I've been staying at DD's place while he's in London for work. His mum has a few medical appointments and it has been easier to take her while I'm based nearby. I am in heaven up here. It is so peaceful and lush and I can leave the sliding door open for the dogs to... Continue Reading →

I was plugging a new mouse into my laptop yesterday - I'm VERY old school - when it suddenly occurred to me that I automatically put the mouse on the right-hand side of the screen ... and I'm left handed. Using the mouse with my left-hand would seem ... weird ... and awkward. The topic... Continue Reading →

Much like the smiling selfie I took through gritted teeth after my 500-step climb with DD to a waterfall on Waiheke Island, happy snaps don't tell the full story of a holiday. So I thought you might like to hear the good and the bad about luxury expedition cruising following our New Zealand trip. That... Continue Reading →

I had the most surreal day earlier this week. One minute a waiter was making me toast on a luxury small ship, the next I was hopping on a ferry to a delightful spot called Waiheke Island for lunch at a winery, the next I was racing to Auckland Airport and four hours later I... Continue Reading →

Wow, it feels like forever since I last blogged. DD and I have just returned from a 'Natural Treasures of New Zealand' cruise aboard Ponant's Le Laperouse. We were enticed to book the cruise by the prospect of sailing into Dusky, Doubtful and Milford Sounds ... with the added bonus of bottomless Champagne. I was... Continue Reading →

Have you guessed where I've gone on my big adventure? This was my view as I started typing this blog post … DD and I have just crossed the Tasman Sea aboard an expedition ship called Le LaPerouse. We sailed from Hobart bound for Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand. It is romantically... Continue Reading →

Happy New Year! Guess what I did last night? Absolutely nothing with absolutely no one. I chose to spend the night at home alone because 2023 wore me out … oh, and was busy preparing for a 2024 adventure … I’ll tell you more about that in a sec … I hope you had a... Continue Reading →

I reckon the youngest needs a Webster pack and she's only 17. We went to the chemist yesterday and it cost me almost $400 for her latest raft of medications. She takes desensitising tablets for her allergies, two different tablets for her heart condition, a new lot of tablets to try and sort out her... Continue Reading →

Does requesting proper luggage as a Christmas gift mean I've finally grown up? I've previously just bought cheap stuff from discount stores, including one in Harlem, but that's a tale for another day. Anyhoo, DD is giving me a suitcase and the kids are giving me a matching bucket tote for carrying my laptop, book,... Continue Reading →

I am so close to the finish line - just two sleeps until I'm on the longest holiday I've had in forever. I am taking three and a half weeks off and I feel giddy at the thought. Literally every holiday I’ve had in the past few years has been a few days here or... Continue Reading →