HaPpY NeW YeAr 2023
from MaRtIn!
This is my annual newsletter, I would welcome receiving your news too!
Last Christmas, I was invited to lunch with my friend Mark. On Boxing day, I drove up to Hounslow West ready for my flight to Bridgetown, Barbados the next day to join a cruise on Silversea's Silver Whisper. I gave four port talks and two enrichment lectures: Elton John & Musicals.
Owing to CoViD restrictions on 'bubble' islands, I was only able to go ashore on two islands: St Lucia & Dominica. On the former, I escorted the Aerial Tram tour over the tropical rain forest. On the latter, I escorted the Trafalgar Falls & Chocolate Estate tour. Towards the end of the cruise, I had to spend 24 hours in isolation, as I was a close contact of a CoViD positive person. When I got to Florida, I discovered that my US ESTA visa waiver had expired the previous September and I had to pay a $545 (GBP 435) fine!
In February I bought a new smart phone, a Nokia G50 for GBP 200:
5 G 4 Cameras 3 Years of security updates 2 Years of operating system updates 1 Great phone
Towards the end of February, I went on a cruise on Saga's Spirit of Adventure. Crossing the Atlantic, I gave seven out of twelve port talks. Unfortunately the Caribbean islands were still in "bubble" mode, so we only got as far as the Azores before turning back. In Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel, I went on the panoramic tour, whilst in Horta on Faial I did the Volcano centre tour.
Chris from Poole was on board, so we had lots of dancing together. Fellow lecturer Martin Sixsmith wrote: "I just read your report on our Saga cruise to nowhere (except the Azores) and I must say you were very charitable in your description of it!" When I got home I tested positive for CoViD, but Chris didn't. I had a heavy cold for two days and then a week of testing positive!
At the end of March I embarked on the Saga Spirit of Discovery, for what turned out to be a Mediterranean mystery cruise! We didn't get into some expected ports, but did get into some others! I only gave four out of a planned seven port talks.
I had to spend SIX days in isolation, as I was a close contact of a CoViD positive person, but I did at least have a balcony. In total, I had SEVENTEEN excellent room service meals and wrote lots of new presentations! When I was released, I went on the Costa Tropical tour from Motril and the Snapshot of Cadiz shore excursion. For this cruise, my dancing partner was Scottish Jan from Shropshire. She will be on my next Christmas cruise too!
Towards the end of April I went on a cruise on board Silversea's brand new Silver Dawn. This was one of my all time best cruises visiting FIVE new ports: Fusina, Hvar, Messina, Palermo & Porto Santo Stefano. I was also able to visit FIVE fabulous new towns: Taormina, Sorrento, Porto Cervo, Porto Ercole & Lucca! I escorted FIVE tours including the Prunelli Gorge on Corsica.
In May I went on a cruise on the new Ambassador cruise line's Ambience. En route to Tilbury, I visited my sister-in-law Pam in Harlow, also in Essex. We went to five British islands: Orkney, Skye, Mull, Tresco & Guernsey. I gave five enrichment lectures on: Macbeth, Elgar, Saint-Saens, Vikings & the Irish Sea. I escorted nine tours including a first visit to Aberdeen: the Granite City.
In June I went on a cruise on P&O's brand new Iona. I escorted four tours in Norway, three of which featured magnificent waterfalls. I gave two enrichment lectures: Fjords & Glaciers and escorted the Fjords & Glaciers all day tour!
In July I lectured on Saga's Spirit of Adventure going to Spitsbergen in the Svalbard archipelago of the Arctic Ocean. I gave seven port talks and went on four tours. Each evening I danced with the lovely Linda from Lincoln. The highlights of the cruise were the glacier scenic cruising where we saw polar bears and beluga whales!
In August I lectured on Silversea's Silver Spirit cruising down the Adriatic sea from Venice to Athens. I gave nine port talks and escorted seven tours including first visits to Skradin, Budva & Pyrgos. We visited five islands: Hvar, Corfu, Kefalonia, Santorini & Crete. Each evening I was able to dance with Jane from Florida.
Back home for September, I was at last able to catch up with my house and garden. I had a lovely short break in Devon visiting Castle Drogo, Coleton Fishacre and Powderham Castle. At the end of September, I was given a new Open University T802 MSc student to supervise. My previous one from Cape Town graduated with a distinction for his MSc thesis!
At the end of September I went on another Mediterranean cruise for the first time on Fred. Olsen's (FOCL) Bolette. I escorted six tours and gave five enrichment lectures including Picasso, Michelangelo & Leonardo da Vinci. This was my first post CoViD cruise working with two dance hosts and a dance couple.
In October I went on my second Silver Dawn cruise to the Mediterranean, where I had an enormous FIVE roomed suite on board! I gave seven port talks and escorted five tours including my very first time on an electric bicycle!
One couple sent me a hand written note at the end of the cruise saying: "We did not get to see your lectures in person, but we were so happy to be able to fit them in our schedule via the television. We loved the format and the information given; extremely useful and interesting. We have sailed with Silversea since 2012 and have listened to many speakers. Bravo! You are doing a great job!"
I stayed on board for the follow on cruise, where I gave seven port talks and escorted six tours including visiting four new villages: Roquebrune, Tarquinia, Sanary & Bandol. We were unable to tender into Portofino, so went to Genoa instead. I had just half an hour in which to switch my port talk over! Genoa had free funiculars, elevators and underground trains, so I joy rode all day!
After just one week at home, I joined P&O's Arcadia in SoToN for a trans-atlantic repositioning cruise. I gave five pop music talks on Elvis, Elton, Cliff, Freddie & Michael Jackson, together with two geology lectures and one on the North Atlantic ocean itself. We had just one port of call: Santa Cruz de Tenerife, where I took the tram to San Cristobal de la Laguna as usual. Chris from Poole was again on board, so we had lots of dancing together. I flew home from Bridgetown, Barbados.
This Christmas I will be giving the port talks on Saga's Spirit of Discovery going to the Canaries. On board will be Scottish Jan the dancer from Shropshire, drummer Paul Johnson, singer Jamie Flanagan and shorex man Red Rod from Colombia amongst others! New Year will be spent in Gibraltar for the first time, rather than in Funchal, Madeira as usual.
As I write, I have four cruises booked for next year, two enrichment lecturing with FOCL and two doing port talks with Saga.
Towards the end of the year, I splashed out GBP 170 on a second hand Apple iMac computer which I use for playing CDs and watching TV, but not for serious work!
When I was at home during the year, I went line dancing with Karl Harry Winson on Wednesday evenings at Hillbourne Social Club. In the Autumn, I started going to Graham & James's sequence dancing on a Tuesday evening also there. Some Saturdays I was able to dance at the County Line socials in St. Leonard's, but no longer at Highcliffe Social Club. Some Thursdays and Sundays I was able to go out with my local walking group.
I hope you and your family and friends are keeping well. Do keep in touch!
Martin
2022 Cruises 4 Silversea 4 Saga 2 P&O 1 FOCL 1 Ambassador __ 12 Total