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Today we did not stop at a port, but it was technically not an “at sea” day. It was a day of scenic cruising through the Kiel Canal. It is a 61-mile shortcut that cuts through Germany, connecting the North Sea with the Baltic Sea. Only smaller cruise ships can navigate the canal; this would be the first time that a Viking ship had passed through it.
We were supposed to enter the canal at 1:00 pm. Unfortunately, one of the channels was unavailable and we would be delayed. In the late morning, we were informed that we would finally enter at 2:00 pm. Unfortunately, that is the same time that we had scheduled an informal “Meet Russell and Gail” session.
We had already announced the session and there wasn’t anything we could do to change it. So we went ahead and hosted it in the Living Room on Deck 1, missing the entrance and a lecture about it on Deck 7.
We still got a handful of people and had some great conversation. Passengers wanted to learn wool spinning and view the Mona Lisa in 3D. Gail provided some “Black Sheep” spiced jam, and the ship provided fresh bread and wine.
Traversing the canal took more than nine hours, so we still had plenty of time to view it. Watching the villages and farmland pass by reminded Gail of our cruise last year up the Mississippi River (with the addition of windmills).
Today we received our debarkation information. We saw our last port talk. The Viking Band and Singers performed their last show – “The Beatles Songbook.” We are starting to say “good bye” to people.
At breakfast, we had a long conversation with a couple who was fascinated by Russell’s lecturing process. (Russell does not use a podium – in fact, he removes the podium from the stage before he speaks. He uses no script, notes or teleprompter. He does not look at the slides being projected behind him. Instead, he stands downstage, faces the audience, and simply talks to them.) We were surprised how much this couple observed – for instance, that Russell stands with his hands at his sides, something that is very difficult to do.
There are a large number of retired teachers on the cruise. Several have told us, “I thought I knew everything about this topic. You taught me more.”
There is a guest on board with the last name of “Fuller.” In our “Wool” lecture, we shared that “Fuller” refers to a person who stomped wool all day long in a tub filled with human urine. That poor guest has now been nicknamed “Piss Stomper.”
Passengers continue to give us wonderful, positive feedback about our lectures. We very politely remind them to be sure they fill out their surveys at the end of the cruise.
