Cruise day 14

 Morning!
I forgot to mention yesterday that when we emerged from our cabins yesterday, we found pretty much all the festive decorations had vanished overnight.  Such a shame and it reminded me that when I get home, I have my own decorations to deal with.  I'll probably schedule that for Sunday; a few days late, I know, but never mind.

Anyway, it is the last day really - the cruise company might count tomorrow as a 'day' but, given we have to be out of our cabins by 8:00, I don't.
Annoyingly, over the last three days or so, someone has generously shared their bugs with me and I have a right stonking cold, causing others in the group to look sort of 'sideways' and avoid being too near.  Very understandable, I think.  I'm feeling a bit rough this morning so I'm spending it in my cabin.  I can finish off all the packing and generally get things sorted, plan my shopping list for tomorrow afternoon, plan a few days' meals and generally get back into the swing of normal life again.

10:30
The sun is shining brightly into my cabin but there is also a bit of snow in the air.  It is nice to be having 'proper' (to me) days and nights again.  I guess our body clock is tuned to what we have always experienced and it would take more than a few days to change this.  
The packing is all pretty much done apart from stuff to go in the hand luggage.  We have to put our two main cases outside the cabin this evening and pick it up off ship when we go through customs.  This means I should have a nice, easy afternoon and evening which is great.  
Then, tomorrow, we have very clear instructions from Steve to guide us through the whole process until the chauffeur picks us up.  It should all be very straightforward - fingers crossed.

16:45
Feeling a bit better after some meds and a sleep so, as I wasn't coughing and spluttering and spreading my germs far and wide (after a morning of not talking) . . .

. . . we enjoyed our last afternoon tea up in the Observatory lounge . . .

. . . while the Balmoral trio played soothing and civilised music in the background.

As a contrast, earlier, we went to the concert given by the ukulele group and the choir.  I took some photos but they're terrible, sorry. 

It was fun.

Now were having a bit of down time before the next challenge - pre dinner drinks.  Such hardship!!

20:52

A nice house salad for starters.  I've had this a lot - it's always been lovely and fresh.

I chose a mixed grill for mains.  Big mistake - literally BIG . . .

Before . . .

. . . and after.

Oh, well!

I'm back in my cabin, the two big cases are ready to be put outside and my 'hand' luggage is bulging at the seams.  I'm glad I don't have to carry any of it that far tomorrow.

I'm going to shut up the laptop now and schedule this to go tomorrow morning.  Then it will all be back to normal again, home with stacks and stacks of washing.

Thanks very much for following me through my Christmas adventure and for such lovely comments.  I will re-read and reply to some, maybe do a Q&A (or perhaps I mean  C (comment) &A) post and then we move on into 2024.

Have a great day.  xx