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 Braemar7th 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
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.
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 trip9th 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.
Fulmers join the ship11th 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!
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.
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.
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
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