Category: Marco Polo

Today, we arrived at our final port destination before the last leg home; Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel in the Azores. Free from tour escorting duties, we ate a leisurely breakfast before heading ashore. The sun was shining, but a keen breeze kept things cool, so I was back in long trousers and a jumper for the first time in...

Today, just before the second class, we had another brief visit from the Captain. He asked how everything was going, and when we said that all was good, he told us that we should make the best of the class because the weather after Ponta Delgada is expected to get rough, so it might be our last of the trip....

We lost another hour last night which meant that when the alarm went off, it was still dark. I’m not much of a morning person, so that was a little tough… I missed my hour. The classes went well, though; I had them producing a picture through negative painting, and we just have one more day to go before we...

Today, the sea swell doesn’t seem to have been quite so severe, and the weather outside has been encouragingly sunny. The navigational charts show that the storm has moved slightly, so we’re hoping the worst might still be avoided. This morning’s class had a brief visit from the Captain, who poked his head around the door to see how everyone...

We’ve been watching the navigational charts that are posted daily by the Shorex desk with interest, and a certain amount of growing trepidation. The charts show different colours, referring to approximate wave height. Blue represents flat sea; green represents waves of just a few feet; purple means they are getting much higher, and represents the kind of rolling sea that...