Astoria and First Night Aboard

Yesterday was great. Letreze delivered me to JAX with time to spare. The flight to Laguardia was swift and seamless AND my seat mate was pleasant . 

Ceceila offered to pick me at airport to save me cab fare. By the time we connected outside of baggage claim, she had circled the terminal so many times, she put close to 20 miles on the car!  Her opening remarks to me as I slid into the seat: "You look great and next time you're taking a cab!"

Spend the afternoon catching up with her and Dom's activites. Sheila came by about 5 to take me to dinner. We walked to Astoria Park and along the East River and I experienced the skyline framed by the Hells Gate and Triborough bridges at dusk!

 

Then we strolled through the park to see the historic Astoria Swimming Pool and Diving Pool. Both drained now.

All this walking convinced Sheila I had earned my dinner, so we ate parkside at Aganati, a wonderful Greek restaurant where I had broiled calamari and this pita bread dip made of carp roe!!

 Then we walked back to Ceceilia and Dom's where we chatted for a while longer before I crashed.

This morning, the car service took me to Queen Mary 2 and I boarded with no problem. Had a minor fright when one bag didn't get to cabin, but when I went down to Purser's Office, they had it - the tag had fallen off. 

Miss Liberty and the skyline still "get" to me on an unexplained emotional level! 

My cabin is nice but I have never stayed in an inside one before and I already miss the outside view. Plus, it's in the front of the ship so it rolls more than I'm used to from the aft cabins I've had previously. 

My cabin steward is Dona who has a great personality, but my used glasses were not taken out while I was at dinner!! I am too spoiled by White Star sevice! 

I've met nice folks so far: Mary and John from Kent in UK, two sisters from Elon, NC and Gainesville, FL, a mother and daughter from upstate NY. 

My table mates are Kevin (owned 4 Irish bars in Bronx and Brooklyn during past 40 years), Gabrielle from Munich, Barbara, Darby and Zach from Albuquerque (they raise and show horses). Dinner table is a very good mix! Discussion topics included Jamieson whiskey, bar/pub, pediatric oncology, ER care, Special Olympic equestrian events, training police horses, clam chowder, cold soup, online education, NCIS and JAG Corps, trailering horses cross country and tea preferences.

Rosyln is not aboard, her holiday does not end until Oct 17, according to her former roommate Monica. I was sitting at dinner when Oliver Lao sat the three New Mexicans who had gotten lost. I was very flattered when he looked up and recognized me!