What a difference a day makes! Woke up to a rolling sea and a largely grey sky. The air felt very warm and humid, so it was no surprise when by lunchtime, the rain started down and just kept going. The ship was dipping so much in the waves that the main swimming pools turned into maelstroms with great crashes of water at each end. We saw one group of people get absolutely drenched!!! Soon after, the deck attendants came around and closed all the pools and jacuzzis off.
It isn’t an unpleasant motion – the ship is not rolling, there is just a big forward and back swell.
So, no sunbathing for us today. We did lie out on deck reading before the rain started and we managed two video calls to the girls which was lovely. It’s Daisy’s 26th birthday today so we were very happy to be able to wish her happy birthday face to face. Last night, she’d gone out with Lucy, Yuri, some university friends and her flatmates and they’d all had a great time.
We had a good night last night actually. Great fun at dinner – in all our black tie finery of course. We got talking to some people in the dinner line and they invited us to share their table. One couple were Dutch and the other couple were German, although the wife of that couple was originally from New Jersey. We talked about places we knew in common there, and coincidentally she had worked at the Prudential which is where my exchange-sister, Lisa, worked and at about the same time, although she did not know her. Anyway, we had a lovely dinner. A couple of slightly odd moments when they brought up old British tv series that they liked ie Are You Being Served, Hyacinth Bucket.. somehow we then veered onto Dad’s Army and Allo Allo…. Never entirely comfortable talking to elderly Germans about that period but in the famous Fawlty line “I mentioned the war but I think I got away with it” 😊 Must have been all right, they asked to dine with us again. None of us mentioned Brexit either LOL
It was lobster for dinner too! Very good.
After dinner, Bob and I saw a fantastic singer in the theatre. This young chap has played lots of leads in New York and Los Angeles including in We Will Rock You. What a voice! He was a bit effeminate to look at but, by god, when he opened his voice, it was a mighty baritone. He sang a range of songs across musicals and Queen of course, including a very very memorable Cry Me A River. Hope he does another show. Honestly, the artists on this cruise have just been outstanding.
Then, we ended up in the Atrium, where there was dancing going on, just in time to see the balloon drop. Everyone was having a whale of a time.
So, this morning, given that the weather was not good, I got the art bag out and had a go at a watercolour. Tried one I’ve done before: a beetroot with waving greens. Not as good as the first time I painted it – that one hangs in Lucy’s kitchen – but not bad after a gap of months. After that, we went to an art history lecture on The Impressionists. Normally these are ruses to get you into the art gallery, but this one was actually very good and informative and we also were given a limited edition print each by George May.
Tonight we saw an excellent musical show by the Princess troupe. Amazing dancing and singing and very spectacular. The centrepoint of the set was a vintage style pink Cadillac car.
Hoping for better weather tomorrow.