A different perspective of Venice today. It is overcast and spitting rain. We have arrived after leaving Canberra and having a stopover in Singapore for two nights. It helps to break the flight times but still makes for a 42 hour day as the flight left Singapore at 11:30 pm , flew to London where we had a 3 hour wait and then on to Venice. We had chosen our hotel due to its location - not the Grand Canal but the Piazzale Di Roma as we were checking in for a cruise the next day and needed to be close to the People Mover which would take us to the cruise terminal. The Hotel Arllechino was the perfect location. A refreshing complimentary Prosecco while we waited to checkin was well received. The rain increased and ... read more

Half Moon Island is a 2km long crescent shaped island between Greenwich and Livingston Islands. There were thousands of Chinstrap Penguins to greet us in foggy weather. The island is very rocky and muddy. We also saw a giant petrel and some fur seals. The penguins had no fear of us and because there were so many of them we didn't have to keep our distance as they walked amongst us. Back to the ship for lunch and then we set sail for Deception Island, our last off boat stop for the trip. Deception Island is located in the South Shetland Islands. This island is the caldera of an active volcano, which seriously damaged local scientific stations in 1967 and 1969 and is reached through the Neptune's Bellows. There is a former whaling station (Hektor station) ... read more

We sailed this morning into Marguerite Bay and became the first Ponant boat to sail this far south 68.1°(2419 km from the South Pole). This caused much excitement particularly from the captain. We then had our first off zodiac excursion. We were taken to Pourquois Pas (Why Not) Island, discovered by French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot and named after his boat, to see the Adelie penguins and their rookeries. At this time of year they are completing the moulting season (about two weeks) before heading back to sea with their waterproof coat on. The Adelie Penguin often looks overweight. It is short but wide. They are very short with an overall height of no more than 30 inches. They weigh approximately 8-13 pounds. They can be identified by the white rings around their eyes. Their beak has ... read more

Before I start apologies for the delay in posting these blogs. We ended up on an old-fashioned holiday - no internet or phone. We are now home but I have decided to record them anyway. After leaving Buenos Aires we flew to Ushaia , the southernmost town in South America, nicknamed the "end of the world". It is the gateway to Antarctica for cruises. After being collected at the airport we were given a quick overview of the town and then left to explore on our own and have lunch. The weather changed from cool and sunny to cold to wet to snow!! Le Lyrial is a Ponant boat and is only 8 months old. We are on a Scenic tour and are joining many others who have come either directly from Australia or have been ... read more

Another Singapore Stopover so time to visit something new for us – Sentosa Island. We bought train tickets for the MRT to Harbourfront station, walked through Vivo City shopping mall and then set off along the boardwalk to Sentosa. The day had the haze of yesterday hanging over the city but the lack of sun was probably a bonus. We only had to contend with the humidity. There is free entry to Sentosa but the attractions have a charge. You can ride the Cable Car, go to Universal Studios Singapore, ride the lift to the top of the Sentosa Merlion, visit Madame Tussaud's as well as many other attractions. There are many bars, restaurants, traditional hawker style foods, fast food outlets and a casino. We spent the morning walking around looking at the grounds and taking ... read more