Another lovely day at sea and Bob is now pretty much back to normal. The weather is still very hot and humid. The sky blue with very little cloud and the sea calm. There was more breeze today but not enough to disturb the sea at all.
Bob decided to go to two talks this morning rather than art. He went to the nautical salvage experts talk on The Glomar Explorer. This was about an expensive and innovative CIA plot to recover a Russian submarine, K129 from 5000m and to capture the secret codes, weapons and technology aboard. He followed this by attending the talk by General Lord Dannatt, and Lady Dannatt: Leading from the Front – Reflections on Forty Years a Soldier. This was an account of Dannatt’s forty years of experiences and adventures in the British Army from 2nd Lieutenant to Chief of the General Staff, from Northern Ireland through the Balkans, to Iraq and Afghanistan. He concluded with a discussion of current security challenges and defence policy. A really interesting and excellent talk.
I went to art and began a painting of a family and their dog walking through a snowy scene. Viv gave us a tutorial on putting simple figures into landscapes and we picked up some very good tips that I’m trying to use in this painting.
We met up for lunch – sushi of course. Bob also got some South African Rand ready for our adventures ashore there.
After lunch we pegged out on the aft deck by the pool and read our books for a few hours. The breeze makes the sun really deceptive. I’ve seen a few red backed people out there. It is also very surprising to me how many men over the age of 65 are wearing speedo style swim shorts. I would say 95%. They are not very forgiving….. I am forced to wonder whether they have been bought new for this voyage – therefore, chosen, – or whether they have been lurking in a drawer for decades and are dragged out every year for a brief (see what I did there?) outing. These are the things I wonder about while baking my brain out on deck! LOL. No doubt some chap is also lying there wondering why so many chubby, flabby women over 60 still wear bikinis, albeit not tiny ones!
I am enjoying the talks given by Chris Butler, the onboard Royal Astronomical Society speaker. He is a Californian in I would guess his 40s. If you close your eyes, he sounds just like the actor Jack Black. Nothing like you would expect an astronomer to sound. He’s a great, enlivening speaker. Today his subject was Under the Southern Stars, discussing the exotic and beautiful constellations visible in the southern hemisphere. He is also available at a dark area of the upper deck every night from about 9pm – 11pm to actually guide some actual stargazing. Fascinating stuff.
Tonight after dinner we went to see a magician, Paul Hitchcock. I don’t generally like magic shows – Derren Brown excluded, although I wouldn’t particularly describe his show as “magic”. However, this chap was really different and good. His final illusion was quite amazing and involved him getting inside an enormous balloon. It was hilariously funny as well as inexplicable.