Greetings from Guernsey (Updated with pics 5.15.19)

Brain cancer is...

...through the English Channel.

(Updated 19:24 Wednesday.  That's how we talk here in Europe.  19:24. Inserted images that I emailed to myself whence on land, using international data plan.)

Yesterday (Tuesday) we sailed through the English Channel.  The view from our breakfast table was of the famed white cliffs of Dover.  We went to a lecture and learned lots about the channel.  One fun fact: There's a wide no-traffic swath running down the center of it (like a highway median) because the traffic is so heavy. It sounds obvious, but it was neat to see England on one side and France on the other:  Two countries for the price of one!

We had dinner at the table of the Hotel Director (second in command) and heard great stories about life at sea.  (Okay:  Caviar for the appetizer, lobster for the main course, Bananas Foster for dessert.) 

(Update:  See pic above, which is good of no one except Darrell,  but the evening was great.)

Today we are coming into port at Guernsey.  We'll tender ashore for a cliff walk, which ends with tea.  The famous painter Renoir spent a month on Guernsey and did a series of paintings of the views we'll see today.

(Update:  This was amazing.  Views and history were remarkable.  Renoir's views were our views.  Victor Hugo finished Les Miserables here.  The WW2 history was heartbreaking, as per usual.  The "tea" was a "cream tea." FYI:  The tea is NOT creamy.  The pastry that comes with it is quite creamy.  Clotted in fact.  Guernsey cows are cute.  We also went rogue and visited the Castle Cornet.  Must have castles; here was our first of three...we think.)

We've been invited by the Head Sommelier to a wine pairings event this afternoon in La Dame.  Fun fact:  The Head Sommelier--you know, Ishmael--approached Darrell after dinner last night and told Darrell that he liked his style.  There's Darrell, winning fans everywhere he goes.

(Update: Didn't get a pic, but we and the other guests almost worked out a scheme to steal the Reidel tasting glasses. Almost, but not quite.)

Dinner is at La Terrazza tonight.  Work, work, work.

(Update 5.15.19 at 21:29:  Pretty dang difficult to leave La Terrazza with all of Darrell's friends.  There is much discussion about tomorrow:  When should we have dinner, when does the garden walk start, and (not) whether we should pray for Optune to continue working (coming from China). We have the choice on this cruise to sit by ourselves at a table for two or "share," or sit with others at a larger table, whoever happens to be there also open to conversation with new people.  We keep choosing a table for two because we do lots of socializing at other times of the day.  But we just keep ending up with new friends, regardless of that "table for two" choice.  Dinner was no exception.  Our friends Clare and Jack are from Scottsdale, and our friend Anne lives in Geneva Switzerland, for example.  Darrell is a friend magnet, which is pretty amusing because he doesn't count himself as social.)

We think of each of you for different reasons throughout the day.  Thanks for coming!