Mediterranean Cruise (Cunard 2026)

Two years has passed since we embarked on our very first Mediterranean Cruise, which visited Croatia, Corfu and Southern Italy. We loved that cruise so much, it was always on the cards we would do another one in the Med, this time cruising from Barcelona to Mallorca, Corsica, Sicily and Naples. Unfortunately Cunard has limited flight options (vs P&O), so we had to make the 3-hour drive from Dorset to London Gatwick, opting to stay overnight the night prior.

Day 1: Barcelona, Spain

The outbound flight didn't get off to a good start, with a 2-hour delay meaning the arrival into Barcelona (embarkation port) was early afternoon instead of late morning, so Day 1 ended up being mostly travel, checking in, and settling in on Cunard's Queen Victoria.

Day 2: Palma, Mallorca

Catedral-Basilica Santa Maria de Mallorca

Staying Local in 2025

2025 was a year of local exploration, mainly due to an aging pet that could not be left home alone or with a pet sitter. It was a year of exploring new trails in familiar areas, a new to us National Park, and treading familiar paths along the way too. The Spring kicked off with some fine and dry weather, so the first camping trip of the year was to the beautiful Exmoor National Park, an area of Somerset/Devon we visit often!.

Porlock Marshes

Mediterranean Cruise (P&O Cruise)

Well, almost a year has passed since our First Ever Cruise (Norway) that inspired us to book our Second Cruise, a 7-night cruise around the Med on P&O Azura. So in June 2024 we set off for Malta from Bristol Airport (our first time flying post Covid), where boarding of cruise Ships take place in the port of Valletta.

P&O Azura docked in Valletta

Sussex (1066 country)

The year was 1066, and the Anglo-Saxon period was about to come to an end at the hands of the French!. This I am sure sounds like very familiar history to us Brits, and perhaps even to others around the world that had the year "1066" drummed into them at primary school. It was in October 1066 that William, Duke of Normandy (later known as "William the Conqueror") defeated King Harold during the Battle of Hastings, taking the crown for himself.
The modern day location of the battle site is managed by English Heritage, and it is a fascinating site. The ruins of Battle Abbey are part of the site (founded by William), and interpretive plaques around the site recall the timeline of the battle. The Bayeux tapestry in France recalls the battle in picture form.

The lower field where the Normans attacked from

Norwegian Fjords (P&O Cruise)

The Norwegian Fjords (and Scandinavia in general) have been a "bucket list" destination for us since moving back to Europe in 2019. The yearning to visit Norway could perhaps be because we spent 20 years living in the Rocky Mountains, or perhaps maybe because we loved touring New Zealand in 2007 & 2009.  Norway certainly has mountains like the Rockies and New Zealand, and also shares stunning Fjords with New Zealand too, but there is so much more to explore also. (Click on any image for the best viewing experience).