2nd - 4th February at sea and heading for Sri Lanka
Sunday 2nd February
26degrees, but cold in the shade due to a cold wind.
Walk, breakfast. It’s a fast day, so not a lot. TiChi the a rush to the theatre.
Two talks, first being the professor of the year, Dr Danny Whitfield. Captain US Navy.
Whales giants of the sea, and how the Americans had used them in submarine detection.
Followed by General Lord Dannatt. Boots on the ground, history of the British Armed forces since 1945.
Excellent talk, taking in all the major conflicts.
Lunch of an apple , and then walking in the sun. The decks are a play in two parts. One side was gloriously sunny, in fact too hot, but the other is in the shade and very cool. So much so that l had to put my fleece on over the top of my T-shirt .just right in the shade and cooking in the sun.
At two we headed for the theatre to see two pianist playing the one piano. Absolutely superb, especially once they explain how they adapt the music. They look at splitting it up between them as if it’s an orchestra. One plays the low notes, which are the percussion instruments, the middle was the horns, then the piano. The higher notes were the wind and string instruments, ranging from the lower notes of the bassoon to the higher pitches of the flute. Very clever.
Return to the deck which was now adorned with masses of bodies. Unrestrained flesh of various shades of red, flowing and spreading on and over the loungers. Walked for 20 minutes and the found a couple of loungers and settled down to read. It was about 3.30, so the harmful rays had reduced.
Gala evening, so it’s a tux and dinner gown this evening, plus lobster and escargot to start. A bit naughty as it’s a fast, but it’s not every day they have our favourite on the menu. And it’s low in calories, if you don’t count the garlic butter that the snails are cooked in.
Monday 3rd February
Up and out on the deck. Very comfortable temperature, 24degrees, calm seas. Walked and chattered with Steve for 35 minutes, then breakfast of fruit and yoghurt, followed by another treat. Fresh waffles, maple syrup and crispy, crunchy bacon. Yum, yum. Trousers watch out.
Ti Chi on the decks for 45 minutes and another rush to get a seat to listen to a talk on the East India company. Too much to take in all at one time, yet amazingly informative.
From all accounts Sir Francis Drake, and sir Walter Raleigh amongst other privateers were the first to embark in legal piracy, with the blessing of Queen Elizabeth 1. She wasn’t silly, she took 50% of all the earnings.
London was repeatedly being decimated by plague, and it was widely believed that nutmeg was a cure. Unfortunately, it was only found on islands near Malaysia. So they would purchase from Constantinople and Venice, but at a premium.
200 London merchants formed a company
Built boats
King gave them authority to print money, colonise, have an army and make war against the French, Portuguese and the Spanish.
sent a EIC ship out to India and eventually made a foothold.
Then they wanted nutmeg, so they took over an island called Run, I’m an area dominated by the Dutch. They, the Dutch took objection to this and blockaded the island for over three years. The British tried to escape but were caught, tortured and then hung drawn and quartered.
Shortly after that, the Dutch sailed unopposed up the Thames and destroyed most of the EIC ships moored outside of London. In retaliation the East Indian Company captured three Dutch ships, but the King returned them without a ransom being paid, in what was believed a to be in favour of the Dutch against the UK and his sovereign state.
Shortly afterwards Cromwell deposed King Charles during the English civil war. It was Cromwell who ultimately looked favourably on the EIC, loaning them money to build up their fleet, latterly it was the Company that bailed out the government. Negotiations between England and Holland continued for the Island off Run, but to no avail. So once again, the EIC attacked New Netherlands, and the British colony of New York was instigated.
Meanwhile the colonisation of India continued, ultimately covering virtually 80% of the country. At that time, the EIC had an army double the size of England. Made up predominantly of Muslims.
This ultimately caused the demise of the company, shortly after the Indian Mutiny, which caused the death of many English but thousands and thousands of Indians.
Ultimately the crown took over India and the Company vanished with massive debts.
Brain swirling from all the information we rush to the next venue for the professors talk on who owns the seas. Another mind boggling talk, and also scary and alarming. Especially how China is trying to invade the global seas. Encroaching into the coastal waters of Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines, along with making up islands and turning them into sea bunkers and aerial defences in strategic positions. Russia is doing the same, but in the artic circle. Keen to get the best productive seabed’s for future exploration, or is that exploitation.
Most countries signed up to an international formula to determine who owns what, managed by The Hague, unfortunately China and Russia don’t seem to adhere to their legal boundaries.
Pam Ayers - very entertaining
Relaxed in sun
Judith went shopping
Walked
Read and watched the sun go down.
Tuesday 4 February
24 degrees, cloudy and humid
Walked for 20 minutes
Then breakfast of porridge and fruit, it’s a fast day, so we only have a small amount. Need to try and control the possibility of an increasing waste line. Or put it another way, try and get into trousers that seem rather snug at present.
Then it’s two groups of Ti Chi, it’s got so popular, even though it’s not advertised.
We managed to see Elizabeth over breakfast, so were able to meet her in the night club. The others with the other volunteer teacher up on deck 13.
11am and into the theatre for a talk on the life of General Lord Dannatt on his life in the armed services.
Followed by a talk on the history of Colombo, Sri Lanka, by the reporter Barbara Ferguson. She had been talking to us over dinner and wanted to join Judith and l on the trip to Colombo, as we intended getting up to the old part by train. It materialised that the ship actually moored directly across from the town. In fact it materialised that it was only a ten minute walk from the ship.
26degrees, but cold in the shade due to a cold wind.
Walk, breakfast. It’s a fast day, so not a lot. TiChi the a rush to the theatre.
Two talks, first being the professor of the year, Dr Danny Whitfield. Captain US Navy.
Whales giants of the sea, and how the Americans had used them in submarine detection.
Followed by General Lord Dannatt. Boots on the ground, history of the British Armed forces since 1945.
Excellent talk, taking in all the major conflicts.
Lunch of an apple , and then walking in the sun. The decks are a play in two parts. One side was gloriously sunny, in fact too hot, but the other is in the shade and very cool. So much so that l had to put my fleece on over the top of my T-shirt .just right in the shade and cooking in the sun.
At two we headed for the theatre to see two pianist playing the one piano. Absolutely superb, especially once they explain how they adapt the music. They look at splitting it up between them as if it’s an orchestra. One plays the low notes, which are the percussion instruments, the middle was the horns, then the piano. The higher notes were the wind and string instruments, ranging from the lower notes of the bassoon to the higher pitches of the flute. Very clever.
Return to the deck which was now adorned with masses of bodies. Unrestrained flesh of various shades of red, flowing and spreading on and over the loungers. Walked for 20 minutes and the found a couple of loungers and settled down to read. It was about 3.30, so the harmful rays had reduced.
Gala evening, so it’s a tux and dinner gown this evening, plus lobster and escargot to start. A bit naughty as it’s a fast, but it’s not every day they have our favourite on the menu. And it’s low in calories, if you don’t count the garlic butter that the snails are cooked in.
Monday 3rd February
Up and out on the deck. Very comfortable temperature, 24degrees, calm seas. Walked and chattered with Steve for 35 minutes, then breakfast of fruit and yoghurt, followed by another treat. Fresh waffles, maple syrup and crispy, crunchy bacon. Yum, yum. Trousers watch out.
Ti Chi on the decks for 45 minutes and another rush to get a seat to listen to a talk on the East India company. Too much to take in all at one time, yet amazingly informative.
From all accounts Sir Francis Drake, and sir Walter Raleigh amongst other privateers were the first to embark in legal piracy, with the blessing of Queen Elizabeth 1. She wasn’t silly, she took 50% of all the earnings.
London was repeatedly being decimated by plague, and it was widely believed that nutmeg was a cure. Unfortunately, it was only found on islands near Malaysia. So they would purchase from Constantinople and Venice, but at a premium.
200 London merchants formed a company
Built boats
King gave them authority to print money, colonise, have an army and make war against the French, Portuguese and the Spanish.
sent a EIC ship out to India and eventually made a foothold.
Then they wanted nutmeg, so they took over an island called Run, I’m an area dominated by the Dutch. They, the Dutch took objection to this and blockaded the island for over three years. The British tried to escape but were caught, tortured and then hung drawn and quartered.
Shortly after that, the Dutch sailed unopposed up the Thames and destroyed most of the EIC ships moored outside of London. In retaliation the East Indian Company captured three Dutch ships, but the King returned them without a ransom being paid, in what was believed a to be in favour of the Dutch against the UK and his sovereign state.
Shortly afterwards Cromwell deposed King Charles during the English civil war. It was Cromwell who ultimately looked favourably on the EIC, loaning them money to build up their fleet, latterly it was the Company that bailed out the government. Negotiations between England and Holland continued for the Island off Run, but to no avail. So once again, the EIC attacked New Netherlands, and the British colony of New York was instigated.
Meanwhile the colonisation of India continued, ultimately covering virtually 80% of the country. At that time, the EIC had an army double the size of England. Made up predominantly of Muslims.
This ultimately caused the demise of the company, shortly after the Indian Mutiny, which caused the death of many English but thousands and thousands of Indians.
Ultimately the crown took over India and the Company vanished with massive debts.
Brain swirling from all the information we rush to the next venue for the professors talk on who owns the seas. Another mind boggling talk, and also scary and alarming. Especially how China is trying to invade the global seas. Encroaching into the coastal waters of Vietnam, Japan and the Philippines, along with making up islands and turning them into sea bunkers and aerial defences in strategic positions. Russia is doing the same, but in the artic circle. Keen to get the best productive seabed’s for future exploration, or is that exploitation.
Most countries signed up to an international formula to determine who owns what, managed by The Hague, unfortunately China and Russia don’t seem to adhere to their legal boundaries.
Relaxed in sun
Judith went shopping
Walked
Read and watched the sun go down.
24 degrees, cloudy and humid
Walked for 20 minutes
Then breakfast of porridge and fruit, it’s a fast day, so we only have a small amount. Need to try and control the possibility of an increasing waste line. Or put it another way, try and get into trousers that seem rather snug at present.
We managed to see Elizabeth over breakfast, so were able to meet her in the night club. The others with the other volunteer teacher up on deck 13.
11am and into the theatre for a talk on the life of General Lord Dannatt on his life in the armed services.
Followed by a talk on the history of Colombo, Sri Lanka, by the reporter Barbara Ferguson. She had been talking to us over dinner and wanted to join Judith and l on the trip to Colombo, as we intended getting up to the old part by train. It materialised that the ship actually moored directly across from the town. In fact it materialised that it was only a ten minute walk from the ship.
Comments
Post a Comment