DAY TWO - THE PILLARS OF HERCULES.

Monday 5th July  

7:30 a.m.

Got up, showered and dressed. Had some breakfast and then went to the history lecture. It was all about Sir Francis Drake today. 

11:30 a.m.

Went down to the Tamarind Club on deck 7 for a wine tasting talk. 

For a paltry £5 fee I was treated to a most agreeable discourse on the varying types of wine grapes, wine production and the different varieties of wines etc; but the best part was the four glasses of wine to taste. 

There were two whites, a young red and a mature red. 

We were instructed how to appreciate and understand the wine, by looking at the depth of colour, smelling the bouquet, observing how the tears ran down the inside of the glass. 

Finally we were shown how to sip the wine, moving it across the tongue and chewing it. 
Bread, cheese and water were served after each wine was tasted, to cleanse the palate.
12:30 p.m.

After a light lunch of crab, prawns and salad I returned to my cabin to sunbathe on the balcony. 

I must say that it was almost worth paying the 80% extra for the single supplement and balcony room, just to get away from the crowds and get a bit of peace and quiet. 

The weather was exceedingly hot today. One can really feel the difference, approaching the Med, compared to what it was like in the English Channel and Bay of Biscay. 

I bedaubed myself in factor 15 Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion from head to foot, then reclined outside in the sun for as long as I could bear it. I feel awfully drained when I become too hot, so thanks to the blessed Goddess of air-conditioning for cooling down my cabin. It was utter bliss coming in out of the heat.


4:00 p.m.

I needed a siesta after all the hard work sunbathing today and intended to sleep only for an hour or so. I must have been more worn out than I had thought because I didn’t stir until 7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

I was feeling a little chastened that I had missed another dinner on the big table with the people that I had met yesterday. I do hope that they didn’t think me discourteous.

As luck would have it, it was Thai night in the Waterside buffet so I ate there instead.

8:30 p.m.

I had intended to go and have some cocktails in the Metropolis bar but when I got there, there was a magic act on and the place was full to the gunwales and there wasn’t a spare seat in the place, so I went back down to the Ramblas bar where I met Lynne and Laudon, the nice Scottish couple that sat next to me on the big table. I had a couple of JD and cokes then went to bed at 12:30 a.m.