The Living Journey

Jamestown, the capital of the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha, is also the historic main settlement of Saint Helena Island in a V-shaped valley on its north-western coast; it is the island’s only port and the center of the island’s road and communications network
 

Since we left Senegal, we have spent twice as much time at sea as on land as we trek south toward Cape Town, visiting two remote islands positioned about halfway between Brazil and Africa. Ascension and St. Helena Islands are both British Overseas Territories and definitely are among the most unusual communities we have visited.

We spent several days at sea sailing from Dakar to Ascension Island. I did a lot of reading, spent some time talking to people I hadn’t seen in a while, caught up on the blog, and even participated in an escape room event the Ship put together.

Right after breakfast, I took a trip out to Lake Retba. We drove through the countryside and through busy outlying suburban areas with lots of traffic and bustle. There were horse carts and trucks fighting over road space, roadside stalls selling fruit and housewares,

Restaurants line a street in Vegueta (Old Town), Las Palmas, the capital of Gran Canaria in the Canary Island
 
We embarked on this journey (heading down the west coast of Africa) in Las Palmas, Gran Cararia, Canary Islands (part of Spain) – our second visit there on the Ship in 2018.

Leaving Rome, we set course to Palma de Mallorca, which we have visited before, but enjoyed again. Here, the Catedral de Mallorca is the star; its flying buttresses and towers seem to be visible from every corner of the city,

Le Macchiole (winery) is in Bolgheri, Italy, on the Etruscan Coast — “in this magical place, where rolling hills are blanketed by forest, where vineyards and olive trees meet with the Tyrrhenian Sea”
 
From our dock in the port of Livorno,

City Hall dominates Piazza Municipio in Livorno, Italy, a port city that is regarded by many Ship passengers as the gateway to nearby Florence, but it has a history as a global trading port in the 17th century that resulted in its reputation as a multicultural city throughout Europe
 

Kirkwall from the Ship’s anchorage
 
We arrived in Kirkwall, Scotland and went on a tour of the local archeological sites. The Orkney Islands have been inhabited for a very long time. We visited Skara Brae, a remarkably well preserved Neolithic village that was first inhabited over 5000 years ago.

Overnight we sailed out to even more remote parts of the Shetland Islands. We started our day with an expedition briefing and cocktail where we were introduced to the Expedition Team. After lunch, we went for a Zodiac cruise along the rugged shoreline of Papa Stour Island.

Where to begin? After more than six weeks in Norway, we have a real sense of it. The word “clarity” comes to mind. It is so tranquil that it is possible to gain perspective beyond our everyday cares. The air is remarkable –