And as much as I'd like to believe there's a truth beyond illusion, I've come to believe that there's no truth beyond illusion. Because, between 'reality' on the one hand, and the point where the mind strikes reality, there's a middle zone, a rainbow edge where beauty comes into being, where two very different surfaces mingle and blur to provide what life does not: and this is the space where all art exists, and all magic.

- The Goldfinch

The Cruise

After 12 weeks of abstinence, whilst training for and completing a triathlon, the prospect of an all-inclusive cruise seemed like the perfect getaway.
It became apparent early on that we were rather an anomaly on board. We sauntered through the ship with a permanent Margarita in hand, met with puzzled gazes from our fellow cruisers, who wondered what on earth two twenty-five year old girls were doing spending their hard earned cash in the company of elderly married couples.

Of course our cabin was on deck one, which we aptly nicknamed 'The Leonardo DiCaprio Deck’ - if only to add a touch of glamour to our box room with no window - hardly the setting for a romantic weeklong getaway with the wife.

As with most budget cruise ships the on-board entertainment was second to none, including cabaret duo, 2Intense, an a eight-strong cast performing their adaptation of Les Mis’ and not forgetting the cruise lines’ answer to The Beatles, Top Men. When beckoned over to the staff table by Lead Singer, Reggie, we could hardly turn down the opportunity to fraternise with the most eligible bachelors on board. A hefty compliment, considering the average on-board age was 73.

It got to 2am and clearly cabin fever had set in as we declined a polite invitation from Top Men to join them in the bunk-bedded cabin they shared together…

The following morning we couldn’t help but notice the Kitchen staff grinning at us rather ostentatiously, whilst we helped ourselves to the breakfast buffet. It became apparent that we were becoming the talk of the boat, confirmed later that night in ‘Liberties Bar and Lounge,’ when Reggie dedicated his rendition of Bruno Mars - Just the way you are to us. From that moment, our reputation preceded us, there was nothing we could do but sit back, relax and enjoy the now-extra large measures that were being served to us at the bar.

At the end of the night as we walked back to our humble abode, contemplating that this might be the most attention we’d ever received during a one-week period, we glanced toward the lobby, heard the on-board photographer remark that we were the 'shiniest people on the ship' and it almost felt as if we'd reached celebrity status. 

NM

When my Tastecard automatically renews for £79.99!

Many beautiful things cannot be seen or touched, they are felt within the heart. 

Is the view worth the climb.

Known Knowns

Interesting quote highlighted in a talk about responsive design by Jeremy Keith:

"Reports that say that something hasn't happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know that we know. There are known unknowns; that is to say, there are things that we now know we don't know. But there are also unknown unknowns – there are things we do not know we don't know."

- Donald Rumsfeld.

HAD I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly because you tread on my dreams.

- Yeats