Thursday 11 March 2010

The Queen and I

(Queen Mary 2 on an earlier visit to Sydney)

I don't why I did it. After all I have previously seen it come and go. But I did it again. And I did it late. Too late.

The Queen Mary 2 was in town earlier this week and was due to depart at midnight on Monday. I played bridge Monday night and was home shortly after 11pm so thought I might just watch it's departure from my ringside view looking down on the harbour.

Pretty well to the minute I observed QM2 start to pull back from it's berth, then slowly...ever so slowly...do a ninety degrees turn in the harbour to face east for it's departure. After what seemed liked several minutes in this new position, QM2 then commenced it's progress up harbour and towards the Heads. By the time it reached the turn through the Heads it was 1am and I should well and truely have been asleep by then.

But I wasn't and it was going to be a long time still until sleep arrived. The night was very warm (still 26c - 79f) at that time. I did not sleep well nor did I fare well at work the next day at the hospital. I won't be staying up late to watch cruise ship departures on warm 'school' nights in future.
(Sydney Harbour and Heads)

3 comments:

  1. I'm sure it was worth it, though. That's one big boat. I've never seen it in person (even though it was built not far from where I live). Maybe one day!

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  2. There's a new show on Foxtel's National Geographic Adventure channel called 'The Cruise Ship Diaries'. It looks behind the scenes at the running of a HUGE European cruise ship. It's a little cheesy, but you might like it?

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  3. You certainly must have a ringside view of the harbour Victor. I don't think I'd ever sleep with such a view.

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