The typhoon has meant we missed the first two days of our planned schedule, annoyingly, but c’est la vie en croisière! The shorex team have been frantically arranging for something - anything - for us to do from the safety of the Inland Sea, and it has clearly been a struggle. Lol.

So today we found ourselves in Imabari. Apologies to the lovely people who welcomed us on the dock, but it’s very much a nothing town that you wouldn’t normally visit… unless you like towels! 

Jennie and I declined the three-hour whistlestop tour arranged by Ponant, and instead took a taxi up the mountain to visit the Towel Museum. Yes, it really is a thing. Apparently Imabari is famous for making super soft, absorbent towels, and we figured we had done better castles and temples in Kyoto so off to towel town we went. What a freak show. Anyway, you all know what you’re getting for Christmas, right!

Our driver and all the museum staff spoke not a word of English which made things exciting for me. I do love a language challenge! 

We were ferried to and from the ship in a tender (life boat ) which is always fun, and ridiculously we made new friends in transit. Three generations of a beautiful family from New Caledonia, and the ship nurse who has her sister travelling with her, among others. The two little boys from NC were gorgeous; they practised their English on me and I had to remember not to swear en français. C’était difficile, merde!! 

Dinner with new friends from Sydney and Waikato, as well as the lunatic but lovely cruise director Giuseppe. Then an excellent Beatlemania show in the theatre following, the dancers are always really good on Ponant. What a charmed life we lead!