Nearly there!

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There was no mistaking the fact that we moved out of the Gulf Stream yesterday because we awoke to snow! Not much, but enough to make me wish I hadn't gone out on the top deck with just a short sleeved top! Having slipped and slithered from one end of the pool deck to the other, it was a bracing shock to discover the doors at the far end were locked due to the icy weather. The walk back to where we'd started felt very cold indeed!

But it's been a great day. We went to 2 lectures this morning: Sir Alan Collins, the last British Consul General in New York, giving a lot of hints and tips about how to make the most of our time in New York. He was followed by the very impressive Jane Asher talking about her amazing career in cakes, writing and as President of the British Autism Society. She showed loads of cake photos including many she'd made for the rich, the famous and the royal. She looks incredible and is a brilliant speaker. And because we're staying on board the ship after New York we'll get to hear her husband, the illustrator Gerald Scarfe. They've been married for over 40 years and have raised 3 grown children in the heady world of celebrity. They really are quite an inspiration.

This afternoon was slightly more painful as we decided to go to the Guest Talent Show. Unfortunately they had plenty of guests but were singularly lacking in talent. It made the worst of the X Factor auditions seem highly professional. One chap even turned up in full Scottish Highland dress complete with bag pipes. He played tunes you nearly recognised but not necessarily with all the notes you would recognise or being played in the timing you might recognise. There was a very ugly, and exceptionally old, lady who read a poem about her teddy bear, a chap who told 2 very long and exceedingly boring jokes and a singer who told us all she didn't think she'd need a microphone. Unfortunately the crew provided her with one so we heard every single, horrible, painful note! But, giving credit where it is due, they all had more courage than I would have albeit with exactly the same amount of talent!

Dinner tonight was another formal night so I risked wearing an evening top that I had actually made for myself. And it didn't fall apart. And I felt great in it. And our evening was topped by an absolutely brilliant show in the theatre: a comic pianist who was fantastic. He packed out the theatre and we laughed loads and now have sore hands from clapping so much.

Now it's back to our cabin for a nightcap and another bit of blogging. We want to get an early night ready for watching our sail into New York tomorrow. We're due to dock at about mid-day so unfortunately we still have time for another workout in the gym! It is the only thing that is keeping our clothes still fitting us so although it hurts, it sure as heck saves spending a lot of money on clothes with lots of elastic!

We got buzzed today by an aeroplane from the Canadian coastguard and actually saw another ship - only the second we've seen in this whole crossing! We've come 2890 miles from Southampton now and have just 289.5 miles left to go. They put the ship's clocks back an hour nearly every day so we are almost on New York time now. This must be the best way to travel to the US and arrive without any jet lag. Wonderful!

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