Bill Price

August 2005 saw me back in Emirates Business Class, flying from Manchester to Dubai and connecting with the UNHAS flight to Kabul. This time though, the suitcase didn’t make the connection. The next flight was three days later, so I had to borrow shirts and ties from Clive and Steve.
On this visit we were in a new Guesthouse, set up by the Asia Development Bank (ADB) consultants. What an improvement! Air conditioning, wireless internet, a French-trained chef and booze from the Supreme Supermarket at cost!
Two new consultants, Anthony and Peter had joined the project, and we also had some young English-language teachers from the British Council staying with us.
Security was tight ahead of the parliamentary elections, so we had to be restricted to “safe” restaurants, and not walk around town as we had before. We still got out a couple of times. Once on the Kabul Hash (House Harriers), up the hill topped by the tomb of the King’s father, and on another occassion,rughtout of Kabul to a lake resort that is being developed next to Kabul Golf Club.
One day we had a phone call from the British Embassy, saying “stay where you are - don’t go anywhere except by xxx car - there has been a series of explotions on the Airport Road”. One hour later - “Emergency over - it was a six gun salute for the President”. You couldn’t make it up!
Work was better this time. The Commissioners asked for on-the-job training, so I ended up running 16 workshops - very enjoyable and rewarding. They committed to major change, and I am looking forward to going back in December to see how far they have got.
One satisfying project was getting 94 civil servants to complete a personality questionnaire I had designed for the Appointments Board, so that I can develop a norm group for use in the next input.
The trip out was uneventful, and even better as Clive and I travelled together as far as Manchester Airport. On the Emirates flight I sat next to a woman who lives in Abu Dhabi, and learnt a lot about life there and in Muscat. Very useful, as Marjorie and I go there in November.

Bil & Marj do the Baltics

Linzi flew to Barcelona to meet the Seven Seas Voyager, where Giovanni is the Staff Chief Engineer. She had a great break, and enjoyed the luxury of a 6 star cruise ship. They put our names down for two weeks at the end of June, and the bill soon appeared on my credit card statement! I had then to quickly find some flights to Stockholm, and booked with BA.
On the 25th June, we flew from Manchester to Heathrow, and on to Stockholm, but one case got stuck at Heathrow. We arranged for it to be forwarded to Tallinn, then got a taxi to the ship.
We met Giovanni, and went to our Penthouse Suite to meet Kitut, our butler. He comes from a small town in Bali that we visited in 2000. He kindly opened the champagne for us, and took our spirits and wine order. He showed us round the changing room, the bathroom (complete with fullsize bath), the lounge area, and the balcony, complete with two loungers. Following the emergency drill, we went to the Captain’s welcome party, and had more champagne as the ship cruised away from the dock through the Stockholm archpelago.
That evening we ate in the Latitudes Restaurant, which specalised in South East Asian food. The complimentary wine was Pinotage, one of our favourites! We sat with Jim and Joan from Walnut Creek in California, who invited us to join them on their yacht in San Francisco. I gave Jim my business card, and crossed my fingers!
Sunday 26th June.
We docked in Tallinn, the capital of Estonia.The ship provides free shuttle bus transport into town, so we popped on, and were soon in the Old Town, a World Heritage site, and no wonder!
There is a great view from the topof the twn, and a lovely square in the town centre with outdor cafes.
We tried to book for the ballet in St Petersburg on my birthday, but it was fully booked. Never mind, because that was four hours of Swan Lake, but we went to see Nuctracker on the 27th, with a champagne reception, and that was a great night.
27th to 29th June in St Petersburg was amazing, because we were parked on the River Neva in the city centre, within a short distance of the Winter Palace, the Hermitage and the most splendid Orthodox churches.
We also did trips out to the countryside, to see Peter and Catherine’s summer palaces.

Life aboard the Voyager was brilliant. The servive and the restaurants were thebest we have ever enjoyed on a cruise ship.
We visited Helsinki, the capital of Finland, twice. We spent time in the town centre the first week, and took a sailing trip round the archipelago a week later.
Visby is the capital of Gotland, part of Sweden and the largest island in the Baltic. (Got as in Goth, by the way). We visited a Viking village, and explored the walled town of Visby. We bought a toy sheep for Chloe!
Half way through the fortnight, we had a whole day in Copenhagen, and walked through the northern part of the city to the shopping area, then into the Tivoli Gardens for lunch.
At the end of the holiday, we had a guided tour of Stockholm before the flight home.