June Crossings - After Thoughts

I've been home a week and am fascinated how easily I slipped back into my normal (whatever that is) pattern of life: walking, quilting, knitting, visiting, reading, cooking and socializing. It's like I never took a trip at all. I'm wondering if that's a good or bad response, and, truthfully, not really caring enough to cogitate it on for very long.

Reflecting on the voyage, I considered a remark I over heard about the ship being a setting for people in serious relationships based on all the hand-holding the speaker observed. It resonated with me as I reviewed the pictures I included in my posts and realized how many happy, tender couples were depicted. 


Hand-holding was not limited to the young ones folks on board. (I tried to snap a shot these two dancing but I never quite got the right angle.)

One of the most touching instances of tenderness and togetherness occurred when the couple across from me read the same book simultaneously. (I snapped the shot as surreptitiously
as possible.)


One of the aspects of Cunard Queens that I relish is the prevalence of places around the ships where passengers can read or chat without hordes of people nearby, (Not something I found common on the other cruise lines I've used.) and a strong reason why I keep coming back to these ships.

I was asked the other day why I kept taking Crossings as they go nowhere. I love the relaxed, unstressed atmosphere aboard when no one has deadlines other than listening to a lecture or attending a meal. I can feel tenseness when in port as staff are rushed to complete tasks and handle guests. Plus, I just like being on the water. I've written this before - being at sea calms me while simultaneously exciting my imagination. I listen to the susuration of the calm ocean while sitting on my balcony or walking the deck and every stress I have vanishes with the sound. I look out at the Atlantic, stretching from horizon to horizon and wonder about the various creatures that dwell below her surface. I'm awed and humbled by the passion and courage of wooden ship sailors when my senses deal with gale force wind-driven waves surging against the hull and slapping the windows of this 21st century ocean liner: how driven they must have been to cross the North Atlantic in ships the size of this one's smaller dining room! 

Non-crossings do not seem to me to offer these same opportunities as I'm always getting off the ship to look at something. I like doing that, don't get me wrong; but sometimes, I just need to take a boat ride! 

June 2017 Crossing Day 16 - Back in USA

Woke just as Queen Mary coasted under Verrazanno Narrows Bridge. Breakfasted alone. Hugged Chris and Tim farewell. Got a hug from Richard and a hand crush from Birt who was busy omelette-making. Thought about phoning Sheila, refrained. Went to meet Joel 30 minutes early. He showed up 5 minutes later, so we left. Breezed through Immigration. Caught cab driven by the world's most loquacious Russian immigrant from Minsk. Even Joel couldn't keep up in talking. He kind of grimaced as he exited the cab at American and left me to my own devices for the final leg to Terminal C.
Delta check-in was flawless. Only teensy tickle, I was so early that my fligtht was not even logged into computer yet, so I had to check in at counter! No problem. Now I'm in the Sky Club, sipping a complimentary
Mimosa and reading a book. Having a good day.

Sheila texted: her luggage handle broke just as she was opening the door to her building! The karmic response, she was able to watch her despised landlord get a parking ticket from a metro cop who scanned his tag as Sheila watched. She actually giggled!!

I'm on my second Mimosa when I hear "Neve Campbell. Ms. Neve Campbell, please come to main desk." over the Sky Club PA system. I think,. "Could it really be her?" And son-of-a-gun, she walks right in front of me. In true New Yorker fashion, not one person in the lounge area even looked up, except me! I immediately called Sheila to tell ehr she was 100% correct in her stories of the rich and famous being almost anonymous in The Big Apple! She giggled, again!!

Flight was great. I finished my book. AND met a million mile Delta flier. He sat near me and was feted by the crew and the captain (who left the cockpit to greet him); he was bemused by the whole thing. My internal reaction questioned the positive nature of accruing a million air miles - he must never be home!

Letreze picked me up with good news - Robert is settling in and her new arthritis medication is proving very successful - she has no more pain, just a bit of stiffness.

I unpacked and admired the necklace/earrings I purchased in Halifax - wonderful cruise jewelry.One of the reasons I so enjoy Cunard is that I can dress up for dinner every night and show off some of the "jewels" I have accumulated over the years. I've worn my pearls each trip I've taken (knowing Mom and Jeff are enjoying my enjoyment of them) at least once.

Even as I write about my pleasure in getting gussied up, I am sitting in jean shorts and an old shirt loving that I have nowhere to be and nothing important to accomplish.
Traveling is wonderful, coming home is even more so.

June 2017 Crossing Day 15

I met Sheila for breakfast (She was as exhausted as I'd anticipated, though the reason was not the severity of the terrain but the voluminous number of insects that accosted the hikers and the heat!) Had my final holiday omelette made by Birt, kidded with Richard and went off to read for a bit, then remembered I needed to convert UK and Canadian currencies to American and down I went to Purser's Office. 

Rob Bayley (balloonist) lectured on his real job as a BBC producer. Among his programs is the UK version of Antiques Roadshow. If the Americans are anything like the Brits, the behind the scenes finagling and arguing and complaining is flabbergasting! Staid grandmotherly types become very agitated when a family relic has less value than they imagined. An entertaining hour.

I declined hearing about submarines in the Cold war in favor of tea/brunch with Dianne and Scott in Carinthia. Waiting for them, I chatted with Gwendolyn from Sussex about our appreciation for Turner. I have no idea how we got onto the topic!

Brunch was good. Conversation was excellent. Scott had given Dianne a bracelet with a shield-like dangle. When she shared that this symbolized their love and God's love protecting her from further illness, I suggested she look up aegis, which I thought closer to the meaning she was seeking than shield. 

After three attempts, I finally got my boarding pass printed!! Then I sat on my balcony enjoying the calm seas, the sunshine and the warm breezes. 

After packing, I lunched with Lael who has just retired as a U.S. Senate secretary; unassigned to a specific senator, she was a free-lancer who substituted for ailing secretaries. What an exciting but potentially pitfall career. 

Christine Roussel gave a wonderful talk on the State of Liberty as her company worked on the latest renovation for more than 2 years!

When I returned to 8077 to get my knitting, a phone message from Chris and Tim inviting me to join them and Sheila for the champagne tea in Queen's Room. Scrapping knitting, off I went. When the tea ended, we moved to Carinthia and continued for more than hour. 

Suddenly it's time for dinner!! Sheila does not do Last Night dinner, ever, she hates saying goodbye and "needs to get back in New York frame of mind," so I had the guys to myself. I splurged on a bottle of Sancerre (at Ekaterina's suggestion...our sommelier) after all I'd been drinking their wine for several nights. They all were stunned when I ordered it.

I'm meeting Joel at 7:30 to cab it to LaGuardia. Daniel and Ayward hugged me good bye and now I'm finishing packing, a bit concerned I'll be over the luggage limit and have to pay, but nada I can do about it now. Unlike Sheila, I can't just give away clothing. 

Tomorrow I won't post. I'm taking a day to ponder what I've learned and discovered before I write the final chapter of the crossing. Tomorrow night I'll be asleep in my bed at 4606. Sigh of joy.

June 2017 Crossing Halifax, Nova Scotia

Excellent day which began with breakfast with Monique.  Checked in with tour desk and waited in Royal Court for tour where I met up with Dianne and Scott. Ivy was our guide and ship's representative; cute girl but first time leading a tour, normally a waitress in Queen's Grill.

Short stroll down the embankment to our schooner, Silva, we passed the Amerigo Vespucci just arrived from Malaga the day before on training cruise for Italian Navy, a gorgeous square -rigged barkentine. QM2 docked right behind her!

Silva gave us a wonderful sail of a bit more than 2 hours in the bright, warm sunshine of an unusually summer day in The Maritimes.

Scott got to exercise his inner sailor as he helped raise the sheets.

I just reveled in the fresh breeze and the everyday sights of a working harbor, including tugs and kayakers and cormorants.

After our Tall Ship sail, Dianne and Scott and I walked the boardwalk to Murphy's for superb seafood chowder and even better calamari accompanied by a Molson's.


Afterward, we strolled to Cow's, a famous ice creamery where I had the most fabulous Prince Edward Island blueberry ice cream!!!

Walking back to QM2, Dianne asked if I'd lost my earrings as she pointed at something on the ground. A construction worker picked up these iron links and handed them to me as a "souvenir of Halifax" which I dumped in a trash can as soon as I rounded the corner laughing all the way.

We stopped to watch a glass blower create a vase. I'm awed by the delicacy required as well as the strength.

 Halifax has few trees, but lots and lots of flowers!

Even the tugboats here have distinct personalities.

 Back on board QM2, I collapsed as I walked about 4 miles in heat I was unprepared for. I discovered the somewhere along the way, I'd lost my clip-on tracker. Time for a new one or to just bring the iPhone with me where ever I go. 

Sheila never showed for dinner. I presumed she was exhausted after her McNab's Island hike but it was too late to call her. She does not appreciate being wakened abruptly; no one does. Dinner was good, as usual. We traded addresses, though I do not anticipate any communication with the/ gentlemen. The show did not appeal to me, so I went to 8077 to begin pre-packing for home.

June Crossing 2017 Day 13

Began today with breakfast from room service. How decadent to eat watching the North Atlantic slip by my window. I stayed inside as it was too cold and windy for the balcony but the sunshine was appreciated.

Read a bit, got my stuff together for the Tall Ships Tour tomorrow in Halifax. I am praying for warmer weather as I did not anticipate being aboard a saling ship in Halifax Harbor and only brought a light jacket. Layering wil be the name of the game, so I am getting clothes ready.

When I went down to Connections to post, I got to meet Mervyn Wheatley, the rescued yachtsman. He is charming and I am eager to hear his story. 

Met Sheila, Tim and Chris when I walked through Carinthia on my way to a cup of tea, stayed and chatted until we decided to head downstairs to secure seats for the Captain and the rescuee's Q&A session, which is sure to be mobbed. 

Good thing I got there 30 minutes early as I was able to grab seats in the back of the theater which already nearing capacity. By the time the program started, the staff had relocated folks to the other theater and arranged simulcasting of the event.

Illuminating Q&A. I had no real grip on the difficulties of rescuing someone while at sea. Wheatley's initial offer came from that massive container ship whose captain radioed they were ready to help they just needed to suggest how he board the ship! When the behemoth came within 30 meters of him, he began to worry. Wheatley told us as he was trying to decide what to do, the Canadian Hercules pilot radioed that Queen Mary 2 was about 10 hours away, so he decided to stay aboard Tamarind until we arrived. His explanation: he was in no shape to make a plan, he wanted someone else to just tell him what to do. After he told the pilot and the container ship his decision, he strapped himself in to the bunk and slept until he was awakened when Tamarind turtled and he found himself in a cabin full of sea water. The ship righted herself but all the electronics were kaput. He used a hand pump to drain most of the water from the cabin, got the EPURB signal working and waited for us to arrive, which we did in less than 9 hours. 

The rescue boat was lowered, gathering Wheatley, who pulled the sea cocks scuttling Tamarind, which he compared to mercy-killing a member of his family as he's been sailing her for more than 20 years.When guests were invited to ask questions, two stood out for me. One, when asked what was in the bag he threw onto QM2, Wheatley responded, "These clothes, passport, phone and the EPURB as the company loaning them to the racers had required a safety deposit of #1,000 in case on non-return." Our captain quipped, "And a credit card, I hope." The audience and Wheatley roared! The second question was how headquarters had responded when they heard of our rescue attempt. Captain Wells answered, "If you mean did I have to ask permission to take QM2  off course, the answer is no. I am the authority on board and it is my decision taking into account the safety of my ship crew and passengers. Headquarters are informed after I make my decision."

After this session, the four of us lunched at Verandah, the posh exclusive restaurant. I had marvelous scallop minestrone and some thing called mille fieulle (basically chocolate parfait). Wonderful but I'd rather be eating/in The Court or Britannia. 

Never got to knitting as Jeff Tall gave his final lecture on the first half-century of the Royal Navy submarine service. I have no need to research when I get home about WWI subs!!!

Spent a delight tea with Mary and \tom from Augusta, GA learning all about the new communications center being built near Fort Ord which seems likely to become the nerve center for all things military communications, according to Mary.

Sat with Joel at cocktail party tonight, learning about his Jack Russell terriers and his HR job in Dallas We decided to share cab to LaGuardia.. 

Dinner was great. All three men were entertaining. Sheila was her usual witty, sophisticated self. We all wondered where Irene was and if she was okay. 

I have no idea where they day went, but suddenly it's time for bed! 

June 2017 Crossing Day 12

Another quiet morning at sea. No storms. Calm seas and little wind. Cloudy until very late this afternoon. Now the weather report is over, it's been a typical Sunday...reading, talking and listening in between deck walking. 

A lecture on tanzanite revealed how little I know about fine jewels which actually seems to be a kind of blessing. Some of the others seated there were so eager to know about this African gem that they nearly bristled with enthusiasm. I wonder what it says about me that I am just not into gemstones? 

Who would have thought sea shanty singing would be so popular? I'm thinking it's because most of the time we passengers are quiet, this is not exactly a raucous ship, yet for the brief passage of this activity a few dozen people let loose their booming (if not much coordinated) voices. What a cathartic experience! Reminds me of the wonderful release before a tense moment of a primal scream.

"Ballooning Across London" was not as stimulating as Bayley's previous lectures. Nonetheless I enjoyed it. Beginning in 1992, he's been part of 7 balloonings over the city. Acquiring consent and permission is time-consuming and difficult as the ascents must be made before the two airports serving London get really busy. Also the balloons must stay between 1,00 and 2,500 meters above the streets. A further complication is that the permissions must be open-ended as to location, since the take-off sites are unknown until the last minute due to prevailing winds. The photo of Rob's balloon sailing past The Shard was wonderful.  In the past few years, this annual event has become a charity fund raider for the Lord Mayor's Fund and has earned the title "London's Balloon Regatta" and frequently involves 50-60 balloons. I was amused by his recounting of the 2016 takeoff from the grounds near HMS Wormwood Scrubs, a penitentiary whose name even most Americans recognized, and the angst some of the balloonists felt at free sailing over the prisoners. 

I lunched with Dianne and Scott in the Golden Lion Pub and finally had fish and chips. Good though the "chips" (French Fries) were blah compared to the ones at Brooklyn Diner and I found I do not like mushy peas. UGH. I tried a drink called Atlantic Mist containing cranberry juice, freshly squeezed lemon and lime juices and ginger beer.   Extremely refreshing and an excellent counterpoint to the fish and fries.

I missed Mrs. Roussel's talk on the art of Central Park as I was chatting with Dianne and Scott, turns out he is a Canadian NASCAR official who often travels to the USA, though his specialty is dirt-track racing. 

Suddenly it was 3 PM and time for knitting. It's going to be tight to satisfy my goal of ten baby hats during the cruise. I knit in the moments when I'm waiting for a lecture or activity to begin. This morning I chatted with the gentleman seated next to me as we were waiting for Rob Bayley's lecture to begin, then several hours later as he walked by, he quipped, "What! Not finished yet?" 

I watched a thoroughly delightful British film called The Golden Years about a group of retirees who lose their pensions due to fraud at their respective companies and decide to steal back their money. It reminded me of the recent Morgan Freeman, Alan Arkin US film  with the same plot. Perhaps the film industry is realizing the economic realities of older folks!!

I got my Canadian money for Tuesday's excursions into Halifax. Speaking of which, I was annoyed to read a flyer for "last minute tours sale" which announced my tour at $10 less than I paid, with no offer of refund from the Tour Office! Sigh. 

At tonight's cocktail party while sitting with Monique and Sheila, I quipped with Captain Wells; when he noted that one glass of wine a day was good for his health,  I asked about the of the size of the glass. He chuckled. I've never heard him laugh before. 

Speaking of the captain, tomorrow he and the former Royal Marine we rescued yesterday are doing a Q&A. I'm going to try to make it but I expect I'll have to get there really early as the place will be packed, not simply to hear the rescued sailor but also because Chris Wells never opens up about himself, ever. 

We had a full complement at dinner tonight. Though Sheila is still not up to par, she came for coffee. This group makes me look forward to dinner every night. 

A very good day, but I am ready to be home.  How could anyone enjoy being aboard ship for an entire World Voyage? I'd go nuts.

June 2017 Crossing Day 11

Weather report: a bit chilly but not too much wind and mild seas. Decks are open, so I walked for a while - twice around Deck 7 is one mile. 

Captain Wells announced about 8 AM that in the middle of the night Falmouth, Nova Scotia Sea/Air Rescue had contacted QM2 asking for assistance in locating and saving a stranded yachtsman. This was the reason we had turned south and were now 250 miles off regular course joining a rescue attempt with a Liberian oil tanker, an Italian car carrier and a Hercules airplane from Falmouth Base. The skies were a bit cloudy but no fog.

I watched a. bit of fencing and chatted with Sheila/ who has the Cunard Croup and is feeling sluggish and grumpy. The croup occurs every so often to folks who never venture outside but breathe recycled air for days on end!

A couple of hours later, Well announced we were within 18 miles of the yacht's last reported position and crew members were on the port decks with binoculars. A bit later the cry of "There he is!" echoed throughout the ship. I was standing in the corridor and snapped a shot through the window as passengers were asked to stay off the deck walkways until the situation had been resolved. 

About an hour later, the Captain announced the completed rescue of the solo sailor and the scuttling of the broken yacht as the man had opened the sea cocks to allow the boat to sink. The Hercules flew circles around us while the car carrier hovered less than a mile away, just in case. It was exciting! Sheila was in the Lower Deck 3 corridor when the yacht slammed against the our hull as the man was being taken aboard. No wonder all passengers were asked to off decks. I wondered why we didn't launch a tender so the yacht never had to come close to the ship, no one could answer my question. The yacht Tamarind was in an annual Royal Western Yacht race. 

Late lunch with Scott and Dianne. We were all speculating about the rescue.  Here's a link so you can review the specifics of the yacht and her sailor from the London Daily Mirror story. 

Bayley's second balloon lecture was about extreme ballooning and the people he referred to as "balloonatics." My favorite four anecdotes included the brothers who attempted to tightrope walk between two balloons and the balloon that got caught on a construction girder. The third story described the man who flew a one-man balloon (a hopper) into a cave in Croatia so he could be the first ever to prove you could balloon in a cave. He basically went down 206 meters into a dry cenote hovered for a bit then went up again; whole deal lasted about 25 minutes, but, hey, he garnered the recognition he craved.  The final story involved a Russian Orthodox priest who had ballooned around the world (11 days), across the Arctic (4 days) and across Antarctica (5 days) ... each a solo endeavor.

I skipped the Faberge lecture and the submarine war in the Pacific talk. The crew's boat drill was cancelled as the real thing occurred. Chatted with Paul and Janet Sinclair from our late night rendezvous in Kings Court.

YoYo gave an enlightening and instructive talk on the meaning of the various stateroom codes so we could refine our future stateroom requests. It included details such as which balcony cabin never got an direct sunlight due to overhangs above and which rooms were the recipients of kitchen smells, of rock band music from the disco, of rumblings from the elevators or of wind noise.

Enjoyed afternoon tea with Sheila, Diane and Carol.  Declined seeing the film about the witches and wizards operating in the underground NYC culture. 

Had a pre-dinner drink while listening to Fiona McGee on the harp. Soothing music, though I wish she'd played Greensleeves! perhaps I'll request it if she plays again before we dock. 

Speaking of docking, Captain Wells assures us that despite our  rescue detour, we will arrive in Halifax on time. No further big storms are on the radar scope and the wind is with us. His announcement reminded me I need to acquire Canadian money tomorrow.

Dinner was Sheila, Daniel, Aywood and myself.  I received an email from Rosemary apologizing for not saying goodbye last week and wishing us well. I am continually awed by how quickly folk become attached just because you share a dinner table. 

Enjoyed the Big Band night orchestra until the ghastly adenoidal singer returned and I retreated to 8077.

A full day. Heading for the sheets.

June 2017 Crossing Day 10

Yet, again, gray, misty, cold and windy. Welcome to the North Atlantic. 

Breakfasted with Phil and Susan from Russell, "just up the lane from Blackpool."

Took my tea (I've developed a taste for Golden Darjeeling) into Carinthia to write and post blog entry. Tim, then Chris, sat down and we chatted for more than an hour. Enlivening. Conversation ranged from a potential on-line book club dedicated to re-reading the literary canon (Only possible in 15 months when Tim retires from U Penn) to My Mother, The Car and Spring Byington's career. Chris noted he'd seen Joel as he does look a lot like Stephen Root.  Sheila joined us at the end. I headed out to a Battle of the Atlantic lecture.

Commander Jeff Tall must have been Hell on wheels during WWII if his passion for his subject is any indication. His PowerPoint was loaded with personal images, anecdotes and Royal Navy news clips that brought the U-boat vs surface ship contest into sharp relief. I had no idea how disastrous 1942 and early 1943 were for shipping until we Americans FINALLY decided to embrace the concept of convoy. How stupidly arrogant of the Navy C-in-C to refuse to allow "dammed Limeys" to tell him how to protect his ships...Imagine! They'd only been the greatest sea power of the planet for centuries. How could they possibly know what they were doing? His next talk is on submarines in the Pacific. I may hear him again.

I missed Sheila learning to tap dance as I wanted to hear Christine Roussel speak on the art of the Rockefeller Center. It was astounding. Later in the day, I introduced myself and shared how much I enjoyed but was mortified by her lecture. I have been to the Center more than once but must have been asleep to have missed the works she discussed. I mean, how did I not see an 80 foot mosaic depicting the oral and written transmission of ideas??? I was stunned to discover an enormous Diego Rivera mural was destroyed because the political artist inserted a tiny image of Lenin and refused to remove it! I want to see the Channel Gardens, so named as they are between the British and French collection buildings.

Sea Shanty singing was hysterical. None of us had better quit our day jobs. I knew more than I anticipated, undoubtedly a result of growing up near Boston, Salem, Gloucester and Rockport!

I went for the DixieLand Jazz lunch but the lounge was packed, so sat on a hallway bench with Tim and Chris chatting about passengers and making tacky remarks concerning their possible professions and avocations. I adore people watching.

Chatted for a bit with Dianne and Scott, discovering she has stage 4 melanoma and is not expected to live for very long, despite being in a clinical trial which seems to be successful. between she and Jackie (from previous crossing) my thoughts on socialized medicine are dimming rapidly. Our systems is break-your-bank expensive but we do receive superb care. I mentioned I was signing up for the Tall Ship Sail Away tour of Halifax Harbor when we reached Nova Scotia, hoping my jacket is sufficient clothing for the weather. Dianne and Scott are also on that tour. After the tour I hope to have enough time to take a cab to Frenchie's Used Clothing, just to see what's there. Sheila is taking the 4 hour walking tour/hike of McNab's Island.

The storm is arriving earlier than expected so Captain Wells just came on the intercom to alert us to much heavier than anticipated weather. He's slowing the ship from 23 to 14 knots to better ease us through 8-10 meter seas. I believe him as when I stopped by my cabin, all the glassware had fallen and most had broken! I went to the library to read while the steward cleaned the cabin carpet.Finishing my 3rd Flavia de Luce novel, I snapped a few pictures of the seas breaking over the bow of QM2, though I missed the couple that sprayed over the radio mast! Amazing! As always when this kind of weather happens, I am awed by the Vikings and later mariners who traversed this ocean in boats the size of this ship's propeller blades!

At tea, I met Diane and Carol, Sheila's long time friends from the QE2 days. Delightful and charming, no wonder she enjoys them so. We met again at the Britannia Cocktail party, which was so unattended due to sea-sickness that I had no wait for my ordered G&T. 







Dinner was a similar experience with Irene and Aywood missing. As we descended the staircase to dinner, Shekti and Kendal waited to escort us to our table, giggling that our table mates had worries yesterday about our absence. Daniel and Joel were charming and amusing. I just have trouble looking Daniel in the eye due his coif, but that's my issue not his. 

After dinner, Sheila and I heard Maria Friedman sing accompanied by Theo Jameson. The pair was marvelous and though the ship was rocking in the swells and the theater is in the bow and the audience was extremely sparse, they put on the entire 90 minute show! The longest ever given! They are heading to New York to cast her new revival of a Sondheim show.  I've never seen a performer walk on stage, raise her gown saying, "Aren't my shoes gorgeous? Excellent! Now I can put on my  Birkenstocks and go on with my show!"

While I enjoyed her tributes to Bernstein and Sondheim, I was forcibly reminded of my musical theater ignorance, especially sitting next to the Sheila. Factoid never known before - Sheila danced with Balanchine when she was a ballerina!!! I wish Mom had known that!!!

We never made it to meet Paul and Janet. I hope they had a good day and were untouched by the ship's movement.

June 2017 Crossing Day 9

Jeez!! Another gray and foggy sea day. I can't really complain as the seas are relatively smooth and the ship is swaying a bit but not rocking.

This morning, I attended what began as an extremely educational and entertaining lecture by Philip Birkenstein on the history of Faberge' but declined into a commercial for the company he and Theo Faberge' (grandson of Carl) have founded to promote Theo's line of the famous eggs, watches, and "affordable luxury" jewelry. The company was commissioned to create a sapphire egg to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's Sapphire Jubilee this year. This egg will be unveiled for the first time here on QM2 tomorrow at 12:30. I am bemused that the unveiling is not in the presence of Her Majesty as it is her egg! Ah, well, the vagaries of commerce are not my bailiwick! I won't be attended his next two talks, I already have too many "special purchase" opportunities aboard.

I forgot to mention yesterday that the wind was blowing steadily so strongly that the ship required actual tugboats to assist the side-thrusters allowing the ship to make her backward curve into the Southampton shipping channel. The tug nearly disappeared under the cruse of QM2's bow.

I attended a fascinating lecture given by Robert Bayley who in 1992 was in the 7th balloon to cross the Atlantic. I had no idea that more people had been on the moon than successfully crossed the Atlantic in a balloon. Hot air ones only stay aloft for several hours, helium ones for a max of three days and it takes a minimum of five days to cross the Atlantic!  One aspect of the lecture that intrigued me was his use of recorded conversations between he and his fellow pilot and the varied aircraft they encountered, including the exchange between themselves and the Concorde pilot who sonic boom rocked their balloon as the plane broke the sound barrier leaving New York!! Plus It never, ever occurred to me a balloon could be becalmed!! Makes sense, but it's still eerie to consider!  

He included a telling graphic of three famous Atlantic crossing balloons (Sir Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic. the USA Double Eagle and finally his own Chrysler Race balloon with Parliament superimposed to give a size relation. Brave does not even begin to describe this man. 

I lunched with a charming couple (Herbert and Evelyn) from Ontario then went to knitting where more than 23 women showed up. Definitely more British knitters than American. 

After I went to learn how to tie a bow  tie. The incorrect site was posted in the program, so I went down to get Tommi in G32 where he'd mentioned during knitting the class would be. He was annoyed but grateful I made the effort. I though, who wouldn't???You know, just in case the need ever arose! Not the most flattering selfies, but I did accomplish the task!! I've included the handout, so you can practice on your own! Note: I was the only female attendee!!!

I sat with Phyllis from Shropshire at tea and we had a delight chat, which she referred to as a "coze." What a wonderful word!!

I passed on dinner, too full and met Sheila after the show in Kings Court where we ran into Paul and Janet again and made a date to end each day there catching up!

June 2017 Crossing Southampton

A glorious day in Southampton. Breezy, sunny and 60 degrees...perfect weather to walk the Titanic Trail. Then the tour was cancelled due to a fire in the Sea Museum! Bummer! No worries, Sheila and I still walked five miles around the town, we just created stories of the histories of the buildings we saw. AND I forgot to charge my phone so no pictures, well, no up close pictures, instead today you get shots from the QM2 Observation deck, 14 stories above the waterline! So here's a sample of the diversity of building ages in this city - from the Middle Ages city wall to 21st century high rise. 

We returned to ship a little after 2, headed to Sir Samuel's for tea. Sitting and sipping, we spied Chris and Tim (from previous crossings) boarding.  A brief catch-up and they left to recover from rush of training it from London to make the crossing back to USA. More people watching...always an entertaining activity...before we headed our separate ways until meeting at 6:30 to view Table 19, a quirky Anna Kendrick film I was sure Sheila would enjoy, despite the NY critics' panning of it a few years ago when I first suggested she see it. 

Stooping by stateroom, I found the crew hard at work outside my balcony. Demonstrating that "sitting the plank" has replaced walking it for Cunard crew.

I went up to the Observation Deck, just beneath the bridge, to watch QM2 leave her berth at Ocean Terminal. I've never done this before. It was interesting. The lines holding her to the pier are enormous but look like strings from so high above the surface.

She had to delay backing out into the channel twice as other ships passed behind her, so the air resounded with an orchestrated cacophony of competing ships' horns as each saluted the other. First was the P&O Arcadia, then a car carrier from Gimaldi lines.

A new British friend walked right up to me on the Observation Deck rail.

I was right. Sheila relished the wit and wordplay of Table 19.  Speaking of creating relationships in a short period of time, she wants me to meet a couple of sisters she has known for years who are aboard this voyage. She is so excited because they have never been on QM2, always traveling on either Elizabeth or Victoria. She tells me I will immediately think of the Pigeon Sisters from The Seven Year Itch!

On way to dinner noticed the new flowers and thought of Jean. 

Dinner was interesting. I didn't take pictures but will tomorrow. Our full table includes an almost too suave and convivial Texan from Dallas  (Joel), an 87 year old Brit who lives in Sherwood Forest (Aywood), a charmingly white-haired widow from "a village in the north" who is on her first solo cruise since her husband passed 2 years ago (Irene) and a Frenchman from Cherbourg who has the most amazing coif I've ever seen (Daniel). Conversation was lively and continuous, so I am hoping no one leaves us like last week. 

Everyone was tired, either from traveling or from walking, so no one lingered. I'd been back in 8077 for about an hour when Sheila phoned asking me to meet her in Kings Court for a cuppa. we sat next to Paul and Janet, "from just north of Manchester" who are on their first trip to America and can't agree on how to spend their time: shopping or seeing trains. Paul manages a Sainsbury's while she spent 19 years as a clerk in Manchester's District court before leaving that stress to become a receptionist for the MRI department of the local hospital. (I continue to be astounded at the information people give to prefect strangers while traveling!!!)

I made it to bed after midnight, but as we're traveling west now, the clocks go back an hour each day, so really it was closer to 11. Regardless, my body was tired. I barely read 10 pages before fading.

June 2017 Crossing Day 7

Both Birt and his boss greeted me this morning. There's an appeal to being recognized by staff! After my omelette, I went to Carinthia to blog, chatted with Marcus, again, found he is the only Nicaraguan on staff. He's been to Iguazu and to the markets in Paraguay, so we chatted quite a while. He's an old school notes on paper guy so he can recall things he wants to do when he's off duty.

Sheila stopped by on her way to get juice and returned with Miranda, Gary and Harley. Harley and I discussed the Flavia de Luce books I'm reading and he's going to read them and email me his thoughts. Gary is a Quality Control supervisor at Intel (34 years) and we talked about RFID tagged clothing that Julie Vargas is promoting, he's been to CES several times. Miranda and Sheila visited. Gary took a picture which Miranda promises to send me. She remarked again how special we are to her. As previously noted, you never know how you can effect a change in people, conversations you deem inconsequential can have lasting results.

Heard Christopher Ward's talk on Titanic's sister ships Britannic and Olympic. Interesting. He began with an anecdote about being at the Daily Mirror in 1968 when the first NASA image of the Earth from space came over the fax machine. He took a copy down to Greenwich and showed it to Sidney Shelton, founder of The Flat Earth Society in search of a comment. Shelton argued it was "a pretty picture but utterly faked." Intransigence is not a 21st century phenomenon!  Ward's story was an introduction to the conspiracy theory about Titanic not really being the iceberg-holed ship (despite James Ballard's proof) as Olympic was drowned ship since White Star had planned to sink her because of her damage after the run-in with the British warship, but the iceberg took care of it for the company. Interesting facts but I was irked that this "expert" had to read his lecture from notes. He concluded with mention of a novel by Morgan Robbertson written 10 years before Titanic about a supposedly unsinkable ship with no lifeboats that was crushed by an iceberg and sank with nearly 100% passenger deaths. His ship was called Titan. Robbertson was hailed for decades as a psychic of tremendous talent!

Knitting was good as I said farewell to Ruth and the ladies. Three are remaining for the return to USA. Tommi's Mum requested a group picture, so here we are with Tommi at the front.

Finished the second Flavia de Luce, this one immediately precedes the first one I read. When I returned it to library, I found the latest in the series had been returned, so now I have two more to read before QM2 gets to New York harbor. Won't be a problem as days at sea encourage reading, especially if we have days like today. Though the air temperature was cool and the ship's speed created wind, my balcony was protected by the lifeboats before me, so I nearly got a sunburn sitting out there today! It's wonderful sitting in the bright sunshine hearing the sighing of the waves as the ocean flows 7 stories below me while the rigging creaks in the wind that I don't feel sitting in my sheltered nook.

Finally made it to hear the pianist the entire ship has been raving about for a week. Madalina Rusu is fabulous. Her performance ranged from DeBussey to Ibanez. She garnered a standing ovation which she totally deserved. I found that she had earned one every performance she has given, one is rare, four in one week is amazing, especially as this passenger group is very old and very selective. each performance her audience has grown, today's final one was SRO!!

Sheila and I dined at Aztec tonight. Appetizers (a tasting menu) and main dishes were wonderful. Dessert (red velvet pancakes) not so much.

Then she went to hear a Wayne Newton wannabe while I retired to my cabin to deal with laundry. We met Stephen and Donald for a final drink in Commodore Club as they head home to Glasgow tomorrow, then are off to Singapore and the Far East later this year.

Great day to end this crossing. I'll wake tomorrow in England!