Discovery Day

“To eat well in England, you should have a breakfast three times a day.”
~ W. Somerset Maughan

August 12, 2019

I’m not sure Maughan realized he was obliquely condemning all other English food with that quote, but he’s right about one thing. An English breakfast is feast. We went down to the Britannia Dining Room this morning and were treated to the Cunard Get Up and Go plate. It consisted of scrambled eggs with smoked salmon, English grilled back bacon, a Cumberland sausage, Bury Black sausage (a relative of the haggis family), hash browns, and a stewed tomato.

While we ate, we got to know some new fellow passengers, most notably Pat and Bill from near Southampton. They were both widowed many years ago, but still loved to travel. Eight years ago, they met during Week 5 of a round the world cruise on the P&O line. You hear about shipboard romances, but this is the first time I’ve ever met a couple who really lived it. They’re a lovely couple and we look forward to singing with them when the passenger choir meets to practice for the first time this afternoon.

This morning we intend further exploration of this beautiful ship. We’ve yet to find the library. And there’s a fabled glass elevator that only goes from deck 12 to 7 somewhere near the front of the ship. We haven’t found the Commodore lounge or the Chart Room, and we’ve been told there’s a place we can view the bridge but cannot enter. So like Tolkien’s Fellowship of the Ring (the movie TOLKIEN is currently running in a continuous loop on our cabin TV), we are off on a quest!

More soon…

Later…(August 13^th)

Here are some of our discoveries!

Queen Mary 2's lovely library

 

The ship's "poop" deck, as it were. There are 23 dogs in the kennel for this segment, plus one service animal that stays with its person in their stateroom. QM2 boasts the only kennel at sea.

We next discovered the Commodore Club, a quiet place to have a soda and relax to some soft jazz.

We weren't allowed on the bridge, but we could look at the bridge crew and all the blinkin' llights through double paned glass. No photos allowed. Sorry.

After a bit of sleuthing, we found the secret glass elevator. Turns out it only goes from Deck 11 to 7.

Oh! Before I forget, I need to give the answer to "what is this stuff?" from a previous post. It's marmite. The jar says it's a yeast extract and it's a bit of an acquired taste, a sort of cousin to the Aussie's vegemite. It's very salty and savory and a little dab of it went well on my omelet yesterday. Not something I'll find in the stores at home, but that's okay. Part of the fun of travel is trying new things!

And now a nautical note! All three Cunard Queens were in Southampton and set sail in a row when we left England, first Victoria, then Elizabeth and lastly the flagship of the line. Having all three of the girls in port at the same time only happens about once a year.

More soon...