Craving to get on Land

On the other two cruises I did it was usually about a week between ports.
This stretch of 13 days seems almost too much to bear, especially with the
constant noise on board. It seems worse than usual this year. Maybe I'm
getting less tolerant as I get older. They start hammering and scraping
on the steel right outside my cabin every morning about 08:30. They're
removing years of paint, right down to the bare steel. Imagine having
metal garbage can over your head and someone is banging on it incessantly..
That's sort of what it's like. So much for skipping breakfast and trying
to sleep in.

The Mediterranean is beautiful. Calm and peaceful. It's been sunny for
the last four days and getting hot. It's going to be scorching in Malta.
Meanwhile we're just sailing along.

We do have one problem. The radar is out due to a blown bearing. It's OK
because it so nice and clear. Visibility from the bridge is excellent.
Because of this problem, we're going to take a more direct route to Malta
than originally planned. We're going to skip going through the Straits of
Messina and get to Malta early to anchor and start repairing the system.
Docking and leave is still planned for Friday.

The Regiment Office is arranging some tours for us. They should be good..
There is plenty to do and see on these islands. We usually get a better
deal through the Ship than going it alone onshore. It will be good to
get off the ship. I'm ready for it now.