coming in to Victoria

The connection is vastly better and I can try a longer post without fear of being dropped.

Two days at sea has left me blissfully relaxed. The cruise ship is huge, and fully equipped with stabilizers, and even the rough water just produces a little rocking. We moved through a storm front with 50 mph winds, ten foot swells and serious whitecaps, and all it did was make people sway and stagger as they walked along the hallways. DH, who gets seasick on a damp bathmat, is perfectly comfortable. And I frankly love being rocked on the cradle of the deep.




One disappointment we have encountered is that they have oversold the thermal suite with the warm ceramic lounge chairs and the mineral bath pool. They have put a twenty minute limit on the lounges, and the pool often is as full as the local public pool on a hot August day. We have gotten to use the lounges only once since we got on board. Probably won’t invest in the spa pass next time around. Not getting our money’s worth.



But we have booked a room for the October re-positioning cruise. This is soooo addictive! Anyone want to join us? It’s excellent value for the investment. Heck, just in food expenses alone, we’ve gotten our money’s worth out of the fare. And again I say, travel while you can! There are so many folks on board with their wheel-chairs and oxygen tanks who are too old to digest the glorious meals and too infirm to do much more than play bingo.



There is a squad of leather-skinned ladies who stake out the lounge chairs by the pool about 9 AM, and spend the whole day in their matronly swimsuits, basking under the glass roof, reading and napping. I can see them 30 years ago as bikini-clad babes and trophy wives, and having found a gig that works for them, they have stuck with it. These are gals who wear diamond bracelets and earrings at the pool.



Then there are the gals who feel that, when it comes to makeup, more is more. Scarlet lipstick feathering out into the wrinkles around the mouth, full foundation and heavy powder, blusher applied with a lavish hand, lots of frosty blue eyeshadow, thick black eyeliner, and false lashes out to here! And when our vision starts to go, the symmetry and blending suffers.  I've seen a woman with one eyebrow (I suggested she might want to check her makeup in the bathroom.)  And any number of beldames with blush painted on in random, unmatched swatches. Luckily, the men they hang out with don’t see any better, so the gals probably look just fine.



Speaking of makeup, one of the receptionists at the spa had a striking look yesterday. She has skin the color of good milk chocolate, and that gorgeous blue-black hair that Asian and Indonesian women are blessed with. Her makeup was subtle and understated except for her ruby red eyelids. It was not unattractive. Dramatic and arresting, but she had the bones and the poise to carry it off.



And one of the passengers I met yesterday had her silver hair streaked with blue, teal and purple. It was PRETTY. Wonder if you can get a temporary treatment to do that? Bet I could carry off a few blue streaks.



Today, we dock in Victoria, BC for several hours. DH and I will meet our friend Jim and his wife and see Victoria with a native guide. Having already done tea at the Empress, I’m looking forward to a pub experience. But I must remember that thte Canadians put alcohol in their beer, and moderate my intake accordingly. Compared to most of the other passengers on board I am feeling like quite a hot number, but still, no one wants to see me dance on the tables.


The nice thing about the Holland America cruises is that DH and I are the youngsters.  One way to feel like a kid again is to hang out with people who are 20 and 30 years older.

The knitting is going gangbusters.  I had an inspiration for making a cowl with mitered squares and oh it's working!  Woohoo!  Photos to follow.