Babe

 

In Rouen, TSH had a cunning plan. They wanted to walk by the river Seine but the temperature was due to rise rapidly. So he suggested that they should walk before breakfast, as they often do at home. This resulted in a pleasant cool walk and a leisurely breakfast. The walk was observed  from the Silver  Spirit by the Hotel Director, who had concerns about them leaving the ship alone on a potentially very hot day and looked relieved when they returned safely.

TSH and Diva love the pizzas on Silver Spirit but in order to keep their cheese consumption to reasonable levels they agreed to visit Spaccanapoli only once on each leg of the cruise. 4 times in all. But a pleasantly warm evening whilst docked in Rouen persuaded them to reconsider. 5 times in all.

The butlers and waiters of Silver Spirit were desperate to see Paris. So those who were able to finish their duties by 21:00 hired a vehicle to take them there, allow them to see the floodlit Eiffel tower and return them to the ship at 3:00 the following morning. And start work at 7:00!!

TSH and Diva are well aware that their walking is far less important than the running of people who are timing themselves, counting their steps or measuring whatever other parameters are available on their phones. But Diva did not expect to be grabbed from behind, pushed to one side and told to ‘step aside, babe’. She confronted the female runner later, but was told that no wrongdoing had occurred.  In 74.9 years, she has never before been addressed as ‘babe’. And she does not like it.

 

 

 

Bantry Bay

In Bantry, TSH and Diva took an excursion to Gougane Barra National Park, which resembles parts of the English Lake District. The roads were very narrow with no passing places. Diva sympathised with the (female) driver of a car which met the coach and had to reverse for some way in an awkward place. Other (female) guests spent the time howling with laughter at her plight.

The driver sang ‘Danny Boy’ and ’40 Shades of Green’, which is an unlikely Johnny Cash song written when he toured in Ireland. He finished with some yodelling. 

On the tender, a US guest was heard to ask an Australian guest how long it would take to ‘see’ their country. She had ‘seen’ New Zealand in 14 days and wondered if the time would be comparable.

In the evening, TSH and Diva decided it was just warm enough for their third (and last) pizza night in (outdoor) Spaccanapoli. Excellent as ever. They were told that late every evening a huge pizza is prepared for crew members, who are all ravenous after their day’s hard work.