Ocean Majesty to Spitzbergen

Hi All

Well back from another trip to Norway, yes Norway again! Actually we were both of that opinion calling in at old familiar towns and cities, but this trip had another string to its bow! Spitzbergen and the land of Polar Bears!

Back to the beginning and our first time with Page and Moy on Ocean Majesty leaving from Harwich another first for us as well. Being so close to Ipswich we decided to take the lovely girls from Fred. Olsen Cruises out to lunch as a thank you for their help when cruising on their ships. It was great to finally meet up and put faces to emails and phone conversations.
Anyway back to Page and Moy, we left in glorious sunshine which was a real treat unfortunately by the time we got to our first port of Floro the weather had changed and we had a very wet welcome back from Norway.
I guess this must be why the waterfalls are so large and powerful! I kept the people in shot to give you some idea of scale and this is probably only half the actual size of this magnificent sight.






I had already done my opening lecture on understanding your digital camera to two(yes two) packed audiences, impressed I can tell.....well to tell the truth the theatre on the Ocean majesty can only accommodate half the passengers so everyone has to do two lectures back to back and identical. I could do the back to back but identical, no chance!




While I was photographing the waterfall above a couple of keen photographers from the ship, did what all photographers do.....walked right in front of me and the others taking the scene. Great news for me I had an image from the cruise I could manipulate on my next lecture. I have adopted this as more the norm now as I find it more interesting to passengers to see an image they may have well taken and see what improvements could be made.
























Before and after, thanks again lads!

The next day was much brighter, unfortunately we were at sea, we all hoped this was not going to be the theme for the cruise! We went past the Arctic Circle Monument and the infamous Mount Torghatten, a large mountain with a hole straight through it, very strange. we were now in the land of the midnight sun, really confusing to the old brain box, still out taking images under near daylight conditions at 2 in the morning. it is an extremely weird sight to see the sun move toward the horizon only to bounce back up before it disappears. Did not manage to get my usual wildlife fix on this cruise, with just this fleeting glimpse of a ??? help!, but I was very pleased with the Fulmer formation team that graced us with their presence.

Onto Honningvag and the North Cape Monument. I have photographed this in almost all seasons now with this being the the final part of the jigsaw, a shot at 11:30 pm!Then the bit I really signed on for Spitzbergen. The day at sea was terrible weather with thick mist down to hardly any visibility. This was not a gentle mist that might add interest to photography this was a pea souper. but on the morning of the arrival in Longyearbyen, Spitzbergen, brilliant sunshine,thank you, thank you.

Snow covered mountains and a treat of wildlife that just didn't seems to be shy of man, with Mary taking pictures by my side. Ticking all the boxes for me. Mind you, the image with the mountains and Spitzbergen industrial side paints a different picture.

Ahhh about the Polar bear. Yes it is a real polar bear, it's just a dead stuffed polar bear. Quite upsetting to see such a magnificent beast put here for the tourist...well not really it appears this one and others like it came into the town scavenging for food. these are huge powerful animals, not the warm and cuddly creaturs most of us think they are. In the next image this brings home just how real the threat is, a family man out shopping with a high velocity rifle ready for action.

A couple of the shops we went in had a sign "The fur products in this store are already dead, please leave your gun at the counter"

Had to get the shot of the stretched limo, WOW what a hen or stag weekend that would be?

Then on to the Magdelana Fjord with a truly magnificent sky to cap it off. The fjord culminates in a huge glacier which we managed to get quiet close to, well it felt that way, anyway.Another great excuse for a few panoramic shots that I can stitch together in my next lecture.

Now this is one of those nice rarities, someone asked whether Mary and I would like a shot together, so here it is. Amazing these pull down backgrounds you can get these days!

We finally had to say goodbye to this manificent place, wonderful in the brilliant weather we had but a bleak and desolate place through the winter. Next stop Tromoso, mainland Norway, I must have been here half a dozen times and at last I finally got into the Arctic cathedral, an amazing structure which Tromoso is famous for. We had docked just over the bridge from the Cathedral so a quick walk and we were there. WOW fantastic design outside but left you feeling a little disappointed inside.

When we left the cathedral I managed to talk Mary into walking on further and getting the cable car for another panoramic of the city. I had to presuide her as we have done it before. but we were both glad we made the effort as our car had some guys with very large rucksacks....well actually parachutes..Kool! Honestly what the Norwegian will do not to pay the return fare! yes they take the cable car up and then just walk off the mountain and float down to the car park and do it all again. Simple, brilliant fun and a great photo opportunity.

Then onto the Lofoten Islands and this time we had to tender to the shore, but well worth it as we escorted a trip to the beautiful village of Nusfjord where I manged to photograph these great jellyfish, without a polarising filter, I just managed to have the reflection of a house in shade to get the desired effect.

Loads of very noisy Kittiwakes(I think?) well they were noisy whatever they were! this one has the caption of "What time do you call this?"But he must have had flowers or amazing charm as within a minute they were cuddled up.

Lectures were going really well and I had asked to do an extra one as I had so much I wanted to share with those who were interested, which seemed to be most of them.

Just had to put an early morning shot in and here it is. Taken at 1 minute past midnight like I said crazy, the sun still hasn't set. Technical detail, whether you want it or not, actually do you want me to include more hints and tips with technical notes in future blogs? just let me know keith@tigpud.com ISO 400 55mm lens f 5.6 @ 1/80 sec. On a moving ship, but of course.

Next stop Andalsnes and Mary got mobbed by Arctic Terns, well I say mobbed they were carrying a fish around, well all the males were. So can anyone help with this question were the birds trying to show off to the females as they held the fish for ages and flew around with it?

Now I was walking around exactly the same area as Mary and never got mobbed, the only difference, and I don't know if this is significant Mary was wearing a red top and I had black on. Also I had a camera with a large lens to repel all invaders, another great use for lens!

Escorting again but this time on a journey by coach first of all and then a scenic railway trip, through the Romsdal Valley, back to the ship. Fantastic scenery but hardly anytime for photography.
We called in at the Troll Wall, which is the tallest vertical rock face in Europe, 1100 meters from the base to the summit at its tallest. At its steepest, the summit overhangs the base by nearly fifty meters. Believe it or not they have made it illegal to jump off it, who in there right mind would........well actually what an adrenaline fix to end all fixes!

Look it up on the Internet to see why it has been banned.

Then onto Molde, now I haven't mentioned the weather that much, but we have been really lucky up to date, with poor weather when we are at sea and it doesn't matter and good days when we are on land. Almost perfect cruising! Molde, then actually broke the mould, the weather was pretty awful, actually raining and lots of it, back to why they have great waterfalls in Norway I guess.

Escorted a group on the Atlantic road, an amazing feat of engineering but on a bleak, water soaked day, just a drive up and down a road with bridges.

Then our last port of call, Good old Bergen! Well as I mentioned in my last Norway blog, Bergen I swear is Viking for wet!

Although it wasn't actually raining, well yes it did a bit, but not much really and having been here so many times before we were ready for it.

No trips this time we have done them all and wanted to explore the areas for ourselves. we found some wonderful places that had eluded us in the past. I guess it's like going to any city several times first you do all the usual sights and then just start finding out more about the places the local go.

Talking of locals the guy in the shot above was playing with lots of toy boats, or probably he would have called them models. These were amazing like the Airfix ones I used to make but he had fitted motors and an ingenious system of holding fireworks that spat out a barrage of gun fire to sink the other vessels, presumably from the other fleet. good theory and entertaining to watch as the ships never went where they were supposed to go and he never actually hit another ship!

But take a look at this guy. He was of oriental origins and to all intents and purposes dressed as a Pacific fleet captain...........in Bergen..........Norway!

Well looking back on the cruise, I look back very fondly on my time on Ocean Majesty. There were a few issues with timings and the final leg back from Bergen to Harwich was.........different. We had to anchor in a fjord 12 miles away from the North Sea because of a force 11 yes 11 that's one off hurricane severe gale. Raging in the North Sea, so we arrived over 12 hours late which made the last day very long, indeed.

I offered and got the opportunity to do a slide show of our trip and then we commandeered the theatre to have a slide show of Norway through all seasons. This went down really well, hopefully not because they had no where else to go?

Finally looking back on another trip to Norway.....well.......BRILLIANT a wonderful country with spectacular scenery and friendly English speaking people.

Until next time, take care

Keith

Kilimanjaro Climb Every Mountain

Here I am, back in the UK after what can only be described as an amazing 10 days!
I guess you want the full rundown on climbing Kilimanjaro? Well either way you are going to get it if you keep on reading.


23rd June jump in car, around 2 pm, to head off for Heathrow to meet up with the UK contingent of the trip. I should add at this point that I completely misunderstood the requirements for anti-malaria tablets. But the great team at our local doctors and chemist bailed me out, literally at the last moment. Gave them huge thanks and a box of chocolates, I think that was the clincher, or maybe the fact I wore the charity tee shirt may have helped. Uneventful flight, made even more uneventful by the fact very few of the video screens worked. Arrived in Nairobi early hours of Wednesday.



24th June relatively quick, HA!HA!, paperwork from customs, why are you here? Where are you going? Where are you stopping? etc We were only going to be in the country for 6 hours then transfer to coach with all major gear being strapped to roof, camera gear held firmly in grip as I was jumped aboard. We all looked so fresh faced and ready for the mountain.

Unfortunately we had an 11 hour coach journey mainly on unmade roads through Kenya. A request came of "could we have some music on, please" the first song was..........you guessed it "we’re on the road to nowhere" by Talking heads, how appropriate!

When we got to the border with Tanzania, well form after form appeared. They don't appear to have many trees here so the paper must have been brought in from further afield. Finally arrived at the hotel, very civilised.
Just time to freshen up and a briefing from hell about how best to die from AMS (advanced mountain sickness) with the ultimate tip "the best we can do is spot the problems and get you down, damn quick" On average 2 or more people die on Kili a year! Keith frantically going through notes from UK looking for the "get me off the mountain free card".
No alcohol and a relatively early night for us all. I’d met Steve, my Kili buddy, at the training weekend in the Brecon Beacons earlier in the year. Meeting up again was great with this adventure becoming evermore pressing, well it had actually already started, but I tend to be late for everything, so mine hadn't kicked in just yet.

25th June just a short 3 hour journey, that was how it was put to us, on roads that made yesterdays look like a motorway! Stopping off in one village where an African lady was scrabbling around in the dirt of the road picking up gravel that had dropped from a passing truck. Everything, but everything, has a value in these terribly poor regions.

All arrived safe and sound at Naromoru Park Gate and the very start of the Nalemuru route. Quick lunch and we are finally off trekking in Africa. WOW! Suddenly realise all my efforts for training were not in the best of directions, gulp. Namely hard stints of mountain biking around the south downs, working out using the ships gym when at sea for a couple of hours a day. All without my rucksack, idiot! My knees ached, then my hips ached and then my back ached, not a lot but enough to make me aware of them and this was just the beginning.
After about an hour we came across some Colobus monkeys, all my pain disappeared as I enjoyed the spectacle of them feasting on maize cobs. Then we had a group of Yellow Backed Baboons right there in our path, everyone by now had got the measure of Keith and I was eagerly pushed to the front to capture them forever in digital media. I must admit, FILM did sound so much better.
Around 5 pm we arrive at Simba camp, didn't see any Disney lions so a little disappointed, but it did mean I could sleep without worry.
Our porters and guides gave us a welcome song and dance, apparently this is quite rare, they must have known we were going to be no trouble. Dinner was amazing, as was all the food and drink on this trip. Then the treat of an African sunset and my first night under canvas. Ahhh I hadn't actually mentioned it to anyone else either, well why spoil the surprise? Well yes the first time I had slept in a sleeping bag was in the Brecon Beacons, as I mentioned earlier, but this was my first time under canvas and the first long trek I have ever attempted, GULP! Apparently, so I recently found out, most people climb things like Ben Nevis, Snowdon, then onto the Great Wall of China , then Machu Picchu then and only then KILIMANJARO. Well I'm obviously not everyone, am I?

26th June had a pretty goodnight’s sleep but woke early, as when I'm apart from Mary I never get a brilliant night of rest. Benefit of this, I get to capture the African sunrise. Breathtaking, to see our challenge slowly being illuminated by the rising sun.
Cooked breakfast and a cup of tea, I could get used to this camping after all. Then off for an 8 hour trek, can't believe I'm calling 8 hours a trek! Through some amazing scenery of moorland, scattered with boulders and coming across lava caves. We don't get many of those on the South Downs!!
Now hear this! One of the young ladies on our trip had a birthday, today. We all signed a card to her which was of a sailing yacht! Then the truly amazing thing......the cooks and porters came in with a birthday day with icing and 5 candles. Don't even ask where it all came from although I do know the cake was produced by steaming over an incredibly low flame for over 2 hours. What a way to spend your 50th birthday?
It gets dark around 7:30pm and then the temperature really starts to drop. But the stars looked so gorgeous I just had to stay out and capture our illuminated tents with the best star background ever. Then around 9.30pm our mountain became a silhouette with the moon for lighting, awesome.

27th June up around 5:30 am again for another sunrise. Yes I know I have loads of them but I enjoy being behind the camera when Mother Nature puts on her displays. We are above cloud level now at around 3600m so the sunrise is somewhat different to those seen by me onboard ship. Fantastic to now see our mountain lit by the orange glow of the morning sun from exactly the same spot I caught it being illuminated by the moon last night. Short day of trekking today, oh get me 3 days in and 4 hours trekking is a short day. One place we actually had a scramble up some rocks, great fun.
My phone seems to be playing up but Gary, a really helpful guy, lent me his phone to speak to Mary. Oh so good to hear her voice and tell her all is calm.
Seems very weird to be heading away from Kili but we are off to Mawenzi Tarn to acclimatise for nearly 2 days.
Around 3 pm we are all rounded up to have a go at climbing scree. Seriously steep and very slippery, loose gravel for those of you, like me, unfamiliar with this term. Actually I had a go on some in Wales but thought it sounded more dramatic to plead ignorance. The other reason for the assent was to climb high and sleep low, apparently this helps acclimatisation, hey these guys know what they are doing.
Great dinner and you guessed it Keith out taking more night time scenes, well it would be rude not too.

28th June early rise again, yep sunrise was a callin' and what a beauty. Today we have a scramble up onto a ridge of high boulders setting off around 9am and back for lunch. Built a tarn for Mary, basically a pile of rocks forming a pyramid. Now normally I object to these as rock graffiti, but our one is very discrete and looks quite natural. Just a great place to come and spend time on my own thinking about the things you can only think about when you are at peace with the world around you. I found this little area of great help and even if I never go back I can still picture myself there.
Had another scary demo of what they will do to keep you alive at extreme altitude. Yep you read it right extreme altitude there is no higher description even if you summit Everest. Basically it was a PAC (portable altitude chamber) a large tube they place your limp body into and add oxygen pressure with a foot pump. This drops the altitude, using pressure so your body has time to get back to normal. They then remove you from the chamber and, rush you down the mountain, thus gaining valuable time. They used to actually put someone in it for the demo but an altimeter watch does the same thing, I did notice nobody actually jumped forward to have ago.
Went off for a little scramble with Steve to the lava caves above the camp before dinner and sunset.

29th June another beautiful dawn and leaving around 8 am to walk the saddle to Kibo. The scenery changes so quickly we are now walking in almost desert with the occasional boulder and low scrub plants. We come across a light aircraft plane crash from November of last year and are steered to avoid it. Rightly so, apparently it was an illegal pleasure flight from Kenya with a family including a young child and baby. Just shows you how vulnerable we all are, one second you are having the ride of your life with your family and then just another statistic the mountain has claimed.
Arriving at Kibo around 1 pm I'm out photographing the area and decide that a rock climb might be in order to get that panoramic record to show where we were. Apparently one of the Marie Curie reps came out of his tent saw me on the top of the rocks and turned the other way. I guess people under your charge can't fall unless you see them do it! Steve was going to join me but announced that he had broken no less than 30 bones in his body, now he tells me. But he was happy to guide me back down so I could get foot and hand holds, thank you Steve.

Sunset behind our mountain with spectacular rays of light to finish off another perfect day in Africa. well almost finish off that is. We had an early dinner and bed as we were getting up at 11pm to start climbing to the summit at midnight, you are kidding, right? NOPE.

30th June SUMMIT DAY. This is it, we are off in a tight group to ascend to the highest part on the African continent. To put this more into context, Kibo is already higher than the highest point in Europe and that include Mount Blanc. All wearing head torches and looking at the heels of the person in front. The assent was broken down into bite size chunks, namely 1 hour sections, supposed to be totalling 6. This was extremely steep on scree as we had practised; we traversed the mountain on well worn paths and within an hour were overtaken by a Korean party. This was not a race and Chris the overall leader gave the impression that we would be seeing them again in the not too distant future, how right he was.
Within another hour or so we had gone past the Koreans, our constant pace of "poli-poli", slowly- slowly in Swahili, had stood us in good stead. We summated early, just after 5 am to Gilmans point. Then after a short while we were asked if we wanted to go on to Uhuru point. Hell yes that's what I came for, wasn't it?

Unfortunately, unknown to us at this time, 3 members of our team were not going to make the summit. A real shame but Kili is not going anywhere so if they feel they must do it I'm sure she will welcome them back.
Now the worst list for an expedition leader, I have this on great authority, would be photographer, pain in the bum always last always wanting that one more shot p-l-e-a-s-e! Someone who has never camped before and last but by no means least someone who has never attempted a climb before. That all kind of points to..............me. Well with all this to play for and nothing to lose, I felt great, sort of on top of the world I guess? Well Africa anyway.
So we set off for the final challenge, well not quite we do have to get down as well, oh forgot about that bit. With the sun rising behind us, I managed to get a few shots of the fantastic scene, big surprise there then. The crater took on a very different feel as the day lightened the scene around us. Head torches give you a very different perspective as they only illuminate a short distance and obviously only where you are looking you get no feeing of the scale or vastness and reality of where you now tread.
We came across the massive glacier snowfield; unfortunately I have no scale of this amazing natural phenomenon left from the ice age. But this is nothing to its glory a few years ago; yes the glacier is shrinking at an astounding rate, due to you guessed it - Global Warming. Scientists now estimate that the glacier will be totally gone in around 20 years, a real shame, but I can’t see an end to the erosion.
Then I DID IT, well actually we did it, yes, Steve and I had a picture taken at the top of Africa. Now surely I would be allowed to cut some slack to take pictures of this magnificent scene? No time, we have to start the descent. The right thing to do I agree but it was sooooo very stunning up there.
One member of the team had gone rather gaga, well he was struggling with removing his lens cap, and started to become quite incoherent. You guessed it AMS. One of the guides got him under one arm and our tri-athlete participant representing Marie Curie grabbed his other arm and off he went at break neck speed down to Kibo. You will be very pleased to know he, as is the case with most AMS sufferers, was fine once they got him to a better level of oxygen and altitude.
Slowly coming back to Gilmans point and someone else fell victim, no not me, but our birthday girl. Completely exhausted and struggling with every slight incline. Mind you I was moving a lot slower and any incline really made you gasp for breath.
Back at Gilmans Moses, the main Guide leader, virtually picked her up and trundled her off at an amazing speed. That just left Chris and I to make the final descent, me dragging my heels still trying to capture these amazing scenes.
Finally back at my tent to pack, get some lunch, and be back on the trail by 1 pm, for another 4 hours of downhill trekking. That felt real good, downhill on a gentle slope, to Horombo camp. Steve and I crash out in our tent, by 5:30pm and missed dinner, slept right through until nearly 6am. Both feel totally refreshed and ready for the final day trekking back to our hotel.
One extra bit of info on the day, Mary had flowers delivered today with a note from me saying "Summit day and to summit all up I'm shouting my love for you from the top of Africa" Brownie point hero or what?

1st July we are again spoilt with a parting song from the guides and porters and we have raised over $1850 to say thank you to our most valuable commodity on this trip.
Setting off at 8:20am everyone can kick back a little and enjoy this final day through a vast changing scenery from scrubland/moorland through the rainforest. Then onto Marangu Park Gate to get on the coach for a 15 minute journey to the comfort of our hotel at around 4:30pm.
Kilimanjaro beer just tastes brilliant! That’s all I have to say on that subject and the more you drink the better it tastes too. Gala dinner with all the ladies making a real effort and most of the guys, well just being guys I guess. Oh come on we put on cleanish Tee shirts and trousers that hadn't been worn on the trip, what more could they ask for?

2nd July Leaving Africa for the flight home, not so fast. Yep another long long journey on unmade roads, more bureaucracy at the border and arrived at airport with 3 hours to kill. Great. Mind you the scenery again was amazing and when I did eventually pick up my car and was heading round the M25 I realised that less than 24 hours earlier I was on a dirt road being bounced about, covered in dust, Crazy.

The one main thing I have learnt from all this excitement and travelling in recent times is the fact that nothing, bar nothing, beats being with your soul mate, wherever that may be.

A brief video I will be uploading a bigger version on the website and have full res copies of the whole trip for sale.

First trip on MS Braemar

Hi Everyone
Yes just arrived back from a most wonderful time on Fred.Olsen's ship MS Braemar. We joined the ship in Dover, great news as no waiting at airports or luggage restrictions, on Saturday 6th June.

Fred.Olsen Braemar

7th June a day at sea.

My first lecture. Really big attendance and went very well with loads of questions and setting of cameras afterwards.

8th June. Bergen.

Now a little insight into Bergen. This is a charming city, but to be honest every cruise ship calls into the port and having been to Norway 5 times now we were wondering what to do. Bergen is renowned for rain, in fact it rains in Bergen on average 271 days a year! they even have a festival every year in to celebrate the rain.
We had a great day, wall to wall sunshine or more appropriate Fjord to Fjord sunshine. With no trips organised what can I treat Mary to with all this fantastic weather...........A flight in a sea plane, well what else? Our pilot Grant was a great guy and asked where we wanted to go. Glaciers and the wonderful landscape as opposed to the city was our joint answer. Grant said"not sure what the weather is going to be like when we head for the glacier, so why don't we just go and take a look and decide when we are up there?"
As you do I thought. he made it sound like just popping into town between showers

Well take off went very well and we wound up with just a local flight, as the weather was starting to close in over the glacier and the smoothest of landings made this the most memorable first flight in a sea plane.
Our only slight concern was the fact that Grant cut the engine as we were nearing the harbour, jumped out onto the wing and then dragged the plane to a halt and asked"are you getting out or what?" A pilot leaving the plane while it is still in motion is a worrying experience, but I guess he didn't have a parachute on so not to worry.

Sea Plane trip

9th June. Skjolden, Norway.

Went on a great trip right up to the foot of a glacier,WOW! Weather first thing was overcast but on the way back the skies cleared and had a very scenic tour back. Met up with a couple who know my daughter and had a great time, so much so that we arranged to meet up for a meal and drinks afterwards.

10th June at sea.

Second lecture and John Butt the cruise director, my boss, commented that I was packing them in. Lecture went down well and the audience got an insight into my life as a professional photographer. Threw in a few hints and tips to tempt them to come to the other lectures as well.

Fulmers join the ship

11th June at sea.

Lectures are now moving into using Photoshop Elements with a great audience asking questions, just the way I like it.

A whale tail to be proud of.

12th june Isafjordur, Iceland.

This was our first trip to Iceland teamed up with our new friends and just went for a walk around the town. managed to get a ferry organised for an afternoon trip to a small island that is a bird and wildlife sanctuary. Saw a fin appear in the harbour and after a short time manged to photograph a couple of porpoises, heaven. Fantastic weather and great photo opportunities Den and I even got dive bombed by Arctic terns, we were no where near the nests but they thought they would make there presence felt.

13th June Reykjavik, Iceland.

Honestly, never been to Iceland before and we are there twice in two days, great. I was escorting a 9 hour trip to a glacier, when I say I was escorting, Mary did all the counting etc and passenger welfare, I just took the shots and made sure I was last back to make a check everyone was on board! Well that was my excuse anyway.

Weather a little overcast again, but no rain, the trip was brilliant. We went to the toe of the glacier and then donned complete over suits and boots to climb aboard a monster 8 wheel drive open truck. This thing looked like a Tonka toy on steroids! We were driven about a mile onto the glacier and then allowed to get out and play in the snow. They had a large snow fall the day before so every step you sank down about a foot, loads of fun with people falling over in this very strange environment. This particular glacier is around 900metre thick, a foot of snow didn't make much difference I guess.

Big boys toys!

On the way back we called in at some glacier waterfalls. weather again overcast but Keith and waterfalls a brilliant combination for Mary to just chillout. I get so much joy just being behind the camera that to record such natural beauty makes me totally forget we have a schedule. Last on the coach again.
Met up with some great friends who had joined the ship after a nightmare journey from the UK. An 11 hour flight delay. The lengths people will go to, to avoid buying me a drink!

14th June at sea.

Moving on with getting the audience going with what can be done with images, Keith just having fun I guess. Finding myself really relaxed with this crowd, they all seem so keen and even laugh at my jokes. I got in the habit of starting with a couple of jokes and when I asked them "humour or straight onto photoshop" they shouted humour.

15th Torshavn, Faroe Isles.
Weather fantastic and a trip on a small, very powerful, boat around the rugged cliff coast. we were asked to wear hard hats, I thought perhaps the Arctic Terns here have metal beaks or something. Apparently it was in case of falling rocks etc. we went in and out of caves with nesting Guillemots, Puffins, Terns and even Shearwaters to name but a few.

16th Invergordon, Scotland.

First visit here as well and not on the original itinerary, we were supposed to go to Kirkwall. Weather started well but changed to slightly overcast and windy. Had a rushed tour, that had an itinerary that gave us far too little time in places. A real shame as it is a beautiful part of the world. I approached John, the cruise director, to see if I could have an extra slot on the final day to share my images with the audience I had enjoyed being with, he was a bit dubious, Keith twice in one day, could have people using lifeboats to get away. Most lecturers just want to do their quota and enjoy the cruising, I enjoyed this crowd so much I wanted to go the extra mile for them.

17th June, at sea.
YES! Two slots, one at 11 am to finish off the photoshop hints and tips and another at 3 pm with a slide show. Both went down extremely well, it was a very windy day, but I'm sure they would have come anyway.

Thank you to all the people that made Mary and myself so welcome on the cruise. The staff were brilliant and to make new friends and catch up with old friends was just perfect.

Kilimanjaro....

Yes it has come round already, I leave for Nairobi on the 8pm flight from Heathrow on Tuesday. Where did all my training time go? Well mostly cruising I guess. I hope to write another blog before I leave so until then, take care.

Keith