Author: Susie

Good morning dear friends. Today is a day of memory and silence for the bombings in London. There will be a minute of memory at 11am, and at Mass we prayed for God’s mercy for both victims of terrorism and the terrorists. It seems we are doing this a lot lately… and it is a problem that we don’t have a state or a head of state to talk to and to prosecute. Pray for God’s mercy. Today I peeked outside as I went for early coffee and dear Mother Nature is having another temper tantrum. We need sunshine to heat up the solarium so Susie can swim today. I swam yesterday and it was nice and I plan to swim today too. I like it when my friends join me and we bounce around and gossip in the warm water! We have settled into a routine here on the sea. We awake around 7 to 8 and check our watches to see what time it is… It is constantly dark in our inside cabin, but we would not be able to even open our door in this weather! I get coffee and then go to daily Mass with a priest from Connecticut. Then we eat breakfast in the Kings Court (on RCCL this is called the Windjammer). I then fit in a lecture, a swim for me and an afternoon entertainment (busy busy). Yesterday we watched a very funny Midsummer Night’s Dream and today is 2 1/2 hours of Carmen the opera. I might miss that. We have books to read. The lectures are by a gentleman who has made the architecture of sky scrapers his life’s work… Yesterday he started with the Flat Iron Building and today is the Empire State Building. Very interesting! Sky Scrapers couldn’t be considered until the problems of plumbing that could get up to heights and elevators. We intersperse activities with pub lunch in the Red Lion Pub, Wimbledon (yesterday we watched Serena Williams pummel her sister Venus). Today is quarter finals. We dress for dinner every night (4 formal nights and all others are jacket for Chuck and dress for me. ) We have met several wonderful friends and expect to fill Miami with Scottish accents and some wonderful fun! We’ve met American and British submarine veterans, have dinner with a Korean Marine veteran, and I plan to spend some time with an American Anglican vicar to understand our mutual beliefs. All is well. Let us be peaceful today. Let us remember the mercy of God. God bless you.

Good Sunday morning to my dear readers! "Right on time" applies to yesterday: I was inputting my blog when at 3:30pm there was an announcement that the Red Arrows would fly over the Queen Mary 2 at 4:15 on their way to Belfast. I finished up, went to get Chuck and we went upstairs with glasses of wine to await the fly over. There were very few people on the upper decks as many were in the second concert at the Cathedral, and many were on shore. I had wanted to get back to the ship after the concert as I was so FULL of the grandeur and pomp, that I wanted to be quiet and savor it! We sat on loungers and chatted with an American couple and said, "I wonder if they are coming," suddenly an English lady shouted "There they are" and indeed, right on time at 4:15 the Red Arrows flew over us with red, white and blue streaming from their tails!!!! I was able to snap 4 pictures. How grand! "Right on time" the lady said, "they are English!" The amazing did not stop as we had a lovely sip of champagne in the Chart Room bar (we finished the anniversary bottle of Veuve Cliquot) and we listened to a harpist play music including Canon in D major… then we went to a grand dinner. Our table mates are American. A lovely couple from South Carolina, both French teachers who live 1/2 the year in Paris, and another from Springfield Missouri, a Korean veteran Marine who became a lawyer and his wife. They now live in Florida. It was Don’s (the Marine) birthday (the 4th of July: he said he always thought the fireworks were for him!) The waiters brought him cake and sang happy birthday, then a waiter with a fine tenor voice sang him an a capella happy birthday that was breath taking. Off we went upstairs to deck 12 to the party …. we leaned on the railing watching the pier fill with citizens who were there to watch the Queen Mary sail off just as the Brittania sailed off for Halifax 175 years ago. Below us on deck 8 were revellers and a band… The sun set about 10pm and the fireworks that followed, while they were for the 175 anniversary, were also for the 4th of July, as Hail Brittania was mixed with New Orleans Jazz and our National Anthem. We waved American flags and sang and celebrated. We met another couple from northern Scotland and we will tour Halifax with them. When we got to our cabin, the daily news said to turn our clocks back… so we did as dutiful little cruisers, but that was for tonight, so I got up to go to morning Mass this morning at 8:30, but it was already over! 8:30 is really 9:30 and I will now go get Chuck to tell him he just lost an hour and it is breakfast time. I haven’t been outside yet, but an American couple told me it is cold and windy and a British couple told me it is brisk. You choose. I’m going to try to go swimming in the pavillion pool with my new Scottish friend Margaret. I am sure she will love the temperature! Happy Sunday and God bless you.

Today is the fourth of July and we are spending the day celebrating the 175th anniversary of the first Cunard ship sailing out of Liverpool, and all the other Cunard ships that have sailed the seas. Samuel Cunard wanted a ship that could carry cargo to America and back in much less time than other ships so he commissioned the Brittania "a plain and simple boat," and he built the first steam ship for Cunard and bettered the previous 6 week crossing time from 6 weeks to 10 days! He was celebrated today in the Liverpool Cathedral along with the ships and men who sailed them. We were carried to the Cathedral on busses in very efficient fashion and we listened to an organ concert, chatting with new English friends while we waited for the Cathedral to fill. Some statistics and emotional details we learned today: Boston’s trade doubled in one year after the Britannia sailed so Boston gave Cunard the "Boston Cup." It was carried on with much ceremony. After singing the Battle Hymn of the Republic the history of Cunard ships at war was described. Cunard carried every horse of the light brigade and every soldier into the Crimea. During WWI, U boats plied the waters and Cunard lost 20 ships as she continued to ferry soldiers and supplies. Of course the Lusitania was the victim who finally brought the US into the war. But before that, the White Star Titanic sailed from England in 1912 on the same day as the Cunard Carpathia sailed from New York. Carpathia was a small slow ship but when she heard the distress call she shut down all essential services and poured on the steam to go to Titanic’s rescue. Carpathia rescued 705 survivors. 2000 perished. After that the Queen of England asked Cunard to buy White Star and Cunard claims to give Prime White Star Service and Cunard security and safety. The captain of the small Carpathia claimed that God guided him through the ice strewn waters to the rescue. We heard the story of the Lusitania who sailed and was sunk very quickly by a German U boat. After the remembrance of the losses of the wars, the ship’s bell tolled in the silent Cathedral for the 20 ships that were lost during the wars. During WWII Cunard carried whole divisions of Americans (15,000 in a division) on ships that were built to carry 3000. The men slept and ate on shifts. Over half the D Day troops and 5000 prisoners of war along with multitudes of wounded were transported by Cunard. Simon Weston, a Welsh Guardsman who was seriously wounded in the Falklands, and was carried home on the QE2, testified to the help he received to rebuild his life. The Welsh Guard marched, blew bagpipes and played fine music. Finally, to end the story, jet planes practically ended the need for fast ocean travel and Cunard settled in to a "gentle decline," but Mickey Arison had a dream, to build a new ocean liner, Carnival purchased Cunard and built the Queen Mary 2. She is luxury on a grand scale and Carnival is enabling Cunard to continue the grand tradition. The ceremony ended with a rousing and flag waving "Rule Britannia" along with a Welsh Guard Hymn. I admit I stood and waved the flag with the best of them! I’m a teary eyed girl and you know how I feel about our English cousins. Happy 4th of July. We are a better nation for our peace, for our love of God, for our laws, and for our hope in the American Dream. God bless us all.

We left the hotel at 11am and were in our cabin at noon thanks to my saints and angels… thank you St Francis for I was praying. I had misplaced the piece of paper I wrote bank access codes on… but found it in my stack of greeting cards to paint. Whew. There was a lady at the terminal handing out boarding cards in a big crowd of people… so I just walked up to her and asked for a card. She said "A" "go there" … and in Chuck and I went leaving a large crowd behind us… Like I said. One hour from hotel to room. We ate a beautiful salad lunch, waited for the fly over of the special fly over group, but the weather turned rotten and they could not fly. We unpacked all our things, did the compulsory lifeboat drill, ate a fine meal with 2 other lovely couples who travel as much or more than we do. One lives in Paris for 6 months. We now have 3 bottles of wine at various bars. Traveling with Chuck can be very expansive. We are already celebrating our 45th wedding anniversary with Veuve Cliquot and 2 bottles of Merlot at two different places. Burp. All is well. God bless you.

Today will be another ship boarding, and this time we can’t say, "been there done that" as today it is The Queen. I was thinking last evening about these trips to England and what I would say to why we keep returning. We like England! We’re lazy with languages, and they speak English here! We get teased for our accent and our ways. I’m loud and Chuck is a little quieter so sometimes I have to tone down my laughing out loud or my political views. I side completely with our English cousins on stopping the terrorism and I’m not sure this will happen in the air, but I sure do hate the idea of boots on the ground. Today on the news there was a UNESCO report on the destruction of antiquities. There is a desire by the terrorists to wipe us, our culture our religion and our whole history out. I felt like I was watching Oliver Cromwell and his anti Catholic henchmen with sledge hammers busting up the antiquities. I feel helpless against a nameless placeless foe who hates us and kills retired grandmothers who are taking a little break from baby sitting. Wow! How did I get here? We have spent a month soaking up old homes and gardens, visiting and sleeping in the guest rooms of English family, enjoying the comraderie of English pubs, watching the English take respectful care of their monuments to soldiers both English and American, and watching with tears the English bring home their dead from the last terror attack. Why do I love these people? Because they are cousins of my heart. Shakespeare, Chaucer, Lewis Carroll, the Rolling Stones (Keith Richards and Mick Jagger are opening an exhibition in London), Harry Potter, Monty Montgomery. I can go on and on. Yesterday as we walked back to the hotel at the end of the day, I crossed the street to get a look at one more monument… To pilgrims and to the men who left Southhampton on boats headed for Normandy. The war monument plaque is placed right on the Pilgrim monument. Let us cherish our history and teach to children love, to respect our freedom, and to cherish our religious beliefs and freedom. God bless you.

This is our last day. The rental car has been returned within walking distance of the Holiday Inn where we had a good night’s sleep with window closed and air conditioning turned on (praise God). Yesterday when we checked in, one small window street side was open. We have had some sweaty nights this way as most buildings are not air conditioned for the five hot days England has. Most nights I am happy for the fluffy duvet pulled up to my chin. But I digress. This is about pubs. You can tell the old proper pubs as they are dark and they have a pub menu with meat potato peas and carrots. Most places now bow to vegetarians also. The proper pub cherishes social communication and there is not a TV. This one we just found in Southhampton has a TV tuned to Sky news. Britons are still awaiting the final count of names of dead from the beach shootings so we keep an eye on TV. Also it looks like Greece would like the EU to turn the other cheek and, what? Forget the debt? Meanwhile Wimbledon churns on in the heat. Pint almost finished and time to head for the Duke of (good grief what is his name?) pub for lunch and.maybe a nap? Last day before the brand new adventure. God bless you.

We love the villages in England. Chuck often talks about the 3 building town…the pub, the church and the everything else building. Usually the towns that are slightly larger than villages have a High street that is also called town center. Here you find the market place which is a little like the Big Pine Key swap meet on Saturday morning. Here at the market I got a new watch band for £3 (about $4.50), Chuck got an English made leather belt for about $10 and in the past we purchased the amazing cold weather jackets that clog our Miami closets. Also the market has home (farm) grown local vegetables, cheeses, and meats. The charity shops are out on high street also. A little like the Habitat shop again on big pine key. People donate their stuff there, and English "stuff" is likely to be amazing little antiques. Several times I have mused, "How much Kathie would love this shop." All sales go to various charities especially cancer and children. Today I will be going to the charity shop near our hotel to donate shoes and some pants. One pair is too big, one pair is too tight. Odd. I wonder if at the last minute I did not try stuff on. Actually I am also dropping off a pair of sneakers I wore for 2 months and are getting thin on bottom. Have a spare pair to wear today! Heat wave outside so I am in shorts and sleeveless shirt. Unheard of for Peabodys to be hot in England! Off now for a final pub lunch. Tomorrow lunch on the Queen Mary II while Red Arrows fly over. Pip pip. God bless you.

We’re in Southhampton awaiting transport to America like the Mayflower pilgrims who took off from here. Had a pint and meal at the Duke of Wellington pub, and now will sort through mass quantities of luggage to get organized for transport to the Queen Mary II on Thursday at about noon. Watching BBC coverage of financial crisis (Greece), vacationing sun bather deaths (still trying to identify the dead), the heat wave (have one small window in hotel room. Air conditioning and king sized beds are not normal here like in America,) and Wimbledon has begun. So just relaxing and winding down. God bless you.

Sometimes a beach resort is just not the answer. Britain has 30 known dead and about 10 more missing. My heart isn’t into vacay any more but into getting to Southhampton and "home". For today it looks like there is a nice walk, a village church and this pub just to the north of Sidmouth on the river Sid. Finish with an evening meal here at the Blue Ball Pub… Chuck bought me a box of acrylic paints so there might be a painting in here too. Sun is shining, and weather people promise 100 degrees by Wednesday. Get out!!!! God bless you.

I heard a tourist say "I woke up at half five and couldn’t get back to sleep; too much light." first of all that’s 5:30, and my tourist litany of "couldn’t get back to sleep" started in the north sea a month ago… The sun is up here by 4:30… Today is sunny. So today we will drive to the beach at Sidmouth. The next day Tuesday to Southhampton. We have lost our umbrellas probably on the boat from Dartmouth to Totnes so we hope today’s sunniness will hold through the stops on the cruise ship and in Boston and New York. News papers headlines are asking where are the missing from the latest horrible shooting. I certainly hope they are found. Very tight security as Wimbledon begins. God bless us all with peace.