16th August 2014

After our trip to Clacton, I, unfortunately, developed a painful sore on my big toe during our walk around the Naze. Despite taking Ibuprofen, the pain persisted, making walking rather awkward. I found some tablets prescribed years ago for a bout of gout and decided to give them a try. Although the pain didn’t initially improve, I did experience the side effects, nausea and drowsiness, so much so that after a few days of feeling practically comatose, I decided to stop and return to dosing with ibuprofen. When the pain worsened, I reluctantly switched back to the sleep-inducing pills, with a slight adjustment.

That afternoon, I trotted over to the Angel to watch the English women’s rugby team take on Canada in the Women’s Rugby World Cup on TV. Naturally, I enjoyed a couple of pints of fine British ale to toast the 13–13 draw, and, miraculously, the pain in my toe vanished! Whether I’ll publish a paper on this groundbreaking medical discovery remains to be seen, depending on whether I can isolate the critical element: women’s rugby or British beer.

Sarah has been considering a holiday in September and asked if I had any ideas, so I began scouring the internet for something appealing. After dismissing dry stone walling, gliding, and an eco-course, I found a tall ship cruise where she could join as a crew member. She loved the idea, especially when she found out her mum had done something similar years ago (I won’t say how many, as she reads these blogs!). So, on 20th September, I’ll take her to London to choose her hammock on ‘Tenacious’, and I’ll collect her the following week in Southampton. I’d sail with her if I could!

On Friday, with my now-recovered toe, Sue and I set off early (7:20 am) for our own, rather more relaxed and comfortable cruise departing from Southampton. The journey went smoothly, and after about 2 hours and 45 minutes, we arrived in Hythe with plenty of time to spare before parking and boarding the ship. We parked in a Waitrose car park and took a stroll around this charming town on the estuary opposite the cruise port. I’d heard of the Hythe Ferry, so it was nice to see it in action, especially with the little train that runs along the pier to the ferry itself. Hythe is quite picturesque, full of retired folks enjoying tea and coffee in the numerous High Street cafés. Naturally, we joined them.

We left the car parked in an official site near some military barracks for the duration of our voyage, joining a group of fellow passengers as we waited around half an hour for the transit to the port. As we remembered from our last departure from Southampton, the traffic was intense, and it took nearly 45 minutes to reach the terminal. Check-in was thankfully efficient, and once on board, we were directed straight to the buffet, a welcome sight after the journey!

After about an hour of exploring and refuelling, we located our cabin nestled in the ship’s lower levels. Soon after, we headed back up to our muster station for the mandatory lifeboat drill. This routine, though standard, always brings a reassuring sense of preparedness for the days ahead at sea.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Around 5 pm, as the ship pulled away from port, we joined the leaving party at the stern, immersing ourselves in the lively atmosphere and festivities. After a thorough exploration of the ship’s many amenities, we headed back to our cabin to freshen up for our evening meal on the second sitting in the Oriental Restaurant.

We arrived a bit early and struck up a conversation with Anne, a lovely woman we’d met at lunch. She had lost her husband only three months ago, but had courageously decided to travel solo. It seems there are quite a few single ladies of a certain age on board, a gentle reminder, perhaps, that we men ought to take better care of ourselves if we’re to keep up!

Our table was set for eight, though we were joined by just two other couples. Fortunately, we all got along from the outset, with friendly exchanges and easy laughs. Names may come a bit later, but I have a feeling this will be a delightful group for the remainder of the voyage.

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner was a fantastic feast of flavours, so much so that I left feeling rather overindulgent! The evening’s entertainment in the theatre was a spectacular singing and dancing show, artfully choreographed and packed with hits from the ’60s to the present day. If this is a taste of the entertainment lineup, we’re in for a treat throughout the voyage.

By the time we returned to our cabin around midnight, we were both feeling pleasantly worn out from a full and satisfying day.