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2/17-18-2015 Tuesday and Wednesday
At sea en route to San Juan, Puerto Rico
We have no plans for these days other than to have fun. Well, ok, eating is planned. The library, the pool, sunning, watching the water, and napping are all possibilities.
20150217 Tuesday AtSea PhotoLink
During the night, the ship’s clock was set ahead one hour, so we rose very late. Took coffee and a roll on the Lido deck while observing Cuba to starboard in the distance. We run parallel to Cuba for quite a distance. We’ll pass cross-wise over the Windward passage early in the morning and run parallel to Hispaniola tomorrow, another day at sea. We’ll see Puerto Rico in the morning Thursday and arrive in San Juan at 1300.
We attended the culinary demonstration. The entree was Veal Piccata and the dessert was Napolean with vanilla mousseline. Christine is the american who keeps up the patter, and Kjerstin is the chef and is German. They’re something of a comedy act while doing the serious cooking demonstration. They say they are starting simply and will do more complex dishes as the trip progresses.
We took lunch in the Lido followed at 1400 by the wine tasting with Anton.
Anton, the sommelier, gave an interesting talk while having us taste a Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay from California, followed by a Malbec from Argentina and a Merlot from Chile. He is very much in favor of California wines but points out others that are good. We learned a little and in the question session later, learned more. It was made less pleasant than it could have been by a blabbermouth lady at our table of six. We will avoid her henceforth.
We grabbed our books and set up camp in the Crow’s Nest, which was nearly deserted. D had a diet coke and I did a gin-and-tonic while reading. Then the combo and girl vocalist started up so we listened as we sat. Finally, people started coming in and making up a crowd. Then people in suits (today is a “formal” dinner day) began arriving. We took the hint and returned to the room to get ready for dinner.
We entered the dining room at 1830 in a short line. Asked if we’d join another couple we said, “of course”. The couple ahead of us and ourselves were escorted up a level, then to a table with three vacant seats. Hmm. The other couple was seated and we were shuffled off to sit until they could re-organize. We were then taken to a table where we introduced ourselves to Shirley and Tom (85, Army Vet, drinking martinis). We talked travels and river cruises and kids and Maryland (where they live when not snowbirding in Clearwater). We knew restaurants they knew and they knew where D went to college, and so forth. They even knew G&M Seafood in Linthicum, D’s favorite crab place near BWI.
Then we went to the Captain’s toast, where he presented his officers and we toasted each other in champagne. The show “Droom” followed with much dancing and singing of hits of 5-10-15 years ago. D liked it, so it was probably quite good. I’m not much on stage productions.
Our room and relaxation beckoned. We relaxed there while reading and doing computer chores like updating this page. Bedtime follows shortly.
20150218 Wednesday (Ash Wednesday) AtSea PhotoLink
We slept in again. Ship is too relaxing, or the gentle roll keeps us asleep, or something. We’re going to have to set an alarm.
Breakfast and a round of the ship. D did the empanada culinary demonstration. We read books and relaxed. We watched the mountains of Hispaniola go past on the starboard side.
I recalled passing the opposite direction on Seadragon in 1960 when we ran into an undersea obstacle at about 16 knots and damaged the ship slightly. I’m very glad it wasn’t a mountain, but something soft. I was seated at the sonar console when we hit and felt myself get heavy in the chair. The boat took a slight up-angle, then turned around to prevent running into something more. The ship’s speed indicator went to zero. The helmsman found he couldn’t turn the rudder more than 10* to port and 15* to starboard.
When we arrived in Key West’s submarine base, we moored outboard USS Bushnell. They provided divers to scan our bottom. The divers reported the bottom scraped clean, the underwater pit sword (source of speed indication) gone, and the rudder post bent back about 10*. We got underway a few hours later, headed for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery, Maine (where we were going anyway.) On the way there, we ran under a storm off Cape Hatteras; our shaft seals were leaking so we wanted to stay shallow but then we rolled 10* either side, making the passage a little unpleasant. PNS put things back to normal before we headed off on our Northwest Passage & North Pole trip.
We attended the wine tasting this afternoon, very good chicken empanadas from this morning with one great salsa. Another mini-lecture from Anton. We made a note to attend all of these that come along.
We sat in the Lido Deck area reading and then listening to Ravan, the steel drum guy. Then we rested (we’re supposed to be relaxing, after all) in the cabin before we went to dinner. D did Salmon & I had Coq au Vin with a Chilean Merlot.
Back then to the cabin. I typed this, and D watched a movie on the TV. Then we’ll sleep.
Puerto Rico tomorrow.