Summer holidays, then, and we’ve been away.
It was a multi-generational fly-cruise with Norwegian Cruise Lines, sailing from Barcelona via Italy to Cannes, France [the girls are pictured above on the red carpet].
The ages ranged from five to 75 and the story will be out in Telegraph Cruise come autumn.
Meanwhile, check out a Flickr gallery of images.
And a Vimeo of life on board here:
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It was Father’s Day this week.
Hence the timing of this story, published by Telegraph Cruise, about a cruise around the Norwegian fjords to Bergen last summer.
It was a rare moment of calm and a chance for myself and my father [pictured above] to spend some time together away from the routines of daily life.
Here’s an extract from the story:
The calm of fjord cruising and yoga sessions started to pay off and I was breathing more deeply.
My father, Christopher, meanwhile, was enjoying the unhurried routine of morning mooching on deck and afternoon talks in the theatre.
It can be hard for elderly men travelling alone to make new friends and, while he never says so, I’m sure he must feel lonely without my mother by his side after some 40 years of marriage.
Fred Olsen sets aside tables for lone travellers to meet up at mealtimes and I encouraged him to join in some of the daily activities, such as bridge or a bowls game, to meet other similar people on board.
Now read the full story: Father-son bonding on a Fred Olsen cruise.
What do you think of this story? Do you have an experience of travelling with elderly parents? Post below.
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I was back West Sweden last week.
It was a summer-themed trip to Gothenburg and the archipelago to fulfil a raft of commissions for print and online.
This time, I spent more time in Gothenburg and a morning talking herring with Nils-Gunnar Johansson [pictured above], Curator of the Herring Museum in Kladesholmen. No, really.
The stories are coming soon but, last time, I was there to write a piece for the Weekend FT.
Here’s an extract:
Swedes take midsummer very seriously — think New Year’s Eve and a public-holiday weekend all rolled into one.
They down tools and head for their summer houses on the coast for a family gathering lubricated by beer, herring and shots of the local firewater.
Whether you’re a builder or a banker, it’s the one day of the year that everyone casts aside their daily routine and goes back to the land.
You can read more at West Sweden: Folklore traditions of Midsummer.
Or, watch a short Vimeo from a boat tour of Gothenburg harbour from my recent trip.
Check back for links to the published articles.
This weekend Liverpool celebrated a historic event with the gathering of the Three Queens on the River Mersey.
It was a spectacle full of history, pomp and emotion.
And I was lucky enough to have been part of it from Queen Mary 2, joining the ship in Greenock last Thursday to sail into Liverpool on Sunday morning.
I was on assignment for Telegraph Cruise and you can read my two reports here:
Queen Mary 2 arrives in Liverpool
Cunard 175 anniversary – cruise ships dance on the Mersey
Plus watch a Vimeo of our approach into Liverpool here:
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