Day 121 ~ The Last Sea Day

 May 10, 2022

Who knows what the temperature is? We're packing! 

“It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” ― Ursula K. Le Guin, The Left Hand of Darkness (a fascinating sci-fi/fantasy novel!)

Bergen, the Viking Star's home port, was always intended to be the end of our journey. But on our way to Bergen, a voyage that began on January 10th, we had a complete overhaul of our itinerary. Instead of slow-cruising along the equator for 50+ days, and spending most of our time in hot climes, we had a much cooler weather journey. (Thank God that Viking provided all of us with fleece-lined jackets!) And even once our new itinerary was announced, it didn't survive the entire cruise. We lost a stop at Punta del Este, Uruguay because sea conditions wouldn't allow us to tender in there. Ditto for Heraklion, Crete. We called at Chania, Crete instead because the Star could skinny into its tiny port and tie up to the dock. And we lost our stop at Alexandria, Egypt because we needed another sea day for Israeli officials to come aboard to oversee our shipboard PRC tests before allowing us to enter their country. (For more about all the changes to our planned itinerary, I've got them listed on separate pages accessible from the tool bar at the top of the blog.) 

But for the most part, we were able to complete the inventive and frankly, wildly exciting schedule of stops. It's been a remarkable voyage and there will never be another World Cruise like it. It was an adventure in every sense of the word.   

Packing to go home is easier than packing to leave. We just have to fit everything into our suitcases, including the gifts we're bringing home to our loved ones, and keep all the bags under the weight limit mandated by our airline! Traveler's Tip: Be sure to pack a portable luggage scale. It's a little handheld scale with a hook attached for lifting the bag to be weighed. Don't leave home without one!

Kristy and Dave with Aswi (right) and Dani (left) our regular servers in The Restaurant. Both are Muslim and even though they worked all day around truly luscious food, they kept the Ramadan fast during the month of March. They were so happy to be able to get off the ship to pray in the mosque near the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem and the Blue Mosque in Istanbul. And their families at home felt blessed by their faith pilgrimages as well. 

One of the joys of making this journey was getting to know our friends Kristy and Dave better, and renewing our acquaintance with Laura and Russ, an octogenarian couple who climbed the Sydney Bridge on our 2018 Pacific Princess WC, and Don Wooley, who was also on that 2018 voyage. 

Don is a true inspiration to everyone who meets him. At 91, he's still going strong though he relies on a walker now for balance. He is nearly deaf, but always has a smile on his face, didn't miss an excursion and was often on the same bus we were. Rumor has it that Don is about to become the Star's first full- time resident. I hope so. For an active person like Don, it's a much better choice than traditional assisted living. He is able to care for himself, but the care the crew gives him is outstanding. He loves to visit museums and new places, and is an avid Baggo fan and bridge player. And if he's on the Star, he will never be alone unless he chooses to be. 

Members of Rotary who were on the Star gave Don this commemorative picture of the ship, signed by the senior staff and captain. 

There are a few sad things to report, things I didn't want to mention while we were still in the midst of the voyage lest I scare our family silly. We had a few cases of Covid at the beginning of the cruise and some people were taken off by ambulance to recover ashore. Then the ship maintained its covid free status for months, until the last few weeks of our sojourn around the Med. A couple who sang in the choir with us--in fact, she sat beside me in the soprano section and he next to the DH with the basses--tested positive and were quarantined on the ship. But the DH and I were tested every day and never showed the slightest hint of catching the virus. We never had so much as a sniffle. Thank you, Jesus!

There were falls here and there and people turned up with fresh casts on their arms or using crutches while a sprained ankle healed. And one poor lady fell at the pyramids and broke her hip. She had to remain in Cairo and have a hip replacement there. Frankly, with all the uneven trails and cobblestones we walked, a fall was our biggest fear. As we walked along as a group, everyone got into the habit of pointing out protuberances, curbs, potholes and invisible steps to the ones behind them.

And two people died while on the cruise. This was not a surprise, given the demographic of world cruisers. Princess officers said they expected to lose four on a world cruise. A gentleman who sang and played his ukulele in the passenger talent show and the husband of one of the ladies who attended church services with us passed away. Both of natural causes. 

No one knows how many trips around the sun are allotted to them. It served as a reminder that it's important to discuss your wishes with your loved ones in case it's time for you to disembark before them. If I had my choice, I'd shuffle off this mortal coil while I'm doing something I love. Death on a cruise is only difficult for the one who remains, so next time, we need to have a serious discussion and whatever documents are necessary just in case.   

Katie, our delightful cruise director, introducing the new Viking vocalists. We lost the talented group who made the trip with us in London. Over several months, you become attached to these young people because they aren't just entertainers. They serve as excursion helpers, shepherding us along. They read the questions as Trivia hosts, a job that merits hazard pay. Everyday at noon, devotees were reminded "It's only a game!" We actually never tried it. We'd heard the questions were pretty difficult. After all, as Uncle Torstein says, "This is a thinking man's cruise, not a drinking man's cruise." However, as freely as the Silver Spirits packages flowed, I suspect it's both!  

Our last task is to put our packed bags, all four of them, outside our stateroom door. (Another Traveler's Tip: Make sure to leave out your traveling home clothes! No one wants to see your pj's in the airport!)  We will order our last room service breakfast and hang the request on our door. Then we'll let the Star rock us to sleep one last time. 

It's been magical. It's been exciting. Exhausting. Reviving. Too long and too short. Above all, much different than we originally planned. But that's okay. 

Sometimes, the best adventures are the ones that catch us by surprise.

Day 120 ~ Leaving Tilbury

May 9, 2022

70-ish. A lovely spring day

#myVikingstory

"Ends are not bad things, they just mean that something else is about to begin. And there are many things that don't really end, anyway, they just begin again in a new way. Ends are not bad and many ends aren't really an ending; some things are never-ending." -C. JoyBell C.

Uncle Torstein made good on his promise and visited us on the Star last night. He thanked us for sticking with Viking and congratulated us on completing the 2022 world cruise in the face of so many challenges. Frankly, the credit goes to this incredible cruise company and its people. They did everything they could to fulfill their mission statement so we could "travel the world in comfort." I'll add, "And safety!"

If you've followed my blog you know I call the chairman of Viking "Uncle Torstein because he looks so much like my Norwegian husband's uncles. It was amazing to see Torstein Hagen and his daughter Karine in person last evening. I didn't have the courage to invite them to the family reunion in person, but if this little blog comes to their attention, save the last weekend of June! I promise you'd fit right in.

Today is disembarkation day for most of our fellow travelers. Only about 100 of us have elected to stay on until Bergen. We probably should have headed home today too, but back when we booked the cruise, they offered us a couple more days on this beautiful ship for no additional charge. How could we refuse? 

One last chance to enjoy the lovely Viking Thermal suite with Kristy and David. They are also staying on till Bergen and we figured our swim suits will dry before we have to pack tomorrow!

Today was a chance to do things we've wanted to do, but hadn't yet for one reason or another. Kristy decided to brave the icy water bucket. It was an honor I dreamed not of... (My last days thing was trying one of the honey infused almond crusted croissants! It was as heavenly as I'd imagined and I'm glad I waited until the end of the cruise to try one.)

The Thames is a big river. Deep, wide and as silty as the Hudson. 

So we said goodbye to many of our new friends and headed out to the North Sea. Scopolamine patch firmly behind my ear, I was ready for the waves to make the Star jiggle again, but it took its home waters like a champ. Captain Lars had a long way to go, so we were making 19-20 knots. (Six knots is slow enough to allow the ship to wallow a bit which really disrupts my inner ear.) 

I'll wrap up our trip soon...

Day 119 ~ London & The Wit and Wisdom of Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II

May 8, 2022

Low 60's, bright sunshine, a light sweater kind of day.

Queen Elizabeth II walked into a shop with her body guard. The shop girl did a double take and exclaimed, "Ma'am, do you know you look exactly like the queen?"

"How very reassuring," Her Majesty said.

Still not realizing who she was talking to, the sales clerk went on, "Have you ever met the queen?"

"No." Her Majesty waved a hand toward her bodyguard. "But he has."

~ A couple of actual queen jokes shared by our London guide Vanessa

Located on the bank of the Thames, the Tower of London is much more than a tower. It's a palace/fortress/prison originally founded late in 1066 after William the Bastard became William the Conqueror.

Today we're in docked in Tilbury, a bedroom community on the industrial outskirts of London. But our included excursion takes us by coach on a drive to the heart of the city. People have been living in the area since about 4500 BC, but there was no city until the Romans invaded Britannia in 43 BC and founded Londinium four years later on the broad tidal river that provided both access and protection. 

Sorry about the quality of this shot-from-the-bus photo, but here's section of a Roman wall still standing. (Those guys really got around, didn't they?)

We visited the beautiful St. Paul's Cathedral, but as it happened during the other time we tried to visit we weren't able to go inside. It is Sunday and we were not dressed for worship. But if we'd not been with a tour group, we'd have attended the service and worshipped with our Anglican brothers and sisters. 

Our tour guide told us that the Brits love to give buildings nicknames. The high rise in the distance with a noticeable bump out is called the "Kim Kardassian."

Charming old pub on the corner

Our next stop was near Westminster Abbey, Big Ben and the Parliament building. The old cathedral is over 1000 years old, and the last time we saw it, the exterior was black from years of pollution and neglect. It looks wonderful now.

We attended a "sung service" here when our daughters were very young. Sitting in that cavernous sanctuary, bathed in the light of glorious stained glass, and listening to the angelic voices of the boy's choir--it was a deeply moving religious experience and is one of my favorite memories of all time.

We only had about 30 minutes of free time to wander in the area. That is one of the problems with ship's tours. There's never enough time for us to explore on our own in areas where there is more to do than shop or sip coffee. We drove past the Museum of London several times and I remember enjoying that institution with our daughters very much. Why couldn't we have been given more time there? 

Big Ben in the background isn't the clock. Or the tower. It's the 13 1/2 ton bell, the largest of the five in the tower. And like our Liberty Bell, it has been cracked in the past.
  
It was lovely to be London again, but it made me wish we could rent a flat and spend a month wandering around the town, going to West End shows, becoming friends with the Tube and the train system to take day excursions out of town. 

Maybe we'll get adventurous some time and go it alone, but it really has been wonderful the way Viking has delivered this chance to explore in comfort and safety even in the time of Covid and war. It's just what we needed.

More soon... 
 

 

Day 118 ~ A Pea Soup Sea Day

 May 7, 2022

Still in the 50's and 60's. "Brisk" is the best descriptor, I think.

“While we may have more still to endure, better days will return: we will be with our friends again; we will be with our families again; we will meet again.” ~ Queen Elizabeth II

As we sailed the English Channel the fog wrapped itself around the Viking Star like a wet, gray blanket. This was supposed to be a day of scenic cruising. By the time we reached the point where the  white chalk cliffs of Dover were just off the port side, we couldn't see a thing. 

Lunch at the Pool Grill, always a treat!

But it was a restful day and we frittered it away with this and that. Because tomorrow, Sunday, is a port day, we had our final church service at 6 this evening. It was good to pray and sing and worship together one more time.

However, that's when our evening began to get scrunched. We don't often feel pressed for time, but we did then. Usually, we have supper at 6 and have plenty of time to arrive early for the 8:45 show. Tonight, the guest choir was singing as part of the final show, so the doors to the Star Theater were supposed to open at 8:15. Katie wanted all of us to be scattered around the theater so when we began to sing, we could stand up like a flash mob to join the professional singers on stage. We needed to be among the first in to be assured of getting our seats where our director wanted us.

It was ten after seven when we were seated in The Restaurant, and unfortunately, all of Aswi's stations were filled. He's been such a wonderful waiter and has become a friend to us all. If anyone could've gotten us in and out on time, he would've. So...we revised our plans and before we put in our orders, we told the fellow who brought us water that we were leaving and would have supper at the World Cafe (the buffet).

We had prime rib, sushi and lobster, so we certainly weren't unhappy with the food. In fact, we weren't unhappy at all, just crunched for time. Just the same, Casper, the Restaurant manager, heard we had left without being served and came looking for us to see if there was a problem he could fix. We assured him everything was fine, but I was astounded that he'd go to all the trouble of seeking us out like that. This is just a small example of how all the people at Viking go the extra mile for their guests.  

The Indonesians among the crew put together a special presentation for us as part of the evening show. First about 25 crewmen marched down the aisles to the stage, chanting and settling to perform a seated dance. I don't know much about the story behind it, but it was called the Kecak Dance.

 

Hanuman, the monkey god from the Indonesian Crew part of the show

 

I don't pretend to know the whole story, but Hanuman saves the day! 

This dance reminded me of why we travel--to meet new people, to encounter new cultures and different ideas, to understand what others regard as important for us to know about them. For example, Kristy asked an older gentleman in Saudi what he wanted her grandchildren to know about his people. "We want peace," he said. 

Don't we all? And that's my prayer for us. Lord, please give the world peace.

Day 117 ~ Stonehenge, or Are the Ancient Alienists Right?

May 6, 2022

Foggy and low 50's in Portsmouth, 60's and sunny on the Salisbury plain!

Stonehenge, where the demons dwell
Where the banshees live and they do live well
Stonehenge, where a man's a man
And the children dance to the pipes of Pan. 
— Spinal Tap

As well as being a working commercial and cruise port, Portsmouth is also home to some of Her Majesty's Royal Navy

Our day began with room service so we could gather with our fellow travelers to present ourselves and our passports to the British Customs officers who were on board to check and stamp our passports. After that, we trooped down to board our bus to Stonehenge. 

On the way, we passed many charming thatched roof homes. Our guide explained that extra insurance is required for houses with thatched roofs. The owners are required to maintain the thatch and cannot change to another style of roofing. 

The yellow gorse bushes are an invasive species.

As we passed from Hampshire to Wiltshire, we drove through the New Forest, which is England's version of a national park. It's kind of mis-named as "new." It was declared a royal enclave by William the Conqueror. Unlike US national parks, homes, villages, farms exist inside the park's boundaries and the owners have free-range grazing rights for their animals. 

We saw pigs snoozing in the shade alongside the road and lots of ponies. The round-bellied mare in this photo looks like she's about to drop a foal. 

 

This tree-covered hill is the site of ancient Sarum, a neolithic village. For more about the history of this area and all the Salisbury plain, look for Sarum, The Novel of England by Edward Rutherford. I read this Michener-esque doorstop of a historical novel  probably 15 years ago. It was fascinating and I feel the need to read it again!

Then we reached Stonehenge and separated ourselves from the rest of the group so we'd be sure to have plenty of time to walk around the site. I love a museum as well or better than the next person, but when you have a 5000 year old monument right in front of you, that trumps anything kept under glass.

The heel stone in the foreground is about 250 ft. from the center of the stone circle. It marks the place where the sun rises on the summer solstice when viewed from the center of the circle.

As we walked around Stonehenge, it created more questions than answers. Geologically, this was not the right place to build a monument like this. The nearest source of the largest sarsen stones is 15 miles away. Imagine a culture that doesn't even have the wheel or metal tools trying to quarry, dress, and move these 20 to 30 ton stones. And the blue stones placed inside the circle are from Wales, 125 miles away. 

We have no evidence that the builders of the henge had written language. But they must have had some form of mathematics since they recorded the length of daylight long enough to recognize the cyclical nature of the seasons and mark the solstices and equinoxes. 

There are a number of missing stones, probably scavenged over the centuries for building material. Notice the tenon joint at the top of the tallest stone. The builders connected stone with the same principles of joinery that carpenters use with wood. 

Who dreamed up the plan to construct Stonehenge? What was its purpose? It was likely built in stages and was the work of generations. Whatever inspired it must have been a grand idea, something to catch the imagination of a huge number of people, and keep them working at it even after the original designers were gone.  

"O! To be in England now that spring is here!" Beautiful fields of blooming rape seed, which is used to make canola oil. Both the countryside and the towns we saw are clean and refuse-free. It was a treat not to see garbage in the streets or angry spikes of graffiti and tagging on public buildings.

Sorry about the reflections...

We passed through Salisbury both ways and caught glimpses of the spire of the twelfth century Salisbury Cathedral. The story of its building is also included in the Sarum novel. 

Some people look at the incredible churches and cathedrals and the art and ornamentation that goes into them and they complain that instead of building, the church could've fed, clothed and housed so many.

I would argue that they did. If a town was chosen to be a cathedral city, it meant full employment for the area for the next 100 years. Giving people purpose and the dignity of work is better than hand outs.

I so want to actually visit this cathedral someday instead of just driving by it. I've been told it's relatively plain inside, but it's been sanctified by 100's of years of worship and prayer. Just being in that space would be a wonderful experience.

Kristy, the DH and me after our big World Cruise Photo. If I can get a copy of the picture of the crew and passengers that was taken on the bow. It was quite a trick to arrange several hundred people for a photo op. 

Kristy, our resident nightowl, snapped this photo of the Spinnaker Sail as we were leaving Portsmouth. The rest of us were all asnooze, but fortunately, she spotted this iconic symbol of the port city. 

Day 116 ~ On a Slow Boat to Portsmouth

May 5, 2022

Somewhere in the 50's for temperature. This has been predominately a cool weather cruise.

"My purpose for travel is to make myself anxious to return home."
~ Violet, the Dowager Countess Grantham

 

As part of our tour of "last things" we went back to Mamsen's in the Explorer's Lounge for some of their scrumptious Norwegian waffles. The combination of uncounted carbs with goat cheese, sour cream and fresh berries is a winner every time! Plus Mamsen's has the best coffee on the ship. The rest is all Starbuck's bitter and no amount of sweetener seems to expunge the acrid taste. We've started ordering cappuccinos and lattes in the World Cafe and The Restaurant. One of the attendants in Mamsen's confessed that they have a different blend of coffee from all the other venues. 

We can tell.

We had another choir practice in Torshavn, squeezed in at noon. Honestly, I don't know when Katie, our cruise director either eats or sleeps. She is indefatigable--the first time since watching Horatio Hornblower that word has seemed apt to me. The entire crew never stops trying to deliver delight to us. And the leadership models that behavior they want to see every step. 

We seem to be in a major shipping lane. We meet cargo boats, naval vessels and the occasional intrepid sailboat out of sight of land. The Atlantic is pretty...well, pacific right now, but I'm not giving up my patch until we leave Bergen. 

Everyone seems to be thinking homeward thoughts as we head toward our last two ports of call before Bergen. Lots of our fellow passengers are disembarking in London. We probably should have planned on that too because it's so much easier to fly to the States from there.  We'd only have changed planes once if we'd been coming from London. From Bergen, we fly to Copenhagen, then catch a long haul to Chicago and finally from there to St. Louis where we'll stay overnight before driving 4 1/2 hours home. 

We just couldn't resist getting a couple more days on the beautiful Viking Star. 

Day 115 ~ Sailing the Bay of Biscay

 May 4, 2022

48 degrees when I stepped out onto the balcony before breakfast. Brrrr! I knew I'd miss Egypt's heat eventually.

“When I forget how talented God is, I look to the sea.” – Whoopi Goldberg

Thank you, Whoopi. This voyage has been a faith-building venture. Between the Bible in a Year app the DH and I are working through and our weekly on board church services, I've been constantly reminded of God's protection and care. Plus, I never tire of the color blue and God must like it, too, or He wouldn't have made so much of it.

Today we're sailing north through the Bay of Biscay, the body of water directly west of France. At times, it's supposed to be quite riotous, but it's fairly calm now. Plus my scopolamine patch is working like a trooper! 

The Viking Choir squeezing in another rehearsal! Our regular space in the Explorer's Lounge was too full of other cruisers for us to commandeer it. Ditto the Winter Garden and Torshavn. So we shoehorned ourselves into the green room backstage in the Star Theater! The pretty young lady on the right is Katie, our cruise director and choir director!

We're just a week from disembarkation, less for the folks getting off in London. So it's time for a number of "last things." One is the farewell show that will feature all the entertainment staff and the passenger choir. We're singing "World in Union," and a haunting Scottish drinking song called "The Parting Glass." In each case, we'll have support from the pros, which eases my mind considerably. "The Parting Glass" in particular is very Celtic in its fluid melodies and rhythms and doesn't lend itself easily to choral singing. Fortunately, the pros will take the verses and we'll join in on the chorus.  

Dancing with the Viking Stars!

In the afternoon, we had a special Dancing with the Viking Star show. Several volunteers have partnered up with staff to work on the Charleston, rhumba, salsa, and who knows what. It was judged by a panel of three headed up by Captain Lars who gave everyone double 10's! 

"Tell me about it, stud!" My new friend Candyce teamed up with Daniel to do a rousing "You're the One That I Want" from Grease! 

This is the first time in Viking cruises history that two entertainment teams have been on board at the same time. Daniel, Jack, Beth and Poppy have been joined by four new singers. Along with Sarah-Leanne and Damian, our assistant cruise directors, and Katie, they pulled together an incredible musical revue for the evening show. Damian's rendition of Judas' aria from Jesus Christ Superstar was a definite highlight. This is a role he's performed to acclaim and several awards. If a show is only as strong as its villain, it must have been gangbusters performance. Poppy's "Defying Gravity" from Wicked was also riveting.  By contrast with these two, the new singers seem terribly young and untried. I suspect it's their first contract, so we'll cut them some slack while they find their feet. 

More soon...

 

Day 114 ~ Porto, Portugal

May 3, 2022

70 degrees and sunny. We have been so blessed with good weather for lion's share this voyage!  

“Portuguese is cheerful and sweet, like a language of birds.” – Paulo Rónai

Our guide today wouldn't agree with this quote. She claimed often that her countrymen are "tough cookies" for whom profanity is the true mother tongue. She warned us not to be shocked by how often we'd hear the F-bomb dropped, but honestly, I didn't hear a bit of it as we explored the old section of Porto.

The River D'Oro (River of Gold) divides the Old Town from Gaia, the bedroom community on the opposite bank that sprang up because it's too expensive for most to live in the Old Town. Notice one of the seven bridges the city boasts in the background.

A Victorian train station that only services trains to France now. The murals on the walls are actually millions of hand-painted tiles!

The marriage of King John I and Phillipa of Lancaster (sister of King Henry IV of England) in 1387 was the start of a long and fruitful relationship between Portugal and England. Portugal leaned heavily on its English ally in its many dust-ups with neighboring Spain.

This imposing fellow in the center of the scene is Prince Henry the Navigator, 3rd surviving son of King John and Queen Phillipa. Never in direct line to the throne, he nevertheless influenced the fortunes of Portugal more than any sitting king.

I remember learning about Henry the Navigator when I was in grade school. We studied all the early explorers, but Prince Henry was different from...say,...Magellan or Columbus. He stayed home and made it possible for others to explore more easily. He helped develop newer, lighter and more maneuverable ships. He donated houses to bring together experts in all the sciences of the day--grammar, logic, rhetoric, arithmetic, astronomy, and music (yes! Music was considered a science!)--to form the backbone of a university. Cartography was a passion of his and he supported mapmakers on every journey.

The DH and Dave checking out the quaint architecture of Old Town.

Our guide told us an odd story about a connection between JK Rowling and Porto. Apparently, the author lived in Portugal for a while, and worked as a waitress in one of the restaurants there while she wrote the first three chapters of Harry Potter and drafted the rest of the first novel in the series. 

According to our guide, the black capes and crimson hats worn by graduating college students were inspiration for the uniforms at Hogwarts! 

Today was graduation day, so we saw many young people decked out like young wizards and witches.  (Frankly, I'd love to have a hat like that, but don't know how I'd pack it so it wasn't ruined by the time we get home...) 

Porto is a city of 7 bridges that span the River D'oro. Here's another one:

We walked across the top level of this bridge, sharing the space with their subway train that ran in both directions down the middle of the space. It disappeared underground at the far end of the bridge. 

We had to ride a bus from the port to our starting point for the walking tour and then it was a very up and down day. I'm pretty good on level surfaces, but add an incline or decline to cobbles and uneven pavement, and it becomes a slog. In fact, one of our group caught a toe on the pavement and very nearly went tail-over-teakettle. Fortunately, she managed to stay upright, but not before stumbling forward about eight feet in staggering steps. She could've been badly hurt if she hadn't been able to stop herself. 

In our demographic, that sort of thing can ruin your whole day... 

I don't know why the door to the cathedral known as the Se was flanked by two of these serpents. But I looked around half expecting to see St. George ready to pop out and slay them. We've seen at least one representation of St. George and the Dragon in every Mediterranean port. Oh! Perhaps this was the inspiration for JK Rowling's basilisk in one of the later Potter books? 

More soon

Day 111, 112 & 113 ~ A Fake Sea Day, a Sickie Land Day, & Another Sea Day

 April 30-May 2, 2022

60's, windy with a lying sun--it doesn't warm nearly as much as it promises.

Seasickness: at first you are so sick you are afraid you will die, and then you are so sick you are afraid you won't die. — Mark Twain

We had an overnight in Barcelona and could've disembarked for another adventure ashore today, but all the ship's excursions were full and we're less brave about private exploration than we used to be. Besides, the Star was scheduled to leave port a little after noon. So we declared a fake sea day, and used the morning to do some laundry, claiming our machines very early because the launderette becomes a popular place later in the morning. 

While we lingered over breakfast on the fantail, we watched the MSC Firenze do a pirouette and back into her berth v-e-r-y  s-l-o-w-l-y. With three cruise ships in port (The Royal Caribbean Wonder of the Seas, a massive vessel that holds over 10K people guests and crew was tied up just ahead of us), a Spanish naval station, a sub station and a working container port, things are a bit tight in this little stretch of water. 

Later, we were so glad we stayed aboard. For the first time on this voyage, our cruise director Katie called over the ship's speaker system for a certain passenger from a certain stateroom number to contact guest services immediately. She did it twice. 

Generally, this means the person has either not returned to the ship or somehow they weren't checked in properly by ship's security at the gangway. We haven't heard which it was, but if they weren't accidentally allowed on without having their ship's card scanned, we sailed away without them. In these cases, the person's passport is given to the Viking agent on shore and is returned to the guest when they arrive at the port. They are responsible for their own travel, lodging and food until they can meet the ship at the next port of call, which in our case will be Porto, Portugal on May 3rd. 

What a nightmare. 

Whoever they are, I wish them well. I pray nothing bad happened to them ashore. It's so easy to trip and fall and end up in hospital like one lady did at the pyramids in Egypt. And if this person was wandering by themselves, would they have received the help they needed in a city where they didn't speak the language?

Given the demographic of longer cruises, cruise companies expect to lose a few guests during the voyage, though not because they miss the sail away. We are older, sicker, and less fit than cruisers on two week jaunts. Two have died on the Star, during this voyage, both suddenly of medical problems they boarded with. Which says to me that they likely would've died at home if they hadn't been here. It's terrible for the partner who's left, but for the one who disembarks before the rest of us, at least they were doing something they loved to the end.   

Then in the night as we sailed toward Murcia, Spain, the Star began to shimmy, just a constant little jiggled because we were cruising almost directly south while the waves were running east to west. I hadn't been wearing a patch for a long time, though I was expecting to put one on before we reached the Atlantic Ocean. 

This turned out to be a mistake. Even though I rose at about 2 AM to put one on, it  was too late. I became very sea sick. And as Mr. Twain suggests, it's a situation to make one pray for death!  

Murcia breakwater

I felt too weak to go on the excursion we had planned for Murcia, so we stayed on board, hybernating in our cabin. We binge-watched Downton Abbey and called out for room service when I felt like eating again. By the time supper rolled along, I was feeling up to joining our friends in The Restaurant.

The Rock of Gibraltar rising from the mists of the sea...

The mountains of Morocco off our port side. Someday I hope to visit more of Africa... 

Then after my sick day, we had another sea day, but it wasn't the usual lay-about schedule. Since Katie, our new cruise director, came we've been having choir practice and today the passenger talent show was this afternoon. So we had a rehearsal at 1:00, the show at 2:00. The DH and I opted not to do a solo act and instead sang with the choir. We did The Rose, Somewhere from West Side Story, and a riotous What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor!

A good time was had by all.

Roger and David are in the foreground, our new Aussie friends!

Then at 5:30 we sang Great is Thy Faithfulness for our friends Roger and David's 21st anniversary party. They've been instrumental in organizing our weekly church services, arranging for different people to speak and help out with the readings and such. They are lovely people and we've enjoyed getting to know them. 

Then Katie did a solo show at the Star Theatre last night, showcasing her talents at singing, dancing and comedy. She's a firecracker of a performer and a delightful person. 

More soon...