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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