At about 10 AM we got on a bus at the London Hilton taking us to the dock. Driving through London took some time, of course. But a guide was on explaining the sites. And we did drive through some areas that we weren’t familiar. So we learned more about the city we lived near.
The first two crew members we saw on board were on the Viking Orion with us on the Grand Pacific Cruise. They also remembered us. Hugs all around. Since the room wasn’t ready we went to the World Café for lunch.
To our delight we started our lunch with a bowl of corn chowder. That had become a favorite during our long cruise. Matter of fact the Chef on that cruise actually gave me a copy of the recipe. Of course the recipe made something like 20 gallons of chowder. So I tried to cut it to make enough for 2. The first time was a disaster. Eventually I figured out a correct recipe and even enhanced it with a bit with more thyme than the ship used.
Even better than the soup was reconnecting with some crew members.
This is Laura. I think that I gave her a hug everyday once she joined the ship on the Grand Pacific Cruise. Now she is back on this cruise. The look on her face when she first saw me was fantastic.
We were still somewhat jet lagged from the flight to England. And the time will change one hour ahead after we go to bed. We got up at the crack of 9:30 AM! I can’t believe we slept that long.
We haven’t seen any scenery yet while on the ship. But the crew and the food are great.
Johnson's Travel 