Broke my rule and had a one egg omelet - I can’t resist Alain’s grin early in the morning. Ate breakfast with Susan and Richard from New Jersey. Discovered he used to own a travel agency and she was a teacher. They are booked in 2019 on some Celebrity Edge out of Miami as it has a moving room and infinity walls in the balcony cabins. I was sort of impressed until we docked next to Celebrity Epic here in St. Thomas. Geez, it lools like a floating condominium from South Florida. No style at all. I was bemused that so many of their passengers were photographing QM2 and no one from our ship was returning the gesture.
Sheila talked me into a cup of tea while she ate breakfast in Britannia. Then we met at 10 to go into Charlotte Amalie in search of luggage for her. Un huh! I should have known, after all I’ve been her friend for nearly 8 years now. No taxi or shuttle for herself. We walked. I realize she wanted to see the hurricane damage up close, but still. I was doing okay until I looked up to read “Charlotte Amalie down town 30 mi” I panicked...30 MILES!!! Sheila calmly pointed out the ”n” had been almost rubbed off. Okaaay. Half an hour, more like it!
We strolled through an occasiional misty rain, blowing gusts of wind and sunshine glittering between scattered clouds. The evidence of the hurricane damaage was apparent: power poles were bent at the base, not the top and put on the ground. I can’t imagine the horror of the wind lancing through the alleys of this pretty little town. Downtown Charlotte Amalie must be dark at night as nearly all the street lamps had no panes of gas. (When the QM2 left port, I verified this by checking and, indeed, the swaths of darkness were obvious from the deck.) Also, the piles of destroyed tin roofs and sidings were mountain high in spots. Bringing forceful memories of the square acres of damaged trees, house parts and belogings that dot North Florida’s landscape. A New Yorker, Sheila has been protected from this and wanted visual confirmation. She got it, in spades. she commented frequently on our walk about it. I guess I am kind of inured, I saw it but ignored it; I saw blooming flowers and Mama chickens with their chicks as evidence of a covering island, looking toward the future.
Despite Sheila’s desire and the publicized offer in the port newsletter, her search for new lggage was all for naught. Even she caved in after walking about and checking several shops. we caught a taxi/shuttle back to the ship. Waiting for the taxi, I got to see a seaplane taking off; I love the freedom of a seaplane. I really need to go in one again. We joined a older couple who asked us which ship we were on, when we answered, “Queen Mary 2,” the husband quipped, “We’re on the other one.” That being the Celebrity Epic, which looks more like a floating condominium and is ugly compared to the elegance and grace of this Cunard Queen. Maxine Pitts was our delightful driver. When we stopped at portside, she turned and asked, “Aren’t you getting off?” What a character!
Hot and sticky from the unusual length of the exercise I’d just taken, I headd for 8013 and the shower. We were back in time for lunch, so I opted for room service - Caesar salad and club sandwich. Yummy.
On my way to coffee, I stopped for a Scrabble game when I saw a lady setting up a solo board. When I asked if she really intended to play against herself, she replied that she’d “lost” her family , so “yes” she was playing alone. She took me up on my offer of a human challenger. Billie from Farmdale, Ohio was a good match. We had a great game. That I won was a matter of luck rather than skill as Billie had to use her “x” so I got to use an open “e” to make “break” to close out my tiles
Sitting in Sir Samuel’s, I applauded Sujeeva Hapugalle, the classical pianist, as she hesitated by the Godiva chocolate display. She nodded and came over to chat. She stayed for about 10 minutes as we discussed Brazilian composer Nazareth (who I heard about while visiting Barbara in Porto Alegre and Chopin,s short pieces. A very lively conversation. I hope to chat with her again before we depart in MYC.
When she left, my waiter, Jorge, came over to see if I needed anything. My request for a latte in a To-Go cup threw him for a bit. Language difficulty cleared when he realized. Meant a “Take away.” Jorge and I continued our conversation as the bar was utterly empty. He,s from madred, graduated from university with a degree in Journalism, spent years as a reporter in Madrid and London before deciding to take a couple of years off to see the world, so signed on with Cunard. He’s only been on QM2 for a month! A very refreshing point of view and a delightful conversation, if a bit unguarded on his part. He will not last very long with the company if he continues to offer personal thoughts so blithely. But perhaps he doesn’t care.
I enjoyed the string quartet playing the Chart Room. It kind of amuses me that I so seldom listen to classical music at home but I step onto a Cunard ship, I am enthralled by it just as I used to be when Mom lived and we shared an affinity for it.
After spending tea with Joan, I stayed in Carinthia to work on Mom’s journals until the Royal Court Orchestra’s members transformed themselvesin a Dixieland Jazz Band. I wish I could see Louis Armstrong’s expressions as he listened to an American, a Hungarian, a Brazilian, a Brit, a Canadian, an Australian, and an Irishman juking like the best Basin Street band!
A little after 8, I realized rather abruptly that I never ate dinner. off I went to Kings Court where I met Sheila, who’d also neglected eating. We dined on shrimp curry. Excellent. Then I headed off to change clothes in order to attend Kelly’s evening performance in Queen’s Room.
She was tickled and came over to visit. Sat with me bringing her husband Scott. Scott and I chatted while Kelly crooned. While conplimented, I was kind of irked as I really wanted to hear her sing. Then she spent her breaks sittign with us. I learned Scott retires in a few months as a Ford car assemblyman. They met on Match.com. No kidding!! He writes poetry and after getting his BA in 2009, actually advised students at his junior college on how to write papers. I admire anyone who follows their passion, which I admitted to them. I also admitted that I have never experienced passion about anything and often wonder if I have a serious lack of something!
Bidding adieu to St. Thomas, I feel a calmness and a serentity. The joys of ocean travel.
No comments:
Post a Comment