Re-Posting in advance of a new Hospital Visit adventure 🥴
Well, there we were in 2020 and it’s been a long time since I wrote anything under COPD. I make no excuses because that’s exactly what they would be, excuses; seeking to lessen the blame; but the blame is all mine :-).
(more…)We finally agreed that 2024 would be the year we jacked it all in so we celebrate with 3 back-to-back cruises (February through to April).
Come the end of 2024 it was hoped that we would both be able to get up at 6 0’clock in the morning and drive really slow so everyone else is late for work. In retrospect post Covid there probably aren’t that many people who drive to work in the morning. Anyway, the plan was to retire: Remove Outlook from our computers, ditch Powerpoint and quit LinkedIn [maybe]!. And so we started to plan our retirement cruises. Our first (pre-retirement) would be to cruise the Caribbean and sail back to Southampton while the second (post retirement) would be to cruise the Canaries, back to Southampton then stay on and cruise to the Caribbean. Next stop therefore was the P&O Sales Desk 🙂
We spoke ever so nicely to the lady from P&O who was able to help us find our ideal suite (with a Butler of course, Tubbs could no longer consider cruising life without a Butler) which gave us 2-weeks island hopping followed by 2-weeks, starting in the Caribbean, and then, sailing back across the [vast] Atlantic back to Southampton via the Azores.
Podge and Tubbs were happy with their choice. Then, about 4-weeks later, Podge (with his scheming head) realised that the cruise before the ones we’d booked actually coincided with our 10th Wedding Anniversary. A quick furtive look on the P&O website revealed that the suite we had already booked was still available for the cruise before.
So, Podge plied Tubbs with many glasses of Bacchus before suggesting that perhaps we should book the extra cruise so that we are on board for our Wedding Anniversary while pointing out that we could have the same suite (and butler) throughout. Tubbs relented and agreed and less than 10 minutes later, the third cruise was booked: Podge was happy, Tubbs was still wondering what she had agreed to and another bottle was brought out. Fortunately, the next day both Podge and Tubbs were happy that we now had a 6-week pre-retirement cruise (5-weeks in the Caribbean and 1-week sailing home – how decadent).
This is a long post purely because it’s a long cruise and it does mark the start of our [at last] retirement 🙌
Feb – Apr 2024
#50, #51, #52 – P&O – Britannia
(Captain – Patrick Maguire)
Itinerary
Hamburg for the New Year
Guess what? Podge (His Podgeness) & Tubbs (The Duchess) went on yet another cruise. Ok, it was only for five nights but this was to see in the New Year (2023) somewhere other than sat in front of the box watching whatever was broadcast. And you know what, they’ll most likely do it again. P&O once again did them proud and put on an excellent itinerary with a wide variety of daily activities, if one wished. They didn’t! They knew what they like and that’s to be on yet another P&O Cruise Ship knowing that they will be taken care of and they can just relax and enjoy themselves.
The first day was a sea day and the captain did come on the tannoy to say that that there may be some movement as the weather was expected to move to Force 8 but after battling Hurricane [feisty] Fiona in September when they crossed to Canada on the Aurora, a Force 8 was nothing to Podge & Tubbs 🙂
When reaching Hamburg they did secretly hope (well, Tubbs did) that the Christmas Market would still be open but they weren’t so [they] enjoyed themselves in the only way that [they] can enjoy themselves, by window shopping and checking out the sights after which they returned to the ship to prepare for the New Year Festivities, which did include drinking (possibly) a little too much and eating way too much, all of which was thoroughly enjoyed.
While preparing for Dinner, Podge decided to go out onto the balcony, oh yes, they had a balcony you know, to see if anything was happening in town and yep, sure enough, there was. Which ever direction Podge looked, fireworks were going off and it was only 7pm. Blimey he thought, what’s it going to be like a midnight?
Dinner came, dinner was eaten (another scrumptious meal from P&O) after dinner drinks were consumed then it was up to the Crows next for another drink and another and another as they watched from their vantage point waiting for the midnight hour to arrive. In the meantime, the fireworks in and about that Hamburg skyline continued unabated. It wasn’t a formal display but wow they really were amazing. Then, at 00:00 everybody cheered, hugged and kissed each other, had another drink, sang Auld Lang Syne and watched as the Hamburg skyline erupted. Just how many firework did the residents of Hamburg have! They went on, they went up, they cascaded, they exploded in the night sky, they danced a myriad of colourful dances in the sky and, they just didn’t stop. By 01:00, poor Podge and Tubbs were feeling a wee bit tired and returned to their cabin. Podge went back out onto ‘The Balcony’ and those fireworks were still going off. But having downed yet another glass of lovely warming Scotch (what else for New Year) he finally retired to bed at 02:00 and yes, the fireworks were still going but slowing.
The next day was a sea day as they made their way to Zeebrugge the gateway to Bruges. Very quickly it became obvious that the 1st January 2023 was to be formally known as a Duvet Day and they both just shut up shop and stayed in the cabin feeling quite sorry for themselves – Poor Podge; Poor Tubbs.
The following day found them in Zeebrugge and after a relaxing breakfast (Podge & Tubbs had been to Bruges before so were in no hurry) they eventually made the bus into town where the local chocolates were checked out and sourced, lunch was partaken with some, probably more than was necessary, local beers. Hunger sated, thirst sated, the time to return to the last bus was nigh and they had to ‘find their way back’ but no worry as there was plenty of time: Or was there? Tubbs was determined to source some Macaroons and finding a shop to her taste she made her eventual purchase. The way back to the bus was under way once more but the time was ticking. This is where it good weird.
There had been no discussion on the purchase of shoes yet Tubbs seemed to [need] to go into ‘interesting looking’ shops all to no avail: Then however, she spotted a Pikolinos store. Now, while Podge has some of their shoes, Tubbs hadn’t and had never expressed an interest in them but, here before her was a Pikolinos store all nice and bright and shiny with lots of shoes – Tubbs had to enter. Podge checked his watch in a manner that Tubbs couldn’t help but spot but, undeterred, she scanned the whole shop, spotted a pair of boots and declared ‘Those, I [must] have a pair of those’. And so it came to pass that Tubbs had yet another pair of shoes/boots. And still the clock ticked: Podge knew the clock was ticking because he once again checked his watch in a manner that told Tubbs, ‘ No More Shops’.
Podge & Tubbs did make the bus, using Goggle they headed towards the dropped pin that Podge had so cleverly marked on Google maps when they got off the bus. They weren’t however the last but they were very close. But no worries, Podge and Tubbs had a lovely day in Bruges, Tubbs had some lovely purchases and all in all, both had had a lovely short New Year Break. All that was required was to return to the cabin and pack ready for disembarkation in Southampton in the morning. Were they glum at the thought of the break coming to an end? Of course not, it was just 54 sleeps to their next adventure.
Navigare Necesse Est.
So, just what on earth has His Podgeness been doing since the beginning of June: No Posts, not updates, no progress reports, noffink. The truth is, Podge has been feeling very very sorry for himself having somehow picking up three chest infections in a row 🤧. But, with three courses of antibiotics and steroids, it does look as though those nasty germ things have been beaten into submission.
😏
That should help explain the gap between ‘Podge V COPD Week 6’ and ‘Podge V COPD Week 14’
After a shaky start, I did manage to do two rides last week totalling 38 and a bit miles. It was tough and hard on the lungs but good at the same time. This week, my goal will be to do 100 miles: Time will tell (as will my lungs and legs 😂).
As the charts show, my weight and BMI go up and down as much Roland Rat in ‘Splat the Rat’ but I aint giving in.
Podge must try harder.
My major goal is to complete 2020 virtual miles in 2020. To date, I’ve completed 508 leaving a mere 1512 to do in the next 158 days: I reckon I can do it so long as I don’t have to take too much more time out. I’ve also walked 43 miles against the Hadrian’s Wall challenge leaving just 47 to go.
As I’m so fond of saying, COPD sucks but I ain’t giving in. I must do better. I will do better.
Until next time, Go Podge Go.😷
The Dietary Habits of a Cruise Ship Passengers
I wrote this while on a long-ago cruise: Ahhh, happy days.
So, when at home my daily dietary habits include:
Obviously along the way there may be a few drinks involved, a couple of glasses of wine, a couple of glasses of whiskey and of course coffee / tea and yes, even water. And this, along with occasional biscuit, cake, crisps etc. does me quite adequately for any day of the week. So why is it that as soon as I and, I suspect many other people, throw caution to the wind; discard common sense ignore what one’s body is saying and devour anything on offer.
When on a cruise ship however my dietary habits change and might typically include:
Obviously along the way there may be a few drinks involved, a couple of glasses of wine, a couple of glasses of whiskey and of course coffee / tea and yes, even water, but, no occasional biscuit, cake, crisps etc. I’m not a pig you know.
I like Whiskey; I like Wine; I just can’t make up my mind which to have; So, I have them both 🙂
Now, taking all this into account, is it really the case that salt water (in abundance on a sea cruise) truly shrinks out clothes or can the be another explanation. Also, in my case at least, adding insult to injury, even my feet need bigger shoes when I go cruising: How on earth does that happen? Does the salt water affect shoes as well?
I leave these thought for pondering.
Navigare Necesse Est
