Tristan da Cunha, Gough, Nightingale , Inaccessible

A leisurely morning, after attending 30 minutes of a talk on Pirates and Castaways. I played bridge with Gary, Kevin and Adrian between 10 and 1130. Then trivia at 11:45 followed by lunch, again in the restaurant, and then 30 minutes siesta before being called with half an hour warning for our zodiac cruise around Gough Island. We were now about a days sailing south of Tristan Da Cunha. Gough is 350 kms SE of Tristan. We had a very enthusiastic zodiac driver called Dane and we saw many rockhopper penguins and albatrosses. Also unusual rock formations. Quite a pleasant 80 minutes but Chris was not actually able to focus on any of the wildlife from the zodiac but the vegetation and rocks were interesting.


Gough Island comes into view

	The first animals we saw were fur seals

		then we found the penguins	Rockhoppers by the thousands

And the odd Elephant Seal

	An interesting geological rock formation

Once back aboard we enjoyed a good scone for afternoon tea and then a guided tour round the galley at 5 pm. This was very extensive but they had far too many people in the group and only three or four could actually hear what was being said by, first the hotel director and then the head chef. I was amazed that it was the original kitchen installed in 1994 when the ship was built. But we had to give the cruise top marks for having allowed us to see it as we had never been round a kitchen before on many trips on the Silver Cloud and the Silver Wind. Then it was time for Claudia’s recap and briefing. This included a video of the Silver Explorers rescue of some crew members from the ship Oliva in 2011 on which both she, and Daniell, had been in the expedition staff.

We then went straight to the panorama lounge for our cocktails. After this we went to the Terrassa about 8.30. A reasonable meal apart from the discoloured sprouts that seemed to come out with every meal there: we had a word with one of the sous chefs about this afterwards. Also talked to Kev who had been in the military intelligence for 41 years, included in Northern Ireland. Then we had coffee and a drink in the panorama lounge with no show on for the evening.


We visited the ship's kitchen	We had a glass of wine and nibbls half way through	And found our mug shots among all the passengers

So goodbye to Gough	The Boys get some marzipan sweets	Wonder if they share them with their new friends

After breakfast, we went up to the observation lounge and spent a pleasant hour there as we approach Nightingale Island. Then a really pleasant zodiac tour, the sun shining and the temperature warm, with just eight of us in the zodiac so taking photos was much easier than normal. We saw lots of rockhopper penguins and seals, far more attractive than normal somehow. Also great rock formations and we were out for about 90 minutes returning for a late lunch.


The wait to get into a Zodiac

The seals were doing this curious flipper in the air trick		And even more Rockhopper Penguins

		With the sun behind them, their yellow plumes stood out



	A rare incident, when a guest's lifejacket inflated

Time for trivia before going out again in the afternoon. We had signed up for the short hike up Nightingale but this was deemed difficult. Was just not so long as the other one. But once we got onto the island, Chris found it far too difficult and was relieved when the expedition team confirmed this for her, although David was still convinced that we could’ve done it. He refused to go on up by himself, so we waited on the island with such pleasant views for about half an hour and eventually we’re given a zodiac cruise all by ourselves with Babsi as our driver. This is a very pleasant alternative to a frightening hike.

Once back aboard we showered and hair washed quickly and there was a recap and briefing at 6:30 which we followed with drinks in the panorama lounge before returning into the cabin until about 8.15. Dinner in the restaurant with the lamb was a big disappointment. Then a quick sit down in the panorama lounge with a Poire William for David. During the day "Silver Sea " had added himself to the collection of bears on the bed, a present from Martin with his cupboard clear out.


The hike at Nightingale involved ascending this gully	Chris decided that it was too difficult for her	So we waited and got our own Zodiac for a cruise



		We entered this cave

	Interesting rock formations in it

We had an early start for an 80 minute cruise round, or rather in front of, Inaccessible Island There were just eight of us in a zodiac with Tristan, so named, as the driver. David was not happy that for a lot of the time to start with we were just looking out to sea on our side resulting in us getting rotten cricks in our neck. They was really was not a lot to see, but it was still a pleasant interlude from the ship.




Although nominally inaccessible, it had some "holiday sheds"		A large ships fender washed up on the beach

Back on board just before 10 we just managed to get a breakfast in the panorama lounge which we had not visited before for breakfast. Eventually our fresh orange juices reached us. Then I had a quick snooze before team trivia at 11:15 and Lunch at noon. Then another snooze of an hour before woken up by Clouds telling us of the afternoons departs.

We disembarked for our walking tour of Edinburgh of the Seven Seas just before 3 pm. The guide, Chris Swain, a local of about 60 years, seemed completely unaware of what this position of guide meant and marched a very large group, far too large in our opinion, around the town with hardly a word. After 15 minutes or so of this Lee took charge and tried to ask him questions continuously, but most of these were replied by a yes no or some facile comment that meant absolutely nothing.Was he a halfwit, was he sulking because he had to do the job or did he genuinely not know what was required of him ? The Hellenic Swan ship Diana has been in town in the morning and we saw her departing just before 3 pm.

We were happy with our view of the Township of the settlement as locals call it despite the efforts of Chris Swain to put us off. We entered the shop where we found two sweaters that we really liked with rock hoppers on and hope to go back to purchase in the morrow with cash as they did not take credit cards. We put our noses into the pub but decided this was far too crowded and also visited the gift shop where we did not find anything interesting. We also tried to enter the school but there was nobody there at about 5 pm, so then went on to the cemetery and then wended our way back to the jetty, boarding the ship just before six.

We showered and went to the Dolce Vita bar for a change about 6:30 pm and had a cocktail and canopies there and then returned to the cabin for half an hour before going up to the panorama lounge for another cocktail and more canopies. Our dinner in La Terrassa was a success which made a pleasant change. Then a port and a Poire William in the panorama lounge completed our evening , before wandering across the noisy deck where the officers were presenting a cocktail demonstration.


The harbour at Tristan		They trade on their isolation

We hacked our way through NZ flax	The island church	A typical house	The bus shelter looked unused

Where the volcano had erupted	The pub	The boys meet a new friend	Where the Administrator lives

The boys blow raspberries at the Police Station	Back aboard	How to remove your Wellington Boots	The Mud Room

An early morning start to go to the potato patches. We were told it was quite a short walk but it turned out to be about 9 km return trek. But we managed to get the island bus for the return journey. It was quite a pleasant morning with a light breeze and we walked past cows and sheep till we got to the potato patches. Here the potatoes are just about being dug this year, but many these patches were long ago abandoned. There were buildings here too, many of them had had their roofs blown off in the severe gales the island suffers. We managed to get the front seats in the bus for the return and then walked to the pub where the handicraft we had seen on the previous day where displayed and here we bought the two rock hopper sweaters, these being greatly admired by everybody on board when we wore them for the afternoon.

We were back aboard by about 10:15 am and went up to the panorama lounge at 11 am for a piece of cheese. Then lunch up on deck after Chris had had a swim in a somewhat choppy pool and then the Jacuzzi. We enjoyed the lunch up on deck as the weather was really barmy. Then Chris went down to play bridge at 1:15/1:30 pm that lasted less than half an hour as trivia was at 2 pm and we failed to get a 4th to resume after trivia.

At 4 pm there was a lecture by David on the Vulcanology of the Tristan Cunha Islands and David was very unhappy with this, later looking up all about the hotspot on AI. A recap and briefing at 5:45 pm. Predictably showed a very self satisfied Clouds announcing how we have done all the islands and we should never do the trip again as we would never get such a success rate. She also introduced Conrad Glass," the rock hopper copper", who was travelling with us to Cape Town to take up a position as lecture on a Seabourn ship. We had a cocktail in the Dolce Vita bar and then went back to the cabin to change and David had another one after this in the panorama lounge, but we were very disappointed that there was no music there yet again. A pleasant dinner in the dining room followed by a port afterwards in the panorama lounge talking to Adrian and vaguely listening to Martin’s musical quiz.


Pushing the theme of remoteness	and again, a long way from anywhere	We walk to the potato patches

	A plan of the patches	Most of them had been abandoned - an AI view on this	This was left as a Show Patch

	We got the bus back		And Goodbye Tristan

After breakfast Chris sat out on the back deck outside the panorama lounge until about 11 am and then attended Conrad Glass's lecture on Tristan Da Cunha. He was the seventh generation descended from a William Glass, An army corporal who stayed there after being posted in the Garrison for the eight months that the British garrisoned Tristan. It was a preventative measure to stop the French trying to rescue Napoleon from St Helena. We were not over impressed by his presentation which was far from polished, but we probably learnt a few facts that we had not known beforehand.

Then we attended a drinks and canopies reception given by the hotel director for the 10 most travelled couples on the ship. This we stayed at for less than 30 minutes as we had a previous lunch date with Lee. We enjoyed our time chatting to Lee but then I was telephoned by Adrian to say I was missing from Bridge which started at at 1:30 pm, a fact I knew but thought I still had one or two minutes in hand. I was really suffering with my cough, being unable to breathe at times so did not enjoy bridge as much as I normally did. Then at 2:30 pm which should be changed to 3:30 pm by Silverseas silly movement of the clock forward an hour in the afternoon rather than in the middle of the night.

We had trivia and soon after this lecture by Jess on costing trying to preserve nature and resources: I found this quite thought-provoking. At 5:45 pm there was a recap and briefing, nothing momentous at all and at 7 pm we joined Adrian and Kevin for drinks in the panorama lounge before a very pleasant meal up with them in La Terrassa, but Chris was still suffering from being unable to breathe. After this David and Chris went up to the lounge for 30 minutes to hear Martin singing.

After a really bad night with my cough, we just managed to make the 9:15 am lecture by David on geology in Africa talking about the tectonic plates and the movement of the continents in the far past Then there was a lecture on where does food come from which was not super exciting at all.

As there was a seafood lunch buffet up on deck we decided that La Terrassa would be fairly empty so had lunch there which was very pleasant, a window table and roast goose followed by some cheese . Bridge at 1:30 pm for about an hour and then a break before trivia at 3:30 followed by afternoon tea and scones At 5 pm there was a 1960s BBC film about the evacuation of Tristan Da Cunha and life there just before and just after this evacuation, which it lasted two years in England for the islanders. The islanders had not enjoyed their time in England and voted practically unanimously to return to Tristan. But once back in Tristan, 35 of them then returned to England: after three years 27 of these then returned back to Tristan. It appeared to me that life was not quite so Rosie on Tristan as the islanders wish us to believe and that it was merely that they felt confident there with all the support they had one to another which they would not have in Britain.

We had drinks and then dinner with Janine and Martin and that interesting things about them . I was somewhat inhibited by my cough having turned into a full-blown sneezing cold but felt relieved that at least the ache of breathing might now go away. There was then a party up on deck but it only had about 25 people at it dancing away with super loud music so we just observed this and came back to the cabin.

A bad night with an emerging cold, but at least I had could breathe again by the morning,. But feeling really tired I went back to sleep again and David went to breakfast alone in the panorama lounge. I got up in time for lunch out on deck and had my first hamburger of the trip: the fresh air and the side of the sea was more bracing than the hamburger, but I really enjoyed my time. We then went and sat out in the Sun on the comfy chairs outside the panorama lounge until the bridge session at 1:30. This was a good full session of over 90 minutes and I managed to conceal my cold. I think fairly satisfactorily. Then trivia at 3:30 pm which was so enjoyable as usual.

This was followed by a 1980s colour film on life on Tristan Da Cunha which showed that 16 to 25-year-olds were not satisfied with staying on the island and there was a shortage of eligible men. When this stopped Conrad Glass answered questions and it was obvious that he thought that life had deteriorated on the island -more rubbish was being left around, although we have not noticed this as it was just such things as a ruined car and a gas cylinder rather than plastic bottles et cetera. He was dubious about how the island would be in another 10 years or so.

David went to a lecture on orcas and whales around South Africa whilst I stayed in the cabin on the balcony. I had a chat with both Nick and Carol. We then had a cocktail. Before going up to the panorama lounge for David to have another cocktail. We ate in La Terrassa, a pleasant meal, then back to the panorama lounge for Martin’s musical songs of which there were more than 15, of which we only got one answer right although we were not competing anyway. Then to bed and the dictation of this diary as usual. During the day the The swell had increased and we put fresh anti-sea sick patches behind our ears around 6 pm so that the final day would not be spent with that problem

breakfasted as usual in the dining room and then went to a 9:30 am lecture on the flowers of the Cape: I found this really interesting but it was not a good lecture and far too many things were shown, including loads of insects and animals but the flowers were really beautiful. Then at 11 am, after trivia at 10:15 am, there was a lecture on the Benguala sea current, a bit beyond me, but that may be just a bad lecture. Having decided that I wanted some fresh air for lunch, we sat down on the terrace of La Terrassa and our luck was in as beef Wellington was being sliced, excellent but far too much of it. This was followed by a small fruit salad, that is the little fruit that still remained on board ship, oranges mangoes grapefruit and several other fruits have been exhausted.

Then we sat on the back deck outside the panorama for half an hour before I played bridge for the last time with Kevin, Adrian and Gary. Once again we lost an hour of the afternoon so did not have a long game. At 4 pm that was the expedition team farewell included in the results of the photographic competition and Claudia‘s recap of the voyage. At 5 pm, we cashed in our points that we had received for trivia and any other game show and Martin had saved us a compendium of Frank Curley’s shops of the endurance and I also got a notebook and pen so we were really pleased with these.

Our 6 pm there was a captains farewell, for the first time without any canopies but they made up for this later on in the evening when at 9:15 pm there was a chocolate bonanza in the panorama lounge. We had dinner with Claudia and her partner Mark and also the Norths once again. Mark was charming and we really enjoyed our conversation with him and continue chatting to him later on in the panorama lounge over an Irish coffee. The panorama lounge was really noisy with all the people who had gathered there for the chocolate Bonanza, which indeed looked very appetising, but we had eaten too much already. Earlier we had vacuum packed sweaters and bulky trousers ready for the packing tomorrow.


Chris with new sweater	Chris and her trivia team	Dinner with Martin	The Expedition staff say Farewell

Martin hand out Trivia Prizes	And very valuable the prizes were too.	the Crew Farewell	with the whole crew on stage

The usual handing out of crew awards	Dinner with Clouds and her man	A chocolate desert special in Panorama Lounge	A flat calm with no pool movement