Sunday February 19, 2023
This morning we woke to the Captain indicating that the Navy Ship HMS Spey would come alongside to take photographs. These photos, would be on the Starboard side, so we were able to watch, a small vessel come off the Navy ship, sped away to get pictures of the Navy ship with Queen Mary II as a backdrop. It was a bit foggy, but apparently great pictures were obtained. All three vessels were traveling at a few knots. The smaller “motor boat” with 6 sailors, came along side the QM2 and then sped away returning to the HMS Spey. Apparently this ship has a social Web profile and the pictures will be shown there.
Being Sunday, the Captain’s church service was undertaken by the Deputy Captain. Anne who had gone to Mass earlier, went to the first lecture by Dr. Christine Drake, who gave a terrific talk, that should have been given before we arrived in Thailand, as opposed to after, as she spoke about Theravada Buddhism in Thailand dating to the 3rd century BCE, the prior capitals and all that the local guides should have spoken about. The next lecture seemed more of a “fill in time”, so Roger attended, but Anne went to the library. It was Keith Stockton speaking on and about trees. i perhaps should have known a lot more and we all know about talking to plants and hugging trees, but it was interesting to hear of the scientific studies that have been done that demonstrate how trees communicate. The roots we know, grow underground and provide nutrients for the tree’s growth, but they also act as communication paths between trees. For example there has been a study to see if trees “hear”. Indeed placing speakers underground and emitting a noise at 200Hz, made the roots of trees turn around and move towards the sound. Another is when a giraffe starts eating leaves from a tree, it will send some nasty tasting product which makes the giraffe stop eating. The tree also sends out an odor cloud so all trees downwind start protecting themselves with this toxic substance. So giraffes go upwind to get food. Trees send out electrical impulses that travel at 1/3 inch per second. The roots also communicate through a Mycillium Fungal network. A researcher was walking through a beach forest in Austria and found 5 “stones” in symmetrical pattern. He tried picking up one of them and found that all were stuck to the ground. Scraping them they had chlorophyll. It turns out that they were the “Parent” of the other trees that surrounded them and they were keeping those “stumps” alive. The oldest tree is a 9500 years old spruce in Sweden and there are many very old trees, such as “Prometheus” a 4900 years old pine in Wheeler Park Nevada, USA; “Methuselah” a pine in the White Mountains of California; Alerce Patagonian Cypress that was planted in about 1630 BCE in Los Rios Chile etc. Perhaps the most intriguing tree is the 80,000 year old Aspen – Pando, in Utah, USA which started with one tree and now covers acres and has a common root system.
We then went to a “Lunch and Learn” at the Verandah, like the one we did a while ago, where we receive a nice lunch while being educated and enjoying 8 different wines, this time Italian. We started with he Amuse Bouche of a hot cheese soufflé accompanied by Prosecco, Special Cuvée, Zonin, Veneto. Then Tea Duck Breast with Mandarin Dressing, Toasted Sesame Slaw and Pomegranate Molasses accompanied by 2 white wines – Arneis, Cantine Giacometti Ascheri, Langhe, Piedmont and Ribolla Gialla, Rigialla, La Tunella, Friuli Venezia Gillia. The main course was Prime 28 day aged grin finished Angus Sirlon, Creamy baby Spinach, Roasted Shallots, Triple-cooked chips and pepper sauce accompanied by two high tannin red wines – Taursi, Feudi di San Giorgio, Campania and La Goolagong, Allegrini, Veronese, Veneto. Then the Artisan Cheese course with two wines – Passopisciaro, Andrea Franchetti, Rossi di Sicilian, Sicily and Chianti Rufina Reserva, Fattoria di Bsciano, Tuscany. The final desert was the Wild Strawberry Pavlova with Cornish Clotted Cream and Pink Champagne Sorbet with Moscato d’Asti DOCG, Fratelli Antonio e Raimondo, Piedmont. That took care of the afternoon!!!
The evening show was the outstanding West End singer that had been on before – Jennifer Tierney.
Roger & Anne Travels 