12 September

We were now into our first full day on the water, so I was awake at 0645 – but, realising that breakfast wasn’t until 0730 and was only a minute away, I deferred getting up until 0710. After the normal preparations, I was still able to be at breakfast by 0730. Cindy was up too, but Carmel arrived later on her own – Scott wasn’t well, apparently suffering the effects of a virus not fully discarded early before they had left. Again breakfast could be a leisurely affair, as the only urgent appointment soon was a lifejacket drill.
I was back in the cabin by 0830, and the life jacket drill started at 0840. Most people were out within a few moments and all within a few minutes. We had our jackets tested by three different people, and then our photographs taken. By 0850 we were given the all-clear and had to re-stow the jackets and then resume normal shipboard life.
But normal ship-board life is (or can be) high powered. By 0900 we had a lecture on Russian Art objects from the staff of the Art Kiosk – this was a short introduction, a video presentation (thank goodness it wasn’t a PowerPoint show or I would have gone running from the room, screaming and foaming at the mouth). It was interesting (and narrated in English) and it finished too soon at 0945.
We docked at Uglich at 1100 and were quickly off the ship (through our sister ship, tied up first). We were met by our English-speaking guide at the dock and walked into town. Uglich is a city of 40 000 (but looks smaller as the inhabitants live in suburbs) and we entered it through a gauntlet of tourist souvenir shops. There was no other way to get in, so we were at their mercy. Fortunately they were no too predatory. We walked through the … Kremlin, as it is the fortress or centre, and so EVERY Russian town of any size or history has one. The market square was quite large, but deserted (presumably as all the traders were out to meet the tourists). WE then looked over a … church – and then another church. The last building guided to was a prince’s palace. It seems incongruous that for a country whose church population was so persecuted for over seventy years, there are so many churches and the tourist industry seems so geared towards them.
After this we had free time to wander around, but Scott became unwell and headed back to the ship fairly quickly. I went looking for a supermarket (I can now drink black tea but it needs sugar and I cannot yet find a supply of sugar cubes (other than by pilfering them one by one from the ship’s tables) but couldn’t find one. On my way back to the ship I saw and recognised the lady I had sat next to in the bus to our ill-fated excursion to the Russian Folk Dancing. She and her friend were lost – because the line of souvenir kiosks had the same sign at the exit and entry, they had entered it and become disoriented. I walked them back to their ship (they were on a Collette Tour) and passed through it to get to my ship.
We started lunch and during our first course the ship cast off and we were on our way. After lunch I did my first lot of washing on the ship (clothes, not me – I had been showering!) and hung them to dry. The ship offers a laundry service, but the cost is more than the cost of the clothes I am wearing.
During the afternoon we entered one of the reservoirs we sail along and I decided to ring Marilla and David, as it was their glowing description of the voyage that convinced me to undertake some of these tours. Marilla answered and was amazed that I was calling from the ship. Then I met a young Dutch couple who had honeymooned in Jamaica, followed by a Danish couple who sailed around the world and laid over six months in Townsville/Cairns. Then it was another language class, which I am ashamed to admit I only listed to with one ear as I was trying to process photos before I forgot (and trying to minimise time in the evening so I could write up my blog (sadly, another resolve not met). After this, I again saw the young Dutch couple and showed them Dutch place names in Australia (they were not aware of the connection between Australia and Holland.
By now we were well and truly out on the reservoir and the motion of the ship was noticeable. While waiting for the dining room to open, an elderly Austrian lady thought she would be seasick, so I told her that by the time dinner was over, we should be nearly out of the reservoir and the motion would become less.
After this it was time for dinner, with Cindy, Carmel and Scott. By this time Scott had given in and seen the doctor, been given antibiotics and other medication and after a short attempt to dine, had goen back to his cabin and Carmel went with him. Vladimir took their meals to their cabin.
After dinner was another music performance in Sky Bar, indispersed with attempts by Cindy to fly a coaster through the crowd and Steve to land a coaster behind a notice on the bar door. Steve’s trick of spinning a full glass without spilling anything amazed all those around, sho he taught a few others. After seeing how they were going astray, I went off, did my photos and summarised my blog and was in bed by 2230.
The ship was not rocking by then.