Blog 0061 On the world’s third largest ocean.

Day 72 of 102.

Current Position, Weather, Sea state, etc. 23/3/23

This is Day 2 of seven sea days between Fremantle W.A. and Port Louis, Mauritius. I am not surprised that the air temperature fell below 20°C. There is nothing between where we are right now and Antarctica (except 2050 nautical miles of fresh air and ocean!). That is, according to Captain Hall in his noonday address today. Depth below the keel is a mere 3 kilometres; yesterday, there were 5 kilometres to the seabed.

I enjoyed a disgustingly late breakfast this morning, for the first time at the aft-end of the Kings Court Buffet, which is set up each evening for alternative dining, later in the afternoon. Eric, my cabin steward since Southampton, has done a fine job of making up my stateroom for day-use. He looks after all 15 single staterooms on decks 2 and 3L, as well as elsewhere when there are staff shortages, all this on a daily basis until his contract expires.

I feel a tad disappointed at the moment. Jo and I decided to forego the Gala Night yesterday and have our evening meal casually in the Kings Court Buffet. Travel-lag had caught up with me, and I didn’t really feel like dressing up for less than two hours. When I returned to my stateroom, on the bed was a fancy card, proclaiming that the formal dinner was special, commemorating the anniversary of the end of Laconia’s historic first World Cruise in March 1923. Jo rang me to express her annoyance, too. There was no build-up to this special dinner, not even in the Daily Programme, save for some special dance demonstration in the Queens Room. One less menu for the collection then! Strangely, I have just met two people who were at that dinner who told me there was nothing different, and they had not received any notification!

24/3/23, the following morning, 10.04.

I attended two lectures (now, yesterday), one by professional tennis player, coach, and official, Andrew Jarrett talking about Behind the Scenes at Wimbledon, and a second by Dave Mallinder on the Life and times of Nat King Cole. I am not known for my interest in tennis (or any sport for that matter), but I was fascinated by this extremely well delivered presentation and intend to attend his next talk. I shall probably learn all about Dean Martin later today.

After the lecture on Nat King Cole in Illuminations, a cavernous cinema by night.

Before dinner, I tried some nocturnal photographs looking up towards the bridge. Sailing west, the sunset is neither side of the ship, and still, I managed a couple of pictures before it went completely dark.