On the ferry

It's just after midnight, early morning of the 2nd of January. The steady rocking of the ship changed slightly, perhaps because of a slight course correction, and it awakened me; fortunately, based on the sounds of slow breathing of Maggie and the boys it would seem that I am the only one thus affected.

We had a great time last night at the gala that followed the performance, and as much as all of us knew that the show was ending, and looked forward to a break from La Traviata and change to new projects, it was still a bit jarring to actually say goodbye to new friends after a long rehearsal and run of eleven weeks. Many of the cast will be returning to La Monnaie in the coming seasons, and other collaborations elsewhere are already planned. These little reunions are to be looked forward to, but everyone needs to go do the next project. I can't even imagine how it must wear on one to do these long-running musicals that run eight shows a week, sometimes for years.

Maggie and I had a lovely time at the reception afterwards, which was catered absolutely magnificently with many varieties of cuisine... I opted for the foie gras on thinly sliced magret de canard with extra fine green beans and pine nuts, Canadian Lobster, chicken teriyaki, fresh pasta nests, and then a selection of excellent cheeses. Maggie looked lovely, and Andrea had brought along champagne and a recording of the Blue Danube Waltz as a Vienna present, so we all got up and danced, through it and into Scott Hendrix's DJ set, which had the whole place really swinging.

The transit network in brussels is free on New Years' Eve and runs extended hours and routes, so we made it home very easily and found the boys in bed asleep. We were up at a reasonable time and got things packed before leaving in the early afternoon for Amsterdam. The drive was pretty stress-free with light traffic, and we made it in under three hours, with a stop for gas. Then we drove onto the ferry and had our picnic dinner, and explored the ship.

The "commodore" cabins were the only ones left available at booking time, but while these are slightly higher in price this is offset by an ocean view, breakfast and - to our great surprise - a comp minibar. There are four single beds, quite warm and comfortable, and I must say that the combined effects of Gravol, a continuing cold, some Heineken, a warm cabin, the activities of the last little while, and the gentle cradle motion of the boat have combined for a very early bedtime, which perhaps also explains my awakening at midnight.

The sky is clear and the stars are visible through the portholes, as is dim orange light from cities along the distant shore. When I awoke earlier the moon had risen over the starboard stern, and moonlight was coming into the cabin, but now it has tracked away westward or we have turned, so it is darker in our room now and I will try to get some more sleep. Next stop: Newcastle and then it's on to Garvald.