Balmoral Castle.

Camera status: I left the battery out all night, but still, some buttons don’t work. This raises more doubt. Did I actually bring my battery charger (it should be in the back of the car)?

Not a single European employee works in the service and kitchen on this boat. And we are all so against immigration. The ship employs almost only Asians, Thai, and Filipinos. White people are served by non-white people.

I shoot into review mode: I think 10 euros is a lot for 1 MB of data via satellite. The alternative is bad ferry wifi for 5 euros an hour. Is this 2024? Or am I really that spoiled?

We go along the coast towards Aberfeldy, up to Edinburgh. We pass Edinburgh along the highway and leave it behind. This time, the only significant city we’ll visit on the trip is Glasgow.

Idea: a week, month, year, total frugal life. Minimal food, no alcohol, greasiness, other blandness.
What will you miss?

I should throw those work-related apps off my phone.

I am read Kevin Kelly’s Advice.

My photo camera (Sony A7Rii) is broken: several buttons no longer respond. That’s nice. We haven’t sailed a meter yet. F10 or P is all I can still choose. The pictures look okay; I’ll check everything later.

In the Columbus Lounge one plays, what do you want, lounge music. We drink a beer with our legs on the windowsill. The ship doesn’t seem too full.

Slowly, clouds from the sea penetrate the land, covering the harbor in a light fog. A little later, it begins to rain.

Someone enters the toilet. Burping loudly. Lets out a thunderous fart. I turn to wash my hands. A man is peeing with his member in one hand, and with the other hand, he is scrolling through his phone, which he holds close to his face.

I notice this conversation next to me (in Dutch): “Links is woke en half Nederland stemt PVV. Dat vind ik zo slecht. Dat is echt dom. Dat is echt dom wat links heeft gedaan, zij moet echt die arbeiders erbij pakken, die lage inkomens. Links weet gewoon niet hoe ze campagne moeten voeren. Arme mensen zouden links moeten stemmen maar die stemmen allemaal PVV, dat is toch dom?”

(Straightforward translation: “The left is woke and half the Netherlands is voting PVV. I think that’s so bad. That’s really stupid. That’s really stupid what the left has done, they really need to get those workers involved, those low incomes. The left just doesn’t know how to campaign. Poor people should vote left but they all vote PVV, that’s stupid, isn’t it?”)