Read this article on EuropeUpClose at http://www.europeupclose.com/a-visit-to-finlands-santa-claus-village If you’re anything like me - single, with no young kids, and not 10 years old myself - then you might share my reluctance to admit any great excitement for Christmas. There’s something embarrassing about feeling giddy at the first sign of peppermint, and people look at you like you’re crazy if you sing along to carols in shops. Truth is, Christmas is for kids and most adults are proud to be cynical about the holiday. But in the north of Finland, in a region called Lapland, is a place where Christmas is celebrated in all its red and white glory, by young and old, year-round. A place where if you don’t have exuberant enthusiasm for all things merry, you’re not welcome. It’s the land of the Northern ... read more

Check-in; Excellent, particularly because there were many lost pax making their way onto the Ika, who were supposed to be on the Istok, and I was more than happy to escort them over there so I could flirt with the lovely new cookie, Nikola. Day 1; Mljet (Polace) Number of pax for dinner; 22 (bbq) We had a nice sail into Polace, lots of beers and friend-making, and a very nice swim stop. Our bbq was a big success because we ate outside in the lovely evening, and Mama was there being her crazy self, and the Istok was beside us so there were 2 boatloads to meet and chat with. In fact, the boats stuck close together all week (I think the Istok captain was doing me a favour), and it was great because the ... read more

Here is my tour report for my Gong Show week. I am forever indebted to the lovely Zile (waiter on the Providnost) for keeping me company when all around me were drunk. Split-Split 15/08/09 AM Providnost Number of pax; 14 Check-in; Fine, except that about an hour before the pax were set to arrive, I found out that Tonci, waiter on the Javorak and one of my closest friends out here (Tracey will remember him) was fired, and the cook on the same boat also quit. We'd been traveling with them for 3 days and hadn't heard a peep about it, so I was thrown for a bit of a loop. I couldn't find Tonci before we left Split to ask what happened or say goodbye. Sad. :( Day 1; Hvar Number of pax for dinner; ... read more

Check-in; pretty funny. I had 6 girls whom I expected to be total Princess pains in my neck because when they first saw the little Istok, they were appalled. I promised them during my welcome speech that they would love the boat by the end of the tour, but they didn't believe me. Sure enough, by the end of the week, they all wanted to chain themselves to a railing so they didn''t have to leave. The Istok is funny; the small size of it scares people at first, but between the amazing crew, the great food, and the wonderful experience of showering outside (because the bathrooms are far too small to shower inside), they wind up feeling fiercely loyal to it. It's physically the worst of all the boats, and yet it's the only one ... read more

Number of pax: 22 (20 girls under 23 ... It was quite the spectacle!) Lilo count; (are we still doing this, seeing as they all blow away?) I don't think we had any left, but some pax bought lilos along the way so we had 2 onboard by the end. Check-in; all good. Day 1; Omis Number of pax for dinner; 22 (bbq onboard) Day 4 of my non-drinking stint and I was feeling great, but it clearly couldn't go on any longer, so I got back into the swing of things with some cocktails on the boat with the girls. As the whispers spread around the Omis docks of 20 hot girls alone on a boat, we had many male visitors venturing over that night to see for themselves. Good night had by all. Day ... read more