Day 6 – At Sea (Atlantic Ocean)

We slept wonderfully last night! Sleeping at sea is like being rocked in a cradle. So after a quick shower, we headed down to the King and I Restaurant for breakfast. We met new traveling companions from Germany, Denmark, and Tasmania.  Cruise ships quickly become a floating community and its nice beginning to be able to recognize familiar faces. This is how the meals work. For breakfast and lunch, you can either go to the restaurant or to one of the cafes. At the restaurants you order from a nice menu and are really taken care of by a team of waiters. At the cafes there is a typical bill of fare which consists of a pasta buffet, salad bar, hamburger/hotdog bar, rolls with meats and cheeses, hot food buffet – including chicken, ethnic foods, etc., and the dessert bar! For these 2 meals you can choose to sit as a couple or be with an unplanned mix of travelers. However, for dinner, you sit with the same people for the duration of the cruise. As I said yesterday, we are with a great dinner group!

We’ve been rocking and rolling at sea today. The swells outside our window are pretty huge! Traveling between 20-30 mph with about 30 mph winds create quite a ride! Ross explored the top deck just a bit ago while I wrote in my journal and came back saying that he was almost blown down – not off – just down! White caps surround the ship making for some beautiful scenery.

We attended a lecture this afternoon titled “Gibraltar – Solid as a Rock” given by a retired professor from California. He did a great job explaining the extensive history of Gibraltar and how everybody from the Phoenicians to the Germans in WWII battled over ownership of this strategic location. It’s been in British hands since 1713, so maybe everyone has finally agreed that they can keep it. We are really looking forward to tomorrow when we can see it for ourselves!

Another Irish couple, John and Monica, joined our happy group this evening. We all had another wonderful dinner together and discussed everything from WWI to golf. John is actually from Tipperary (as in “It’s a Long Way to Tipperary”). The three Irish gentlemen all have such rosy cheek – probably from those sunny days spent out on the golf course. They are as interested in our American lives as we are in theirs.

Tonight the show was called “All You Need is Beatles.” Ross and I are not necessarily Beatle fans, but these four guys were fantastic! They not only matched their singing style, they also replicated their mannerisms. Several people in the audience were transported back to the 60s as they swayed and danced to the music. I remember being a little frightened of the Beatles when I was a little girl. We enjoyed the show very much.

Tomorrow – Gibraltar!

Linda with dog made of towels

Ross & Linda back from dress dinner