Steps: 4,075

This is day 1 of 5 sea days between Reykjavik and Brooklyn Cruise Terminal.  We have covered c220  nautical miles since our late night departure from Reykjavik and have over 2,000 nautical miles to sail to New York. 

I rather think that I over did it in the Britannia Restaurant last night. I am decidedly fragile today and I’m taking it very easy.  Outside, the temperature remains in single figures, but of course we are heading south towards  heatwave country.  

This morning, not really in the mood for breakfast, I stayed in my room and watched a superb movie Conplete Unknown documenting, very inaccurately as it turns out, the young life of Bob Dylan covering the years 1961 to 1965. Numerous references to the Newport Folk Festival revived recent memories of our call at Newport, Rhode Island only in July this year.  There are all kinds of festivals there right now.  According to Google, Complete Unknown is not meant to be a documentary, but a bit like the 1997 movie Titanic where the event was historically correct but most of the stories on board, fictional.  The hostile reaction to Bob Dylan’s going electric was very well portrayed.  I went to see him at the second of two identical concerts at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester in July 1966. The first half was original accoustic with guitar and harmonica.  The second half with full backing band was received badly to begin with.  At his first Manchester appearance, in May 1966, one of the audience screamed “Judas” in vehement protest at Dylan’s shift to electric.  This went down in history as the Judas Concert and is still talked about sixty years later.  I was in my final year of school at the time, taking my G.C.E. O-levels for a second time.  I greatly enjoyed the backing musicians, who, after being named The Hawks, became The Band. Needless to say, they were fabulous and got no disapproval from the 17 year-old me. (Info from Google).  Google states that there was no second concert in July.  I think that this was probably an additional concert not originally part of the tour.  It was packed, my ticket being for a seat at the side, behind the artist, and almost among the band.  Being there when what felt like an extended Like a Rolling Stone was belted out is one of my greatest musical memories. 

Back to today on QM2.  Despite being under the weather I did manage to relax in the Carinthia Lounge with Simon and Liz.  Liz, too needed return to her stateroom. Simon and I managed 8/20 in a rather hard trivia quiz.  By the time evening came, although still feeling fragile, I needed to negate hunger pangs, and right now, I really hope I have not overdone it.  This morning, it was grey skies and colour-coded seas.  The sun did come out, I was able to enjoy the gentle approaches to sunset.  Tonight, I shall retire early and hopefully be fine for tomorrow.

Simon has informed me of next year’s total eclipse. Yep, Queen Victoria is heading in that direction. “If at first you don’t succeed – and all that!”

Many thanks for reading, David, in the Kings Court Buffet, ready for an early night.