January 31: Whew, that was rough!

We just went through several days of stormy weather...52 knot winds at the highest and very messy seas. Chris and I did not bother going ashore on Niue on Sunday since it was not great weather and there was not much to see. We've passed the Dateline, so we never had January 29. It's a bit more calm today but we still have another Sea Day before we arrive in Auckland, NZ.
We've been fortunate to have a wonderful pianist on board this week, Hyperion Knight (see him if he's ever playing in your area...magnificent.) He's been practicing in the Explorers' Lounge most mornings to a full house, so they added another performance last night by public demand. One more performance before we land , but he'll perform with a Celtic flautist who has been excellent, too.
On the photo from the globe you can see where we've been by seeing the Cook Islands on the right, then Tonga on the left where Niue shows up as a dot to the right. Now we are sailing through all the open ocean to Auckland, NZ on the North Island. On all our sea days we have not seen a single other ship! Nothing! Truly a vast ocean.
Gala Night tonight.

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