It’s what we all needed……a relaxing day at sea, and an extra hour on the clock last night. In fact, it will happen again tonight, the extra hour back, which will put us on Sydney time. Fine with us.
The day turned out to be a pretty nice one, despite the fact that the ship is rocking and rolling somewhat. The Captain has put the pedal to the metal, keeping up a good clip all day. He plans on arriving to the entrance to Sydney’s harbor in the wee hours of the morning, so we need to be speedy with our sailing.
It was Sunday Brunch day once again, but since we don’t do “brunch”, we went to our usual breakfast. The three course set menu, sampler-style, has too many “fish” items for our taste, so it would be a waste of food for us.
Taking our morning stroll, we spotted a large lone bird, which might be an albatross. Too far for a photo, we hope to see more of these ocean-going birds as we near Australia. Then we saw some large fish or dolphins jumping away from the wake of the ship. Again, too fast and too far to really identify them. Hoping to see more would have been nice, but it did not happen.
The Maori Ambassadors are still onboard conducting workshops and how to make and use poi, the Hawaiian treat. However, they do not eat it. All of this happens in the Crow’s Nest, and not the Lido Pool area like it used to. Bet when we get to Australia, we will have new ambassadors. And now that a new country is coming up, Ian, the port guide, is talking all about the Australian Outback.
And as promised, the opals from Australia have arrived and will be presented at a grand unveiling in the Mainstage this morning. The opal expert, Kate, will debunk the myth that surrounds the mysterious opals. And to entice the guests to attend, there will be a drawing to win an opal pendant. Brings them in every time.
While all this was happening, Barb and her “smart” team were winning once again in the Trivia contest. Since the Ocean Bar is full to capacity with players, this makes their win even more impressive. As for us, we were enjoying the outdoor fresh air at the aft pool. Not exactly swimming weather, it was comfortable in the partly sunny and cloudy skies.
It looks like we will be viewing the five movies that won the most awards at the Academy Awards show recently. Today’s feature was The Bohemian Rhapsody with the male award winner. When these flicks come to the TV, we will watch them.
A new favorite activity is the guest chef sip and savor hour in the Crystal Terrace (deck 5 atrium). The chef provides a tasty appetizer along with a $5 glass of wine. Barb has attended two sessions, and looks forward to more. Knowing a few of the wine stewards helps to keep her glass full.
Tonight was another gala evening, but no one had hosts at their tables, since there was yet another Captain’s Dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. We all customized our entrees, which worked well. Lamb chops, chicken Caesar salad, and surf and turf were the choices. We shared one cappuccino bomb, the chocolate-covered ice cream treat. Only it was a different brand. The bottom was a chocolate wafer, and the ice cream was not coffee. More like marble fudge, it was still quite good.
The Vallies, an Australian group, was onstage tonight with Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons tunes from more years ago than we care to admit.
One more day at sea, and we will have two great days in Sydney, a most fun place to explore.
Bill & Mary Ann
