Went ashore by tender slightly late as the first tender had been used for a medical evacuation. Then drove 30 minutes to Blithewold, a country house built around 1900. We had a tour of that and it’s beautiful gardens before being served tea at 11.30: this consisted of a salad, glass of champagne, two delicious scones, tea… and then a 3 tier plate with quiche, open sandwiches and dulces. Chatted to Joe at a nice light table.
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Then we drove to the Newport Winery in Middletown. Had a talk in the vineyard and then inside, but was feeling really sleepy and the woman was difficult to follow, so I switched off. Then had a tasting of 4 wines, of which 2 were truly terrible!.
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Back aboard I had a swim, then we went to the hotel director´s office to discuss our problems with him. Anna, the guest relations Manager ( a seemingly useless position!!) was also present!. Then the last 2 of Maura's lectures on the Puritans: she had condensed 2 lectures into one as Lea had not scheduled her on in New York at all!. Then Recap and Briefing before entering the Cape Cod Canal at 7.30. So we changed our booking to Hot Rocks to enjoy this transit; but it was wet and misty so we did not actually see much, although going under a wrought iron bridge was memorable.
Because Silver Cloud is so small, it can transit the Cape Cod Canal . With two fixed bridges over the canal, clearance is a problem for bigger ships. The surrounding scenic spectacle is something truly to behold on a good day - however visibility was poor when we transited
The Cape Cod Canal is an artificial waterway in the U.S. state of Massachusetts connecting Cape Cod Bay in the north to Buzzards Bay in the south, and is part of the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. The approximately seven-mile-long canal traverses the neck of land joining Cape Cod to the state's mainland. It mostly follows tidal rivers widened to 480 feet and deepened to 32 feet at mean low water, shaving 135 miles off the journey around the Cape for its approximately 14,000 annual users. Most of the canal is located in the town of Bourne, but its northeastern terminus is in Sandwich. Scusset Beach State Reservation lies near the canal's north entrance, and the Massachusetts Maritime Academy is near its south. A swift-running current changes direction every six hours and can reach 5.2 miles per hour during the receding ebb tide. The waterway is maintained by the United States Army Corps of Engineers and has no toll fees. It is spanned by the Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge, the Bourne Bridge, and the Sagamore Bridge. Traffic lights at either end govern the approach of vessels over 65 feet . The canal is occasionally used by whales and dolphins, including endangered North Atlantic right whales; these can cause closure of the canal.
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Had a chat to Pia who was supervising nibbles for the ´Party in the Canal´. Enjoyed Amaretti on the Rocks in the Panorama lounge with Alfredo playing Beetles tunes and 'Don't cry for me Argentina ´. Retired when the noise level in the lounge became excessive at 10 pm
On to Portland Maine