Travel Diary: On the Good Ship Zuiderdam, Part Three
How long in that same fit I lay, I have not to declare; But ere my living life returned, I heard and in my soul discerned Two voices in the air.
'Is it he?' quoth one, 'Is this the man?
By him who died on cross,
With his cruel bow he laid full low
The harmless Albatross.’
In my defense, there were no “Don’t Shoot the Albatross” signs anywhere. And, if it was such a big deal why did they distribute those hunting bows? Ha ha! I'm having a bit of gentle fun here, dear reader. I never shot an albatross with a bow and arrow! I believe it was an arctic tern.
Another day at sea. There are various activities offered for a day at sea. I went to a cooking demonstration, the place was packed. Unfortunately, it was how to cook salmon which holds no interest for me, even though I love to eat cook. I've tried fish in prepared in various ways, in various ocean-adjacent locations and it all tastes the same to me: like fish. I suppose that is the point of eating fish, that you enjoy the taste of fish. But I do not. So, that means more fish for you seafood lovers!
Then I went up to the Crow's Nest and played a game of chess against Allen from Texas. I foolishly gave up a rook for his light-squared bishop in the midgame leaving his two rooks against my one in the endgame which proved to much and I lost in a nail-biter. But, it was fun and, considering I haven't played over the board for a decade, I thought I acquitted myself well.
Before we left home, I was shipped Warbreaker by mistake. It is a real potboiler of a novel, clocking in at 650 pages. I brought it along and finished it. Enjoyed the hell out of it actually. The Zuiderdam has a library on board that includes a book exchange, so I left the book for someone else to enjoy on these slow sea days.
jpj stories by John Jackson is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
