Day 19 - Auckland (29 December)

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I forgot to mention that yesterday I took two strong pain killers as I had a slight reaction to the sulphur like bad headache and my hip was a bit sore. Oh and I had my usual two glasses of white wine in honour of shabbat. As a result I slept until 10:30 when I was rudely awakened by a fire drill alarm for crew members to hold a practice.

Don was in shul so I found some coffee and read to wake myself up. It was a glorious day. We anchored in Auckland. After kiddush and lunch we thought that we would go for a walk in town. But we had locked our security id in the safe and wouldn't open the electronic safe on Shabbat. So we played bridge with Marcia and Norman. It was more like a tutorial and the boys played the girls. There may have been a bit of cheating going on. The boys beat the girls. (Don ed: it was tutoring, not cheating, and anyway we held the better cards.)

Then it was teatime and I found myself in the rabbi's shiur. There are times when I wonder whether I am on the same wave length as the rabbonim and this was one of them.

We had an early supper as after shabbat went out the group were treated to a Bar-B-Q. I have come to the conclusion that the chefs on this cruise are sadists. They make the most amazing food and present it so beautifully and us participants are masochists because we succumb.

After the Bar-B-Q Don, Marcia and I went to the Indonesia show put on by the Indonesian members of the crew. It was hysterical and very well done.

Don and I went into the casino where I won $5. That won't pay the bill that is for sure!

Back in our room we decided to fill another shoe bag of laundry for $20 and counted 52 items! This will keep us in clean clothes til we get back to the UK.

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