Our First of Two Sea Days

---

Geo: 55.111, 18.692

Up this morning at about 8 and straight to breakfast. Afterward, Mom heads poolside for the big sale while I work on the blog nearby. Later Karen heads down to deck 3 to check out some shops and I stay nearby, continuing to work on the blog using my newly purchased Internet minutes. I repair two previous days, complete a third and send all out. Finally!

It's a beautiful sunny day in the low 60s. The sea is as smooth as a lake and we spend time out on the rear balcony, watching a Celebrity cruise ship shadow our position as we head toward Estonia. Protected from the wind and exposed to the sun, our balcony is the perfect location to lie and relax like millionaires. At 4pm we go to a lecture on Russian history and customs. We return to get dressed for our fancy dinner. Tonight is a gala night, one where most guests dress formally. I brought my suit for just such occasions.

Arriving in the main dining room at 5:30pm, most everyone was dressed up. We were seated with three other couples, all from the U.S. They were very friendly and we had a nice conversation, sharing our travel experiences. For dinner. Mom chose the escargot, creamed artichoke soup, yellow fin sole fillet and sugar free Black Forest cake while had the pineapple boat, chicken soup, sole and lemon meringue cheesecake. We all excused ourselves about 20 minutes before 8 to get to the theater for tonight's show starring the Zuiderdam Singers & Dancers.

While the show was fine, we get more entertainment by people watching. The theater has about ten poles located around the main floor that support the balcony above. Sitting behind these poles, it's impossible to see all the stage. We arrived in time to find a good viewing location for ourselves but now there are empty seats located throughout the theater with this pole problem. We watch time and again as people see the empty spots, think they made a real find, sit down, talk to each other and finally get up and leave. A few minutes later, this scenario repeats itself with a new couple. Come on, you know it's cool to say, "Look. They're figuring it out. They're hanging in there. Oh. There they go". You can also watch the action on the stage.

After the singers/dancers were done, we stopped by the B B King Blues Club for a half dozen songs. They have an 8 piece band and much better than the show we just left. Their intermission is our excuse to return to our room and to bed. Tomorrow is Estonia.

I'm writing this at 10:30pm and it's still light outside. This makes it difficult to go to sleep without these darkening shades. My life is so tough.

Weather: Sunny, 54°F

---

Comments

[Hank & Carmen]

Hi Al and Karen, you two look fabulous!! Your just seeing the world, wish we could do a trip wth you someday:) Seems like you both have a lot of fun!! Enjoy life, stay safe, eat lots and be HAPPY......Your friends Hank and Carmen Ramirez:)
:)