I moan a lot about my job. There are downsides. I don’t get home for months on end. I don’t see my partner for months on end. I rarely see my partner AT HOME. It’s difficult and many relationships don’t survive that stress. Many of my colleagues also have the added complication of children and I am in awe that anyone manages to make that work in this crazy business.
However for me there are rewards. I travel a lot and see the world from a unique perspective ie not as a tourist most of the time but as a temporary resident of each location.
Occasionally for my partner or I there is the reward of visiting each other whilst we work and for me, this week, that means a cruise on the Mediterranean. Yes I know, not bad thank you very much.
I’m on board the Disney Magic, flagship of the Disney Cruise Line, and quite the prettiest vessel out here in the azure sea at the moment. There are some ugly bricks afloat and, though many must be spectacular inside, few are beautiful ships. Each time another vessel comes into or out of port by the Disney ship, their decks are full of jealous punters taking pictures of the beautiful lines of the Magic. It was modeled on the classic British Cruise Liners of the 20’s and 30’s - the Queens - so it can’t go wrong.
The name Disney raises a smirk amongst most Brits and the comment ‘what on earth would you want to do that for?’ However to Americans Disney is a trustworthy brand and a guarantee of quality and service. The Americans are right - it is exceptional, with every member of the family from toddler to Gran expertly catered for. So as I write I am sitting in the adult only Quiet Cove area, replete with pool, jacuzzi, bar, coffee shop, a classical guitarist playing nearby, a matchless view of the Mediterranean, and a martini by my side. There are all sorts of kid-centric crazy things going on barely yards away (and I’m delighted for them) but since I can neither see them or hear them I am very happy thank you. Why would I want to do this? Let me count the reasons!
The Med Cruise has been a reminder of how lucky I am with my other travels though because, of course, it is something of a whistle-stop tour. At most one has a few hours in each destination and with the best will and the most energy in the world, there is only so much of Rome one can see in a few hours. And one is not seeing it at its best in the crowded August heat, cheek by jowl with the rest of the world’s tourists. The circumstances do not endear one to one’s fellow man.
Much of my early travel were done when I was with the Swingles. Then we would often fly into a city in the morning, check in to the hotel, and have a few hours to sleep or explore before the sound check and concert. Frequently we would be on our way early the next morning. I became expert at haring round a city in two and a half hours, seeing all the sights, taking in a museum of two, and generally getting my bearings. In truth, it worked and I would take in a great deal in these short jaunts. I vividly remember something of almost every room in the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, despite staying barely 45 minutes.
Much of the world I saw this way and it has at least given me a firm impression of where I would like to revisit when I have the time and the money - yes well let’s not dwell on how likely that is, but it was a great opportunity none-the-less.
Perhaps now I am older I don’t have the energy or thirst to devour a city this way. Perhaps they all become alike in a way when you can’t really get under the skin of them. I prefer the way my job now allows me to gently feel my way into a different lifestyle and enjoy the near-reality of being a temporary resident of many places in the world.
But will I pass up the opportunity for another chance to taste-test the world aboard the Disney Cruise Line? You bet I won’t! Another Martini? It would be rude not to!
