Normal Service Resumes

I've not been able to get near this computer for the past week as J has been frantically working on his A2 ICT Module that needed to be in for today at the latest.

I've gone through this week in a bit of a daze - so, what's new, I hear you ask - and now that I've almost caught up with paperwork and other bits, I can take a moment before racing off to take Grumpy to be clipped, to tell you a bit about the trip.

The Queen Mary 2 is the most incredible ship, and not only because of it's sheer size. My step-son, who is a tall chap, decided to see how long it would take him, only taking into account the inside of the ship, for him to walk from one end to the other - three minutes!

The seas were rough, but then as R reminded me, it was a transatlantic crossing. Mainly Gale Force 8, F9, and on my birthday even managed to get (I'm sure) to a Gale Force 10, or thereabouts. Having said that, no glasses ever spilt, Sas, who was unwell the first day, soon perked up with some Stugeron, and all of us had a ball. The cabins were comfortable (I slept like the proverbial log, which is nothing short of a miracle as I don't really do sleeping). The restaurant, cinema, and theatre were on two levels, they were huge, as was the ballroom. As if the meals weren't enough, we also enjoyed afternoon tea, with warm scones and finger sandwiches.

I watched two shows, put on by RADA graduates, one film and enjoyed an incredible concert by a pianist, Harry the Piano (I'm sure that's the name...) They stopped (or at least slowed) the ship near to where the Titanic rests, and the Captain and senior crew members said a prayer and threw a large wreath over the back (stern?) of the ship as a mark of respect. It was only two days away from the 97th(?) anniversary, and to think that we were standing in warm sun, when the Titanic had experienced icebergs, was rather strange. I spent time in the wood panelled library (quelle surprise) and managed to so some research for my next book.

New York was sublime. Such a vibrant city, I'm sure I'll need to go and live there at some point. Stepping out of the hotel (Waldorf Astoria, a dream in Art Deco) I was delighted to see the hoards of yellow cabs, and in no time at all a fire engine raced passed us, honking it's horn.

When it comes to heights, I'm a drip of the first order - fifth floor hotel rooms have seen me panic - but somehow I went to Top of the Rock, and (as you can see from the photo of Central Park in my previous post) I actually went outside on the 70th floor, and felt completely fine. Probably because it was so damn high, that my brain probably thought I was in a plane or something. The Chrysler Building - somewhere I'd always wanted to visit - was as good as I expected, and inside was far better. The architecture, sounds, sights, and sheer enormity of everything was so perfect. Central Park, Ellis Island, etc.

Out of the six books I took, I didn't even finish one, however, we all had a perfect trip, and would do it again in a heartbeat.