| I went back to the cabin to see check on Juanita but she wasn't any better so she decided to order the Pizza American from room service. The number was engaged for ages so I dumped the phone by her side because she was in a better position to redial. I went back to the important business of snapping the waves! Juanita told me I'd missed some crackers slamming against the window - damn! She got through after twenty minutes and when the food arrived, it slid off the table onto the bedside tables. She complained it hadn't been cut well and the quarters were far too big as she made a mess on her sheet. |
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Neither of us went to the Colin 'Fingers' Henry show in the Curzon or, disappointingly, We Are The Champions Queen show in Carmen's because Juanita didn't dare move while I didn't dare risk any injury to my own back. Right pair! So we just stayed in the cabin and watched crap on the telly. In the morning of the 12th I was woken just after 6am by the Captain's announcement above on the Prom deck and in the corridor about Qaqortoq. It looked nice from the window when you got past the ice floes but nope, we weren't staying, instead heading to Nuuk and have longer there the next day instead of day after. How come no one's told the ice we humans are we're supposed to be melting the buggers and being taxed to death to reverse it? Mother Nature will always stick two fingers up to conmen so give us our taxes and proper lightbulbs back! Juanita woke up as we were turning so at least she managed to see Greenland. We only hoped we could get into that. Then it was back to sleep since the excitement of not getting to a port was too much. |
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| The Officer of the Watch's 8.55am announcement reckoned we had a force 5-6 yet the info channel had a F4. They can never get anything right! |
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| We decided it was time to let Agosthino do the cabin wrapped up warm and took a stroll around the deck to pass some time. Despite it being only 1c it wasn't too bad - brrrr! |
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| Juanita then fancied a hot chocolate in Raffles only there was nowhere to sit since the nearly dead were taking up the chairs without ordering anything. They just sat on their flabby bums reading or doing crosswords so we ended up at Cafe Bordeaux. I hadn't been here since it became a Marco Pierre White eaterie so had no idea what it was like now. First of all we sat at a table by the window and, when Juanita went to order, was told we'd have to move! Why have them there then if they're not part of the place? You had to get your own menu then waited forever for anyone to deign to come even though no one was doing anything. Juanita ordered one drink but two came. The waiter put sugar on the table even though the hot chocolate was sickly sweetened already. We eventually managed to order after thinking we'd be moved a second time and that took its time too, being cold when it got to us. Only the chips in their basket were hot. Juanita's sauce had congealed and crepe stuck to the plate! Meanwhile a bloke sat by the window and was moved while the nearly dead got of their bums for food resulting in a long queue to be seated even though the place was empty and staff still doing sod all. They could be actually dead by the time anyone bothered giving them attention, which would at least free up chairs in bars and let the rest of us be lively! While it was good the nearly dead were in a minority, the average age over sixty plus wasn't yet the nearly dead were giving those like Marge and Cedric a bad name with their attitude and behaviour, believing just because they're old they can be rude, selfish, obnoxious and constantly complaining! Marge and Cedric were a breath of fresh air! The nearly dead on this trip were the worst I'd ever encountered. |
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| When we got back to the cabin I found a letter about my Nuuk Heritage Trail tour now starting at 9.30am and returning for 11.30am. This was the first year, they said, excursions were avalable. Since they had put us on different times (this was one Juanita had been waitlisted for), she went to ask if she could move only to be told no, but I could so we did that and was charged an extra £2 as well as given our stickers in advance. The Captain came on when I'd just sat down in the Cyb@study to say he was waiting to hear back from P&O in Southampton about an extra port. It really was doubtful with the latter half of the schedule, despite them saving tendering costs, but would be nice to go to another in Norway. The satellite connection not only hated Yahoo but also Asda! Usual Scattergories followed by the picture quiz in the afternoon. Dinner was casual then we popped onto the deck afterwards. |
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| While Juanita went to bed I went to the crew X Factor show in the theatre which was judged by Sally Kettle, cruise director Natalie Milverton, Shaun Perry and Executive Chef Ian Summers wearing the best Simon Cowell trousers they could find. Gavin had said he was taking part. It was also his thirtieth birthday and we all sang to him after he did his bit. Unsurprisingly the act of Vik/Viki won, which had got everyone in fits of laughter. Not an original idea but he was brilliant. |
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I finished around midnight and then it took ages getting out thanks to the nearly dead shoving in instead of waiting to let others pass. Juanita was still awake when I got back and reading the book she'd borrowed from the library so I showed her Vik/Viki and Gavin. Land ahoy on the lucky 13th - yay!!!! A solid four days at sea made me realise I could not stick doing a transatlantic crossing on Queen Mary 2, having just seven nights at sea and only get off at the other end. No, no, no. I need ports between start and finish even though I love sea days! I must stretch my legs and enjoy seeing my gorgeous transport in various places as well as enjoying all the sailaways and other ships with us. Although it said 3c as we arrived, they said it would get up to 6c - a veritable heatwave! |
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| Time for another healthy breakfast before watching our arrival, mostly from the Prom deck. I was beginning to worry about my back. Despite my best efforts at taking things easy and resting as much as possible, it was becoming seriously uncomfortable. I'd left my painkillers at home because I knew if I took any, I'd forget about the mobility limitations as I had when picking clothes for this trip, and end up in more agony. I'd just have to hope things wouldn't get any worse. |
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| Back to the cabin to rest since I was now on the later tour. The bed was very welcoming even if the weather wasn't! It was a shame I'd had to give up ticket number one for sixty six though but nothing can change the fact I had the first originally. |
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| We went up to the Curzon for 11am but the tour wasn't called for another forty minutes. We made our way down to Deck 4 for the tender and then were stuck on the bloody thing at least half an hour going around in circles! Why? Because their tendering system is crap! It was one on, one off so we had to wait for the other to leave the jetty before pulling alongside. We have no idea why it didn't shift since they make sure they're full before moving and the queue was as far as the eye could see. In the end he pulled up on the other side. Why didn't he do that in the first place???? Oh because it was too dangerous(!) No sooner had we tied up than the other bastard left! |
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| Once we were off the incline of the ramp was so steep you almost needed mountaineering equipment. It reminded me strongly of Le Havre when I did Equiniox with Juanita in 2009. We were divided into three groups and ours then waited for our guide Marina, who was finishing her coffee in the tourist information office. |
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| We set off, walking over uneven surfaces rather than the flat road, then she started to talk about Nuuk and its people. She said a week before it had been 17c and also there were usually more icebergs. I wondered if they'd gone south for the summer because they fancied a week sunbathing in Qaqortoq! |
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| We then headed to the museum over more uneven surfaces and looked at room recreations, various artifacts and clothing. |
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| Marina said, although she's a modern woman, she doesn't believe in the dead being dug up and looked upon, referring to the mummified remains people were at liberty to see while she would stay outside. At that point I couldn't go on, so told her I'd have to go back to the ship due to my back. She recommended to the escort I was given a refund since we weren't far into the tour then arranged for one of her colleagues to come and take me to the tender. The escort was an absolute star, staying while the rest of the group left the museum. After a while she became impatient so went to look for the person coming for me. As I waited in reception, I saw Jacqueline and Bill who were doing their own thing. In the end, the escort returned alone, saying she had spoken to security and she would help get me on the tender, which is what she did. Even though they'd just spoken to her, she was still required to show her crew pass. She helped me down the ramp then left me as I went to find a seat. I bet many weren't happy I queue-jumped but most were nearly dead so tough! |
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| Once I was back on the ship I flopped onto the bed and decided to phone my dad to tell him what had happened and see how he was getting along without me. Although I had been away before since my mum died in November, this was the longest. I also ordered room service since there was no way I could get to Deck 10 to get something then, when the signal worked, watched Sky Snooze arselicking Rupert Murdoch in a thoroughly impartial BBC-type way when they talk about Labour and how evil the Tories are! |
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| After a rest, I headed up to the Sun deck to get some photos of our surroundings now it was brightening a little and cloud beginning to disperse. |
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| When Juanita returned she said I hadn't missed much the excursion wasn't worth it and you'd see more if you just took the tender and explored yourself. She also said the church was closed due to HM Queen Margrethe II of Denmark visiting the next day while the cranes are for building a supermarket. Have Tesco invaded Greenland???? The following are some of her photos. |
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| The sun came out - yay! Typically it was just over an hour before we were due to leave - grrr! We both went up to take photos. |
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