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Published: August 12th 2012
Forgive my intrusion into M's space but he is quietly snoozing after a hectic last week at Harford School while I take on the blog! (I will not attempt to match his writing style so please forgive my clumsy efforts).
Despite leaving the UK on the Friday the Olympics started, Heathrow T5 was remarkably quiet – I guess all who were coming to the UK had already arrived! The journey to Cape Town was uneventful except for a slight flight delay caused by a malfunctioning air con unit on the plane and a passenger who decided to leave the flight at the last minute!
Having settled into my very comfortable hotel in CT the V & A wharf beckoned. This development is a pleasant spot on the sea front in CT with music, restaurants and shops, which give it a real vibrancy. In the evening the travel rep at the hotel escorted me to a place called ‘Richard’s’ – a bar/restaurant in essence with a ‘show’ thrown in. The ‘show’ proved to be slightly bizarre with a SA troop of family players extolling the virtues of CT in a somewhat pantomime like fashion, entertaining it certainly was! The following morning my plans to take the tour bus to Table Mountain were usurped as, unfortunately, the cable car was under repair so the planned visit to the top had to be postponed for my return journey, a shame really as the weather was perfect. I liked CT a lot and want to see more.
On boarding the RMS St Helena later in the day I was greeted by several friends Michael has made on SH who were returning to the island, they immediately made me feel very welcome and we were soon indulging in G&T’s on a warm and sunny deck. The RMS is quite unique, dare I say charming and has a real ‘family’ feel about it. Food, games (deck cricket proving to be the most amusing experience especially when the rope balls go over the boundary – oops ‘side’) and quizzes (yes quizzes folks!) being its mainstay. Alongside this is the remarkable experience of sailing with Albatross flying very close by! Save for a moment at 5.30am on the third day at sea when the pitch propeller and port engine failed simultaneously (and we were temporarily thrown to the whims of the ocean currents with crockery flying in all directions) the journey was thoroughly wonderful and the weather mostly kind. The last night on board is full of deck games and a BBQ (slightly surreal to be lighting fires on deck) and by now most of those on board know each other very well – Saints, Danes, Brits, South Africans, a Jules Verne tour group and the crew, so the skittles competition is a great finish between crew and passengers.
We arrived at SH in the early hours of Sat morning (about 1700 miles from CT) – it reminded me of the trip round Cape Horn on our SA cruise – the island looked eerily grey as it loomed high in front of us as we approached from the south. At this point I must add that I had suffered a relapse of my old knee problem on board ship and consequently my disembarkation from the RMS via the ‘Sky Taxi’ has been committed to a permanent video record thanks to Robin’s efforts to record it for posterity (the Dr. felt the jump from the gangplank to the shore tender would probably end with me in the ocean!) The swinging cage (the only way to describe it really) was an unforgettable experience.
Michael was, of course, waiting at the dockside to greet me and whisked me off to his ‘bijoux residence’ in the hills via the most challenging road system one is ever likely to encounter – ‘giving way’ to those coming up hill and stopping at every bend as we pause on the single track roads with only a small wall separating us from the hundreds of feet drop on one side even beats driving in Corsica. (Makes the Long Mynd at Church Stretton an absolute doddle!)
This week has been an introduction to the delightful manners of the inhabitants – always say hello to everyone, wave in the car to everyone and chat to people you don’t know from Adam – they are genuinely delightfully friendly. Sunday morning was a dolphin/whale-watching boat trip with success on both counts (an enormous, pregnant humped-backed whale came within 50’ of us). I have been to Harford School prize-giving, sampled ‘Donny’s’, ‘The Consulate’ and ‘Ann’s Place’ that M has so fondly spoken of (besides which they are the only way to watch TV as we have none at the house) and I have tried in vain to see the ‘green spot’ as the sun sets on the ocean in front of our window.
Shopping is an experience in itself – the butchers only has fresh meat on Weds/Thurs morning (discovered to my cost on Friday!) and all meat seems to be one price per kilo regardless of cut and has to be ordered one week in advance, milk is all UHT, bread is gone by midday or earlier and Cadbury’s chocolate bars are bought by the dozen because ‘when it’s gone, it’s gone’ until the next boat. (All this has eluded M as he never has time to shop apart from Sat mornings in the supermarket). Friday was an exclusive visit with some travelling companions from the boat to Longwood House and The Briars (Napoleon’s last residences), which proved to be really fascinating due to the comprehensive knowledge of the local guides. The only downfall to the island so far is the erratic weather, which produces brilliant sunshine one minute and torrential rain the next - so glad I brought the brolly!
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David R Turner
David R Turner
At last!
Great to hear from you Di and glad that you landed safely. Looking forward to further updates from a female perspective...