoon there was an on-deck sail-away party as we left Malaga and turned towards Cagliari (I think that's how its spelt), in Sardinia. We're due to arrive ther on Sunday, so tomorrow's another sea day, and another workshop...

I think all this fresh air has done my cough some good...

Very dapper in your best bib n tucker. You don't look like someone who could so easily bought!

Glad the workshops are going ok,no problems over tones part 2 i hope. you'll be pleased to know that you have given me your cold! so i am now coughing well and no sun to cheer us up - bloomin freezing here i can say, could have left the heating on! we now know why people change at Crewe and dont stop!!!
sorry to hear Picasso's pad underwhelming but maybe better things to come.
lol S & L

This would make an excellent choice of outfit to wear when you teach your next STAGE THREE “Hollywood poster” class

Thanks for the kind comments re: bib n' tucker... take a good look cos it doesn't happen often (says me; the scruff-guru). I'm pleased to hear it doesn't make me look a pushover, though; an air of sophisticated elegance maybe? Just call me Bond, James Bond... Maybe I SHOULD consider making the stage 3 'Hollywood Poster' class a dress-up affair: folks could come dressed in their favourite hollywood character - can you imagine having Chewbacca painting away in one corner and Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn) in the other (hmm... makes notes...)

Hi to Homeless S&L - sorry to hear you've got my cold and that the weather's cold n' sunless (you'll not be going back to Crewe then...)

I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised at the Picasso-house experience; it was the house he was born in and lived in until he was 17. His father encouraged him to paint, in a traditional style; I guess it'll be better when they've finished refurbishing the rest of the house. Interestingly enough; just a few doors down from the Picasso House is an all-singing-all-dancing begorra bejabers 'traditional' Irish Pub, with a huge Guinness sign dangling outside, and set into the ground on the pavement in front is a plaque saying that Picasso also lived there for a short while, on the 3rd floor... now, I'm wondering why we didn't take a quick look in there...

Hi Peter, glad to see your still at it!

Rock of Gibraltar:
Perhaps a demonstration entitled 'dark on dark' (after 'wet in wet' etc) may bring out the visual best of the Rock of Gibraltar - at night - and from a great distance!
Glad to hear you're enjoying it out there again.
Looking forward to reading more.:)

Hi Harry

Great to hear from you - dark on dark; I like that (makes notes...)

With reference to your earlier comment.
I have made a start on my Chewbacca costume.
I thought I could wear it when my classes end at Christmas and I am out and about sketching on my own.
It should scare away any folk who stop and try to look over my shoulder.. grrrrrrrr.
Anyway I will have to go it really difficult typing in these Chewbacca paws.

Have fun on the rest of your travels