• Annus Horribilis or Annus Mirabilis?

    1st October 2022 It’s time to return to some sense of normality. Queen Elizabeth II once described a difficult year as an “Annus Horribilis”, and without doubt, 2022 has been just that. The ongoing pandemic, the mounting effects of global warming, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the resulting sanctions and Putin’s retaliations,  and, of course, the… Continue Reading

  • Seventy Years of Reign, One Week of Reflection

    Queen Elizabeth II; Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022 Not by any means could I be described as a royalist. In my view, the monarchy is an outdated dinosaur that should have been consigned to the refuse bin of history centuries ago. Yet, our Lilibet conducted herself throughout her reign… Continue Reading

  • Dogs, Devon, and the Last of the Summer Day

    6th September 2022 With August rapidly drawing to a close (it was the 28th), Sue and I decided to make a rare visit to Jamie in Waltham on the Wolds. Unfortunately, we happened to pick a day when he was attending a supercar rally in Derbyshire. Undeterred, we made alternative plans and arranged to take… Continue Reading

  • From Ancient Rings to England’s Shore

    10th July 2022 It had been a long overnight sail, and by breakfast, we were still making our way through the western group of the seventy or so islands that form the Orkneys. The view from the deck was a striking contrast to Greenland’s wild, barren coastline. Low, flat, and verdant slivers of land drifted… Continue Reading

  • No Icebergs, No Whales, Just Politics and Puddings

    7th July 2022 No icebergs, whales or dolphins were spotted today. We’ve long since left the Arctic Circle behind, with only a handful of birds making use of the airflow from Ambience to help them on their way to who knows where. The sea is choppy, dotted with white horses, plenty to keep the dedicated… Continue Reading

  • Mist, Museums, and Mountain Roads: Two Days in Nuuk

    5th July 2022 Despite being the capital of Greenland, Nuuk, like every other settlement we have visited on this trip, has an urban sprawl confined to a narrow, barely sufficient strip of sloping terrain between mountainside and sea. Blocks of community buildings cling to the rocky face of some unpronounceable mountain range encircling the port,… Continue Reading

  • A Day Among Giants: Icebergs of Disko Bay

    3rd July 2022 Thankfully, the weather witches granted my wish, and we awoke at 7 a.m. to find a clear blue sky without a cloud in sight. Today, we were off to see the glacier from the sea. Twelve of us boarded a small boat from the pontoon reserved for Ambience’s tenders on the port… Continue Reading