DAY THREE

We’re nearing New Zealand, called by the Māori “the land of the long white cloud”. I started the day with a lecture by Patrick Goodness, all of whose lectures from this trip are available to view – at no cost – at Youtube.com/@PatrickGoodness

Today’s lecture was entitled “Discover the Māori of New Zealand.” Patrick talked about the fact that most indigenous peoples are referred to by names given to them by other people, but the Māori, who were the first settlers here as recently as 1300 to 1500 CE, have kept the “collective”name they gave themselves (they had individual tribe names as well).

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As has been a recurring theme in his lectures, he focussed on the rites and practices based on the concepts of “mana” (spirit/power) and “tapu” (sacred), as well as the effects on indigenous culture and religion of the arrival by Europeans bringing their concept of Christianity.

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Patrick talked about the Eastern and indigenous concept of “Utu”, balance and harmony between humans and nature, which is very different from the Western belief of humans’ dominion over nature. Again, he asked us to compare utu to Western beliefs: the Old Testament “eye for an eye”, and the more modern concepts of capital punishment and “appropriate sentences” for crimes. Utu, however, also applied to balance in things like harvesting/replanting, and reciprocal gift-giving.

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We learned about sacred Māori spaces and figures, created and decorated in order to be “inviting” for their deities, and were encouraged to think about whether there is really any difference between those and our churches.

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As always, he left us with lots to think about, and the opportunity to reassess our own beliefs in the context of both history and other cultures and faiths.

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Ted and I both continue to enjoy the wide variety of educational and entertaining lecture series offered on board – at least 3 on every sea day – and the opportunities for personal interaction with the expert lecturers.

Despite our best intentions (we wake up every day saying we’re going to eat less and more sensibly), Viking’s Executive Pastry Chef consistently scuppers our plans. Today the featured food station was “American Pie”, but I can honestly say I’ve never seen pies of this calibre in any of our travels throughout America. I had nothing but pie for lunch – the apple, cherry, and pumpkin; Ted limited himself to the apple.

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Our Executive Pastry Chef continues to make new sugar sculptures. He told me that he is working on a sugar model of our ship, surrounded by sugar fish and sugar coral, for an upcoming event.

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In order to stave off the urge to have a nap after all that pie, I attended a forum (different from a lecture in that audience participation/discussion is encouraged) on the evolution of New Zealand’s film industry, finished my latest book, and enjoyed some gorgeous piano stylings by resident pianist Enrico with my pre-dinner cocktail. Ted walked laps. He is much more disciplined than I am.

Ted’s added bonus outside today was catching sight – and photographs – of SIX dolphins leaping in the waters off the port side of our ship !!

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Since it was another glorious day, we again ate outside on the Aquavit Terrace before taking in the evening show.

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The entertainment last night was a solo cabaret by another of our Viking Vocalists, Ellis Copley. We’re incredibly lucky to have such a talented cast of performers on this cruise. They’ll be leaving us in Sydney, where we’ll welcome a new troupe.

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We ended our evening with dancing and a nightcap in Torshavn.

Every single day makes us grateful to be where we are.

DAY FOUR

Knowing that we’re headed into 5 straight port/excursion days, everyone seemed to have the same idea: laundry!

I got mine started, my Siri timer set, and headed to Mamsen’s for one of their amazing signature waffles.

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Unfortunately, while I was contentedly eating, an impatient fellow passenger opened my running washing machine, presumably to “check” it (although the digital display showed it was running), and triggered an error. At least that’s what someone who witnessed it told me. When I got back to put washed clothes in the dryer, what I found instead was a washer full of soapy water and wet clothes.

Housekeeping staff apologized profusely for not being able to re-set the machine. When I told them they had nothing to apologize for, since they had not created the problem, a passenger (who had been standing there the whole time) said that maybe they should, since they’d been the culprit. Apparently they’d encountered the same issue when opening a washer on another floor, which makes me think they simply don’t understand the screens on these European style machines. Stuff happens.

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There was an adjacent washer with a completed cycle, but no one retrieving those clothes, so I had to wait a while until there was one in which I could rinse and spin. What a mess transferring soaked laundry between machines (and no, the passenger who’d helped create the problem did not offer to help me wipe up the puddles). This time I simply stayed in the laundry room throughout the wash cycle, and while waiting for an available dryer.

It’s interesting that laundry room etiquette seems to be the hardest concept on ships: things like using the laundry room on your own deck (there’s one on each passenger deck to keep things proportionally accessible), not using more than one washer and dryer at a time during peak usage periods (there are only 4 of each per deck), not emptying someone else’s laundry (who is that desperate to get theirs done at any specific time?), and not covering the room’s seating with laundry when folks with mobility issues are standing.

In 22/23, four passengers were “disembarked” from a Viking ship after a laundry room altercation got out of hand – the only time we’ve ever heard of a Viking passenger being removed for unruly behaviour.

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The day’s featured lunch station was gyros, stuffed with either lamb kofta or shredded chicken, plus vegetables and a mayonnaise-based sauce.

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At 12:30 p.m. New Zealand time today (6:30 p.m. yesterday in Kansas City, Kansas!), Viking arranged to stream the live broadcast of the NFL semi-final football game on the big pool screen. That made all the diehard American football fans on board very happy, including Ted, who is not a diehard fan but was excited to see “our” Buffalo Bills (who he refers to as the “Buffaronto” Bills, since they have as many supporters in Toronto, Ontario as they do in Buffalo, New York) reach this stage.

This afternoon the Viking Sky passenger choir, who’ve been practicing (without me, for good reason) since Los Angeles, presented their “showcase performance” to the delight of everyone. We were very proud of those tenors and basses who chose to forego the football game for their final “dress rehearsal”.

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…but then it all came together beautifully!

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Dinner was spent in delightful conversation with friends Linda and Howard in Manfredi’s, where I enjoyed a frito misto (fried seafood) appetizer and osso bucco, along with a glass of Scheherazade Dona Fugato red wine.

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After listening to Australian tenor Paul Tabone’s encore performance, we called it an early night.

Tomorrow morning we reach Waitangi, Bay of Islands, New Zealand and begin several consecutive port days filled with excursions.