Albeit a bit brief for my liking, the Indian summer was a nice surprise given the forecasts from the prohpets of doom residing in the Meteorological Office, and in the media. The predicted clouds of menacing grey did materialise, but where was the Almighty’s spectacular son et lumiere ? There were storms and (most unwelcome) flooding elsewhere. There is something to be said for living on top of a hill, (or almost, at the top of what is known locally as Barker’s Hill).
I was thankful, yesterday, that the rain held off until late in the afternoon; I had arranged to meet a colleague from Church recovering from major surgery. Meeting in the very attractive and thoughtfully landscaped garden negated my having to endure a covid-19 lateral flow test. Nevertheless, I did take one at home, reassuring myself that I wasn’t unknowingly carrying the Coronavirus. I will never get used to the process! Will I think differently at Southampton Cruise Terminal as I board R.M.S. Queen Mary 2 in January for a much needed “28 night QM2 fix.” A former work colleague, this morning, has sent me pictures of QM2 in dry dock, where presumably, some kind of a refit is occurring. I was somewhat surprised that a YouTube channel rated Queen Mary 2 as the 8th most ugly passenger ship ever. Certainly, the dry dock images didn’t do my “favourite place to be” any favours!
And I do remember being a tad disappointed at the very first pictures taken during its sea trials in 2003. But, at the end of that year, I got to see it (QM2) in the flesh at the shipyard in St. Nazaire, and was more than impressed. That was a glorious few days organised by the maritime magazine Ships Monthly. I was the only one in the party booked on the Maiden Voyage which does not seem 17 years ago. I doubt that I hold any kind of a record, but I have, on average, sailed on Queen Mary 2 at least once for every year in service, and intend maintaining this average until it or I cease to be. At “age 17,” I suspect QM2 will be around longer than I am. However, I do intend taking part in the Cunard 200th anniversary celebrations in 2040; I will be 91, and will more than likely be the only one to have been at all three major celebrations in 1990, 2015, and (very hopefully) 2040. Perhaps I may then sell off my ocean liner collection. Will anybody still be interested in (whoops) just under nineteen years!
It “feels” almost normal, and that the pandemic is nearly over. It isn’t, but at least the vaccination programme appears to have kept the deaths to some kind of a minimum. I still can’t help but lament the lethargic and arrogant way the the crisis was tackled by our revered leaders, and some of those from across a nearby ocean. But, that was then, and this is now.
Coffee is, once again, served after Church on Sunday morning. This coming Sunday, the choir will be back from its annual visit to Durham, and it will be hard to distinguish “now” from pre-pandemic days. But the danger is still there.
My wonderful travel agent has put together a most imaginative railtour across the United States to fill in the 24 days between arriving at Vancouver from my cruise around Japan and Alaska, and sailing home from New York, my first “classic” transatlantic crossing since 2019. With luck, I shall get to see the Grand Canyon as well as celebrate Independence Day in New Orleans. My plans are ambitious. The rail tour goes something like this:- Vancouver, Seattle, Chicago, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, staying at least two nights in the places mentioned except possibly L.A. where I shall maybe stay just one night. Things, however will have to change; as far as I know, we are not allowed into North America right now. But planning is a pleasure, even if postponement is a prime possibility.
Not many pictures today, but the week after next, I shall be seeing my sister and brother-in-law for the first time since December 2019. I look forward to this enormously.
Saturday morning has arrived. Thanks for reading, David, 00.09hrs Sept 11th.
David's Cruise 