Cruising

As is the wont of both language and humans, this word has gained additional meanings as time has passed.  There is the Sixties meaning, when young guns and their V12 cruisers strutted their stuff up and down the local boulevard.  There is the Nineties/Noughties and beyond meaning which is most familiar to Golfy and Bad Man, the full meaning of which we must withhold for the sake of decency.  Finally, there is the meaning for "people of a certain age", whose vacation of choice is fully inclusive on a floating hotel visiting various locations in the Mediterranean, or maybe further afield if the Saga brochure is selling them this year.  This is, of course, and out of date stereotype, since there are cruises specifically aimed at families; indeed good friends have been on one and enjoyed it very much.

I have to be honest, and indeed have said the same to our friends, that I am still not convinced as to whether a cruise is for me.  Having seen the recent news on the Concordia cruise ship, I cannot believe that cruise company stocks are the clever investment right now, and a cruise is now even further down my list of things that I hope to do.  The most recent pictures I have seen are of a scuba diver in a half-submerged corridor, presumably looking for the missing people, although sadly at this time that may well be missing bodies.  The whole thing is desperately sad for all those that have lost their holidays, or worse their loved ones, for the employees who may well be ex-employees, and the environmental issue that the metal mountain of a ship has presented to the local authorities.  How do you remove that much metal?

I would like to end on a lighter note, but checking the news, there is no lighter note, except the rescue of a horse who fell off a cliff which may just about count.

Other than that, the sun is sort of shining and I only have five conference calls today.