Wednesday October 8 Gatwick Sofitel

The last show of our cruise was an all singing all dancing extravaganza. Terrific, it made me tired just watching it.

After the show, members of the cast stand around the exits to chat to people as they leave, I’m not really sure why? It takes me by surprise every time. I always say how much I have enjoyed the show and how talented they are but my comments are usually fairly inane. Ideally they should stop standing there, or I should stop talking to them, but I suppose it’s not doing any harm.

Our dinner companions seem to think it’s strange that I always go alone to the shows, Simon preferring reading a book and drinking negronis to joining me. However, they were all planning on going to the 10:30 pm show by the four Ds, who were performing again, and also to a repeat show by the nonswearing comedian who was performing at 11:45 pm. They couldn’t believe it when I said that was way past my bedtime. I was thinking that perhaps we should have struck up a closer relationship with these people, but then the conversation turned to politics and the lady next to me was bemoaning how England had gone to the dogs ever since the wonderful Margaret Thatcher had left office, so perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
Went to bed after dinner and watched the final spy talk on trade craft which was excellent. Lots of tips but if you’re forced into a fight, make sure you do it in a kitchen. He also emphasised the importance of self defence lessons. I’ve been looking into classes available in Wellington already. I am going to be busy!

My friend has accused me that my enthusiasm for Zumba is due in a large part to the young handsome Portuguese instructor but I’m almost entirely certain that’s not the case.

Simon and I had been trying to work out how to spend our last day in the UK. We toyed with the idea of ditching our luggage and exploring Southampton or spending more time in London, but in the end, seeing the hour long taxi queue outside the cruise ship terminal this morning, we decided just to take an uber all the way to Gatwick. It took a couple of hours and cost several  hundred dollars, but it saved us a full day of travel and faff with lots of luggage.

Have repacked my suitcase, had a nap, and am now ready to go for a walk to try and find a pub for our last dinner here. Of course there are plenty of eating places in the airport terminal but somehow it’s not an inviting prospect.

View from our hotel window

….

Having dinner at a lovely tiny old country pub. Here is Simon looking like a giant.

I have been feeling the ground lurching ever since I got off the ship. It was the same in Stavanger. Apparently I have my sea legs, which is nice but now I need to lose them.

I meant to say, the cruise was fabulous and a great success in terms of aurora spotting, but it was a dead loss for actually exploring Norway. We spent less than 12 hours in total on Norwegian soil, I spoke less than fifty words in Norwegian, and we never even saw a fjord. Ironically, because of Norway’s fabulous infrastructure, the best way to travel the country would be by car. We may return.

 

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