Here’s our home for the next month. The photo was taken out of the car window before we were sternly notified that photography is not allowed for security reasons. We’re accidentally including it here.
Initially it seems no one on board speaks English. It’s a French ship, our one fellow passenger, Max, is French, and we recognize a few words such as “bonjour” and “bon appetit.” Our friend Annette recommends: “Don’t move your lips, say “comment ca va?” and let them talk. Good advice until we discover they’re Romanians speaking a little French but mostly Romanian! AND they reveal they can speak some actual English. Within 24 hours we’re getting to know them. Already, as you can see, they’re asking Art’s advice about navigation. Just wait till he hauls out Pat’s GPS gizmo. They’ll be wowed.
We have been given the spacious owner’s cabin -- lovely except for the twin beds. Once we reach open water the ship pitches enthusiastically from side to side. We walk as if we are drunk. Wine is served with dejeuner et diner, so maybe we are a little. We eat in the officers’ Salon de Manger and are abruptly and very definitely not vegetarian for the duration of this voyage. The food IS delicious. Restraint may be called for before our month is up.
We are free to explore the entire ship. The only serious peril is grease. Sitting on deck writing this I spot a school of dolphins just below. On this morning’s hike we saw flying fish off the bow (the pointy end). The view is nothing but the vast ocean.
So far the only thing we find we’ve forgotten is Art’s sunglasses.
