Sunday 13 July 2014 – Coming Home

I wake up at 5.00 am. When I open the curtains of our cabin, I'm excited to see twinkling lights across the bay – land in sight! Reg gets up to have a look, and we realise it's the Isle of Wight in the distance. We enjoy seeing land more and more clearly as we draw in to Southampton Docks. We are back in England!

The restaurant opens for breakfast at 6.30 am, and there are people queuing up before this – everyone who is disembarking wants to make sure that they are ready in good time. Those leaving the ship at Southampton, like us, have to vacate their cabins by 8.00 am.

Just as we've done so many times before when leaving hotels and hostels in America, we put on our backpacks and trundle our suitcases along the carpeted corridors of the Queen Mary. Down in the lift for the last time, and soon we are checking out at the gangway, and then are on English soil! The passport showing was done a few days ago on the ship, so disembarking is a very seamless, easy process. We have nothing to declare at customs (interestingly, the “red” customs point where you would go if you did have something to declare is unstaffed!).

Inevitably we are going home with a little more luggage than we came with, but it all fits into the taxi which will take us to the train station. We hadn't realised that we'd be able to disembark this early, and rather than wait for the later train we are due to catch, we decide to pay the extra and take the 9.54 train to Abbey Wood, Bristol.

The train only has 3 carriages to start with, then another carriage is added later on; it is jam packed for most of the journey. We manage to get seats and it's lovely to see the English countryside – you forget how beautiful it is.

When we arrive at Abbey Wood, we have difficulty getting off the train with all our luggage, because the train is so crowded. A woman has to get off with her suitcases, let us off, and then let us back on!

Elaine is waiting for us on the platform! It's wonderful to see our daughter after 2 months away. She has driven to collect us, and within a few minutes we are home – and soon George, Marianne, 5 month-old Arlie, and Jasper the dog are at the door, too, to welcome us back – what a lovely homecoming.

It feels good, but strange, to be back home, and we know it will take us a while to re-orientate ourselves. Even as we savour the joy of being re-united with our loving family, our homecoming turns bitter-sweet when we are told difficult-to-hear news of illness in families we hold dear.

This is the last blog of our star-spangled journey, where we've visited some wonderful places, and met some lovely people, travelling around America by train, and then crossing the Atlantic Ocean on the Queen Mary 2.

Thanks to those who have dipped into this blog now and again – and to those who have followed us the whole way! I said I would list a few things about America and Americans which struck us as being different from the UK – these are listed below. Those of you who have travelled to America will already know most of them!

• The prices on American goods are before tax; it comes as a shock at first to pay more for everything than the price you see on the label.
• Sometimes you feel unsure using your credit card eg for car hire – as the amount can be left open – you don't always sign for an exact amount.. Using your pin is not yet that common in the USA.
• The tipping culture is big in America. You need to be prepared to add a tip of at least 15% on meals and drinks out – more if you've had exceptional service.
• The service in the hospitality industry in USA is generally very good indeed. The pay is only just over $2 an hour, and waiters and waitresses rely on tips to make up their wages. When thanked for service, they will nearly always say, “You're welcome.”
• You will usually be brought iced water when you eat out, as a matter of course. Americans are a little obsessed with ice. There is usually more ice than liquid in soft drinks. In the sleeper carriages on American trains, there are “drinks posts” with free coffee, fruit juice, and a coolbox full of ice. Some Americans even carry their drinks onto the trains in a coolbox of ice.
• Lemonade in America is an uncarbonated drink, made with lemons. Our “lemonade” is called “soda” in America.
• Meals in American restaurants are often of much bigger portions than we would expect in the UK.
• The food on American passenger trains, where there are sleeper carriages, is excellent (eg you can often order steak) – and it's included in the ticket price.
• The toilets on Amtrak (the American passenger train service) are generally lovely and clean. On many trains there are toilets for disabled people.
• The toilets in America have a higher water level in the bowl than toilets in the UK – this means they stay cleaner (you may need to think about that one!)
• American “freeways” warn you of “roadwork” - not “roadworks”.
• Coming up to a zebra crossing, you will often see the sign “ped xing”.
• “No entry” is sometimes indicated by the words “wrong way”.
• Many towns and cities in America are built in “blocks” - “the launderette is 2 blocks down” etc. Often at a crossroads there is either a red hand which turns white when it's safe to cross – or the red hand turns into a second counter as you cross the road.
• There aren't that many roundabouts in America – although a few towns have several. Some Americans have told us that they find the concept of a roundabout difficult when driving abroad,.
• There are numerous billboards, or advertising boards, with photos of lawyers who will help you to sue following an accident.
• Seen on a billboard over a freeway - a dentist advertising “4 wisdom teeth out for $899”
• The American long-nosed lorries always seem very clean. We once noticed a line of lorries queuing up for a “lorry carwash”.
• The electric current is 110 volts instead of our 240 volts. This meant that our trusty travel kettle took 15 minutes to boil and my travel hairdryer emitted very little drying air!
• Electric light switches work the opposite way to ours – down for off, and up for on.
• Americans are mostly very proud of being American – and of their country. The American flag – the “star spangled banner” - is displayed in many more places than the Union Jack is in the UK.
• Americans are mostly warm, friendly people. We found it funny to be greeted (especially in the Southern United States) with “How are y”all” - even when there are only 2 of us – or even 1!

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Voyage - Day 6 – Saturday 12 July – Our last day on the Queen Mary 2

We can't believe how well we've been sleeping at sea – partly because the bed is so comfortable, and perhaps partly due to the barely noticable, but still there, gentle movement of the ship. Another day of not doing very much at all.

During our usual leisurely breakfast, we chat at length to a Scottish people who took the plunge 24 years ago to move from a remote Scottish village to Florida. The husband is a mechanic and has built up a business in Florida – the wife does his accounts and has home-schooled their 2 children, both of whom were born in America. They are travelling to the UK to visit family. I have to admire people who have a dream, seize their moment, and live the dream!

Reg goes off to a talk by a 1950's movie star, Kim Novak, and I catch up on the blog. At lunch we have coffee/tea and a couple of cakes (!), then walk around the ship 4 times to lessen the impact of all that sugar and carbohydrate. The day just seems to unhurriedly unfold; how will we get used to being back on the hamster wheel when we get home? (ok, a wheel for retired hamsters, but it still goes quite fast at times...)

Before dinner we pack our cases – when we next unpack, we'll be at home! The thought fills me with a mixture of apprehension and excitement.

We share our last dinner with Marilyn, Ian, Sarah and Alan. We've all got on so well; we exchange contact details and hopefully we'll keep in touch. Back in the cabin, our lovely steward Fernando has turned down our bed, and left 2 after dinner mint chocolates on our bed, as usual. We get ready for an early night; Reg has worn his suit, and I've worn my long dress and jacket, for the last time this holiday! Breakfast tomorrow morning starts really early, at 6.30 am. We've opted for self-disembarkation, which means we're responsible for taking all our own luggage off the ship with us. The advantage of this is that we can leave the Queen Mary 2 as soon as we are ready to go.

Voyage - Day 5 – Friday 11 July – Queen Mary 2 – a brilliant way to travel home

One of the strange things to get used to on the Queen Mary 2 (and perhaps this is in common with most cruise ships, I don't know) is that you don't need any money on board ship – not even a credit or debit card. They scan your credit card at the start of the voyage, and that's it; any drinks you buy, or purchases from the shop, you just hand over your plastic-card room key.

You don't need to tip anyone employed on board as an amount is taken by Cunard from your credit card for tipping, and distributed among the staff. The amount is about $80 or £50 per guest, and I actually think that's fair for the service you get; the staff (and there are over 1200 of them) work incredibly hard to ensure that the guests' stay on the Queen Mary 2 is as enjoyable as possible. Staff training must be excellent, because every member of staff goes out of their way to help you, and always with a smile. You can choose not to have this service charge deducted from your credit card, but I actually feel it saves a lot of hassle. When we leave, we'll extra-tip one or two special members of staff, such as our cabin steward, who's been not only super-efficient, but friendly too.

It seems that many staff have a 9 month or 10 month contract on board ship, with 2 – 3 months off per year. The majority of the domestic and catering staff seem to be from the Philippines.

It's hard to describe in words the grandeur of this ship; there's lots of shiny surfaces which reflect her status as a luxury liner. For example all the lift doors (and there are a lot of lifts, several at each end and in the middle of the ship) are mirror doors, with fancy inlaid patterns. There's deep pile carpet everywhere, even on the wide staircases; ceilings in vestibule areas are high, with chandelier-effect lighting, and a magnificent, huge display of flowers in the main vestibule, near the purser's office. Everywhere seems to be immaculately clean; this is partly to look nice, but also to avoid the possibility of a sickness infection spreading through the ship, as did once happen apparently on the Queen Mary 2. There are hand sanitisers strategically placed at various area of the ship, particularly at the restaurant entrances, and near toilets.

The ship itself is vast; a walk 3 times around the deck is just over a mile. (Reg and I have done this a couple of times). I've already mentioned in a previous blogpost some of the activities on offer – these take place in various areas of the ship. There are 5 swimming pools, a cinema (The Illuminations room, with a planetarium in the middle – also used for giving lectures), the Royal Court Theatre, The Queens room (where the “Black and White ball” and “Ascot Ball” take place, and where you can learn to ballroom dance, and join in a bingo game). The Queens Room is also the venue for the exquisite afternoon tea.

Other venues include the Canyon Ranch Spa (fitness and beauty therapy), Connexions Room (where you can learn to do things with your ipad & attend lectures), Chelsea Room (the home of the Watercolour Art Class), Atlantic Room (where you learn to play bridge), Chart Room (seminars in the day , musical interludes, including a harpist, and jazz in the evenings), Boardroom (Masonic Gatherings and other clandestine meetings, plus book club), Empire Casino (where you lose your money), Empire Bar (where you can get together for needlework and knitting), Knightsbridge Room (indoor cycling), the Fairways (complimentary golf competition). There's a beautiful, well-stocked library on deck 8, with a bookshop next to it, and a various array of gift/clothes/jewellery/perfume shops on deck 3. The purser's office is situated on deck 2.

There's also the Commodore Club (where gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transexual people can meet up), and the G32 nightclub which stays open very late indeed.

There are various eating venues; the upper strata of guests (those with suites on board) eat in the Princess Grill (other passengers can peek through the windows of this restaurant as they walk around the deck, and oggle the ultra rich). The majority of guests are allocated the Britannia Restaurant, with waiter service, as their eating place – but a no-cost alternative is the Kings Court Buffet, where food is available all day, or the Golden Lion Pub, where pub quizzes and trivia quizzes take place during the day.

Guests can pay also extra to dine in the Todd English a la carte restaurant.

In addition to this there are dog kennels on one of the upper decks, games courts, and areas and rooms where children and teenagers can get together. And I'm sure there are a few places that I've forgotten to include.

Although there are all these various rooms and activities, we've only dabbled in a few – Reg more so than me. I've been to one “oldie” film, 2 concerts, and one drama presentation. The rest of my time has been spent eating, sleeping (in bed and on a deck lounger), reading, writing the blog, and looking at the sea. The Queen Mary has been a brilliant, relaxing way to travel home to England, especially after our hectic 2 months journey around America. We do realise that we are very privileged to have had the opportunity to sail on this magnificent ship. As the voyage progresses time seems to be passing more quickly – we can't believe we have just one more day on board the Queen Mary 2.

Voyage - Day 4 – Thursday 10 July – Where's the time gone?

We're half-way through our voyage home – where has the time gone? We've got ourselves into a pattern of doing very little. We enjoy going to the Britannia Restaurant for breakfast rather than the Kings Court Buffet – it's lovely to be waited on! The choice of food is amazing. You can have breakfast in bed if you want to, but we've never opted for that.

Probably because there's no land excursions between New York and Southampton, the days are gradually blending into each other and it's hard to remember what happened the previous day! At the breakfast table there are 2 men who we think are gay; one of them is celebrating his 50^th birthday on this trip. We talk about the church we went to in Boston which was so inclusive of everyone, and which was one of the first churches to perform a gay marriage ceremony.

“You certainly have packed a lot into your trip,” says one of the men.

At 11 am, Reg decides to take part in the “Beat the Keeper” football activity on deck 13. Half way through I go up to watch – deck 13 is the very top deck of the ship. The football court (smaller than a 5-a-side court) is netted up the sides and overhead for obvious reasons. The activity is being run by a man and a woman in their 20's or early 30's, obviously part of the sports activity organising team on the ship. All sorts of people are taking part in “Beat the Keeper”; a couple of women who are probably in their 70's, a few men like Reg in their 60's, teenage boys, and three young children, a girl and 2 boys. It's nice to see that the activity is for anyone and everyone. The emphasis is on having fun though I think there's a competitive spirit among the older men – and the teenage boys!

Afterwards Reg says that's his exercise for the day. We have coffee/green tea and cake, which serves as lunch, as really we're still full up from breakfast. Then we relax in the shade on the deck loungers, enjoying the view of the sea. I'm engrossed in my book; Reg decides to go back to our cabin for a sleep, and a bit later on I join him! And this is the sum total of what we do during the day on the Queen Mary. Some seasoned passengers, who've been on lots of cruises, say that they quite enjoy this particular trip because there are several days without having to get off the boat. I guess others would find it boring; but for us it's just right. It's as if you have permission to relax and do nothing, simply because there's nothing you need to do – unless you want to. I like the fact that we socialize at breakfast time, and after that, don't need to talk much to anyone else until dinner, unless we want to. This many sound anti-social, but it actually can be quite tiring talking and listening to people for long periods of time. We feel we have the right balance of integrating and spending time alone (and, sometimes, time apart from each other!) This is the perfect way to unwind after our hectic 2 months.

I think we are really lucky with the people with whom we share our table at dinner. There are 6 of us, and I feel we've developed a real connection between us. Later that evening, I meet an elderly lady who isn't enamoured with the people on her dinner table. I sit next to her while waiting in the Winter Gardens (lots of trees in tubs and various other foliage in here) for actors/actresses from the Royal Academy of Drama and Arts to perform a one hour adaptation of “Pride and Prejudice” - one of my favourite stories!!

Reg has gone off to see a 3D film “Captain America – The Winter Soldier”. The elderly lady is travelling alone, and has been on the Queen Mary many times - she is obviously “old school”.

“I enjoy the formality of the ship,” she says firmly. She lives in America but has a strong English accent. “You see all kinds of sights on this ship,” she adds, nodding towards 2 young woman who've come into the Winter Gardens bar, dressed very casually indeed, in sleeveless tea shirts and shorts. The Winter Gardens bar, and the Kings Court Buffet, are the only 2 areas on the ship (apart from corridors and cabins) where a man can go after 6 pm without wearing a jacket.

“What's it like, travelling alone on this ship?” I ask the elderly lady. “At least there's plenty of opportunity for company, if you want it.”

“That's why I come,” replies the lady. “I'm very much alone at home – I rarely go out. This is a whole different world, I love cruising. But the other guests on my dinner table aren't really my cup of tea. There's one man, and 4 ladies; the man's alright, but all the women talked about tonight was their tattoos, and where they are on their bodies. A bit too much information for me!”

I'm reminded of the day in Los Angeles when Reg and I sat on a bus opposite an extremely beautiful young woman. She was wearing shorts, and the whole of the exposed skin on both legs were absolutely covered in tattoos. I remember feeling inexplicably sad about this. It wasn't about judging the young woman for the way she looked; it was that her natural beauty, in our eyes, was camouflaged by navy blue tattoos all over her legs. Just an honest reflection of how we felt.

I absolutely love the RADA adaptation/presentation of “Pride and Prejudice”. It's brilliant, one of the highlights of the trip for me. The actress who plays Mrs Bennett is superb. The Winter Gardens is packed; I'm sure it helps that probably most people there know the story really well.

Back in the cabin, Reg is reading in bed; he enjoyed the 3D film he went to see. Another day over on the Queen Mary 2!

Voyage - Day 3 – Wednesday 9 July – A chance to have our say

At breakfast there's a British couple who've lived in Bermuda for over 20 years – he works for Coca Cola. However, many years ago the man used to be an engineer on Cunard ships. He tells us of an occasion when, because of the port they were in, it was necessary for the passengers of the cruise ship to be ferried ashore in smaller boats. He suddenly noticed that one of the boats, full of passengers, was rather deep in the water – and realised it was slowly sinking! He quickly lifted a hatch to discover that someone had forgotten to put the drain plugs in the boat.

“What did you do?” I ask.

“I calmly whispered to the officer in charge that he needed to ask the passengers to get out of the boat. He asked me why, and I told him. The officer then simply told the passengers that there was a difficulty with this particular boat and that they would need to transfer to another one. Luckily they all got out before they realised it was sinking. Then we had a heck-of-a-job to lynch the boat out of the water and drain the water out, because it was so heavy.”

“What a good job you were there,” I comment.

Reg is talking to a man called Martin who has his own market research company and who is carrying out independent market research for Cunard. He asks if he can interview us later today, as he's interested in what we think about the Queen Mary, especially as we're “first-timers”. There's a bottle of champagne in it for us. We agree to meet Martin at 12,00 noon in the Winter Garden Bar, although actually it will be 1.00 pm as the clocks go forward an hour at noon.

Reg goes to a lecture at 11.00 am on the Bermuda Triangle, while I stay in the cabin, balcony door open to the sea, and write some of yesterday's blog. Then we meet up with Martin.

Martin tells us that the Queen Mary will be going into dry dock next year for refurbishment. He wants to know in particular what our first impressions of the Queen Mary were, what we think about our cabin, and what we think about Kings Court, the hot and cold food buffet area.

We share that we honestly felt out of our comfort zone when we first came on board, but now we're enjoying ourselves. We tell Martin that because men had to wear a jacket to dinner on the first night, we felt that excluded us from having a restaurant meal, as our clothes weren't pressed. We explain that the Kings Court buffet area is a bit confusing as it's in two separate parts.

We tell Martin that we actually really like our cabin (sorry, stateroom) as it is – except that more electric points would be useful. We also mention that free wifi would be brilliant! If hostels can do it – why can't they?

Martin has recorded our interview; he thanks us and we go our separate ways.

At 3.30 pm, we decide we must go at least once for afternoon tea, which takes place in the Queen's Room, with a harpist playing in the background. There are white jacketed waiters and waitresses serving tea from silver teapots, and holding silver plates decorated with tiny sandwiches, warm scones with jam and whipped cream, and bite-sized cakes of several varieties. Lovely! We chat to a young waitress from Lvov in the Ukraine, and tell her we were in her home town 2 years ago. She is on her 4^th yearly contract with the Queen Mary – working 10 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 9 months of the year. Her South African husband works on the ship too! At least they get to see each other.

Can we manage 6.00 pm dinner sitting on top of that delicious afternoon tea? Luckily the emphasis at dinner is on quality rather than quantity – so we can. However, I did mention to Martin the market researcher that the after dinner coffee could be hotter. Even though I ask for extra-hot coffee, it still comes lukewarm. Dinner itself is really good, interlaced with enjoyable table conversation. We are lucky to be sharing our table with Marilyn, Ian, Sarah and Alan - people we can relate to, who are warm and funny and sincere, and who are willing not only to tell their story, but to listen to a little of ours as well.

Voyage - Day 2 – Tuesday 8 July – the Queen Mary's Catholic Chaplain

We get up later this morning, and after breakfast we spend the late morning/early afternoon period sleeping on the loungers on the dry side of the deck – it's very wet with sea spray over the other side, and quite breezy. This side is sheltered and calm, hot in the sun, but quite cool in the shade. The outside temperature is 23 degrees. though you need a fleece if sitting in the shade, as we are. I have my kindle, but I soon doze off!

We still aren't sure whether this cruising way of life suits us or not – although we can't knock this opportunity to have a rest & relax as much as we like, with good food thrown in! Reg goes to see a 1950's film in the afternoon called “Bell, Book and Candle”, starring Kim Novak and James Stewart; Kim Novak herself is on the ship, and gives a personal introduction to the film. While Reg goes to the cinema, I catch up on writing yesterday's blog. Reg says,

“I thought you weren't going to do a blog on board ship. The whole idea of this cruise is to have a rest.”

I reply that some people have asked me to say something about our time on the Queen Mary 2. Since much of our time on the ship consists of eating, relaxing and sleeping, with a little reading here and there, I'll concentrate on a few specific events or people of interest.

It's good that there's lots of activities you can take part in if you want to – I was tempted by the Knitting class, but somehow didn't quite get there. There are people travelling alone, some of whom are of very senior years, and people with disabilities; and no doubt others too, who might for whatever reason be isolated in normal life, or might not be able to get out and about as much as they once did. On board ship you can very quickly become part of a community, with the opportunity to join in as few or as many activities as you choose. Some of the activities on offer are as follows:

Crosswords, Catholic Mass, Bridge Class, Rada Workshop (drama), Lectures on various subjects, Watercolour Class, Solo Travellers' Coffee Morning, Hooplah Competition, ipad workshop, Ballroom Dance class, Lunchtime Melodies, Line Dance Class, Flower Art Class, Complimentary Gaming Sessions (to get you hooked on the casino!), Needlework and Knitting, Variety Show Time ….

Surely there must be something for everyone on board this ship. Even if you don't want to join in activities, you have the option of sharing a table at mealtimes. As long as you can interact with people, I'm sure you would not be lonely on this voyage, or indeed alone, unless you choose to be. The plus point is that you don't have to join in any activities if you don't want to, and there is no one pressurising you to do so.

After our evening meal, we decide to go to the Variety Show – it's only on for just over an hour, then there's a break, and the whole show is repeated for those who have “second sitting” dinner at 8.30 pm.

I wait in the theatre before the start of the show, while Reg pops upstairs to get his tablet, as he's using it as a kindle. We decided not to have the internet while on board ship; partly because it's expensive, but also because Reg feels it will be good for us to be away from emails and from posting blogs for the next few days. We can still send the occasional text to keep in touch with family if we need to.

While I'm sitting waiting for Reg, a man comes to sit beside me; he introduces himself as the ship's Chaplain – he's a (partially) retired Catholic priest. When Reg returns, I introduce him to the priest, who jokes,

“I thought he must be your husband. Otherwise he would be very forward to come and sit next to you like he did!”

We don't have much time to chat, as the concert starts, and the young singer, Jenny Williams, who says she's from Manchester, really does have a superb singing voice. The Catholic Priest, bless him, sings along to all the songs he knows, which slightly reduces my enjoyment of her performance! When Jenny's sung a medley of songs (including one of my favourites, “Love Changes Everything” from “Aspects of Love”), the Royal Cunard Singers and Dancers do a Neil Diamond Tribute which is also very enjoyable. The theatre is packed with guests.

After the show we have a chance to chat to the Catholic Priest, and it's a fascinating conversation. He tells us he's 84 years old and has spent most of his working life in the Bronx area of New York, working specifically with black African Americans. We discuss the new Pope Francis, and agree that he is a charismatic revolutionary, following Christ in the way he lives and in the way he encourages others to live their lives. We discuss whether Catholic priests should be able to marry; the Chaplain agrees with us that they should, and that this will come in time. He believes however that there are all sorts of issues which will arise, such as the role of the priest's wife in supporting him within the church. Interestingly, he says, in some parts of the world, such as in Syria, priests have been able to marry for many centuries. We talk about the role of women in the Catholic church, and about gay marriage. All in a very short space of time! Soon people are starting to come into the theatre, ready for the second performance of the variety show.

We really enjoy our chat with the Catholic Chaplain of the Queen Mary 2 – I do believe it was meant to be that he came to sit next to me!

Voyage - Day 1 - Monday 7 July - The people you meet on the Queen Mary 2

The king-sized bed is superbly comfortable – apart from the dip in the middle! We sleep well – you cannot feel the ship's movement, only hear a gentle buzz from time to time. We are really tired. In the morning it's lovely to open the balcony door and to breathe in, and look at, the sea! At one point Reg spots dolphins – but I can't see them!

At breakfast we're asked if we mind sharing a table – and join 5 others. 4 of the other guests are Americans – and one, a lady who must be in her 90's, tells us firmly that she is English, but that she came to America as a GI bride after the war. She tells us she's worked hard to retain her English accent and is obviously quite a character. She talks about arriving in America for the first time.

“When we arrived, we all had to wear labels around our necks. Even if we went to the bathroom, someone had to accompany us. It was awful. Then I was put on a train to Michigan where my husband met me at the station. It's a wonder I remembered what he looked like.”

'You were brave, leaving your family in England,” I venture.

“Stupid more like,” retorts the old lady, with a twinkle in her eye. “I should never have come to America. Even now, I miss England terribly,”

It turns out though, that this lady has lost one husband and remarried, and raised a family in this land of opportunity; it doesn't sound as though her life has been so bad. Another couple at our breakfast table, Nelson and Joanne, had their Diamond Wedding this week – and this trip to England is their celebration of it. She is 79, he is 86; it is wonderful to witness their attitude to life and their joie de vivre. They tell us about all the cycling they did when they were younger.

“Our bikes are still hanging up in the garage – it will be easier for our children to get rid of them once we're gone.” says Joanne, philosophically.

Nelson and Joanne have also hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon and back up – no mean feat.

We are obviously going to meet a lot of people on this trip. There will have to be a balance between enjoying people's company and making sure we find time to relax and recoup all the energy we used travelling around America. I guess our cabin will be our “bolt hole” where we can retreat and just enjoy some space to ourselves. In fact, if we choose, the only time we need to mix with others is at mealtimes.

After breakfast, where the range of food on offer is mind-boggling, I take Reg's suit, shirts and my crumpled jacket and search out the laundrette/ironing room. It's a tiny room with a couple of washing machines and dryers, 2 ironing boards, and 2 irons. A fellow passenger is pressing a bright orange pair of trousers, and talks to me about the “Black and White Ball” taking place tonight. I tell her I don't have anything black and white with me to wear, and that I'm sure there'll be others in my position. (In fact, I don't even think we'll be going to the ball …..)

It takes me quite a long time to iron Reg's suit, a job I've never ever needed to tackle before. We've never taken his suit abroad, let alone left it in the bottom of a suitcase for 2 months, underneath everything else. I heave a sigh of relief when the ironing is done! Now we'll be able to go for dinner tonight in the restaurant, instead of in the self-serve buffet. It's formal dress; dark suits or tuxedo's for men, with ties or bow-ties being obligatory ….)

When booking our voyage, we opted to eat at the early sitting (6.00 pm) at a table for 6 people. The table is beautifully laid out with silver cutlery and fresh flowers. Reg looks smart in his dark lounge suit, white shirt and tie – I'm wearing a patterned long dress, cream jacket and cream shoes. No handbag needed as no money is used on board ship!

The other 2 couples at our table (all dressed in black and white) are very friendly and ask us where we were last night! I explain that we didn't have any ironed clothes to wear! We introduce ourselves – we're all from England. (I wonder if the “Queen Mary 2” put guests from the same country together at dinner or whether this is just a co-incidence?)

Marilyn, a retired health visitor from London, is obviously the carer for her husband Ian, who's in a wheelchair and says very little; he obviously understands everything though. When he does speak it's in a very measured way. Marilyn and Ian's body language indicates a loving relationship. They are probably a little older than us. Marilyn says, with a lovely smile, that they have come on the cruise so that she can have a rest. We find out later in the voyage that Marilyn and Ian have been married for 50 years and have 4 children and 12 grandchildren.

The other couple at our table are Alan and Sarah; she is a landlady of student accommodation, but used to be an engineer – she's one of those women who is very attractive but who doesn't seem aware of it; she is interested and interesting, and has a lovely, natural manner. Alan makes documentaries for television companies. He explains that all sorts of steps have to be taken to ensure that the programme-making stays within the law. He tells us about the documentary that he's currently preparing, and that we should see this programme on our television screens in about a year's time.

The dinner conversation is fascinating! The 2 couples are interested in hearing about our star-spangled journey around America. We'll be having dinner with these 2 couples every night (unless any of us choose to eat elsewhere eg in the Kings Court if we have crumpled clothes!). This is nice as it will give us the chance to get to know each other a little.

After dinner Reg and I listen for a while to a harpist in the “Chart Room”, a bar-lounge overlooking the sea. We don't bother to stay up for the “Black and White ball” which starts at 9.45 pm. There's a jazz band in the Chart Room lounge most nights; I love jazz, but we still haven't recovered from our 2 months of travelling. Back in our cabin, Reg reads – and I'm in bed by 10 pm.

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Sunday 6 July – the Queen Mary 2 – all aboard!

It feels strange to be leaving America, after all this time. We say our goodbyes to the lovely staff in the New York hostel, and in no time at all the taxi is crossing Brooklyn Bridge from where we can see the magnificent, ginormous Queen Mary 2, resting in dock at Pier 12, preparing herself for her 3,190 nautical mile journey across the Atlantic Ocean. She'll dock at Southampton, England next Sunday 13 July, and then sail on to Hamburg, Germany, then to Norway, and from there, back to New York.

Reg and I are, funnily enough, quite nervous as our taxi approaches the dock; we've travelled around America, all that time feeling well within our comfort zone, but now, as we're about to board this huge ship, we feel very unsure of ourselves. We don't know anything about cruises really; Reg has never been on a big ship, and the last time I went on one was 44 years ago, when as an 18 year old, I travelled with my parents and brothers from Singapore to England, at the end of my father's tour of duty in that country.

As soon as our taxi draws up to the parking area, a young man helps us get our luggage out of the boot, checks we haven't left our passports in any of our luggage, and loads our suitcases and backpacks onto a trolley. The next time we see our luggage, it's inside our cabin. Magic!

Going through security is quick and easy, although checking in in a bit more laborious. We were asked on our tickets to check in at 12.30 pm (lunchtime). Check-in is staggered throughout the afternoon. We show our passports and tickets, and are given a card with a number on it – 45. We then have to wait for about an hour until our number is called. The Cunard voice over the speaker system apologises for the delay; it's because for whatever reason, they are only using one gangway for passengers to board the Queen Mary today.

A group of passengers have the card number 45, and when our number is called we approach the check in desk – this part of the embarkation process is really quick, We get given a credit-card type room key each, with our names and a code on it. Then we have to hand over our real credit card for it to be scanned in– so that any money we spend on board ship can be debited to our account.

We join a slowly-moving queue of passengers in a clear-sided tunnel which leads to the gangway. Finally we're on board, with the richly-coloured thick carpeting of the Queen Mary lobby beneath our feet. What do we do now? We follow those who seem to know – everyone is making for the lifts, and there's a crowd of people waiting to go up to their “staterooms” (Cunard's posh name for cabins). Reg decides we need the exercise; our cabin is on deck 11, and the deck we've boarded on is deck 3. We can manage to climb numerous flights of stairs to our cabin... (I mean stateroom).

When we open the door of our room, we aren't disappointed – it's lovely, with a king-sized bed (actually we discover it's 2 twin beds pushed together, as a dip forms between them in the middle of the night!) There's plenty of wardrobe, drawers, and cupboard space, with room to put our empty luggage once we've unpacked. The little en-suite bathroom/shower-room is stocked with fluffy white towels, flannels, and all the usual bathroom accessories you find in a good class hotel (and occasionally, even in a hostel...). I'm surprised that there's no tea and coffee making facilities – I guess you just buzz your steward if you want tea or coffee in your room – or you go to the cafe/bar to get it. We have our trusty kettle, and hey, this is British voltage here, so it boils in 5 minutes instead of 15!

But the very best thing of all about our cabin is that there's a glas door, opening up to a balcony with a view of New York harbour... and the sea. I have always loved the sea, and this for me is the icing on the cake.. and Reg admits that he too is enjoying the sea view, and is glad we upgraded from our previous cabin, which would have given us a view of the lifeboats for the whole of the journey.

It's now mid afternoon; people are still boarding. We're quite peckish and there's food available – one thing about this ship, and I believe most cruise ships, is the abundance of food. We visit The King's Court, where there's a choice of hot or cold buffet food, and numerous desserts.

After lunch tiredness overwhelms us and we sleep – we haven't even unpacked yet. Before the voyage we had to choose between a 6.00pm or 8.30 pm dinner sitting – we chose the earlier sitting. Today, we wouldn't be hungry enough to eat at 6.00 pm, but if we were, we couldn't go to our allocated restaurant, The Britannia, because even on informal nights, men have to wear a jacket. The Kings Court is the only restaurant on board the Queen Mary where, after 6.00 pm, a man can eat without his jacket on. This restaurant is self-serve buffet style.

The only jacket we've brought for Reg is his suit, and that is currently lying badly creased at the bottom of his suitcase – as are his suit trousers and his 2 shirts – the only 2 shirts he owns, one of which was newly bought for this trip. Shirts, in Reg's eyes, are for weddings, Christenings and funerals.

Even though I was aware of the need for men to wear a jacket if you want a sit-down dinner, I am slightly annoyed by the exclusiveness of this; but this is the Queen Mary, and of course some people board this ship because they love all this formality and posh dressing. One guest informs me that up until recently men used to be able to dine jacketless on the first and last night of the voyage; but people complained! Also Cunard wanted to make it possible for people to dress less formally for dinner – but when they conducted a survey, the response was overwhelmingly to keep the number of formal nights (of which there are 3 on this crossing – that's dark suit or tuxedo for men, plus shirt and tie or dicky-bow) and to keep it that men must wear a jacket (though not a tie) on informal nights. Women can wear virtually what they like as long as its smart.

I should mention at this point that there's also an upper echelon of guests who occupy suites rather than cabins (or staterooms). These elite guests are allocated to eat in the Princess Grill; ordinary passengers are not allowed to eat there. The Cunard info specifies that in the Princess Grill, guests can order whatever they like – provided it's on board ship.

We eat in The Kings Court, which is hot and cold buffet food, and it's delicious. I'll tackle the ironing of Reg's crumpled suit and shirts, and my crushed jacket, in the morning. I still haven't unpacked my suitcase.

When we return to our cabin, our personal steward Fernando (he looks after 15 cabins on this deck) has closed our curtains and turned down our bed. I guess we will gradually get used to the Queen Mary's etiquette – but at the moment we're still feeling a little like, if you'll excuse the pun, fish out of water.

I step out onto our balcony, and the balmy sea air and majesty of the movement of the water more than make up for any indignation I may feel about having to conform to a certain dress code in order to eat in our allocated restaurant. A smooth Atlantic crossing is predicted – but I have brought my wrist bands and motion sickness tablets, just in case.

Saturday 5 July – America, “Land of the Free”? Liberty Island and Ellis Island

This is our last full day in New York, and in America – tomorrow we board the Queen Mary 2 for our week's journey back to England. After 2 months of moving from place to place, we have to admit that we're looking forward to having a rest!

After breakfast in our usual diner, we take the subway to Bowling Green, from where we will catch the ferry to Liberty Island, then Ellis Island.

We bought our tickets on the internet, and need to call at the pre-paid ticket booth in Castle Clinton, right by the ferry dock, to collect our tickets. Reg gets talking to a security attendant there, who explains that Castle Clinton was the very first immigration centre for individual American states, New York being one of them. In 1890 the Federal Government of the USA took over immigration issues, and Ellis Island became the chief immigration centre for the USA from 1892 – 1924, when it closed down.

It's about 10 am, and we are among probably 200 people queuing at the Castle Clinton dock, waiting to board the ferry which will take us to Liberty Island, on which stands the Statue of Liberty. Very few of us will actually climb up the Statue of Liberty; since 9/11 security has increased dramatically, and numbers of people allowed to go up are limited. If you really want to do this, you need to buy your tickets some time in advance. We will be quite content just to view this magnificent statue from close quarters.

We are impressed by how efficient the ferry boarding process is – what a huge difference from the laborious process we went through to ascend the Empire State Building! Before boarding the ferry we have to go through security, for both our bags, and ourselves (walking through the airport-style security arch). However, the powers that be have got it off to a “t” , and it really is a very quick process. The ferries run every 20 minutes and each boat has a huge capacity; disembarkation and boarding are both extremely efficient too. Soon the ferry is on its way to Liberty Island.

When we arrive at the island, it's time for a coffee (and green tea), and it's lovely to sit in the tree-shaded cafe gardens and overlook the waters of New York Harbour. We feel relaxed and Reg comments on how much he is enjoying today. It's great to be by the sea, watching the ferries come and go.

Liberty Island is very small indeed and of course the dominant feature of it is the Statue of Liberty. I would think that whatever nationality you are, when you see this truly magnificent statue, you cannot fail to be moved by the sculptor's portrayal of Libertas, the Roman goddess of freedom. The figure itself, green with age, is made of copper built around an iron interior framework. She stretches 151 feet tall, on her 89 foot high pedestal base. She carries a flaming torch in her right hand, her right arm lifted straight and high above her head; her left hand clutches a tablet, on which is engraved the date of the American Treaty of Independence – 4 July 1776. A broken chain lies at Libertas' feet.

For Americans of course, the Statue of Liberty is a symbol of freedom, and somehow must be even more precious to them since the destruction of the twin towers on 11 September 2001. Security is very much in evidence; we assume that the helicopters we see flying in the airspace around the statue are all part of the security aspect.

The statue has also served to welcome generations of immigrants to the USA, especially when Ellis Island was the main immigration centre for the USA, and people were being encouraged to come to this vast land of opportunity.

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from the people of France to America. It was agreed that France would provide the statue, and America the pedestal. Interestingly, the torch bearing arm and head of the statue were completed by the statue's sculptor, Bartholdi, even before the design was finished; the head and arm were used as exhibits at public places in order to raise money for the project. In America, raising money for the pedestal proved difficult, until a publicity campaign initiated by Joseph Pulitzer, the editor of the New York World, encouraged people to give small amounts. About 120,000 people contributed, most giving less than a dollar.

Like other tourists, we stroll around this tiny island, taking photos of the Statue from various viewpoints, and also photographing the New York Harbour and skyline seen from Liberty Island. Soon we're on the ferry again, this time to Ellis Island, which as we've said, was the chief immigration point for America from 1892 – 1924.

Ellis Island is also very small. We learn that over 12 million immigrants entered the USA through this island, and that 100 million Americans can trace their ancestry to the immigrants who entered America here. Ellis Island Immigration Museum opened in 1990, although the island was open to visits from the public in 1976.

At the museum, it's possible to gain an overall view of the “peopling of America” over 4 centuries of immigration, from 1550 – 1890. It's interesting to discover who came, and why. Some of the reasons for people leaving their homelands to come to America were poverty in the home country, starvation (eg the potato famine in Ireland), religious persecution, and lack of land to farm on in the homeland; in the 19^th century, economic downturns in Europe and Asia encouraged people to come to America.

People were also attracted to America because it was a “land of opportunity” - there was plentiful land, although many thousands of Native American – Indians - lost their land to the new settlers. This is often described as the “Trail of Tears”, particularly in relation to the Cherokee Native Americans, who fought a legal battle to retain their land, and initially won their case. However this decision was soon revoked. Many,many tribes of Native Americans suffered horribly, through physical abuse, torture, starvation and neglect, and through being forcibly removed from their land, and made to walk long long distances to other, less fertile areas. In the 1830's the USA made the removal and displacement of Native tribes official government policy.

What were the other reasons for people to emigrate to America? The Gold Rush in the 1800's, and religious tolerance; also, the fact that there was peace in America when there was war in Europe; and the huge growth in cash crops such as tobacco and cotton, needing cheap labour.

Of course some immigrants were brought to America against their will – 12 million African peoples were brought here during the 300 plus years of the slave trade.

In the 1830's, thousands of Jews came from Germany, Austria and Hungary, to escape anti-semetic discrimination and violence. In the 50 years from 1830, almost 175,000 Jews arrived in the USA.

There was discrimination in immigration too – the Americans came to view the Chinese peoples as a threat and the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 prevented the Chinese from entering the USA. In the 19^th century, 2 million people left South China to escape the economic and political crisis there. In 1848 the gold rush lured many Chinese to America; they left their wives and children behind to come here.

From 1900 – 1924, when immigration to the USA was at its peak, sometimes 5,000 immigrants an day would be registered at Ellis Island.

We find it interesting to to learn how these new peoples crossed America – often social ties determined where they settled; relatives, neighbours and friends would travel across America together, to support each other. They travelled by boat, wagon, on horseback or on foot; by 1890 a vast overland network had been established. The development of the railways (railroads) across America from 1863 – 1869 ncreased immigration, as it was then so much easier to cross the continent. In addition, the invention of steamships in the late 18^th century meant it became much quicker to travel from Europe to America – and easier to go back to your homeland if you wanted to – and some people did.

Eventually Reg and I are saturated with information and are tired! We queue again for the ferry and are soon sailing across New York Harbour once more, back to the mainland. We have one more thing we want to do in New York; walk down Wall Street to the 9/11 memorial fountain. We don't have time (or energy) to go into the new museum to hear survivors stories of what happened on that fateful day on 11 September 2001, but it is sobering to see the huge “walls of water” cascading down into an amphitheatre-sized central well in the ground, and to see the huge wall memorial erected in memory of all the fire-fighters who lost their lives trying to rescue the victims of this act of terrorism.

The Statue of Liberty stands tall in New York Harbour, a symbol of the patriotism of the people of America, and their ability to bounce back in the face of adversity. America, like the rest of the capitalist world, has many faults. In the end though, when you are only able to skim the surface of the life of a country, you judge a nation by the attitude of those you meet. We've come across so many wonderful people in America, some residents, some tourists; even today, several people have come up to us on the subway in New York, when they've seen us gazing at a map, and asked where we're going, so that they can offer us help.

Our trip around America by train has been a journey of discovery, where we've learned such a lot about America – and about her people.

This is the end of our star spangled journey; tomorrow, as we've said, we board the Queen Mary 2 for our voyage back to England. There will be an extra blog post about our journey home once we arrive back in England; plus some observations/facts about how Americans do things differently – which we thought were worth noting down! So the next (and last) postings for this blog will be in about a week or so. Thank you for reading!!

Friday 4 July – American Independence Day

During the American Revolution, the legal separation of the 13 colonies of America from Great Britain occurred on 2 July 1776; however the final wording of the Declaration of Independence was approved 2 days later on 4 July 1776, and it is this date which is celebrated as American Independence Day. Sometimes it is simply called Fourth of July.

Most Americans are extremely patriotic and you don't go very far in the USA without seeing an American flag. Therefore not only is Independence Day a national holiday, but it is celebrated with fireworks, family get-togethers, barbeques, and other special events.

No doubt some American citizens use Independence Day simply to have a rest; and today, we do the same. All our activity over the past 2 months has caught up with us, and we are suddenly feeling really tired. We decide to do very little today. We had intended to do our laundry, but the laundremat is closed because it's a national holiday. We were also intending to visit Central Park, and perhaps to go on to Brooklyn Bridge to see the fireworks, but the fact that it is raining hard makes us decide to lounge around in our hostel room, emerging only for breakfast in our local diner and pizza at tea time.

Apart from a brief shower in Chicago, the 2 heavy rainstorms we've had in New York have been the only rain we've seen since Charlottesville in May, so we can't complain. I sleep all afternoon, and when we go for our pizza this evening, the rain has stopped. We suddenly notice a Chinese laundry, really near to the hostel; we go in, and have a conversation about China with the Chinese family who run the laundry. It would cost $1 a pound weight for them to wash, dry and fold our clothes; the only problem is, we are out all day tomorrow and can't guarantee being back in time to collect the dry, folded washing. No problem; the Chinese lady called Susan (her English name, of course) will deliver the dry laundry to our hostel, just a few yards down the road.

Reg and I pop back to the hostel and bring over our big pile of washing. It will cost $15 including delivery, which I think is a bargain – provided that our washing is returned by tomorrow evening. Reg and I remember only too well the incident in Vietnam 2 years ago; we were due to move on the next morning and our washing hadn't been returned. The hostel receptionist on that occasion had to go shooting off on his motorbike to the laundry woman's house and get her to return to the wash house, so that we'd have our clothes before leaving.

“You won't forget, will you?” I say. “We're leaving New York Sunday morning. The next day.”

“That's ok,” says Susan, and something about her quiet efficiency makes me feel we can trust her to return our washing. Otherwise we'll have very little to wear on the Queen Mary 2!! I tell Susan that we will let the hostel know that she will be delivering the washing tomorrow afternoon. This is quite a weight of our minds, because plan A had been to get up very early tomorrow morning and do the laundry before we take the subway to Brooklyn Bridge, and then catch the ferry for Ellis Island and Liberty Island. We have e-tickets, and need to be at the ferry by 11.00 am. We aren't going up the Statue of Liberty (tickets for this have to be bought weeks in advance, and we didn't plan to do this anyway); but we should get a good view of it from Ellis Island.

Thursday 3 July – Uptown Manhattan & the Frick Collection

A few Americans whom we've chatted to along the way have recommended an art museum/gallery called “The Frick Collection”, situated in “uptown” Manhattan. It attracts 250,000 – 300,000 visitors a year, and ranks 3^rd amongst 843 attractions in New York, according to Trip Advisor.

“If you like art, you'll love this,” people have told us.

And of course we do. After an English breakfast at our little diner, we take the subway to 68^th Street, on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. The Frick collection is just a couple of blocks away, We are on the edge of Central Park, which we intend to visit later in the day; but inevitably, because we're immersed in the art gallery, we don't manage it – that is rescheduled for tomorrow – Independence Day.

The Frick Collection was the private collection of Henry Clay Frick, a millionaire industrialist, who died in 1919. When he had his house built in Uptown Manhattan, he always intended it to be an art gallery, open to the public, after his death. His widow had right of residence there until she died; then the work began to make the residence into a gallery.

The house itself is beautiful; the walls of one of the rooms are decorated with huge panels, on which are painted with 18^th century romantic scenes, showing lovers wooing beautiful young women, amongst other things. Some of the furniture and artefacts are exquisite; there's a small table with inlaid rosebud painted porcelain panels, which converts into a writing desk, for example.

The huge conservatory garden running down the length of the house, displays a mass of greenery, and is an oasis of peace and calm. It has stone benches around the edges so that you can relax, and take time out of the art collection to re-energise yourself for the next room or rooms! It truly is a magical place.

There are many paintings by famous artists in the collection – among them Gainsborough, Constable, Turner, Degas, El Greco, Rembrandt.

Two of my favourite exhibits are a pair of paintings by Hans Holbein the younger – they are meant to be hung as a pair, and are, I'm told, extremely famous. The first one, painted in 1527, depicts Sir Thomas More, who was Lord Chancellor during Henry V111's reign; More was beheaded for treason in 1535 because he opposed the Protestant Reformation, and refused to support the king in his quest to become Supreme Head of the Church of England.

The second painting, painted in 1532, is of Thomas Cromwell, who weedled his way into Henry V111's good books by supporting the Protestant Reformation and the king's quest to become Supreme Head of the Church of England. However it didn't do him much good; he also fell out of favour and was executed for treason in 1540. We are asked to look at the paintings and see where the artist's sympathy lies – with Thomas More or Thomas Cromwell? Both portraits are unsmiling, but it is blatantly obvious that Hans Holbein liked and admired Thomas More, and disliked Thomas Cromwell. (Should you be interested, the paintings come up in Wikipedia under Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell, so you can judge for yourself!)

After a couple of hours in the gallery, Reg and I are flagging. We need to relax and refresh! We're allowed to leave the gallery and return later; the gallery receptionist recommends “Bel Ami” , a French coffee shop/patisserie not far away from the gallery.

This is a posh area; shops such as Gucci, Cartier, and Dolce and Gabbana are splashed around the neighbourhood. The coffee shop is tiny, but it has real French chocolate éclairs, with chocolate cream inside them! When I text my daughter Elaine & tell her this, she is very jealous! A latté, a green tea, a pastry for Reg and my cake, costs as much as our full egg and bacon breakfast this morning! But we do enjoy it.

We manage to see the rest of the paintings in the Frick Collection on our return, though don't have the time or the energy to devote to some of the beautiful sculptures and other artefacts. One of the reasons people say they enjoy visiting the Frick Collection is that it is possible to see all the paintings in one day; however plans are afoot by the trustees to extend this beautiful house and to expand the collection. David Masello, writing in the New York Times on 14 June, who says he visits the collection “almost on a weekly basis” gives his reaction to news of the expansion. He says “I felt blunt disappointment, as well as betrayal.” He continues:

“I have yet to visit any museum in the world more satisfying to me than the Frick..... I fear that after its proposed expansion the museum will become more of a burden than a retreat. …...Museums don’t need as much space as they desire. After all, painters are content to stay within their frames. “

We're glad we visited the Frick Collection when we did, before it loses its charm – and before it becomes too big to view in one day.