Just back from 65 nights on the Aurora, visiting the Americas and Caribbean
We got back on Sunday after a pleasant break in Carlisle at one of their Premier Inns. Enabled us to have dinner, couple of drinks and a gorgeous nights sleep.
Arrived back in Innellan by midday.
So good to get home in some respects, enables us to eat a little more sensibly, not that we didn’t on board. But temptation is always just round the corner, wether it be a crunchy strip of bacon for breakfast placed delicately onto a freshly cooked waffle coated in maple syrup and plain yoghurt. Or warm scones covered in those delicious yet calorie filled toppings. Or Judith’s weakness. Giant king prawns cooked to perfection in a light dusted coating of spices.
And we won’t go down the consumption of alcohol route. It’s fair to say the heat of the Caribbean deserves to be savoured with a cooling refreshing drink.
Yet more importantly we have loved getting back to our daily Tai Chi, surprisingly, it wasn’t that easy on the cruise. During the transatlantic crossing we managed to find space, but as soon as the sun came out it became impossible. Too many beached whales prostrate on the sun beds, covering every available space on the open decks. And on the Aurora, unlike the QM2, there isn’t a quiet corner inside. So exercise was relegated to walking the decks, daily cricket on sea days and our foray’s whilst exploring ashore. And we certainly clocked some miles doing that.
Our little step counter recorded an average of over 13000 per day, which took some doing, especially on board. Weaving in and out the strollers and the sun worshipers. Along with the smokers smog at the end of deck seven. The same faces are seen on a regular bases, sucking on their addictive weed. To think, that would have been me thirty seven years ago. They always say the reformed smoker is the worst.
Since back my feet haven’t touched the ground, what with getting the boiler serviced, renewing my driving licence, ordering a new external door and tidying the storm hit garden, l am exhausted. But happy.
Judith has me organised to reconfigure the downstairs space. Opening two walls up and putting in two doors to form a new entrance into our downstairs bedroom. Then the existing two need to be blocked off, incorporating extra storage.
Also a couple of sections of the fence have blown over so they need attention. But need to wait for the weather to warm up and dry out.
Presently nipping into the greenhouse to sow vegetable seeds in the hope of getting ahead of the game. Did manage to order a few plug plants along with onion and garlic sets.
Back to the cruise. Whilst on board down loaded a travel app that tracks your journey. It’s called Polarsteps. Enables you to add photos and descriptions.
So if you want to share in our mammoth journey to the America’s and the Caribbean, just click on this link.
It’s not perfect, still trying to learn all the nuances. But it makes it easier to do. Once open you just scroll down.
Click on the pictures to see the full sized version. Then click on the cross ❌ top right to go back to normal settings.
Hope you enjoy as much as l did preparing it.
Back to our epic voyage.
Must say it was superb, soon managed to get into a good routine. Especially as we knew some of the other guests from previous cruises. There was the proverbial bridge lessons each morning, talks, films, afternoon cricket, walking as well as games in the afternoon. Mexican Train, hand and foot and many others to keep us occupied.
Yet it wasn’t all plain sailing.
Our next door neighbours, who it materialised came from South Africa had the habit of retiring at 11pm most nights, then proceeded to discuss the day’s happenings in a deep overly loud manner. This whilst the tv was switched on and pumping out an action movie. They must have also been suffering from some gastric problem. The toilet door would bang and the toilet would be pumped repeatedly. Not a problem, we all encounter certain irregularities when on a cruise. But this was virtually every ten minutes and lasted for hours.
This routine was replicated in the early hours. Must have been insomniacs.
I realised l had forgotten to pack my cattle prod and cylinder of sleeping gas. So had to leave it to the ships team to resolve. Especially as they didn’t take the hints of daubing a big Red Cross on their cabin door.
Ultimately after many discussions to try and moderate the noise unsuccessfully, we were transferred. Happy days. Almost.
The third cabin was the quietest. (Won’t mention the second and the insomniac smoker who awoke at 5am every morning. four or five pumps from the toilet, the noise from a boiling kettle and the rattling of a cup and stirring teaspoon resonating through the wall as she made a hot drink. And that’s with ear plugs fitted.)
We only had a couple of German porno movie stars gyrating most of the night next door.
Honestly not at all jealous.
Definition - Feeling or showing an envious resentment of someone or something.
Realistically!
Joking apart Mum and dad would’ve loved this Cruise, just like being in a upmarket working men’s club. Although drinks were vastly more affordable in those days.
They used to visit their local club every Friday & Saturday night, and for my dad, Sunday lunch as well, with his football palls. It was called the soldiers and sailors. Presumably set up just after the war, for all the ex servicemen coming back to civi life.
Reduced price drinks, great convivial atmosphere. No wonder it was so popular. They didn’t have beer in barrels. They had these massive tanks like Sputnik, and the beer was delivered in tankers.
It was so popular that they kept extending the building. Firstly they made more space to accommodate extra snooker and billiard tables along with rooms for the popular darts. Then a massive extension on the back for dancing and live entertainment. The ballroom also accommodated the popular weekend bingo. A popular cruising activity.
The weekend was the only time wife’s or guests were allowed through the giant oak doors into the male dominated inner sanctum of the club. A chauvinistic ruling that was normal back then, now outlawed.
The main bars were overflowing with enthusiastic chatter, a blue haze lingering just below the ceiling.
The club raked it in, due to its popularity. It made so much surplus money, they were wallowing around in it. Eventually the committee decided to replace the roof, but not a bog standard slate tile. It was covered in hand crafted copper. Those were the days. Amazing.
Spring has arrived in Innellan
Wonderful to see the signs of spring coming through. The daffodils, primroses and wild garlic.
All the new trees are starting to come into bud, butterflies are emerging and the birds are nesting, or at least collecting twigs and such like in preparation.
sauté shallot and garlic in olive oil 3-4 minutes, over medium heat, until fragrant and golden. Add potatoes, stock, salt, and pepper and bring to a simmer, covered. Simmer until potatoes are very tender, about 10–15 minutes.
When potatoes are tender, carefully add nettles ( using gloves or tongs) and stir, letting them wilt, about 1 minute. Do not boil. Turn off the heat and let the pot cool. The hot water will neutralize their sting.
Simple recipe - gorgeous with chunky piece of bread, preferably warm with a slab of butter spread on it. Wicked.
Once cooled, blend until very smooth. Add the fresh tarragon and a squeeze of lemon and blend again. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Divide among bowls, top with a swirl of yogurt or sour cream. I then add a drizzle of truffle oil.
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 fat shallot (or 1 leek, white parts), rough chopped, and a handful of wild garlic
2 cloves garlic, rough chopped
1 pound white floury potatoes, sliced 1/2-inch thick
4 cups veggie or chicken stock
4 ounces fresh nettle leaves (about 3cups packed tight) only use the young tips.
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
1 lemon
Sour cream/ yoghurt and truffle oil optional
One thing l am not pleased to be back to is the News, which is predominantly Bad. At least on the ship l could get away from it. But at home it surrounds you. Tv bulletins, on the radio, hourly updates. I get it, “bad news" tends to be more attention-grabbing and emotionally impactful. Which leads to high numbers of viewers. More viewers more revenue. Although that’s not the case with the BBC. We actually fund it through taxes and the tv licence.
We need to hear about the desperate problems that are occurring around the world so that we can react. Gaza, Ukraine, starvation and drought, to name just a few. But mainstream media glorifies everything, and pumps it out continually so people become immune to the sights of horror.
Personally l get to the point of overload. I am overwhelmed by the shear size of what is happening around the world.
When so many go hungry and the world grapples with climate change and a more demanding population. What can be done?
I know l am getting old, and youngsters would say l’m ancient, but l can remember rationing in Britain. The truth is war babies didn't waste food because they remember that what was available was all there was. Sounds a bit like a sketch from the comedian Arthur Haines “when he used to say. Hardship, hardship, up to my neck in mud and bullets. We only had two eggs and a loaf of bread to feed the whole family for a week.”
Young people have become much more picky. And that’s a good thing in many ways, but much greater choice has meant higher wastage.
We discard 20 million slices of bread every day—the equivalent of the emissions of more than 140,000 cars every year. And it's not just food , it's water. In the UK, we throw away nearly I million bananas a day, which means wasting 330 billion litres of water used to grow them.
On the plus side, there have been successes, many leading businesses have reduced their food waste by more than 17%- worth £365 million. Their efficiency also has increased, with a 13%-15% reduction in waste per ton of food handled. Yet everyone needs to take responsibility for what is happening on our Globe.
Governments around the world seem to manage Ona day to day basis. Their main objective to stay in power.
There’s something definitely wrong when the government takes up an idea founded by Jeremy Clarkson. To deport all unsavoury, illegal extremists. We are now trying to offload immigrants to Rwanda. (To be perfectly honest, he only mentioned Muslims in his article.) But we are a small island that has a density of population that isn’t healthy. So something has to be done to limit the number of illegal people arriving on our shores.
Over in the states, that blond haired muppet is banking on getting another presidency on the back of keeping Mexicans out. He is also happy to let Ukraine run out of the tools to protect itself. It wouldn’t surprise me if he turned a blind eye to Putin encroaching into mainland Europe. He’s talking about pulling out of NATO, and is sending out a clear message to the voters that he would rather spend money at home. And many Americans seem to concur with his vision.
Even the U.K. seems to only play lip service to the needs of the Palestinians. At the last count 30,000 had been killed in the Israeli onslaught. And the message from the Israeli radicals amounts to genocide.
Money is the route of all Evil. Arms dealers are making a fortune from supplying equipment to Israel.
And the motor industry is making a fortune from selling vehicles to Russia, via Azerbaijan. The UK exported £273m of vehicles to Azerbaijan last year, a 1,860% increase compared with the five-year period preceding the invasion.
Perhaps the real problem needs to be resolved at source. Every little helps.
The other night the Red Nose Day charity event was on TV, and they brought to the attention of us Brits, what needed to be done. They physically captured the viewers attention to the plight of others. In the usual Brit way they dipped into their pockets and donated a staggering £37,019,832. It’s still climbing. Truly amazing.
Also last week another sign of generosity was reported in the news, Paul O’Grady the famous U.K. tv personality left a staggering amount of £15million in his will to Battersea Dogs Home.
I am sure that things like this happen all the time.
But the world needs to do more.
Now you understand why l don’t need to watch or listen to the News Headlines on a regular basis.
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