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We spent a very pleasant afternoon here today sampling the products. Hic ! Early night tonight I think for tomorrow. Lol

Are we nearly there yet”? Am sitting in the back seat and letting others take care of the driving for a change as we head off to stay at Pitlochry for the weekend for our visit to the Blair Athol Horse trials. Always a great visit if the weather is kind with stunning countryside as a backdrop. Enjoy your weekend. “Anyone for Pimm’s”?

Ah,... the joys of IT "support". I remember it well. And the kicker for us was that our department had to pay the IT department a substantial monthly fee for "support" even although we had to download and install the majority of software etc ourselves! And, if we had to phone them for support to actually talk to somebody, it would sometimes be a rapid explanation in Klingon as they assumed everyone knew what they were talking about. Aye,...right. Good luck with that.

Have you started packing yet? We also leave near the end of Sep and we made a start at the weekend. I see some protocols are changing across various lines but we still have to get a test + certificate for entry into Canada.(for Alaska). oh well, it is what it is. My stress levels are slowly creeping up due to various visa requirements etc and we can’t complete some until 3 days before boarding. We have also had a fair bit of rain the last week or so but it is very warm here today.

Very wet up here in the North and the ponies were glad they had their rugs on. This barrow was empty yesterday morning so just shows how much rain fell in 24 hrs.

Same here up North ie Flood warnings and it has been raining on and off all day with more forecast for tomorrow. Lanky Lad: Did you get off the ship in Mull or did it just sail around that area ? I was wondering if you got a chance to go to Fingal's Cave or Iona ?

We were exactly the same before our QM2 trip in May ie we went through our wardrobe approximately two months beforehand and some nice stuff ended up being delivered to the local charity shop. I tell my wife that if you leave clothes long enough in the wardrobe then they definitely start to shrink. Another hot one with us today weather-wise but thunder showers forecast tonight and tomorrow. Tonight I have busy getting my head round visa applications for Australia and New Zealand but I got there in the end.

Everyone loves a nice sunny day but,....this is a bit much. I had planned to paint the garden fence earlier in the morning but I got delayed. However once I eventually got started around mid-day, I quickly realised,...nah,......this is not a good idea, even with the factor 50 sunscreen slapped on, and a hat. Our son who lives in London was telling me how hot it was down there. Out thoughts go out to everyone who is affected by this extreme heat. Our forecast is thunder and showers for Monday to Wednesday with flood warnings! Oh dear,.......

We are a tad cooler up north and our thoughts go out to those most affected. We had a lovely walk by the beach this morning and enjoyed a wee paddle in the sea. However, back to reality and am now busy pushing a wheelbarrow full off smelly stuff after taking the boys (horses) inside away from the heat and the flies.

Enjoy your trip. The sound of Mull is a beautiful part of the world, especially if the weather is kind to you. Safe travels.

We are not familiar with that show so will be sure to give it a try. Thanks to all for the recommendation. I tried Peaky Blinders a wee while ago and gave up on it as it was a tad too violent for my liking. Our current "go to" programmes for entertainment are Chicago Med, Fire, and Blue Bloods. My wife is totally addicted to "4 in a bed" and watches it daily. On the cruising topic, I have been busy trying to get my head around the ArriveCan App for our trip to Alaska in September. I think I now understand it but it is a tad confusing that you cannot complete it earlier than 72 before you embark on your cruise which means I will have to complete it in Seattle. Hmm,....not ideal but it is what it is. .

We too have been enjoying the sunny weather. We went to our beach this morning for a leisurely walk along the prom and then had a seat and soaked up the sun whilst enjoying watching the waves. There were a few folks in for a dip which is brave as the North Sea is always very cold, regardless of the time of the year. This afternoon it was time to catch up with garden chores and cut the grass etc. All done now and am now sitting in the garden as I write this enjoying the peace and quiet. I’m sure there is a beer at the back of the fridge with my name on it!

I am constantly amazed how small the world is now and on our travels across the globe we have bumped into folks either we know or are from the same city as us. In 2018, our son went on an expedition to Antarctica and when he boarded the ship in Ushuaia, another passenger recognised another Scottish voice so asked our son where he was from. It turned out the chap was from the same city as us and also said which neighbourhood he lived. Our son remembered that my wife's best friend still lives in that part of town so he mentioned their names. It turned out that not only did he know them, he was able to give their correct address as he used to deliver mail to them. And, he also used to drink in the same pub and share the occasional pint with her husband. This is all on a ship almost 9,000 miles away from home and talking to a stranger!. Spooky or what !

I agree and I have met one or two of them over the years. Sadly on our many cruises from time to time we meet the odd individual that constantly pours out negative vibes. We always make a point of making a polite "good evening" and move away. I simply don't need it. Life is too short.

This may be one of the clips that our friends referred to although I haven't watched it myself. I suggested listening to Gary Bembridge and his podcast ie Tips for Travelers (I hope I am allowed to say that? if not no worries HH and just edit it out from this post) ) and in my opinion gives a very balanced review.

They were moved to a different field last night and apparently were still very hyper. Today when I went to see them, I was told that one of them, decided to jump the fence and go and play with the ladies in the next field. Unfortunately, he didn't quite clear the wire fence and took out six posts and cut his legs. The fence was quickly repaired and apart from a bruised ego, the wounds are not deep and once cleaned up he will be fine. Silly boy !

My day was a bit chaotic due to getting a message this morning to say that due to a power breakdown, emergency repair teams needed access to the power lines that ran above the horses field, and we needed to move them ASAP. Easier said than done when 4 - very scared boys are all huddled in the top corner and did not want to come in easily. Anyway,...we got them moved,...... eventually. Later in the morning, one of the repair guys told us that when they were able to climb the pole to review the problem, they found that the equipment had completely burned out and this must have went with a big bang sometime in the middle of the night. So, that explained why they were so spooky and were very reluctant to come down to the lower part of the field on the way out. Poor things. On another topic. We met friends yesterday who cruise a LOT but have never sailed with Cunard. We talked at length about our recent sailing etc on the QM2 and how much we enjoyed it. The main thing that is putting them off is the amount of negative reviews and comments etc on social media. Shame really, but they are going to have a good think about it as they want to sail to New York.

Well at last, my renewed passport finally arrived today. Exactly 11 weeks from when I sent in the application via the post office “priority” service. Keep that in mind when it’s time to renew your one. I can now crack on and update our ESTA’s and visa applications etc for our September trans pacific trip.

It’s interesting to read what folks have been doing where they are and what keeps them sane during these troublesome times. All through the pandemic it was this man who kept me sane as I went out to feed, groom, scratch and generally pamper him almost every day. Rain, snow or shine. He is our sons horse and Louis is 26 now and getting on a wee bit, but stills enjoys his daily walks and the attention. I don’t ride myself (I leave that to others) but I do occasionally put his head collar and a lead rope on him and we take a walk round the farm where he lives. It’s like taking a 600kg dog for a walk and I bore him with my chat! Like most animals, he is an excellent listener, especially when there are treats in my pocket. Today, like most days in the summer, I was busy pushing a wheelbarrow round Louis field where he lives with his 3 other friends picking up the “fertiliser” and Louis followed me around to supervise and also just to see if I had any treats.

This thread had been an oasis of calm for me as we tried to figure out what was going on in the world during the pandemic, and wondered when would we be able to cruise again. When we first booked our trip in the QM2, I enjoyed reading what folks were saying but was reluctant to post anything as we had never sailed on a Cunard ship before so I couldn’t see how I could offer any opinion. That said, now that we have thoroughly enjoyed a fantastic “crossing” (not a cruise ! Lol) on the QM2, and we have several other bookings for 23 and 24, we totally “get it” and can’t wait until we sail with Cunard again. I hope this thread continues in some shape or form within Cruise Critic.

I don’t recall any noises that caused any problems. We had a good night sleep every night and the occasional afternoon nap as well and we had no issues. If there were any noises then my wife would have definitely mentioned it as she is a light sleeper.

We don't actually leave for another 8 weeks yet, so we have plenty time. However, I need the new Passport details etc to allow for Visa application etc which I want to get sorted out sooner rather than later to ensure of no issues. I have also just seen in todays news that there are over 55,000 passport applications currently waiting for process at ten weeks or more. We also arrived back home last night and it is much cooler today with a slight "nip in the air" blowing off the North Sea but still better than the oppressive heat of earlier this week. Back to reality with laundry and cutting the grass etc.

So, next week will be ten weeks since I sent my passport away for renewal and still no sign of it. amAll I get is the standard response to any enquiries that it is “being processed” and it could take up to ten weeks. Both our passports were sent away at the same time and my wife got hers back last week. We are just glad we did it when we did and didn’t leave it until the last minute.

Thank you D&N for sharing your wonderful pictures. Sadly where live we also tend to get plagued by the very large sea gulls and they will swoop down and pluck food from your hand if you are not careful. Its been a few years since we have been to Villefranche but we remember it well and have visited several times as a tender port. A beautiful little harbour, and I seem to recall having a lovely lunch during one visit at one of the seafood restaurants overlooking the harbour. From there we have taken the train to Nice and also Monaco and also one time we went by car to Monaco driving passed Ez, and I recall stunning sea views during the journey. Certainly a beautiful part of the world.

Thanks but unfortunately we don’t leave for another 8 weeks.