Day 3 of the cruise, second day in the Bay of Biscay

Good morning sea! Grey, choppy and to infinity (and beyond ;) ) The sky is grey and there’s mist everywhere. Temperature 13 C. Doors all closed, restricting walks on the decks and safety warnings about holding rails etc are on the tv screens. I think learning the foxtrot is out of the question today, and my yoga practice rooted and mat based .

The clocks went forward 1 hour overnight, but that will be the last time forwards.  When we leave Spain tomorrow night we will start to go back an hour every other day or so.  Then the seas will hopefully be less rocky, not that it matters at night – that’s a very pleasant sensation, gently rocking from side to side in bed, or sitting.  When we are up and about there’s a lot of staggering and making use of handrails!  I have once or twice had a bit of sea nausea and had to focus on the horizon, but luckily it hasn’t developed further, yet.

Today, as the sway allows, we’ll crack on with the exploration of the ship, not to mention our brave attempt at being artists with Khachik’s old friend Easa Ali as our teacher. Neither of us have been able to stop smiling about that since the moment of realisation yesterday.

I will be obliged at some point to recall a day’s menu, and to reflect on the will power required not to want to eat everything in sight (or sometimes lack of that will power). The evening meals are pretty formal.  We have a table of eight, a lovely Australian couple very adventurous and unusual (ex-teacher, farmer, tries everything) called Judy and Jim, and a couple from Uttoxeter  one an ex pub licensee, a couple from Ashton-under-Lyne/Whitefield, Bea and Phil that’s just a few miles away from us. All very interesting to be around.

I am noticing  the way people try really hard to find common ground when meeting for the first time, and the importance of that first impression – where are you from?  have you cruised before? who with? what was your job before you retired?  that kind of thing. Today Khachik managed to find himself sitting next to a man with a bit more in common than usual – in talking about the experience of retirement he discovered our lunch companion had also had aortic stenosis repaired with a pig valve at the age of 60. How quickly, a bit like speed dating, we manage to get really deep into a person’s life to find that common ground. 

P.M.

The sea might be calming a little.  The sun has made an appearance. We have started art classes and created our first watercolour masterpiece – a meercat.  We have found the walkathon on deck 3, and briskly walked our first mile.  I have a few pictures to add and share tomorrow when we hopefully find free high speed wifi, one of which I have entitled “Compare the Meercat” (our first watercolours.)

Signing off for now as we have a “Black Tie” dinner to prepare for and an evening with Tom O’Connor. Back tomorrow.