8 - 9 July

Sunday 8 July 0700   Port of Dover.  

White Cliffs of Dover

I am here, I am in England and the scene from the deck is exactly as I expected.  I am rugged up, scarf, long pants, tights, vest, jumper and jacket and I am ready to get on the bus for a day in London.

Yvonne, Pat and I have not got an arranged tour today, we are going into the capital on a Princess bus but getting dropped off in the middle of the city and meeting up with it again 5 hours later.  Yes, you got it right I practically tied myself to them so that I would not get lost!!!

I had my list of places I wanted to see, Trafalgar Square, Eros, Buckingham Palace, 10 Downing Street, Covent Gardens, Big Ben and Marks and Spencer.

Sunday in London should have been quiet but NO, yet another marathon was being held and there were hundreds of runners finishing their 8 km run in Trafalgar Square. 

We were dropped off just outside of Covent Gardens and we walked through it and unfortunately didn’t meet Elisa and wandered to the National Museum and had a look around and a hot cup of tea in the café there. 

The weather was cool but not wet so we then wandered out straight into Trafalgar Square and took a number of pictures and then started wandering down Downing Street and then onto the Houses of Parliament and then walk up the road to Buckingham Palace.  

Unfortunately the Queen was not in residence but we were in time to see the end of the Changing of the Guards and we took our time walking around the grounds, we saw the memorial walk for Princess Dianna.

We then set off down Park Lane on to look for Marks & Spencer but instead we went into a beautiful old department store where the staff were wearing tails and into another one where ‘Are You being Served’ was filmed.  Lunch was next on the agenda so we went into a Pub and I had a bowl of soup and Yvonne had fish and chips, it was so hot in there, I had a pint of beer which was warm.  The weather has fined up and the rain has gone away.

Time was getting away from us, so we decided to catch a taxi to Marks which was fortunate as it was a long walk away.  I didn’t find anything to buy there and we then caught another taxi to the meeting place and make the trip back to the ship.  It was nice to be in a country where you could read the signs, speak the language and feel at home and of course driving on the right of the road.  So much more to see on my next trip.

Everyone was exhausted, quick meal, hot shower and off to bed.

Monday 9 July 0700   North Sea.  Another day which was once again started slowly and I was really not feeling well now as my cold had got worse and I was snuffy, hot then cold and feeling really cranky so I stayed in bed snuggled down, only getting out to get a cup of tea and some soup.  The ship was once again full of new people and this time it was Poms and Americans and some Aussies coming home. 

Laundry is very expensive on the ship a pair of knickers is over $2 and pants over $7 and the rumours of what happens in the laundry rooms frightens even the bravest of men, people have been sent off the ship because of fights in the laundries (I kid you not), there are only 2 washing machines and 2 dryers for each deck of about 800 people.  Well, today the ship has a special offer, everything you can put into the ship’s paper laundry bag for $20, this is there way of easing up of the need to wash and you can fit well over 20 items in the bag, I put in 4 long pants and 3 shorts, the only problem with this is that they washing doesn’t come back for 3 days and you have to remember to leave out some clothes.

Another good thing about leaving Dover is that we have now completed two sectors and over 50 days.  The Princess Company has a rewards program and when I joined the cruise I was a blue card carrier, after the first sector I was upgraded to GOLD which did not give me anything, I am now PLATINUM member which gives me membership to the Captain’s Circle and 1000 minutes free Internet (Hooray), at the end of the cruise I will need another 50 days and I will get:

2000 hours free internet, free issue of mini bar per sector, 10% discount on-board shopping, free laundry, free wine tasting and express boarding and disembarking.  Wow. 

We have a formal night tonight to welcome the new passenger but I stayed in bed.  The weather is cold but the water is not too rough, I am still waiting for the rough weather.  With the exception of about three days the whole trip has been a gentle rock especially at night.