Day 102 of 102.

The last full day of this epic voyage has arrived. And at 5 o’clock tonight, the packing is not yet quite  complete. 

Day 103, 00.36 hrs.

We are already in Southampton, having arrived at around 10 o’clock tonight. I finished the dreaded packing before dinner.  I had enjoyed one last breakfast in the Britannia Restaurant, as well as lunch and dinner, Jo joining me for the latter two, not quite taking it in that this whole epic voyage would be over in just a few hours.  For the first time, we sat in the stalls for the show rather than in our usual side-circle seats.

To be continued…

Monday 24th April, 09 32 hrs, in bed, in Buxton.  Happy Birthday, Debbie!

This really is it.  Our daylight/dusk sailing along the English Channel and Solent had brought us into Southampton at around 10 pm. rather than seven or eight hours later.  A technical issue (or technical issues)  had been identified requiring more time in Southampton. The revised departure time for New York should have been midnight or shortly after.  ⁰

I had bid farewell to Jo, a friend from previous cruises, over breakfast, with the assurance we would remain in touch.  She did!  Her last message was that Queen Mary 2 wasn’t going anywhere!  Presumably, the technical issues are far more serious than anticipated.  Those travelling to New York would have to go the conventional way, by air!  It seems that we were lucky to get back to Southampton at all!

As ever, on the last night, I stayed up later than I should, wandering around the ship for one final look. It was too cold, damp, and windy to explore outside, save for taking a couple of photographs.  Although tired enough, it was hard to get to sleep. I did eventually and was awake enough to enjoy being driven home in my car, shortly after breakfast, and a further coffee at the hotel my neighbour had stayed at.  Rather than drive home A.F.A.P. (work that out!) we called at the Didcot Railway Centre for three hours.  I was reminded of my pleasurable visit to the Ipswich Works Railway Museum near Brisbane!

Even with the extended stay at Didcot, I was in my house before 7 o’clock, by now very tired, but desirous of a good curry!  I returned to Buxton’s Taj Mahal restaurant for something very distant from my strict diet!  

This morning, I have a pile of mail to attend to.  I have so much to look back on over the last 14 or so weeks.  It’s time to get up. It’s 10.09 hrs!

Apart from a few reasonable spring days a week or so ago, it seems like I dodged a lousy winter once again.  Annoyingly ‘though, the cold weather is hanging on in there. It remains just 7°C  outside, according to the temperature reading in my car, although it is brighter today.

Monday evening, 24/4/23.  20.28 hrs.

I had slept well on my first night back home in Buxton. But today, it took a while for me to become accustomed to being in bitterly cold Britain, but expect to be back to some kind of normal tomorrow. 

The first part of my walking challenge in support of Christian Aid Week 2023 came to an end at midnight, 22nd April.  Between 00.01 hrs, 11th January, and 23.59 hrs 22nd April, I recorded a steps total of 1,169,431, roughly equivalent to 410 miles, based on 2,850 steps per mile.  The average steps per day over 102 days is 11,465 or 4.02 miles per day.  From Southampton to Southampton, via the Suez Canal, South Africa, and several ports of call along the way, we travelled 31,797 nautical miles.  This does not take into account my rail and air journey between Sydney and Fremantle, nor the miles travelled on shore excursions.   This was the journey of a lifetime. 

Many thanks for reading, David, 20.46 hrs at home with a stack of phenomenal memories!