Starting across the pond

We’ve embarked on a 14 day cruise across the Atlantic. By “we” I mean Robert, Mary (my mother), Judy (my Aunt), and I. Yesterday we boarded in Ft. Lauderdale and on April 21 we will disembark in Rotterdam to go visit tulips. In between we will be on Holland America’s Nieuw Statendam, a ship that holds about 2600 paying passengers, plus around 1,000 crew members.

As I write this I’m enjoying my first cup of coffee next to the Lido pool. They’ve cracked open the retractable roof and the air is just perfect. I’m also getting used to the gentle roll and sway of the ocean.

Yesterday evening we hoped to get a glimpse of a SpaceX Rocket taking off from the Kennedy Space station, but there were just too many clouds. We had the company of a handful of other mildly disappointed passengers straining their vision to the northwest. I haven’t ever seen a rocket take off. I did once see the Space shuttle streak across the dark morning Texas sky en route to land a few minutes later in Florida. That was one of the most remarkable things I’ve ever seen. I hope those back in Austin hoping to see the total solar eclipse today aren’t also disappointed.

Okay, time to find that second cup of coffee…