Rain was stabbing the puddles on the quayside at La Coruna (I know it better as Corunna) when we looked out of our cabin window this morning. After breakfast we dressed ready for dampness but the sun came out to help us take holiday snaps as we strolled around a little of the city. We only needed our cruise cards to get off and on the ship. They were taking our temperatures while we were in Spanish waters, sometimes the head sometimes the hands.

When we go for breakfast or lunch they ask us what our cabin number is. A complicated algorithm is then run to work out what table number we're sitting at. They may be ensuring gluttons don't have two breakfasts. Or trying to reduce the mixing of people on board?

We admired a childrens' roundabout close to the marina with plenty of small yachts, and also a more modern statue of the Madonna and Child wreathed by fountains. We walked close to an old fort before weaving our way back through narrow alley ways. This way included a city square with a crowd before what might have been a municipal building. A police van drove up by the side and there was a blaring of horns. Notorious prisoner brought for trial?

Back on board I tried walking round the promenade deck as I aim to each day, partly as exercise partly as quiet time. When we're docked sections are always closed, perhaps to wash the deck down, perhaps for painting up the rails and posts, and perhaps for bunkering whatever that is. Must look that up. (I did and it's supplying of fuel to the ship).

This was a dressing up day (normally port days are not but La Coruna was a last minute cruise change as a day in Funchal got cancelled due to no room at the inn sorry port). A black and white evening though I wear the same suit for all formal nights and just vary the tie I have on. Cruises are about the only time I dress up.

A special card and a free glass of champagne greeted us on table 360 when we joined our 4 fellow diners, including two Germans which was welcome. One of the Germans should have had my card - on each card was a different quotation and mine had a quote by the German authoress Cornelia Funke "The sea always filled her with longing, though for what she was never sure." I prefer other writers of fantasy, like Garth Nix and Brandon Sanderson and Tim Powers who I read this cruise. I did inflict my only German joke on the table: Mein hund hat keine nase, Wie riech, Furchterlich.

We skipped tea and coffee after the meal but needn't have rushed to the theatre for the show, there was plenty of room. The theatre is one place you have to keep your mask on, and also no food and drink (so no stewards going round offering refreshments at the moment).

The entertainments manager introduced the captain who then introduced his leading officers. The captain said I think we had 1300 odd passengers on board, the ship in normal times has 2092 on board. This was the first performance by the theatre company, but they had rehearsed well and threw themselves into the singing and dancing with energy.