February 11-12 – A Sea Day and a Just Plain Lazy Day

Once again I’ve fallen behind.  I haven’t had many exciting things to write about.  When we left Hobart on Saturday evening we sailed around the southern end of Tasmania and spent the next day, February 11 our time, on our way to Portland, a city in Victoria, Australia.  The seas were a little better than what we experienced when we ventured into these waters last time.  Sea days seem to fly by because there are all kinds of activities scheduled.  I spent the day letting my feet rest after my marathon march in Hobart.

On Monday the 12th we arrived in Portland.  I didn’t have anything scheduled that day because I had been told there wasn’t much to see there.  On the ship the Grand Salon was turned into a big Super Bowl party.  I know it’s Super Bowl Sunday, but where we are it was Monday already.  There are quite a few Americans on the ship and I think a pretty fair number watched the game.  There was some grumbling when the game went into overtime because a couple of events which were to occur in the Salon had to be canceled. 

Naturally, later in the afternoon a few friends who had booked tours came back onboard and told me Portland and its surrounding countryside were the most wonderful place in the world.  (That’s always how it seems to work out. I’ll just have to try to come back again.)  I asked one to air drop me some pictures so I could include a couple in my blog.  The only one she sent was this one of the lighthouse she saw.  If that was it then maybe I didn’t miss that much after all.

A lighthouse in Portland.  Are you suitably excited?

For me the highlight of the day was the evening show.  The dancers, Natalie and Damien with whom I sailed last year, are back on the ship and the entire cast did a spectacular show called Latin Quarter.  It was exciting and they all did a great job.   There was no dancing after the show because following the performance for the passengers, the cast and band repeated the same show for the crew.  I think it’s great that Seabourn does that for their people who work such long hours.  Anyway, the band couldn’t be in two places at once so we had a kind of quiet night.

Tomorrow I do have a tour booked so perhaps I’ll have more to talk about then.