19th August 2014 The previous evening, we’d been informed that the ship would enter the fjord leading to Flam at around 1 am, with an open invitation to go on deck and witness the breathtaking scenery. We woke at 7 am, and through the breakfast restaurant’s windows, we could indeed see the towering cliffs of… Continue Reading

18th August 2014 Another good night’s sleep, though we lost another hour as the clocks moved forward. We headed to Alfresco for breakfast at 8 am, though it naturally felt earlier. To shake off the cobwebs, we took a brisk walk around the deck before returning to our cabin to review the day’s activities. Sue… Continue Reading

17th August 2014 We always sleep soundly on a boat; night was no exception. The only drawback is that with an inside cabin, once the lights are off, it’s as black as the proverbial cat in a coal cellar, you can’t see a thing. Switching on a light feels like being a British Lancaster bomber… Continue Reading

16th August 2014 After our trip to Clacton, I, unfortunately, developed a painful sore on my big toe during our walk around the Naze. Despite taking Ibuprofen, the pain persisted, making walking rather awkward. I found some tablets prescribed years ago for a bout of gout and decided to give them a try. Although the… Continue Reading

21st January 2014 We woke to a slightly warmer morning than yesterday. After a couple of coffees, my first task was to go online with my tablet, thank goodness for the very fast, free Wi-Fi in the room, and check in for our flight this evening. Once that was accomplished, I retrieved our passports and… Continue Reading

20th January 2014 We woke at 8 a.m. to a bright blue sky, signalling a clear but cold day. We weren’t wrong, the temperature hovered around -2°C until late afternoon, when it nudged up to a chilly 2°C. After a couple of cups of coffee, we asked at the concierge desk where we could catch… Continue Reading

19th January 2014 After an excellent show the previous night, we returned to our cabin, finished packing, and placed our cases in the corridor ready for the crew to collect and store them. We woke up, showered, and dressed at 6 a.m., arriving for breakfast in the Lido by 6:30 a.m., along with a surprising… Continue Reading

18th January 2014 Another storm rolled in overnight, rattling us awake with the ship’s newfound enthusiasm for rocking and rolling. By the time we properly surfaced in the morning, however, the sea had calmed down entirely. No evidence remained of the overnight drama, other than a suspiciously soggy balcony. Breakfast in the Britannia restaurant was… Continue Reading

17th January 2014 The sea was a touch frisky this morning, though nothing to trouble a seasoned sailor such as myself (or so I keep telling Sue). Breakfast was in the waiter-service Britannia restaurant, where we shared a table for six with some well-travelled fellow Brits. Their tales of nautical escapades and “lessons learned” at… Continue Reading

16th January 2014 We woke at 7:30 am to clear skies and a calm sea. Breakfast was served in the Lido, and mindful of the effort it took to tighten my belt, I made an effort to reduce the portion size on my plate, though I spoiled it later by returning to the buffet for… Continue Reading