Stillness at last

Monday night: We arrived in Casablanca after one more heart stopping moment. Just before 7 the Captain came on the tannoy saying to put everything away and tie things down as the pilot entrance to the port was very rough and they had to 'pull in' the stabilisers. He had only given us a few minutes warning so all you could hear was the crashing of everything, phones, books, glasses, ice buckets etc etc falling off shelves to the floor, spilling and breaking! George had just decided to make himself a cafetiere of coffee and he did the most amazing fall on to the bed with a full cafetiere and mug in each hand and spilled not a drop....his own expression of pride was hillarious...

We are all so happy to have come to a stop and be still. The weather in Europe has been bad (London had snow!) so our rough weather has been a part of that. George succumbed and lay on the bed sleeping but I decided to go to every talk and film show in the Union. There is a fancy design in the lighting on the ceiling of the Union and everytime we thumped it twanged...Theresa had to leave becauseshe said she couldn't take the noise it made her even more anxious...and everyone laughed and gasped in shock. I thought it was nice to have company!

We had a fascinating talk on Islam tonight; this time our lecturer sat down! He is from Pakistan and is a very contained but organised and methodical speaker and I learned alot. When he finished a huge number of students rushed into the union and I wondered why...it was to watch the first episode of the new season of 'Lost'....never heard of it,,,I've got to get with it!

George and I have to be on 'the pier' to get our tour bus to Marrakesh at 7.45 am so I'm going to finish this and go to bed. I'm excited about going to Marrakesh it is supposed to be very beautiful and I've discovered I love Islamic decoration and Mosques....you might have already gathered that.

Off to bed with Billy for the last time, I've nearly finished it/ I am going to lend it to an Italian prof's Scottish wife called Maggie when she joins the ship from here to Cape Town; she will at least know who he is, no one else here seems to. He played Brown with Judy Dench in the movie Mrs Brown about Queen Victoria's relationship with her gillie....for the rest of you who have been wondering.

Bon Soir....hey I can practice my French here!