Starting the voyage

When my wife and I finally went to Antarctica in November on the Ocean Nova, a Quark ship that carried us and 62 other passengers, it was the highlight of the year, if not a lifetime (well not yet!). As with all such 'expeditions', 'adventures', 'holidays', 'trips' or 'cruises' (though 'voyage' or 'journey' sound better as …

....well on a ship in a bumpy sea

Dunno which was more exciting, the wildllfe or the morning tea as both were remarkable displays but the farm house feeding frenzy was something to behold.

Port Stanley to be precise

.... but then I am most of the time

.... but the sea wasn't (still)

Visited Right Whale Bay, Salisbury Plain and Prion Island in a gale so no time for afternoon tea to compete with the drama, penguins, seals and albatrosses so the penguins win flippers down.

A day of the old whaling stations; Stromness and Grytviken. The graves of the men who died there can be seen but not the graves of hundreds of thousands of whales killed. Toasted Shackleton at his graveside with rum (much more preferable to tea). Bought two acres, or was it hectares, of rat poison to help the rat eradication program.

........ and still a gale, if not a storm, blowing. Last night though was in the sheltered Godthul Bay. Backtracked to Gold Harbour and then on to Drygalski Fiord in 70 plus knot wind. Spectacular. Worth missing afternoon tea.