Site Title

This morning, I did join John and Malcom on their planned second day in Madeira. I had awakened early feeling very much better than yesterday when it took me forever to disembark the ship.  Today’s itinerary was simple.  Cable car to Monte. Return part way on the toboggan.  Walk back into town. Spend the rest…

Tuesday 14th May I awoke this morning, still full of the Cunard cough, which manifested itself three or four days ago, causing me to partially lose my voice.  I didn’t feel up to joining a couple of QM2 table companions for a ride around Madeira on public transport.  But, it was (and still, as I…

There is much to be said for being cocooned in a cruise ship with everything one could ever want (except a Bible!). Outside, the skies are beginning to clear, but the heady temperatures of Lisbon and Southampton have yet to materialise.  There is a 2 metre swell, but the movement of the ship is only…

Day 2. In the Bay of Biscay. The seas are almost millpond calm, and it’s a beautiful day for cruising.  Outside, there remains a slight chill, even this afternoon with the sun high in a clear sky.  We are incredibly fortunate. The first full sea day of this second voyage couldn’t be better. The temperature…

Greetings from Southampton A & E! My leg injury the other day was still problematic. Rather than visit the onboard Medical Centre, I took the shuttle bus to West Quay from where I walked to Boots to seek advice at the pharmacy.  I was advised (urgently) to call at A&E, who were remarkably efficient and…

Thursday 9th May 2024, 11.11 hrs, in the gorgeous environs of the Carinthia Lounge, deck 3, starboard, looking out onto a calm Bay of Biscay. I slept well last night, despite a weird dream about driving my car to a place somewhere in Buxton, from where it was impossible to reverse or turn around without demolishing…

Wednesday 8th May, at sea en route for Southampton. I didn’t mean to maybe annoy the elegantly dressed lady sitting next to me at breakfast this morning.  Like me, she had been on the Maiden Voyage of Queen Mary 2 just over twenty years ago and expected this to be similar in terms of celebratory…

It’s not my fault!    Lisbon, 7th May 2024 I am not sure how many hours I have spent writing an almost daily blog, only for the illustrations to re-arrange themselves and end up with the wrong captions.  So far, I see no way to edit my writings and photographs in the way I used to…

THE JOURNEY SO FAR I have already written,  but been unable to edit satisfactorily two blogs, 0095, 0096.  For some reason, probably because of varying degrees of online availability, the chosen illustrations become mixed up.  Editing, deleting, and any other alterations are not as simple, obvious, or straightforward as it used to be with my…

Wednesday 1st May 2024. Really?!  It feels like late January outside, or at least it did as I set off for Church this morning.   Attending church on a Wednesday is a more recent part of my post retirement routine, now that time, although still precious, is more plentiful these days.  Late yesterday afternoon/early evening, Cunard’s…