Once again we're at sea, currently heading in a North-Easterly direction and about to skirt around the heel of Italy's high stilleto heel into the Adriatic Sea. From that point we'll be heading in a North-by-North-Westerly direction towards our next port, which is Koper in Slovenia. I know all this because there's a big sea-chart by Reception, with a little Boudicca blue-tacked to it to show our current position and projected path. There's always a big of a crowd of passengers around this chart, hustling and bustling for position to see where we are today.

I was up with my alarm clock at 8am (okay, actually, that isn't quite true; I dozed for about half an hour and bounded out of bed at about 8:30) and headed for the Lido deck for breakfast... Soon after breakfast, which consisted of just a hurried bowl of cornflakes and a glass of orange juice, I was back in my cabin to pick up... my fleece! It is so COLD today!!! And windy... I hurried my cornflakes because the wind was blowing them off my spoon. Someone remarked that because we're now heading North it might be that the old fleeces will have to come out more often.

Having grabbed my fleece, I returned to the deck to walk my 5 laps (I didn't do them yesterday because I reckon I did about 25 laps-worth yomping around Catania). Talk about parky... Every time I walked around the front end of the ship, the wind whipped up behind me and threatened to blow me overboard... you can see the headlines now...

I meant to make mention of a visitor we've had with us since Portsmouth. A tiny robin has been seen fluttering about the Lido deck pretty much since the start of the cruise. Rarely would it be seen to land anywhere; it would just fly about the ship, occasionally it would fly out over the sea and fly alongside the ship. Everyday it would be there... drawing much interest and speculation from the passengers... except today. I'm wondering if this isn't just a high-tech way of flying south for the winter (although I'm sure someone out there will tell me that Robin's don't fly south for the winter - or do they?) - cadge a lift with an ocean-going liner. Maybe he found exactly what he was looking for in Catania and will while-away the winter months there until deciding to hop on a return ship in the Spring.

So; unless the wind drops and the temperature picks up, it looks like it's going to be a big indoors-day today. Lots of folk lounging around reading, playing cards in the Card Room, and maybe coming to the Art Class this afternoon...

There's been a bit of a disaster down in the Entertainments room; the photo-copier has broken down, so I've had to commandeer the use of Reception's machine to make 40 copies of a small sketch I've made of Strombolli for this afternoon's workshop. They weren't pleased. Hopefully the ents photo-copier will be fixed at Koper. I'm not quite sure how they're managing with out it, actually - when I go in there it's always chugging away, printing out daily blurbs - maybe Reception is having to print all those out too - maybe that's why theye were far from happy at me turning up with my sketch...

AHA!!!!!!!!!! So that's where he is?? I've had a tame robin in the garden all summer supervising my gardening techniques,and he's not been around for a couple of weeks. Soooooooooo glad he's on his hols and not been swooped on by a hungry owl, and am now looking forward to a post card from him.
Phew, that's a relief.
Been in Derby,doing a thermoplastic splinting course, lots of lovely cups of tea, which I won't mention in your delicate state of tea deprivation. (You would have hated them, honestly).
Sounds like you're having a brill time, and don't forget rule 5, and 3 hoots means your engines are in reverse. ( but not necessarily going backwards..)
Don't fall in, regards Pip
PS you def need to take gorgeous girlfriend next time, much more fun.

If I see Mr R on the way back, I'll mention the postcard thing to him. I was wondering where he'd been sleeping - in one of the lifeboats presumably (although that might be just because he's a nervous passenger and needs a little security...)

I'm definitely envious of the free-flowing tea; I feel like I'm on the wagon here, and yes; having company on the next trip is going to be fantastic!