We had arranged to meet up with Pat and Giana for the quiz again tonight in the Golden Lion pub. We had got ready very early, so ended up having a look at the sale items racked up outside the ladies boutique on deck 3. Jane saw a pair of trousers she liked, but at 195 USD they were a bit tasty for me. She the saw another set that she liked, and this time they were more to my liking at 42 USD, so she went to try them on. The boutique doesn’t have a changing room, so she

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I woke a little before my alarm this morning so was ready for it when it went off at 06.50. Jane was telling me to get back in bed while I was getting ready for the gym, but as this might be the last chance I get for a run I was determined to go. Once we past Gibraltar tonight we’ll be in the Atlantic, and if we have “Sea State lumpy” running on the treadmill might become problematic. As it turned out I needn’t have worried about running on the next few days. I was just jogging through 4.5km

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We didn’t hang around in the Commodore Club for too long, leaving well before the 6pm dress code cut-off. It’s the Captain’s cocktail party for the CWC members as well as being the Masquerade Ball, so tonight was a formal night. I was in the white tux, as I’d popped a button on my black tux jacket, and not having packed a sewing kit, wasn’t in a position to repair it. We headed down to the Queen’s room for cocktails, when we saw Giana and Pat in the Golden Lion, so we made a detour to say hello and ended

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Today is a sea day, and as such has been designated as a learning day. It started off well, as I leapt out of bed at 06.50 with my alarm clock blaring out. I got dressed and headed of to the gym for my run. I then went back to the room as I’d forgotten my Polar Heart Rate Monitor. Eventually I got back to the gym and set off jogging on the treadmill. 5 kms later, I was on my cool down and I noticed that my performance index on the machine was 46. Now I have no idea

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We only had one in the Commodore Club, before heading back to the room for a nap, apparently it’s the done thing when you are our age ? Nap over and it was off to dinner, it was a Formal night tonight, so Jane was looking extra smart in the new gown. There was a minor issue with half the beads on the neckline were falling off, but not having a sewing kit and that it still didn’t look too bad, she went with it. It will be going back to the shop when we return. Dinner was another success

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I’ve just turned on the ships TV channel to see where we are on the map, we’ve transited the Straits of Messina during the night, and rounded the toe of Italy, we have travelled exactly 2400 nautical miles. The clocks went forward another hour last night, so getting out of bed for my 7am run was difficult. (It’s actually 04.50 in real money). The run was hard, really hard but I managed to grind out 5km, stretch out, and do a few weights, before heading back to the room with a cup of tea for Jane. On our way down

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Nigel Vardy’s insights lecture was very interesting, it covered his failed attempt at the Himalayas and his misreported demise. During his attempt at the Himalayas, he and his climbing companions were reported missing after being incommunicado during a spell of severe weather. Obviously this was much exaggerated, he failed on his attempt to scale the mountains after contracting frostbite, and discovered the kerfuffle an his return to civilization. Once the lecture was over, it was time for sunbathing on the sun decks, that, and a spot of clothes washing, before heading to the MDR for lunch. I had a seafood

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I’m aching this morning after the Palma bike ride, but I did sleep like a baby which was good. It was all a bit of a rush this morning because the fencing classes were at 08.45, so I was in the gym nice and early and did my 5km, I must be getting better at it as I didn’t bang my head today. I got down to breakfast after a quick shower to find it wasn’t open yet. How sad is that? You should be too late for breakfast when on holiday, but too early……Anyway I ended up in the

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Two of our dinner companions turned up in the Commodore Club, Pat and Gina, so we chatted with them while dolphin spotting out over the bow of the ship, we were rewarded with our first sighting of bone fide dolphins, proper jumping out of the water ones. The previous sightings we’d had on this trip were so far away they could have been anything. Anyway, dolphin spotting is thirsty work, so Jane needed a refresher, Rhubarb Daiquiri this time. We had another full house for dinner tonight, and the chatter around the table was lively and interesting. I had Pea

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I had set my alarm for a hour earlier today, to avoid the missed breakfast fiasco from yesterday. I hopped out of bed at 06.50 and set off for the gym. The climb up to the Spa on deck 9 isn’t getting any easier, so I was puffing again when I got to the treadmill. There was an old boy having a play on the running machine I’d used on my previous two visits, so I chose one nearer the middle. This highlighted a flaw in the setup of the gym. There is a low ceiling above the treadmills, and

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