Day 29: Nice to have a rest! 3 full days of sightseeing is exhausting – hours of paying attention to a tour guide, trying to remember all the facts, eyes swiveling back and forth, always on alert for photo ops. I’m glad for the breather. Back to my “routine”: coffee and email at dawn while the internet is still strong, exercise, breakfast in my room (I’m getting quite skilled at this long-distance food carry), then read and eat the rest of the day 🙂

Day 30: I’m coming down again with the shipboard kennel cough: scratchy throat and tired. It’s a grayish, blustery day outside, which makes it an excellent day to spend lounging on my sofa. I’ll skip the formal dinner tonight; a piece of pizza and a cup of tea will do me fine.

Day 32: I’m feeling much chipper this morning, awake at 4am (they keep changing the clocks on us) and up at 5a. Hit the treadmill at 6a. Still have a cough but had the energy to run for 30 minutes. Except for this week I haven’t run since last March but I’m losing the Battle of the Bulge against the Buffet so desperate measures are called for!

There’s a lack of appealing entertainment options onboard, not even any lectures anymore so unless one wishes to join in on the silly games on the pool deck they’re left to their own devices. For me it’s chasing the internet signal and reading my books. I do love to read so I’m content.

I did pop in for the last half of the matinee concert – violin and piano. It was nice.

I learned a new word at dinner tonight. Steve & Audrey joined us again, they’re from Wales. In talking about the forecast for tomorrow in Durban they commented that the morning was to be “thundery”. I like it. I like new words.

Also new news was the letter slipped under my cabin door with tomorrow’s Daily Planner – caution to be taken walking ashore as other cruise ship passengers have been assaulted (!). I’m doing a ship’s excursion and I don’t think we hardly leave the bus, safety in numbers!