Hi
We had a day at sea yesterday, there were a million activities to do if you so wished. Bill was in the gym at 7 , I went to a stretch class at 8. I met an English woman there who asked if Bill and I would like to join her party for evening meal last night so we arranged to meet later. We went to two digital photography classes, I did some sketching, Bill went for a swim, we had a lecture on the places we would be seeing etc etc, and so it went on all day busy, busy, busy!!

Several people were feeling rather sea sick becuse the waters were choppy (Southerly Gail already!) but amazingly I was OK wearing my acupressure bracelet, it appears to be working so far. (I had to use it too, I think it was going in the pool with the movement of the sea causing it to be in permanent wave machine mode!) At 8.45 we went to meet Margaret, Mike and their 2 friends Keith and another Val. These people all live in Guernsey we had a good laugh with them, they were lovely. We left the reataurant (we had a fantastic window seat looking out at the sea as we ate) and then we saw the show which was fine if you are into songs from the musicals. The singers and dancers are all good, at least we got a chance to digest our food before going back to our cabins.

Today we have been taken by tender to our first port of call Puerto Montt. We didn´t want to be part of any organised trips so we made our way to the bus station and caught a local bus to Puerto Varas which is a super little town with great views across the lake Llanquique to the volcano Osorno. We by this time had teamed up with a really nice couple called Jim and Ellen from Florida. We caught the bus up to Frutillar had hot chocolate at a very Bavarian-looking hotel and then went for a walk around the lakeside and the town, it is like a little German village, very pretty and clean. The four of us found a bus to take us back to Puerto Varas where we have had a super meal together in a restaurant Jim and Ellen had been to on a former visit. (I had a casserole of hare with lots of local herbs and local blue and red potatoes. Never had hare before but it was the best game I´ve ever tasted and the blue potatoes were delicious. I wonder how fish and blue chips would go down in England!) It was dull yesterday weather-wise but today the sun is shining and it is just right. We need to go back now to Puerto Montt to have a look around the artesania shops before we climb aboard the tender and so back to the Amsterdam. We are really enjoying this. It is a very different type of holiday for us but we are enjoying every minute of it. ( De acuerdo!! ) All in brackets added by Brad Pitt (that´s who Jim said I resembled in sunglasses - just love him!) -alias Bill!