Day Two – at sea

 Our first full day at sea saw the wind pick up to near gale and many passengers reaching for their travel sickness medication and heading for their cabins. We managed to fit in our first visit to the gym, just before a busy schedule of briefings and sessions on Seabirds, Photography and the history of the islands.

Not much time for standing on deck to watch the Petrels and Albatrosses following the vessel.

After a substantial breakfast I’d planned to stick to something light at lunch until I was offered a traditional Roast dinner with all the trimmings -I'd forgotten it was Sunday – will power lost out!

The food & drink service starts with coffee and pastries in the lounge at 06.30 followed by breakfast at 08.00. Lunch is usually at 12.30 with afternoon tea at 16.00 and dinner at 19.30. The bar has a good selection of beers, wines champagne and at least 6 malt whiskies and is open from 10.00 am until the last person leaves. Little chance we are going to go short. 

Thankfully there is also a gym available all day and yoga classes on sea days. I’m probably going to add a few kilos over the course of the voyage.

Day One

Having transferred from our boutique hotel to the Intercontinental for the start of our cruise Itinerary, we discovered ourselves in a very different part of the City. While San Telmo had felt quite relaxed and safe, the streets around the Intercontinental felt very different. We had a quick walk around after checking in, but since we were still full of lunchtime steak we decided to stay around the hotel and settle for a snack in the lobby bar. It was a useful reminder of why we don’t stay in such hotels.

Our programme listed a 5.00am breakfast call but one of the tour reps told us that the transport to the airport wouldn’t leave till 7.15 so we managed a longer lie – just as well since the Christmas party in the Terrace bar 6 floors below our room didn’t start till 9.00pm and went on very late.

We made it to breakfast with plenty of time and the transfer to the airport and check-in was well organised – particularly as we were upgraded to business class seats and priority boarding – although no fizz on Aerolineas Argentina.

After some free time to wander around Ushuaia we boarded Ocean Endeavour at 16.00 and were shown to our cabin by our very attentive steward Lauren. Since we are going to be on board for 18 days, we decided to treat ourselves to one of the larger cabins and got the Owner’s suite with windows looking over the bow.

Eventually sailed at about 18.00 – slightly delayed by the onshore winds which made it tricky to leave the quayside.  En route to the Falklands – about 36 hours away. Gentle swell and a strong breeze as we got underway.

Longest Day

18 hours of daylight here today although it will always be a dark day for the family - Alex passed away 11 years ago. 

Day One

Before we board the Ocean Endeavour, we have a couple of hours 'free time' in Ushuaia. Managed to get a Christmas tree for our cabin, the obligatory tee-shirts and then retired to a local hostelry for a craft beer or two

Walking tours

Always a great way to explore a new city, we joined a couple of guided walks  on our first two days. The first took us from Teatro Colon through Retiro and finished up at the Recoleta Cemetery. Our guide - Martin - probably best described as a left wing Peronist- shared his knowledge of the City and his views on the recent political and economic history as we walked through the streets - avoiding the traffic.

On day two we headed for La Boca and another guide - Luke - who was an American Phd student with an impressive grasp of Argentine and South American History. La Boca was crammed with visitors - felt like an August Saturday on Princes Street although substantially warmer.

Almost impossible to get a picture of any of the sights but Linda managed to find a quiet spot for a minute or two

The houses (Conventillos) which were built by the original immigrants were fascinating structures built of a timber frame with corrugated iron walls and roof but we didn't manage to get a picture until we visited the Benito Quinquela Martin Gallery and found a beautiful model of one of the buildings;

Celebrity Chefs

I was reminded recently - sadly on the news of Gary Rhodes death following an accident - of a Christmas meal that Chris Jackson and I had at Rhodes in the City - probably about 2001. An excellent Steak and Kidney pudding washed down with more than a couple of bottles of a very drinkable Ribera del Duero.  However we were mildly disappointed to discover that 'Chef' was not in the kitchen that day 'due to other responsibilities'.

Had a similar disappointment this evening at Cafe San Juan when we were told as we sat down that unfortunately the local celebrity chef - Leandro Cristobal - was cooking at his other restaurant - Cantina San Juan. The food and the service were still excellent but none of the 'signature ' dishes were available. Given the trip that we are about to start, it seemed appropriate that their wine was served in jugs called 'pinguino'

I've had the good fortune - thanks mainly to clients with good taste and deep pockets - to meet a number of Chefs over the years  and I understand that there will always be 'other responsibilities' which take them away from the kitchen but it doesn't detract from the disappointment. I remember Marco Pierre White explaining to us - over a glass or two - that he was no longer a chef but had become a restuarateur.

Of course there was Tango

When we had lunch in Plaza Dorrego - which is home to the Feria on Sunday mornings -  we were entertained by two or three pairs of dancers - in Clare there was always someone playing the fiddle, here it seems to be Tango. It really seems to be everywhere.

Since I'd need to have both legs transplanted to be able to start learning the dance, we settled for dinner and a Tango show at Cafe Los Angelitos. An impressive place with a mediocre meal, but the dancing was quite good and we enjoyed the music. However, over the years we have experienced a number of similar 'cultural' experiences and it seems that this might be a good time to stop.