2026 Life

Back from Sri Lanka on January 2nd , we then had 4 weeks in Moraira before visiting the Guyanas. During this time there was a farewell to Kay Corbin at JBC and we had lunch with Brenda and Bill at Soho.


We spent a week in Guyana, visiting the Kaieteur Falls, Atta Lodge and the superb KaranambuLodge, run by Melanie, where we watched lilies forming at dusk amidst huge lily pads, also a giant anteater. Then enjoyed lunch at the Backyard cafe with chef Delvin

Then to Paramaribo and the Danpaati lodge in Surinam ,before crossing over a very wide river into French Guyana, a department of France. Here we visited the ruins of their inhumane prisons a Devils Island and saw the launch of Ariane 6, watching from the beach

Then 17 days back in Moraira before setting out for a Cape to Cape voyage on the Silver Cloud

Chris had lunch with Cilla and Ted (David suffering from bronchitis) in Billy's Bar and we later we both joined Carol and Len for dinner at Bajuls.


A gorgeous pool in Santiago before a charter flight to Puerto Williams and onto the Silver Cloud. Were had Freddie as our captain again. Then 3 stops in the Falklands


We went ashore 4 times in South Georgia where we saw penguins galore. Also a zodiac cruise at Gold Harbour( truly gold at dawn!) and the ruins of the whaling station at Grytviken and Shackelton's grave there

We all enjoyed our evening cocktails and canapes in the Panorama lounge and some of the meals. A bonus was meeting up again with Kevin and Adrian . I organised bridge with them and also enjoyed Trivia in Kevin's team

Another old friend was Martin, the entertainment director, who gave us another Silversea Ted. And this time we had perfect weather and got ashore at Tristan, which we had failed to do in 2013. We got these sweaters at Tristan,


Loved the rockhoppers. Also just ashore at Nightingale The boys were well fed and pampered


First stop was Hermanus where we met up with my first cousin, John Lyons and his wife Leonie. We had last met him in 1973 when he was almost 6 . The Birkenhead hotel was superb. Then on to Swellendam and Plettenberg's Emily Moon Hotel

From Oudtshorn we visited the impressive Cango Caves and an ostrich farm before moving on to Montagu Vines hotel, Montagu being an old Dutch town. Then 4 nights at Bushman's Kloof, a nature reserve with old cave paintings , fantastic swimming pools and

.. daily game drives in fantastic scenery. Our Paternoster hotel had fantastic rooms and views. And final destination was Franschhoek where we enjoyed the tram tour and wine at 2 of its vineyards

With such happy memories of Bushmanskloof, of the ocean scenery at Hermanus and Paternoster, of the winding river at Plettenberg we returned to Moraira for almost 2 months

Joanna came to stay for a few days, we had lunch with Bill and Brenda in Denia. Marcela and Nick came to lunch

We visited Carol for a catchup and a swim!, we enjoyed a Marquis de Riscal gourmet dinner at Amante

We also went to Malta for a week, having an interesting lunch out at the newly opened Bona Vita, and celebrated Paul's birthday at the golf club

Just before leaving for the Indian Ocean we caught up with Cilla and Ted at Sohos, but had my mobile phone stolen in a real scam whilst there

We went to a Sunday do at Peter & Helens the day before we took off for the Comores. Met Len's new girlfriend, Marie Louise, there

Then on June 9th we set out to explore islands in the Indian Ocean, flying to Zanzibar where we stayed in a boutique hotel on the east coast before joining an Undiscovered Destinations group tour with 9 other adventurers. There is a full write up on David's web site


The Matlai Hotel was the height of luxury, not to be replicated when we joined the group: Ching, Carol, Sue, Derek, BC, Bob, Jacinta, Rob, Josh & leader Olaf. Drenched in Stonetown, then Prison Island before flying to Comoros. Splendid views, but no pool!


A wondrous lobster barbecue on a deserted beach, tours around this impoverished island, then on to richer, but violent Mayotte. A ferry trip to its main island before onto Reunion, its many temples and capital, St. Denis, of Roland Garros fame


Giant tortoises and caves on Rodriguez and sugar cane everywhere on Mauritius , where we had a good group dinner and celebrated 59 years of marriage . Hotel with a great position in Fort Louis, then finally to Mahe.

Once home on July 3rd, we had 5 weeks in Moraira. This was 35 days of high temperatures, 31 to 35 degrees heat. We had an Air Conditioning unit installed and spent long sessions in the bedroom with the efficient cooling fan

Maria Rosa had a 94th birthday at the bridge club


Tony and Marianne	Daniel, Chris and Maike

Didier and Florence came for lunch during the July heatwave, which lasted until ...

... August 8th, when we left Moraira to see, hopefully, a full eclipse in Asturias, then spend 5 days in Gascony en route to our annual pilgrimage to Vic and Gaynor .

We had a pleasant night in Salamanca en route, then 5 interesting days, dinosaurs included, in Asturias, 5 more days at Bruhasses Chateau near Condom, then 3 days in St Priest les Fougeres, then a night at Casa Ana Maria near Gerona

Unfortunately it was cloudy all day on August 12th, the eclipse day, so we only witnessed the total darkness .


Splendid tapas in great surrounds, restaurant below par	and then total cloud cover just on the Eclipse day!	Viewed dinosaur footprints and visited a good Jurassic park

On to Armagnac country, a B & B with charm near	Condom, home of D'Artignan and the 3 Musketeers	Gaynor and Vic, so welcoming but with health problems

Back in Moraira for 10 days. We then went up to the hotel Terra Dominicata in the Montsant region of Catalunia for a 2 night celebration of David's birthday. David's site has fuller details

Back in Moraira we enjoyed lunch with Bill and Brenda at the Dauphin, although there head waitress was very uncooperative!. I continued to play bridge at both clubs with Len and Maike and also played Real bridge with Carol {suffering from severe sciatica after a knee replacement} at Larkhill and Adam Wiseberg clubs. There was a Torneo at JBC where the refreshments were prepared by David Toze and Christian - a change from the era of Carol and Loes.Also had lunch with Cilla and Ted at Ca Pepe.


The Boyzz enjoy a rare visit to Amante	David, Bill, Chris, brenda & Edouard & friends	at the Dauphin, which was below par	Cilla,Ted, Chris ,David at Ca Pepe	The madre with the scamps

Then of to the West Coast of Ireland from September 24th to October 7th. - see David's site

Our journey started badly, when hertz refused to hire us a car because David was over 80, and ended sadly with the loss of the camera and a the majority of our photographic memories, but in between was quite enjoyable despite temperamental weather

We stayed at 4 places: Harvey Point, Donegal; Renvyle House, Connemara; lakeside House, Killaloe and Quinlan and Cooke town House, Kerry. All were very different. One of the highlights was meeting up with Joanna on her 52nd birthday at Sloughan Glen; another was the rendering of W B Yeats and his 8 Muses at Renvyle


We revisited Rosses Point where we had stayed in 2023	Sheep everywhere, colours of Eire & UK in adjacent fields!	The lake we battled around on a blustery day at Renvyle	The sun shone at breakfast at Renvyle

Such a great view- well, would be on a sunny day!	The 1870s RIC house at Caher Siveem	Ballyskelligs Monastery	Old fort , Caher Gal, near Caher Siveem


David in control of the vino	Katrine, Ruth and Chris	Norvig, Jihan, Katrine	David and Norvig


John, Kay, Paula,Chris, Nock .Peter. Standing Maureen, Bill, Sarah	Kay and Maria


Joanna, David and a Big Ted at Vespas	Brenda and Bill in Denia	Marcel and Nick on our balcony


Bona Vita hotel, Malta	Chris,Marcela,Paul, Carol, Wendy	Patrick and Clyde


Daniel and Maria Rosa , Jutta behind Daniel	A sparkling cake, tasted good too


Dinner on their terraza	The hotel viewed on approach		The Birthday Boy with his acolytes


Birthday lunch at Sloughan Glen	Colleen, Chris and Avril	Chris and David at the first waterfall