Steve and Cathy's Blog

Last night, we moved the clocks forward again. We are now seven hours ahead of home … I think. We decide to have breakfast in the Grand Dining Room. I think we’re hungry, and since we aren’t booked on an excursion, we have plenty of time. Steve indulges in waffles, Cathy has two eggs over easy and potatoes. The range of foods available is staggering. We could even have a steak or lamb chops for breakfast if we so desired.

In order to allow our steward to make up our room, we head for Horizons on Deck 10 to pass the time productively until Cathy’s daily Coffee Chat & Needlepoint begins at 9:30 in the same space. When the time comes, she joins the group. Before I leave for the room, I am introduced to Terry, one of Cathy’s needlepoint friends I have heard so much about. She passes along a very gracious compliment about Cathy, and I can easily see how Cathy finds her so interesting.

The special event of this Sea Day is a first for the ship: The Insignia Country Fair. This very novel event is the creation of Cruise Director Leslie Jon. Here is how it is introduced in today’s Currents: “Late summer in the British countryside is the time to hold a traditional “olde faire.” It’s a joyous occasion when all the locals get together to erect tents and stalls in which to sell their wares and host games and events. Today, Insignia’s staff and crew proudly present our version of this wonderful event. Each staff will feature a game in which you can win tickets for a special prize drawing at the fair’s conclusion.”

The Fair takes place on the pool deck (see the photo at the beginning of this post). Each and every department in the ship has a booth, all of which surround the pool area. We guests line up and try to win tickets by playing the game that has been set up. For instance, Housekeeping has a contest where you put a pillowcase on a pillow. You compete with another guest, and the first one to complete the task wins a ticket. The Bar Team has a ring toss, where you have three chances to get a ring around a bottle of wine or liquor. If you win, you get five tickets, and if you lose, you get two.

The Entertainment Team had a Human Slot Machine. Three crew members sit side by side, the contestant “pulls” the handle (which is actually another crew member’s arm), the three crew members jiggle around to imitate the spinning wheels. After about five seconds they each simultaneously reach in a bag in their lap and pull out a piece of fruit. If all three pull out the same fruit, you are a winner and get five tickets. If two fruits match, you get two tickets. It is hilarious to watch this very clever game.

There are probably fifteen different “games” to play, all reflecting the area of ship responsibilities each department has. They are all very creatively done, and the staff and crew members are all so much fun in dealing with us guests. We all try to “win” tickets for forty-five minutes, and when the ship’s horn goes off, the booths close. Numbers are drawn and winners of bottles of wine are announced.

Cathy didn’t stay long as the noise and the crowds are just not her thing, but Steve did. I had to leave before the drawing, so I gave my tickets to Margie and Paula.

We ate lunch at the Grand Dining Room and then did our normal read-nap-knit-write thing for the afternoon. [Cathy: Today is Groundhog Day, AKA Candlemas, AKA Imbolc, AKA Midwinter’s Day. Back in Wallingford Steve and I always used to celebrate this ancient pagan holiday by burning a piece of wood left over from our Yule log which we burned on December 21, another pagan holiday known as Yule. Yes we are churchgoing Christians but it is fun to acknowledge these ancient holidays which have cleverly been renamed and celebrated as Christian holidays. Obviously we don’t have our Yule log with us and there is no fire allowed on this ship so we are thinking of our friends back in the Northeast who are watching for Punxatawny Phil and his news. ]

At 5:30, Peter Croyle has another lecture: Voyage of Discovery and European Colonization Part 6, which Cathy now prefers to watch on television in our room. Before launching into that, Peter discusses our next port of call: Walvis Bay, Namibia. Besides the intro to the city and country we are to visit, he gives us an important introduction to the climate of the region. There is a strong current here in the South Atlantic that runs northward along the west coast of Africa that originates all the way down in Antarctica in the Southern Ocean. Obviously, this water is cold, and therefore this part of Africa (the southwestern coastal nations of South Africa and Namibia) are kept cooler as a result. This current becomes part of what’s known as the South Atlantic Gyre, a counterclockwise current of air and water that dominates this region of the planet.

Concurrently, on the other side of Africa, there are clockwise currents and wind that keep that side of the continent warmer than otherwise would be the case.

We have a dinner date with Kari and Larry Noomen at Toscana at 6:30. They have graciously brought a bottle of wine to share with us. The evening, as we fully expected, is very enjoyable. These are two very “interesting and interested” people who are excellent conversationalists. Fun and down to earth. We are lucky to have met them, and they are doing the entire ATW thing (with a few diversions off the ship). They are very well traveled and have many very interesting experiences to share.

The day ends like all our days end.  Back in the room after dinner and soon to bed.  Already we are starting to feel the change in climate as we step out on to our veranda before bedtime.  This feels great!