Asturias, Euskal Herria & France Cruise - May 20th - June 2nd 2014

Tuesday 20th May - Staying aboard

Awakened by the noise of the winches at about 0615. Consequently, breakfast at about 0715. By 0830, we had done such packing as was necessary, I had been to our new cabin, 3072, trashed it by putting the beds together to make a double, moved our stuff down, apart from the hanging things & told Carmen, who will arrange for the hanging stuff to be moved. She said it was too early, so we unpacked & met the Cabin Steward. In the middle (no porthole), 3072 is bigger that 4006 for practical purposes. I took my laptop up to the Braemar Room. I almost finished the web site, only needing the name of the farmer’s wife (from their web site when we get home) to finish it.

Suddenly, it was quiet & the ship became, briefly, our own private yacht. This is what happens when you stay on the ship. We found the new show team on Deck 8. Nicky was there but not with the group we spoke to. We went to the Palms for tea, where I finished the web site while Avis went to the gym. Then, the ship was invaded by Freds staff from Ipswich & travel agents on an ‘educational’, who also clogged up the Thistle Restaurant for lunch. We hung around in the Palms & outside, going in when guests appeared. Win, an old friend, plonked herself down on our table & said she had picked up a new squeeze, Malcolm, on her last cruise. Good. She is not exactly good looking but sexy. We crashed out but were interrupted after 40 minutes by the Driver announcing lifeboat drill. After that, I took photos as we left the quay, then joined Avis in bed until 1850. We went to In-Tune’s concert & then dinner. Our table of 8 only had two old ladies, a quiet Caroline & a noisy Jacqueline, both Swiss resident widows but worth talking to. Cultured. We found, outside the Coral Club, Nick White of all people (Ken's boss in 1977) & exchanged some news. I told him what I did on the ships. The show was the same as last week.