On Tuesday March 1st at 20.10hrs in Ashton Nursing Home, Sale, now Gtr. Manchester in 1949, two things happened. Outside, 12 inches of snow lay on the ground, unusual for such a low lying part. The other event is obvious by the title! And today, on the stateroom TV, the Entertainment Director got my surname slightly wrong when announcing the birthdays, a daily occurrence on Cunard ships. Never mind! Yesterday, I completed half a million steps in the first 41 days of my travels for this year. Today, as I celebrate being (ye gods!) 73, the last thing I feel like doing is walking!Â
The day ashore was far from the previous spectacularly scenic experiences. Barbados may be a paradise island but it helps to know the geography of the place if exploring independently. Our one hour taxi ride merely took us around the city of Bridgetown, both the posh parts and the less attractive, which even I found not overly inspiring. However, with luck, I should be here again in June. Nevertheless, the news from outside is very distressing, unprecedented, and quite frankly, alarming.
I went to bed early last night, almost immediately after dinner. I had booked Richard Faber’s table for a small celebration tonight, inviting a couple from (now) Gtr. Manchester (Bolton) who came with us on a scenic minibus tour of St. Maarten. Yesterday, we were on the lovely island of Dominica, and there is still plenty left there to explore if circumstances (or finances) allow.
Jo and I did get off the ship, and at long last, found a strong WiFi signal which enabled me to publish a backlog of blogs, complete with illustrations. We both explored the retail outlets in the substantial covered area of the cruise terminal. Bridgetown, we would discover on a one hour taxi ride, (including a fuelling stop!) appeared to have seen better days presumably recovering from the pandemic, and maybe a hurricane or two; they are frighteningly destructive. We had hoped and expected our journey to have taken us further afield to one of the many attractive places on the island. Jo was subtle expressing her justified disappointment! Of course, I had been in Barbados just four weeks ago and enjoyed a routine Cunard shore excursion, and seeing dilapidated parts of the town were a bit poignant. (18.12hrs) QM2 is just leaving the quayside. Cunard’s Queen Victoria remains anchored outside, acting as a hospital ship for the time being. I understand that it won’t be too long before it is restored to its more intended role as a cruise ship.
It’s now time to change for dinner. Richard Faber’s regular table awaits.
Many thanks for reading, and the birthday messages which helped to make this day a little bit special, as if being in Barbados was not enough!! David, 18.44hrs St. David’s Day, 2022.
David's Cruise 