Angus The Bear, Lost at Sea, June 3rd 2013

The bears were gathered on the black ash shelf in the bear den to learn where Hermann had been for the past few weeks, and were shocked and saddened to hear of the loss of Angus at sea on 3rd June.  All eyes were upon Hermann.

Hermann explained that Misery and Pooh had done as much as they could to find Angus,  and had asked almost daily at the reception desk.   It did not help when Hermann explained that he may have been found and then incinerated, or he may still be bobbing about in the Atlantic Ocean, thousands of feet above the seabed.



None of the other bears could bear to hear the news.  The big bear of Scotland growled "How can Angus have a blog, if Angus is lost?"   The Koala's could not grasp the implications of Angus being lost as he normally sat behind the clock opposite them,  and climbed a few feet to their normal perch in the stairwell.

Herman had to console the blue rinsed bear. She did not appreciate it when he said he had seen a few old ladies with blue tinted hair on the boat.

Pooh and Misery went out for a beer and left them to it.

The search for Angus begins.....

Sunday 16th June 2013 - Misery's Birthday

Misery was miserable as it was his birthday. Sunday 16th June 2013.

The captain of Azura kindly sent him a card, but Misery was very miserable all day.  He remembered his 18th Birthday also fell on a Sunday, and he could not celebrate as he started work at 0600 the following Monday.  This year,39 years later,  he could not celebrate either as he was getting kicked off the ship in the early hours of Monday morning and had to drive back home where the bears would be waiting for news of Hermann and Angus.

He packed the cases to disembark, but fell asleep amid the clothing laid on the bed whilst Pooh went to see a Strictly event.   The crew offered to sing him an after dinner song to cheer him up, but he was too miserable to accept their kind offer.  The very pleasant couple from the cabin and table next door also very kindly sent him a card, but Pooh gave him the cruise and door card to carry for on-board expenses.

Gibraltar 14th June 2013

Misery was very miserable,  but Pooh thought that the Spanish Government and Border agents were the most miserable of all.

The prebooked trip from Gibraltar to white washed villages in Spain was cancelled due to Spanish Government policy making passengers walk 2km to the closest bus station after the passport control, effectively closing the border to EU tourists entering from Gibraltar.   Whilst the more fit and able might be able to walk the 2km to the first permitted bus stop on Spanish soil,   this policy discriminates against the less mobile who are not able to walk 2km.  Hermann was glad he did not have to walk that far.

Misery explained to Hermann that the Spanish Border agency staff were all safe in their jobs, whilst the normal people of Spain suffered 26% unemployment., and poor wages if they were paid at all.

Misery was however realistic, and whilst he thought P&O should respond with a reduction in calls to all Spanish ports, as there are some alternative welcoming ports of call in Morocco that could be easily substituted for Cartagena,  or Lisbon for more northerlay spanish ports, the normal people of Spain would suffer as a result of their Governments non-democratic attitude to a democratic decision of the people of Gibraltar.

Hermann pointed out that Angus had jumped ship near the site where the Royal Navy beat the Spanish at Trafalgar on the outbound journey, and was concerned that he he was caught or may be found and tortured by the Spanish.

2 days at Sea

Another two days, busy doing nothing at sea

After breakfast, Pooh went off to a weight loss seminar, but Hermann & Misery did not bother as they already knew the answer - eat less, drink less wine, drink less beer,  and do more exercise.  Hermann & Misery considered the feedback, and decided feeding more was a good plan, but noted that Pooh skipped the starter and opted for only two courses instead of the normal three course lunch

 After dinner, Hermann found another friend to play with.

Malta 11th June

After watching the captain rotate the ship  to berth in the Grand Harbour,  Hermann headed off to see the ancient city of Medina with the soon to be ancient Misery.   Misery took a picture of  Pooh chewing her tongue. Perhaps she was missing the tongue salad lunch offered on board ship?

Back in Valletta, Misery thought that Pooh was going to unwittingly walk past M&S for a change and photographed the event.  However, he somehow still ended up in the shop.

The wind was blowing on Deck 19 whilst Misery practiced his newly acquired  skills to use the camera properly, but he was concerned that Pooh might be blown overboard too.

As the sun set over the bow of Azura,  Misery and Pooh went to the onboard shops where Pooh asked the other bears on board if they had seen Angus.   Paddington said  he would keep his head up.

After the show, Pooh heard that Thumper was still on board after all, but Misery had drunk too much by then for Thumper to keep him awake.

At Sea 10th June

Pooh went off for another pilates class.  Misery said it was a waste of time as she does not have any sense of direction, and would not be able to guide the captain into or out of a harbour even if she qualified.

Whilst Pooh enjoyed the  pilates,   Misery read his camera instructions for the first time,  and discovered how to change the video and flash settings for fill in flash.  Misery told Pooh that he had read his camera guide, and she though he meant his CAMRA guide he had also brought to read. 

Whilst Hermann enjoyed the sunset, wondering of Angus was over the horizon, Misery trialled his newfound camera skills, before heading off to the bar to trial his CAMRA skills.

Hermann was hoping to attend the formal dinner, but Misery told him he did not have a proper suit.  Pooh was upset at dinner as she felt that Misery had been given more wine than her.

Venice 9th June

The cruise into the Port of Venice provided a wonderful view of Venice. 

The boat trip to Mirano provided another photo opportunity for Hermann who was beginning to enjoy falling into the role of Angus.  Misery wondered if Hermann was implicated in Angus' unexplained disappearance.

Pooh liked the glass at Mirano, but luckily for Misery, she did not like the price.  He said that the only glass Misery appreciated was his wine glass at dinner, and pointed out that several pieces of Mirano glass had been sent to the Exeter house clearance back in 2009.

Pooh and Misery shared  a panani near the Rialta bridge,  and washed it down with a beer before  visiting St Marks cathedral and the Doges Palace.

Misery sighed as he entered the Chamber of the Inquisitors, and wondered whether Hermann should be left in the prison across the Bridge of Sighs.

Pooh said nobody had split the beans yet, and Misery took it personal thinking she referring to Heinz 57, Misery's pending age.

Pooh escorted Hermann out of the Doge's prison

Whilst ashore, anarchists had descended from afar hijacking a peaceful protest designed to stop cruise ships  from entering the Venice Lagoon,  and rioted at the port gates preventing other passengers from leaving.

The protestors were also  out on the lagoon in small boats.

Departure was delayed and the police provided an escort out of Venice.  Hermann decided not to ask the policeman if he had spotted Angus

8th June - Dubrovnic

Misery felt like he had walked the length of the Great Wall of China after a full circuit of the Dubrovnic city walls in full sunshine.

Whilst walking the wall, Pooh spotted a black beer resembling Angus clutching a lady’s back pack, but he was a black bear and not a brown bear

• Was it Angus or an imposter with a copycat maple leaf tattoo on his paw? 
• Had Angus been watching Pooh and dyed his hair too? 
• Had Angus been watching Misery and was sunburnt too?   

The bear wondered off in the other direction when Hermann spotted some other bears hung out to dry, and was concerned that Angus might suffer the same fate.

Misery needed a beer, and then  Hermann spotted Angus pressed into a coin in the change and need consoling.

That night, Hermann discovered that a Lobster had sneaked into the cabin, and wondered if he had come to extract his revenge upon Pooh for eating lobster. Hermann asked if the lobster had eaten Angus!

7th June Corfu

Misery had not prepared properly for Corfu, and Herman & Co. wandered aimlessly around the streets before stumbling upon the old fortress.

 The climb to the lighthouse at the top was good exercise, and provided a good view across the sea to Greece and the snowy mountains of Albania. Pooh had a paddle in the Ioanian Sea befoire enjoying the local ale

Misery thought it was a good plan to sit at the front of the tender for the return to the ship, but was soaked by the sea spray when he put his head through the hole.     Maybe a little less than Angus though. Hermann & Co. enjoyed a beer at the aft bar whilst the crew pondered how to weigh the anchor. A faulty sensor was preventing the lifting of the anchor, so Misery suggested that Pooh may weigh more than the anchor so she could help.