Sea Day

The cruise ship is amazing --- it is like a floating city with everything you might want. The library is richly appointed with trey ceilings, inlaid woods, leather sofas and furniture of the Louis XVI style. The colors however, are dated circa 1980s (pink/turquoise) so this is an older ship/decore.

Everything is kept pristine . The brass balustrades are polished daily. The cabin crew cleans our cabins completely several times a day. Today Susan left a darling towel that was folded into the shape of a dog with floppy ears.....on our bed. Clearly she had cleaned the sink (polished) several times -- This is especially impressive since I know that at home -- there are socks on the floor, dishes in the sink and unmade beds.

Today was a "sea day" which means that we have been underway since last night speeding along at 22 knots and we will not reach Athens until 8:00 a.m. in the morning! We were discussing our perceptions about the Mediterranean sea -- Our history experience makes us think that Greece Rome were nearly neighbors -- but clearly they weren't -- I am thinking how long a trip it must have been when you couldn't travel at 22 knots.

The clouds come and go -- there are short periods of sun, but at no time is it truly hot! This is not a problem for me! After breakfast, I went up to the top deck. There is a track around the ship where people are jogging. Around the perimeter are deck chairs where people are trying to bake in the sun. It is such a pleasure to lie on one of these while the sun peeps in and out of the clouds and the wind blows across me in the most delightful way. The water is ultramarine and as the ship churns up the waves there is a long white trail into the distance. Dancing among the churned-up white waves is a color very much the same as cerulean mixed with and permelba white -- It is truly unexpected. Perhaps it is the size of the ship ...or perhaps this is unique to this sea.....

I slipped into a suit and spent a good hour in the whirlpool beside the pool. A salsa dance instruction is being given poolside as well, and it is fun to watch people abandon their inhibitions and give dance a try. There were two couples there -- one from Florida-- They work at Pensacola Christian College -- (He teaches bible and perhaps Greek) He is an expert in many things...He indicated that they are experimenting with growing their own vegetables and even animals. I perked up assuming that he was interested in organic gardening, but then it became clear that this was not the case. He seemed interested in producing his own food. I mentioned the slow food movement..to which he responded that it would not be possible to have tomatoes year round or some fruits....this told me that he had not read anything about the reason one might want to eat only seasonally.....so I pursued that no further. They had been through one of the hurricanes and the description was full of bravado.

The other couple are quiet. They live in Colorado. After a long soak it began to rain and I got out to pick up my towel and jacket before they got wet again. Lunch was in the windjammer cafe. The spreads are remarkable in their extent and variety. How they prepare food for 2,000 people in such elegance and the quantity (always small and artistically displayed) is quite mysterious to me....but there it is appearing with great regularity.
I went down to the library and wrote down yesterdays experiences since I was too exhausted to write it down at the end of the day yesterday. While I was there I met a retired architect who had been a librarian as well. She was from Vancouver where her husband had been a college professor. We spent some time discussing the profession and how it has changed. She graduated from Berkley....before computers were much on the scene.

Kathy and Matt and I met to eat at about 7:00 p.m. We could not attend the dinner this evening, because we had no formal clothing so we grazed the buffet. When I went out later in the evening, it felt a bit like Halloween to me --- Perhaps the older ladies are remembering how they looked in their youth. Many are poured into their gowns as though they were sausage casings. They are wearing spaghetti straps and look a bit garish with flapping triceps! The men on the other hand all look fine, because a suit just doesn't expose aging body parts!
Tomorrow we will be in Athens where I will see the Acropolis!