Have just enjoyed our very first cruise. Well, okay, it was just a mini-cruise and we spent only four hours in Spain but it was still absolutely wonderful. We sailed from Southampton and it's about a million times easier to get on and off a ship than it is a plane. None of that rigorous security, going through endless scanners with your shoes off and queuing for hours. The ship had loads of wonderful places to sit - our favourite was looking out of the back (is that stern or aft or even bow, I have no idea!?) and watching the wash from the giant propellors underneath. Very soon, you begin to chill out and we sat happily there for many hours whale and dolphin watching. The Pride of Bilbao has for 10 years been a base for a conservation charity devoted to dolphins and whales and the guy running it gave an interesting talk during the voyage as well as making announcements whenever the creatures were in view. But, the highlight for us was when we went out very late one evening just to look at the moon. It looked stunning, full and creamy with its reflection glistening for miles on the sea and the water was so calm, it was quite quiet. Until that is, we heard splashing and there below us was a dolphin leaping in and out of the water, just having fun. It was magic, sheer magic. What's more, a four day crossing gives ample time for writing and I got the revisions for my magazine serial well underway. We loved it and will definitely be saving our pennies to go on another more substantial cruise.
6 comments:
Would love to go on cruise. Maybe on our next holiday.
I am glad you could get some work done in a soothing atmosphere.
I am off to US on the 6th of this month, for 22 days, hope to see as much as possible.
I hope the cruise has given you some ideas for a hot romantic novel.
It has actually given me some ideas Rama, it's the ideal romance setting because everybody is thrown together. I hope you enjoy the States, we've had some very nice holidays there, the last being to New York which I found much safer and the people much nicer than I had anticipated. Have fun!
Loved this, Cara. I wish I had been on that cruise, sounds like my kind of thing.
I do remember when going to the States was by boat - those luxury liners going from Liverpool to New York. Wonderful way to travel, so much better than sitting on a plane.
Thanks Margaret, I'd never really fancied a cruise before but now I've had a taster I can see why they're popular. One of the things that put me off them was the business of spending only a couple of hours in a country. The thing I hadn't quite 'got' was that it's so much more about getting there than arriving. We'd love to do New York by boat but that would take some considerable saving of pennies......
I'm very envious of your cruise, however short. And I love Bilbao, people are really friendly there and you eat so well.
They were very friendly and although we only had a short while, it's given us a real taste to go back. Unfortunately the Portsmouth/Bilbao run is closing but we may try the Santander run next time. I also got a real taste for those lovely little biscuits and strong coffee. Fatal!
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