Today is yet another day at sea. I was mistaken when I said we would reach Dubai today. It is so easy to lose track of the days on a ship. I should have double-checked with my itinerary. We will be there tomorrow.
However, we are still not out of the region in which piracy is a risk. Last night we were joined at our Captain’s table by a Lieutenant-Commander of the British Royal Navy and his wife. He was brought on board at our last port by the ship to advise on the best route to take to avoid known pirate activity. The officer is, of course, able to contact and knows the positions of the British navy ships that along with those of some other nations, patrol the region to curb piracy. As it was, yesterday we had to adjust our course to be on the safe side. He will disembark later in our journey.
Anyhow, we had a great conversation about his career and all the sailing he did before and after joining the navy. He has had a very adventurous life sailing in many parts of the world before he joined the navy, including on a tall ship. Both he and his wife were just delightful. Because we go to the early dinner sitting at 6 pm, this was the first time we have been joined by anyone from the ship, and I have now sat at that table for several weeks.
Since 1800 guests are disembarking in Dubai, we had the traditional night in which we thank the chefs and waiters, who prepare and serve 15 000 meals every day just in the formal dining rooms. This involves a formal parade just after the Mains of the many chefs through the two levels of the dining room, accompanied by rousing music, and then the Executive Chef, the Maitre de, etc., all being called up one by one to take a bow. Another tradition is that afterwards, one of the desserts on offer is Bombe Alaska. Our navy guest was intrigued with this and regaled us with some of the navy traditions.
But I will miss the new friends I have made very much when they leave us tomorrow, and hope to keep in touch. Just three of us at our table will remain. I wonder who will take their place. It will be another very busy day with all the comings and goings between those who are leaving, those who are boarding, and those going off on shore excursions.
On another note, I have been going to some brilliant lectures by a member of the Royal Astronomical Society, Dr Geraint Jones, who has been very involved in and is still involved in designing space probes and analysing their data. I have learned about the probe sent to the study Saturn’s rings and moons and the problem that studied a particular comet. Their journeys and their data-gathering took many years, of course. Today I am going to his lecture on Sir Arthur C Clarke, and another concert by a superb Swedish classical guitarist, Nils Klofver, who is at the Royal College of Music in London.
I was very amused to see images of the odd shapes of some of Saturn’s lesser moons, that do not have enough mass to have evolved into a sphere. A couple had belts of dust around them that looked like donuts around their middle. Each has been assigned a lady’s name. I thought to myself, as I was confronted by the mirror in the lift afterwards - yep, that's me right now. I am a misshapen moon - only my ‘donut- is not just made of dust - and I simply must go on a diet! So hard to do when there is so much food around, and not enough exercise. (There is a gym but I am not that desperate. But I am keeping up the walking so I am fit enough to walk into the lost City of Petra in a week or so.)
By the way, I eventually found a small display of Easter eggs in the informal dining area, so attach a photo.
Best wishes to all.
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