Cure for Loneliness at Sea

I mean, besides wine and espresso gelato. Some time ago one of my at-home bridge buddies asked me, ‘Won’t you get lonely for five months?’ Well, after my close encounter with a fish of the dead kind yesterday, it’s too bad that, with all its other services, Viking has yet to offer this one. Guess it would go against their almost-but-not-quite-iron-clad No Pets rule:

BELGIAN HOTEL OFFERS TO RENT FISH TO LONELY GUESTS

A Belgian hotel has attracted attention for offering to rent lonely guests a fish for €3.50 a night.

The Hotel Charleroi Airport in Gosselies, near Brussels South Cherleroi Airport, is a four-star property with rooms starting at £69.

The fish friend programme caught the imagination of the internet after radio producer Michelle Cook tweeted a picture of the fishbowl and sign. The caption read: “My friend is staying in a hotel in Belgium. They've offered her the option of renting a fish for the night, in case she's lonely.”

The missive has been re-tweeted more than 10,000 times with commenters divided on the offer. Some people were enthusiastic and stated they would definitely book the fish, while others reacted angrily, saying hiring out animals was abusive and raising concerns about the size of the bowl.

Hotel manager David Dillen told The Independent that the fish rental service has been running for several years and is popular with guests. #