Blog Archive

Running away to sea (again!)

They say there are two stages to seasickness; the first is when you’re afraid you’re going to die and the second is when you’re afraid you’re not. Conditions were not particularly severe in the Bay of Biscay on Oceana’s first day out from Southampton, just a bit of an echoing swell from storm Barbara further continue reading »


Fjords, friends and journey’s end

Well, New Zealand was a surprise. It’s been on my list of ‘places I’d love to go to one day’, but I hadn’t had time to research our ports of call – Auckland, Bay of Islands, Wellington, Akaroa, Dunedin and the fjords. I loved them all but these were the highlights: Bay of Islands – continue reading »


Diary of a roving art tutor (1)

Week One: Barbados to Mexico The cut is deep and narrow But it lets a big ship through So thank you to the men Who sliced a continent in two First of the Gatun locks on the Atlantic side The Panama Canal has always been a source of fascination for me – the audacity of continue reading »