We Wont Forget Jose

It now a little over two weeks since we returned from our OS holiday. I have struggled for all that time, to feel comfortable back working, and to write on this blog about it. It has been hard to focus on anything. Lib and Gord went away to Wangaratta and Lakes Entrance some days after we returned so I have been on my own. The weather was hot when we came home and I was back to work in the heat in what is a busy month. I came home to the empty house and sat in the chair to watch the news and fell asleep most nights, waking at 11pm or later then cooking dinner or not bothering, usually I couldn't be bothered bathing and went to bed dirty. I admit I was a mess mentally but I did perform on the work front. Not that I'm cocky about it but I can still do alright when I have to.

Let me explain that a few days before we went OS I saw my specialist. He said my inflammation readings were up since I reduced the cortisone and he suggested I double it while on holiday so as not to spoil it. I was not going to but after a few days on our cruise and when I suffered quite a lot of pain I succumbed and took the C morning and night instead of just morning. Coming home I reduced back and suffered again but now there is no holiday to spoil so I'm putting in the hard yards and plan to do so till I see specialist again early December and see where I'm at. This is no fun I assure you and is partly the reason I have not been able to write this blog. It annoys the piss out of me and destroys creativity.

Lib and Gord came back today, Saturday, at last I was home, a day off. I made a big effort to clean up, change sheets, vacuum, and get the kitchen spick, mow the lawn, all that. I had been living like a bachelor pig. Almost on cue I feel like writing this blog tonight so here I am.

I didn't write a diary while we away, regretfully, so I have to work from memory and there is so much I have already forgotten. It was a full on itinerary, the first four days of our cruise were arduous, everyone said this, but when you go half way around the world to see things in a different port each day, well you don't want to stay on the boat and sit by the pool.

I have been trying to think of our shore excursions and tour guides. It distresses me that I cannot remember the guides on our first two excursions, in France, and Florence Italy. I just do not remember their faces or names and we don't have photos of them. I know they were both ladies. The first was a French lady, competent and pleasant with a strong accent that became harder to follow as she progressed because she spoke quicker and the accent became stronger as she did. The bus took us from the port of Toulon to a the village of Bormes-les-Mimosas, a very old village maintained without development. I chose this tour as it was less expensive and shorter than others and included free time exploring on our own. It was truly delightful. The lunch we enjoyed of ham and cheese in a crusty roll on a bench in the street was exceptional. A great way to start. The trip back went through an evergreen oak forest which knocked me right out. The second day was from the port of Livorno to Florence with again free time to explore and have lunch. We did the Medici museum and walked through Florence's amazing architecture. Again the tour guide does not come vividly to my recollection but just now as I write I am remembering her a little. She was excellent, I do know that.

Day three was a big one, an all day tour of Rome from the port of Civitaveccia. I had explored the possibility of catching a train from the port and doing it on our own but decided against it in case we didn't get to the Sistine Chapel, or make it back to our boat on time. Lib had the Sistine Chapel as a must so i took the safe option and booked a tour of the Popes summer residence and garden and the Vatican museum at a cost of $209US each. I'm so glad I did. Our tour guide was a skinny Italian girl named Lavinia, she was a delight. When we got to the Vatican she handed over to another more mature lady who really knew her ecka and endeared herself to the group. By the time we got back to the boat we were exhausted. The crowds in the vatican were oppressive and doing it without a guide would have been extremely difficult.

Day four in Naples I had deliberately chose a half day only tour which did not include the leaning tower of pisa but Pompeii only. I did this as a cost saving and also because it gave us the opportunity of an afternoon exploring Naples on our own after the morning at Pompeii. Our tour guide was Jose, a mature man probably in his late fifties or even perhaps dare I say, as old as me, early sixties. He spoke very well with a slight Italian accent. He explained that he had a sore knee but it was OK and he would be walking slowly which was a good thing. Pompeii is a major tourist attraction and the crowd was thick. It was hot day. Jose wore a bright yellow jumper, presumably so that he could be easily seen in the crowd. The guides also carried a coloured object on a stick that they held overhead so that members of their group could see them in the lead among the crowd. We had ear phones to follow the guide's talk and direction. Jose kept saying, " Slowly, slowly, my knee is sore, so we'll go slowly slowy."

Pompeii is a fantastic place to see, Jose's commentary was riveting. I have to admit that the crowd was getting to me a bit, on our fourth tour in four days. I was amazed that Jose kept his yellow jumper on for so long in the heat, and I was relieved when he eventually stopped and took it off. He refused my offer of  a drink of water and said he was fine. He kept complaining about his knee, saying 'Let's go slowly slowly."

It seemed to me that Jose was struggling big time. On our way back out I was walking next to him, he seemed a bit wobbly. I suggested he sit down but he said he would shortly when we reach a point ahead where there's a first aid station, which meant to me that he was worried. He had already accepted the offer of a knee bandage from one of the tourists in our group which he said greatly eased the pain. We got to where he could sit in the shade on a stone bench. I was still next to him. As he sat his eyes rolled and he collapsed to one side. I caught him to stop him hitting his head and as he lay on the ground Lib found his pulse which was weak but there.  The first aid guys arrived quite quickly and took control. Jose came to after a few minutes and said he had to get up to take us back to the bus. He then promptly passed out again. There was much confusion for several minutes. the first aid people called an ambulance and Jose's tour company to get someone to take his group back to the meeting point and the walk to the bus to take us back to the ship. As we left Jose was unconscious.

It was maybe 20-30 minutes later we congregated at the entrance, for the walk to where we could board our bus. The ambulance came at this time, forcing its way through the throng. We never heard the outcome. We spent the afternoon in Naples city where we had great lunch. We don't know and never will know whether Jose just fainted or had a heart attack or lived or died. Lib thinks maybe the pain in his knee was a blood clot that shifted. That night our ship sailed on to Mykinos. Thankfully we had no tour booked there, it was walking distance to the town so we selected free time to explore on our own.

I will never forget Jose. I find myself saying, "Slowly, slowly," when there's a bit of pressure on.