This day was another quiet sea day on our way to Petropavlovsk, Russia. The weather was much improved with sunshine, no rain and calmer seas.

We attended Ian’s lecture on things to see and do in Petropavlovsk. Spencer cooked up a steakhouse dinner for two in America’s Test Kitchen. He prepared a steak with a Béarnaise sauce as well as baked potatoes with two toppings and a wedge salad with bacon bits, blue cheese dressing and cherry tomatoes.

In the afternoon Michael Hick finished his lecture on Russia discussing the extensive land mass and its vulnerabilities from those who might want to invade the country especially from the west. Russia is so large that it has twelve different time zones and is so far north that it has very limited opportunities to produce its own source of food. It relies on other countries to provide most of the items that it consumes, including food.

The evening entertainment was provided by a young Russian violinist by the name of Inna Tolstova. The violin that she played was an electronic version which has a unique sound. She was accompanied by the Amsterdam band but the majority of the songs she performed all sounded alike.

We continue to eat more than we should even though we are doing our best to cut back by eating three meals a day in the dining room where the portions are more controlled. Desserts seem to be our largest downfall as they offer a list of them at lunch and dinner and we are rarely able to resist.

Since we left Dutch Harbor we have been turning our clocks back one hour each night. Even with the extra hours of sleep we still manage to enjoy a good night’s sleep right through the extra hour.