On-line v. High Street

Given our post-cruise ailments, we haven’t exactly been springing around.  Longish day at the hobby on Tuesday, but I think we did a good enough job.  One rather vociferous customer remarked that he could earn as much us us.  (Unfortunately, he does.)

It being marmalade time, I got the necessary supplies the other morning, only then remembering that the orange squeezers - Magimix accessories and an ancient Philips job - were about as capable of the job as my arthritic mitts.  Since we had a one4all gift card, I checked what it was worth.  We’d been sitting on it for a while, and its value had been almost entirely eroded by the ‘monthly charges’ that they so cynically impose after 18 months, so it went in the bin.  We found another, still valid, so I ordered a new orange squeezer from Argos, who promised delivery next day to our local Sainsbury’s.  Next came an email saying ‘Hurrah: it’s arrived!’  Armed with the code supplied, I motored down to Sainsbury’s, only to be told by a clerk with all too visible chewing gum that it was out of stock.  Snarl.  Well, we hacked over next day to our neighbouring market town, where Robert Dyas had the same item at 15% less, though the wasted diesel costs and parking charges offset the saving.  If Argos eventually deigns to offer us one, they may put it where the monkey put the nuts.

Modest gardening on Wednesday, since the composting bin was to be emptied next day.  A bit of dead-heading, and, Martyn having spotted some grass growing out of the slate chips out the front, I did some weeding.  The bits of grass looked like they were seed-sown, rather than growing up through the membrane, but we’ll obviously have to keep an eye on it.

First art group gathering of the year today, and I fiddled a bit with a piece I began in December.  It involves boats, which are difficult to draw, so it was slow going.  I think it's almost there, but it needs a few more touches to bring it to life.  Martyn practised some watercolour techniques, including a perfect dry flat wash, which no-one had taught him to do before.

I refrain from comment on recent political utterances.  But just you wait until I’m released from the hobby-imposed reticence, 18 months and 10 days hence.

Christmas cruise postcards and snapshots

 

Jardim Botanico, Funchal

Mount Teide, Tenerife

Roques Garcia, Teide National Park

Praia de las Canteras, Las Palmas

Ajuy cliffs and caves, Fuerteventura

Leaving Lisbon for Southapton

Cristo Rei and Bridge

Home for New Year

Christmas Day

Peaceful day on a calm sea.  We had exchanged presents a few days earlier when I realised I hadn’t packed any cuff links...  Each of us had got the other a pair.   Martyn has got me a fine pair of binoculars, so we’re looking forward to our next U3A bird watching day.  I got him a set of brushes for watercolours and acrylics.  I’d brought some art kit with me, but we somehow didn’t feel moved to paint this time. 

Dinner was disappointing: as a main course we’d chosen a dish of grilled turbot with lobster and langoustine with a bouillabaisse sauce.  The presentation was awful: it looked like a school dinner stew.  The sauce completely swamped the subtle flavours of the fish.  Head waiter advised.

Boxing Day

Back to wonderful Lisbon.  As always a good experience despite, this time, some frustrations early on.  We were out on the balcony, dressed, as we sailed under the Salazar/25 April bridge this morning as the wind howled through its cables and girders, and the traffic played tunes on the metal mesh roadway.  Wouldn’t want to live close to that!

We got the shuttle bus to the Restauradores: it stopped conveniently opposite the tourist office, where we were to collect our pre-paid Lisbon transport and museum cards.  They work a numbered ticket queuing system, and when we finally reached a counter, 45 minutes after we arrived, it still took the boy 10 minutes to find and issue the tickets.  Next, we went to Starbucks in the Rossio station, where we queued to order our drinks (mainly to qualify for an entry code to their filthy chiottes), and then queued to get them.  It didn’t help our tempers when I got us lost on the way to the Estufa Fria which, it being December, was not on the top of its form.  It is a wonderfully peaceful place nevertheless.

From there I took Martyn for a proper Lisbon experience: a grilled chicken restaurant in the Largo do Rato.  There used to be a place there where they grilled chickens at the front window, but that seems to have gone.  Large portion of delicious chicken per man, served with rice, chips and salad, two glasses of wine and a mineral water: 14€70.  By the time we were getting stuck into our lunch, local people were queuing for tables, so that must be a recommendation.  From there we took an ancient tram to the Chiado, and then another up to Graça, where we stayed a few years ago.  I love the tram rides on the winding streets of the Alfama.  (I was nevertheless conscious of the fact that one of them tipped over the other day causing not a few injuries.)

From Graça we got a bus (slightly less terrifying than last time) down to Santa Apollónia station, which is a hop and a skip from the cruise terminal.  Back on board in time for a cup of tea and a snooze before the afternoon quiz (which we lost).  Our mobile phones - and knees - tell us that we walked over 10000 paces during the day.

We were out on the balcony as we sailed, and stayed out until we were past the bridge. Some lovely sunset views towards the bridge and the Cristo Rei statue.

Supper was again curate’s egg: Martyn’s mozzarella, rocket and vine tomato salad was short on mozzarella and long on anaemic glasshouse tomatoes.  My beef was suitably rare, but rather tough.  Martyn’s lamb was just right.  After supper we teamed up again with Carolyn and David for the wipeout quiz, and won it again.

29 December

We were in the car by 09:25, and home by midday, having shopped en route.  The journey was pretty smooth: the A3/M25 route is the least worst of the options.  

The last couple of days at sea were smooth and uneventful, and we were treated a couple of times to sightings of pods of dolphins.  We did various quizzes, including a ‘name that melody’ game: which my team won, narrowly beating Martyn’s.  (I even got one answer that the rest of my team didn’t!  Miraculous, given my zero knowledge of popular music.)  Martyn played a few ends of bowls one afternoon with one of our quiz friends, discovering that he has lost none of his skill.

Taking stock of our trip, we have mixed feelings.  After twelve nights on board, we are glad to be home and on our own again.  We met some delightful people as usual, notably Pam and David, whom we’d met on a similar cruise two years ago, and a lively bunch of people we met in quizzes.  We got a bit fed up, however, with people moaning about anything and everything, and particularly with people who were rude to the staff.  So we’ve had enough of communal life for a while.  

In the main, Cunard’s service is exemplary, and they sorted out the problem we had with our cabin with polite professionalism.  The ship is luxurious and refined, and except for the unusually rough conditions on the way south, one is scarcely aware of movement or mechanical sound.  There is a point just aft of midships where you hear the sound of the exhaust stack running up through the superstructure, but the only time we were aware of mechanical noise in any of our three cabins was from the bow thrusters while the ship was leaving or arriving at a berth.  In our final cabin, forward of the bridge, we only heard the occasional slap of waves under the bows: it would have been a very different story had the sea been as rough as on the way south!

Having spent 12 days in an enclosed space with 3000 other people, it’s perhaps not surprising that I’ve started yet another cold.  As my colds go, however, it seems to be a mild one, and I just hope I haven’t passed it on to Martyn.  But we have cried off our usual Hogmanay invitation, not wishing to pass it on to a frail elderly friend.

30 December 

Latish start for us both today, and we aren’t missing a lot: it is grey and misty.  We broke the back of the laundry yesterday, so have been able to take it easy today.  I spent 20 minutes or so in the garden, however, chopping down the rudbeckias and doing an interim prune of the roses nearest the dining room doors.  I took a quick look yesterday at the cold frames, where the penstemon and other cuttings seem to be doing well.  Of course, we have had few frosts so far, so we’re cautiously optimistic at most.  The donor penstemon plants are still flowering timidly, as are the daphnes.  One of last year’s primulas is flowering, and the little sarcococca plants at the front door are coming into flower.

1 January 2019

Within 36 hours of leaving the ship, Martyn developed symptoms of a gut bug, and took to bed where he remains as I write, though I think he’s slowly getting over it.  Some joker was letting off fireworks yesterday mid-evening, and there were sounds of partygoers in the street when I went to bed.  Whether there were fireworks or festivities at midnight I couldn’t tell you.