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August 26, 2008
Incoming!
So it's been a few days. They've been busy, in a very relaxing sort of way. After the late night excesses at the G32 nightclub several nights back, I was a bit worn out. I think (I mean know) I overdid it a bit and although I wasn't hung over the next morning, I was quite tired and now have a little bit of sniffles so I'm taking it easy, reminding myself that even though this is the last day of my crossing it's just the beginning of my trip.
Here's the thing. It's all a bit self indulgent getting on the internet and writing about what a grand time you're having, plus I would think it's a bit boring. Plus the internet is expensive, as I've mentioned. I've been having a lovely time – lots of spa, lots of food, lots of dressing up, occasionally lots of drinks. I saw some nice lectures and some nice shows/movies. I've had some great meals. I also had one bad one. Well, not bad, but not good. And weird. It was one of the formal nights (not black tie, just formal, as opposed to semi-formal). No one else from my normal dinner group was there. Andrew and Julie were eating at the Todd English restaurant. June from Manchester didn't show. The American couple only came to dinner on the second night. So it was just me and one of a rotating series of dance hosts, a hospital administrator from Brighton. He was quite fastidious and proper but also a very engaging dinner companion, especially when the subject was his own life. At least he'd led an interesting one – he's even written an autobiography, and I encourage him to send it out. Why not! He's done the hard part already and written 250,000 words. But my fish main course was way overcooked, which was really the only false note all voyage, food wise.
The last night before Southampton our table was filled back to the core 4 of us fun-loving, skilled conversationalists and we had a great last dinner as a group. Then they went off to pack and I went forward to G32 and then the whiskey, oh the whiskey. And some Armagnac if memory serves. But it was fun while it lasted. Talked to an Irish buy and a German guy, the latter insisting he was not German but rather Bavarian. All right then. At least he explained who the rock star on board is. His name's Udo Lindenberg or something like that, and he's famous, from Hamburg, and about to start a new tour for the first time in many years. Good on him.
I never did get out to see Southampton, although I took some pics from the ship here. I decided to just rest and recuperate, although since it was a port day the spa wasn't really open. Most of the old passengers got off, but to my surprise a bunch of new ones got on – about 1500 Brits who're on board just for the short jaunt up to Hamburg and then back to Southampton. A little 4 day cruise. That meant new dinner companions, three older ladies from the middle of England who're quite nice but I think we've exhausted everything we have to converse about. I'm going to see if I can get a booking at Todd English myself for tonight, or otherwise just eat at one of the other options.
Hey, we're in the North Sea now and look, there's an oil platform out there in the gray mists. Just like on television.
Tomorrow, Hamburg. We have to be up and out of our rooms by 8:00 am, which seems sort of hurried, but there you have. Then we're to sort of wait around in various staging areas (mine's the Queen's Room) until our ticket is called. Moreover, we're to have our luggage packed and sent off by midnight tonight. It is quite a production getting 1300 people off the ship in so short a period, especially when I imagine they've got another line of passengers waiting to board.
And that's really all that's been going on. I have to say, for the record, that I do love this ship. I love that it's huge and luxurious and takes you across the sea with such ease and grace and style. I think 8 days is about the upper limit for me, although I probably wouldn't mind several more, depending on the ultimate destination. I'd definitely do the crossing again. I'm not so sure about the 100 day around the world journey they start each year with, but then again, if someone else were paying....
Now for my final session in the spa. Next time you read this I'll be somewhere in Germany.
Posted by rdakan at August 26, 2008 04:51 AM