Signing Off

This will probably be the last blog entry for this trip unless something of real interest occurs over the next day and a half. This trip has thrown up some of the most interesting ports I have ever visited I suppose that the English visitor is at an advantage visiting the US and Canada, we share a common language, often murdered, strangled and defiled but the basics remain the same and to a certain degree that knowledge is reinforced by television and film we know a lot of the places and people, a lot are preconceptions that get broken down and proved incorrect. One thing cannot be doubted that away from the mega cities the friendliness of the welcome you are given by local people and the way they will go out of their way to help, coupled to a fierce sense of Civic pride that they have, something that perhaps we have not lost but is certainly on the wane. It might appear that I am on a ship that is filled with odd balls, well only a few and a lot of the times I spot them they are only momentary lapses or slips made by ordinary people, with a few definite exceptions, you know who you are. As we get closer to home and the temperature continues to drop and the wind increases one thing does mystify me, the British males need to wear shorts of varying length, some bordering on the pornographic, others look like they have been taken from a 1920s Boy Scout, both these styles are worn with open toe sandals AND SOCKS pulled up just short of the knees, what is that all about? It would make more sense to put more layers of clothes on rather than peel them off as some of the Ladies choose to put smaller and smaller white tops on to reveal the depth of tan they have managed to acquire during the cruise, judging by some of the used leather skin tones on display many have tanning machines at home that get many hours of use. The other thing that comes to mind is that a cruise by its very definition is not a holiday of denial, the ability to graze 24 hours a day is possible and the area covered by some of the tans goes in no short measure to reinforce this fact. I have met some really charming people on this Cruise special mention must go to Pauline & Ken also from the West Country, we are fortunate enough to have similar senses of humour and most days swop tales of quirkiness we have spotted, they have been top company. Also with my IT support head on my ladies & gents I have been able to help or confuse have been good fun and great to chat to in my office in Costa Coffee ( Have you tried switching it on & off?) As I head off to Southampton successfully avoiding the icebergs, Noro Virus, Seasickness a fall or a stumble I have had a great trip, my last thought as always is I wish Barb's could have shared it.