Obviously, there are no landscape photo opportunities when we are at sea. Having said that, the sky dominates the scene, and cloud formations at sea can be stunning. We are including some we took these last two days.
We left Qaqortoq at 8pm on the 22nd at 8pm. Our destination, Torshavn in the Faroe Islands, is 1,070 nautical miles, which converts to 1,231 statute miles. We are heading east, of course, and will pass south of Iceland some time on the 24th. We will move the clocks forward between the 23rd and 24th, again between the 24thand 25th, and yet again between the 25th and 26th.
We wake up on the 24th to rain, wind and seas with 8-foot waves. The ‘motion of the ocean’ is certainly affecting the ship. It’s pitching and rolling, but not enough to be of concern or even bring on seasickness, but walking the decks is a bit difficult as we lurch about. Veterans of North Atlantic crossings would perhaps think we’re making too much of it, but it is quite noticeable.
We spend two hours on Horizons and have lunch at the Grand Dining Room – as is becoming our Sea Day routine. Naps of course. More blogging and reading – of course.
But around 4pm, Cathy finds a movie to watch – The Vikings with Kirk Douglas. After listening to a couple of enrichment lectures by Dr. Colleen Beatey on this cruise, we quickly realize – and she has warned – that this 1958 movie is utterly preposterous and so historically inaccurate as to be hilarious. But it is fun entertainment, made even more fun knowing what we have learned during the past week.
Dinner in – where else – the Grand Dining Room. Back to the room with some energy still left, so we watch the most recent Sandra Bullock movie called The Lost City. Entertaining and also preposterous, but that’s the fun of it. A good way to end the day.
August 25th brings way calmer seas and weather that is warm (relatively speaking, of course) and sunny. After breakfast, we head for Horizons as usual. After about an hour, a couple take the table next to us. The woman asks Cathy about the Needlepoint she’s working on, and that starts a conversation. We find out that she grew up in Bridgeport, but hadn’t lived there since she got married. Her husband worked for McDonnell-Douglas Aircraft in St. Louis and California. After he retired, they moved to, of all places, Portland, Maine in 2019!
For the next thirty minutes, we discuss Portland and Portland politics, in particular the referendum question on the ballot in November severely curtailing what someone who owned a property but didn’t live in it (i.e., second home) could do with it with regard to rentals. Interestingly, this discussion brought out the stark difference in outlook and perception between the people that live on the mainland part of the city and those of us on the islands that are part of Portland. This couple had lived in Portland for three years, and the only thing they knew about the islands was a result of a day trip to Peaks Island. I’m not sure that she even knew of Cliff Island. She was hoping that this referendum, if passed, would result in more affordable housing, including on the islands, as the proponents insisted it would do. We … or should we say Steve – is very outspoken that passage of this ballot question would do just the opposite and serves as a perfect example of how clueless the residents are about the islands that are part of the city. And Cathy adds “And that goes for the city government as well,” which is certainly true from everything we’ve seen.
Oops. Looks like we’ve veered off course in our post here. Where were we? Oh, yes, in Horizons having a chat with people from Portland Maine while cruising the North Atlantic Ocean. Small world, eh?
It’s lunchtime, and the temperature is 58 degrees! So we opt for Waves Grill on Deck 9, where we can enjoy the weather. Afterwards, Steve takes a 45-minute walk on the fitness track. After that, it’s back to reading and blogging and dining at the GDR.
One more Sea Day and we will reach the Faroe Islands.
