December 9, 2016
You fans of the WWE would have been so disappointed!
I should never have done it. I know better. There is no questioning it was wrong. It can only cause trouble. But in a moment of weakness, in a moment of overwhelming love and affection, I bought her a newspaper! We’ve been back in our stateroom for 15 minutes and she has already read parts of 3 articles and hasn’t even left page one! Make it stop!
We were ashore on Gibraltar for 3 hours today. Wandered around, did some shopping, came back on. We stopped at a pharmacy to buy some band-aids and some antibiotic ointment, since we are out of the first and didn’t bring the second, and I wacked my hand again. The cash register rang up 4 pounds 13, and she charged us 9 dollars 50. I was pretty sure we were taken advantage of, and when we got on down the street and I saw an exchange offering Pounds Sterling for $1.48, I knew we had been double charged. Bamboozled. Taken advantage of. Cheated. How rude! When I bought the above mentioned newspaper for 2 pounds 50, I paid with 3 pounds and got back change. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. We also bought more Mountain Dew and some salted (not nearly salty enough) peanuts and paid the proper price.
We did see something unusual. Come to think of it, we’ve seen a variation of it two other times on this trip, so many not all that unusual, at least not in Europe. People dress themselves in costumes and strike poses and you are welcome to do a selfie with them and drop money in their pot. This fellow stood on the street corner, dressed himself in a white gown, put white makeup on, a white myter hat, white gloves, and stood on his box posing as the Pope. Makes you wanna take a selfie, right?
We shopped unsuccessfully in two electronic toy stores to help out Santa. One proprietor did tell me that he would have some in tomorrow. But Captain Lavadera wouldn’t wait. I told him how important it was. How a doghouse visit would be avoided. But he said, “Sorry! Gotta raise anchor and boogie!” Well, if I had asked him, he might have said that.
Speaking of Captain Domenico Lubrano Lavadera, an excellent skipper he is, and a builder of confidence among his passengers and crew. About a month before we got on the Pacific Princess his successor hit a rock while parking the vessel, and got to go on vacation sooner than expected. The story is that the weather was bad, but he could have done better. Not negligence, just ooops. And there is no ooops in cruise ship parking.
He gives a message every sea day at noon, telling us our position, updating our schedule – Pause: She is now reading me the TV schedule for London! – giving us the weather report, etc. Today before sale away he said that we were changing course, not sailing to the Azores, but rather turning south to Madeira, a Portugese island, to get us on a more southerly course for Bermuda in order to miss the worst of an Atlantic storm that is headed our way. By taking this new direction, we will encounter waves of only 2-3 meters. Well, there’s a blessing.
Tonight’s entertainer was Brenda Cochrane, a lady from Scotland with size 26 dress and a size 50 voice. She was in “Chicago,” won America’s Got Talent, and other awards. Wow, what a singer! Did some Dean Martin, Willie Nelson, Ray Charles, BB King, sang Moon River, a Christmas melody, and ended with Edith Piaffe. She got the first standing ovation for this cruise, and well-deserved. Just a great selection and a wonderful relationship with the audience. We hope she does another show.
I am on stage at 1 o’clock tomorrow with the talk about water. I’ll close with Edith Piaffe and see if I get a standing ovation.
TTFN
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