Land Ho!

Tuesday, 5 November 2013 -- At Sea

Okay, not quite. Our first sighting of land is still several hundred miles to the west, but today is our last full day at sea before our arrival in Nassau tomorrow morning.  We had another in a series of time changes last night so, of course, I awoke at 4 a.m. ready to start my day. Once again I sit here in the dark tapping away while Dear Diane sleeps soundly.

Last night, for the first time since last week's transit of the Bay of Biscay on the way to La Rochelle, the seas have been other than calm. I believe we're feeling some of the residual effects of the storms that have been moving up the east coast of the U.S. Overnight the ship developed a distinct roll, one that helped me sleep well, just like a baby in a cradle, at least until 4 a.m. We're still rolling, and because it's quite dark outside, I can't see whether we have an overcast or clear skies. I could certainly get a better view by sliding open the noisy door to the balcony, but that would surely awaken Diane, not a wise thing to do.

Yesterday, extending the celebration of our anniversary a bit, we gave ourselves a treat and had lunch at one of the specialty restaurants, the S.S. United States. The restaurant seems to be a kind of shrine to that once famous ship that carried folks across the Atlantic back in the fifties and sixties. I remember when it was first put into service and, if I recall correctly, it set a speed record for the transatlantic voyage between New York and Southhampton. I'll have to look that up and see if my memory is correct. Anyhow, the meal was wonderful, the best since we've been aboard Infinty. 

Other than that, our day was just one of those relaxing, do-nothing days. We napped (well, Diane napped), we read, we watched the sea roll past our little balcony, we sampled some of the gelato served on deck five by a lovely Italian girl (coconut and cinnamon turned out to be a great combination), and we met with a couple -- friends of a friend -- whom we looked up a few days ago. I expect today to be more of the same, except we will probably do some initial packing so we won't be too hurried our last evening aboard.

It's still dark. Diane still sleeps soundly. More later, assuming there's anything worth writing about.

Wednesday, 6 November 2013 -- Nassau, Bahamas

We arrived in Nassau this morning under sunny skies and tied up at the pier along with four other cruise ships. With all those ships in port, Nassau's downtown streets were clogged with tourists anxious to part with their money in the jewelry stores, craft stalls, souvenir shops, and restaurants. Diane and I did our small part to aid the local economy by purchasing a few baubles and other little things. We also sat on an outside deck at one of those noisy and fun waterfront eateries and ate huge and tasty hamburgers. But Nassau, at least its downtown, could only hold our interest for a few hours so by mid-afternoon we decided to stroll back to the ship. The ship departed at 4 p.m in a wonderful display of seamanship and now we're on our last leg, a short trip to Miami. 

We've had a wonderful month, but it's time to return to our home and once again take up the routine of our lives. 

Blessings...