Today was "On Deck for a Cause" on the ship, a sort of walk for cancer thing. We decided to participate and that meant a donation and a 5 kilometre walk on deck in stifling heat. We had that done by 10.40 and I was ready for a shower and a nap. I got neither as I wanted to take in a port talk on the last two French ports before Australia.
I did get the shower, then lunch, then a nap, then a lecture and then we had friends in to fill the Cutler's and us in on New Guinea, where they lived for years before moving to America.
After dinner there was a Didgeredoo [Spelling], demonstration. After that I came back to the cabin to do the blog while Fellette and Moe stayed to watch the stage show.
Fiji tomorrow, we are of on a boat to an island for frolicking in the beach and water and snorkeling. Moe is on tour.
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How to make a sea-day interesting from blog point of view, impossible, so I will describe in a bit of detail, the life on board…
- In the morning around 6.00, we are awake so I phone for room service for a pot of coffee and a pot of tea which is delivered on a tray with white linen and silver pots within five or 10 minutes by a young Indonesian man called Jack.
- Fellette then reads the Canadian newsletter as I do, and then does her puzzles and reads the day's activities. I do my exercises on the deck and then have my tea.
- We dress and leave for breakfast either in the little lounge on our deck or in the upstairs Lido restaurant. It is usually fruit and a muffin, Fellette usually has porridge. When we leave our cabin we insert the "Service Please" card in our door lock.
- We then do our walk and then Tai Chi before returning to the cabin a couple of hours later. When we return, the cabin has been serviced by two young Indonesian youths, Rudy and Asko. The bed is made, [they change the linen and all six pillow cases every three days], the place is tidied up, the deck is swept and the deck chair cushions have been put out, the toilet is cleaned and the sink area has been cleaned. The towels are all hung or renewed and there is ice and fresh fruit in our buckets. Also, in our room is a printed menu for tonight's dinner.
- During the day we will get fresh ice and the water man will leave two sealed jugs of water for us.
- At dinner time when we leave for dinner, we insert the Service card again and when we return the bed has been made ready to sleep, the mats are laid by our bedside and the towels have been tidied and the toilet serviced again and the drapes have been drawn. Tomorrow's programme is on our bed along with two chocolates and a Good Night in the local dialect. A towel animal is on our bed or hanging from the ceiling each night, a bit of whimsy from the stewards, they take great pride in their handiwork in that regard.
Eating is a challenge. For breakfast and lunch we do not go to the dining room. For dinner in the dining room we have quite a selection. I will not give you a detailed description or I would be typing for hours.
STARTERS:
Maple Fruit Melange
Bay Scallop Ceviche
Chilled Green Asparagus with Oven-Roasted Tomatoes
Crispy Sweetbreads
SOUPS and SALADS:
Cream of Cauliflower
Pistou Soup
Chilled Green Peas and Mint Soup
Salad of Arugula and Frisee
ENTREES:
Avocado Citrus Salad
Gnocchi with Garlic Cream Sauce
Bourbon Glazed Black Cod
Grilled Mahi-Mahi with roasted Corn Salsa
Veal Cordon Bleu
Grilled Strip Loin with Roasted Garlic Sauce
Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breast
Curried Vegetable Cutlet.
AVAILABLE EVERT NIGHT;
Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail
French Onion Soup
Classic Caesar Salad
Baked Potato
Basically the same is available at the buffet in the Lido upstairs, plus lots of simple alternatives and extras.
It is certainly a challenge not to overeat.
Pics: Towel Art, Fellette ready to walk five K, our room at night, the didgeredoo [?] player, from California!
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