Wednesday – At Sea… Finally…

At around 3am this morning, we finally left Bristol Cruise Terminal, and were on our way. I know that was the time because I was awoken by the sound of the engines firing up (we’re down in the bowels of the ship, only a stone’s throw from where the engines live, so this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise).

Before long, we were out in the ocean, being tossed around on waves that we couldn’t see, but knew they were fierce; almost certainly not as fierce as they would have been if we’d left at the appointed time, but choppy nevertheless. At one point both Tracey and I were awoken by a loud crash somewhere. We switched on the cabin light expecting to see things strewn across the floor, but nothing was amiss; presumeably the sound had come from one of the adjacent cabins.

To Tracey’s dismay, it stayed choppy all day. While rocky seas don’t seem to bother me at all, it pretty much floors Tracey, and she’s spent most of the day lying down in bed wondering why it is that she repeatedly puts herself through the experience.

For me, it was business as usual. I had my first two workshops today (Basic Washes); one in the morning and the second this afternoon. While the first class was full to bursting, the second was a little light on attendees. I put this partly down to the weather and partly down to the information that was printed in the daily programme, which listed the afternoon class as being a continuation of the morning session, which it wasn’t (it was a repeat). I’m certain that a few people may have been put off attending believing that they needed to have come to the earlier session to be able to join in.

Other changes are afoot, too. Jenny Ashcroft, the other tutor, who was asssigned to the Palm Garden for her craft sessions, wasn’t very happy with the location she’d been given. The Palm Garden is very open, and prone to sabotage by folks bagging the tables to play dominoes or do a jigsaw, whereas the Conference Room (which had been assigned to me) is smaller, enclosed, and altogether a better learning environment). After some discussion, it was agreed that Jenny should have the Conference Room in the morning, and I would run my two classes in the afternoon; an arrangement I’m more than happy with since, despite the fact that I now have to clear up everything at the end of the day, it frees-up our mornings, facilitating a lie-in should we want one.

I’m always happy to get my first workshops under my belt. It sets the momentum going, and puts me in the right frame of mind for the rest of the cruise. The changes in itinerary have meant that two or three sessions have been added, providing the sea doesn’t get any rougher and putting them at risk of shutdown.

We have two more sea-days, the second of which will be Christmas Day, before we are due to arrive in Lisbon, earlier than originally planned (our first stop was meant to be La Coruna, tomorrow – Lisbon was originally going to be our final stop on the way home), so that’s two more days of workshops… I’m planning something seasonal for them (well, you have to make the effort, don’t you?).