Friday – Mountainous seas and Last day of Classes
We’re nearly home. The ship’s chart shows us at the top end of the Bay of Biscay, and the sea is getting rougher; things have been crashing about throughout the night, and I could feel myself sliding down the bed a few times. It’s possible that, having only just been reopened, Marco’s Bistro may have to be closed again – the Captain came onto the PA system last night to tell us as such, and warned us that some daytime activities may also have to be cancelled – I’m hoping that does’t mean the watercolour classes.
It’s the last day of classes today, so I’m hoping we get to do it. Tomorrow, we plan to hold our grand exhibition – again, this is all weather permitting….
Last night was formal night, which I just didn’t have any enthusiasm for. Instead; I opted for an early dinner in the bistro, followed by a casual night in, and some painting…. lurrvly!
This morning, I must confess to deriving a certain amount of perverse pleasure over breakfast, watching the mountainous waves through the windows of Marco’s Bistro, as I tucked into my egg and bacon. Such seas are a thing of beauty; as far as the eye can see, the surface of the water rises and dips in humungous proportions, with white crests breaking and disintegrating into clouds of spray, only to be whipped away by the wind. Marco’s has been largely cleared, with tables moved to the port side of the ship, to cope with the occasional roll. Periodically, the roll would be more severe than others, and the sound of people’s breakfasts crashing to the ground, and chairs toppling over, brought a strange sense of deja vu to breakfast. I can’t help it; I actually love it! Watching the sea in these conditions is like watching it come of age; everything is just so much bigger, and slower, like it’s happening in slow motion. It’s both beautiful and slightly scary at the same time.
There are two things that make me feel extremely safe. Firstly; the captain has already proved his worth, and clearly has the ability, and experience, to navigate us through this in one piece. The other thing is the ship itself. The Marco Polo is a thoroughly sturdy, and robust ship. She was originally built, and used, as an ice breaker. Next year, she will be fifty years old, and other than a few dents and scratches here and there, she shows no sign of giving up the ghost just yet. Ships have to have regular MOT tests, to prove seaworthiness; next year, she’ll be due a big, overhaul and major check-over. The Marco Polo has been looked after, and well-maintained, though, over her fifty years, so I have no doubts that she’ll be pounding the waves for many more years to come….
