I was warned in not quite a nightmare last night to keep my sugar levels down. In the dream, the damage was done, and a bleak future awaited. No more mushroom shaped cheese cakes then!

I was slow getting up today.  Last night’s comedian at the Showtime reminded me of an “American Tommy Cooper.”   He came on stage, looked bewildered and the audience fell about laughing…and for some reason, so did I.  I was expecting obscure American humour and some of his act did just pass me by.  But he was incredibly funny and brilliant at guilt tripping late comers, and a few leaving early.  Even some in the upper circle, right at the back didn’t escape!  Where my dream came from, I haven’t a clue – I’m still laughing!

Outside, the Ocean awaits its 11.30 departure for Montreal, from Halifax Station.  It leaves in 39 minutes and I shall watch it maybe for one last time, from the Boat/Promenade Deck.  

At 12.45, I join a Shore Experience tour entitled Cunard and Titanic.  Halifax is where Samuel Cunard was born, and where recovered bodies from Titanic are interred in three Cemeteries, one of which is open to the public.  I took part in a similar tour in 2008 when QE2 made its final call in Canada.  There will be no waterside dinner tonight. QM2 sets sail for New York at around 5 pm.  There is a chance of some dramatic footage as QM2’s reflection bounces off nearby glass-sided high-rises.   Now to watch the train.

Botheration!  I have just missed the tour – by two minutes!  My fault completely – I got the times mixed up.  However…the nice lady in charge of the Routemasters gave me a complimentary ticket (worth  $80.00) for a quick ride around on the hop-on, hop-off blue Routemaster.

This was “damage limitation” at its best.

I got to ride a blue liveried C-reg former Route Master bus around the city of Halifax.  I might just have had time to look in at the much respected Maritime Museum and Titanic graves, but while missing a tour is one thing, missing the ship would have been catastrophic.  It was a good tour, though the buses are in need of some T.L.C. But where else can you ride ex-London Routemasters regularly? 

Departure from Halifax was for me, poignent. I’d like to think that I may have a very good reason to go back there, preferably by train from Montreal.  That being unlikely, I took numerous photographs and video to preserve the memories.

Shortly after 5 pm, we were edging away from the dockside.  We would turn 180° and circumnavigate the hisoric George’s Island.  The journey up the coast towards the Atlantic Ocean offered some delightful shoreside scenery punctuated by some massive waterside properties leaving me a tad envious!  On the other hand, quite what I would do with a mansion in Nova Scotia, I’m not sure, particularly at wintertime. 

It’s 19.12 hrs and we are now right out at sea. We shall travel at around 17 knots reaching New York at 06.30 the day after tomorrow.

Many thanks for reading,

David, 19.14 hrs fwd on Deck 7 starboard. 8/7/26.

Note: In the U.K. e.g. 8//7/26, the first number is the day, second is the month, and the third, the year.  I am often momentarily confused when travelling abroad!  But that’s no excuse for my missing the tour!