Wednesday 24th April – Sunshine

This is a good reminder of how important it is to update the diary as I go along. I did not get back to this until Saturday, on my return, and can only remember what happened because of the photos!

This morning I finally realised why it is that I have been woken up just about every morning by the noise outside. My door does not fit properly and is not soundproof. I can see a triangle of light down the side. I can almost fit my fingers between the door and the doorframe at the bottom. I reported it to Reception, and the carpenter arrived while I was out, but I don’t think anything could be done.

At the Solo Travellers’ Get-Together I talked with Rock for a long time. His English continues to improve as the cruise progresses.

(Rock and Jorge)

In the afternoon we (J&J and I) sat in the sun and soaked up some of the small amount of sunshine we have received on this cruise. It had been either too hot or too cold to go outside! 

 (Judith and Jenny)

At dinner that night, Jim and Frank had bought a couple of bottles of pink champagne to share with the table, as a thank you for our good company. What gentlemen!

In the evening Victoriana Ball dancing I had 2 dances that must remain among my cruise highlights. They were complete improvisation with me not knowing what was happening next but following my partner/s into the steps. It started with Rock asking me if I could do the Paso Doble. I said it was over 30 years since I’d tried it. However, I followed him into various attitudes and steps, and then the music turned into a march and we ended with Rock, me, Jorge and his partner, four abreast, marching up the room. It was a romp! In the later dancing session we had a similar dance. It was a real medley that went from paso doble to Viennese waltz to march and I don’t know what else. To add to it, partway through Jorge suddenly called ‘Change partners’ and we swapped without missing a beat. We did the same again so we ended with our original partners. Rock was moving around and ducking his head so that I was draped all around like the bullfighter’s cape. He ended with me behind him, arms around his neck. I’ve seen that move on Strictly Come Dancing, but he didn’t follow it through by dragging me across the floor! (I definitely enjoy romps – using serious steps but in a fun way – to the stricter dancing I was trying to remember on my last cruise. However, it takes a very talented partner, who can lead extremely well, to pull it off! Such partners are rare.)

After the dancing a group of us, organised by the singer Paul, went up to the Lido buffet for supper. This is the first time I’ve come across this on a cruise, and it was a lovely way to socialise with people off the dance floor. It meant a late night though, as we stayed until close to 1am.