Redding

 Monday, January 20, 2025

Whenever I hear the classic Otis Redding hit, (Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay, I conjure up images of San Francisco and the Bay Area.

Today, when Ken and I were sitting on our balcony, enjoying the sunshine, alongside the dock in the Bay, that song started playing in my head, like a meditation on relaxation.

Otis Redding was a rising star in the world of soul music when he wrote this song. The Dock of the Bay was recorded on November 22, 1967, and re-recorded with overdubbing* on Dec December 7, 1967. Redding perished in a plane crash in Lake Monona in Madison, Wisconsin, three days later. He was only 26 years old.

(Footnote: The overdubbing included the sounds of waves and seagulls. There is a debate about whether the whistling was Redding himself, or whether another band member’s whistling was overdubbed.)

The Dock of the Bay was released one month after Redding’s death. It became the first posthumous number one song on both Billboard and R&B charts.

Thank you, Wikipedia, for the information about Otis Redding.

<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<

Six hours earlier:

So, the window is a little bit dirty, but it is clear enough for us to see that yesterday’s Ruby Princess has been replaced by “our” Coral Princess. Ahoy! 

Three hours earlier:

We checked out of our hotel and took a Lyft* to Pier 27, where the lovely Coral Princess awaited our arrival. Boarding was a breeze.

(Footnote: There are a lot of vehicles like this here.

They are Waymo cars. They are like Lyft or Uber, but they are Jaguars, and, more importantly, they are driverless. We are not brave enough to try one. Furthermore, we noticed that they lack a trunk, and people had to lift their own luggage into the back seat.)

We found our stateroom easily, and we gratefully noted the relaxing color palette and comfy vibe.

  

Five minutes earlier:

While we were unpacking, our room steward, Richard, brought us sparkling wine and fancy canapés, and we decided to go out on our balcony to sit and enjoy.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Eventually, it was time for Coral Princess to begin her voyage. We were treated to some breathtaking views of San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. In fact, we sailed right under the bridge, with Captain Cuculic blowing the horn.

After we finished unpacking (boy, did I bring too much!), we went out for cocktails, and eventually made an appearance at Sabatini’s, where we enjoyed a delightful Italian meal.

Pasta with braised beef

Tiramisu

We were still a little bit jet-lagged, so we went back to our stateroom and called it a night.

Today’s fabric is San Francisco California Tourist, Navy, by charlottewinter for Spoonflower.