Sharville Christmas NewsPoem 2024
We're on the ferry home from
Brittany
As I begin my survey of this year.
We've travelled quite a bit, as you will see,
But all the usual stuff will still be here!
We made a huge decision, and committed
A major part of Ruth' inheritance
To an experience which we felt befitted
Her late Mum's "Make the most of every chance"
Philosophy. So we cruised round the sphere!
More than one hundred days we were away.
We left a cold, wet Wales in the New Year
And got back home in warmer, sunnier May.
I won't have time to tell you every tale,
Nor share too many photos from our trip,
Just highlights, like my first shot of a whale,
And other magic moments from the ship.
Our route took us to Porto, Santa Cruz
And Curaçao, which truly did delight.
Barbados, then the San Blas Islands, whose
Whole lifestyle now is changing, as I write.
The rising sea has started inundating
These islands. All the residents must leave.
A plot of land in Panama is waiting -
But nowhere near the sea, would you believe!
The Panama Canal was interesting
As we to the Pacific headed west.
My camera skills had much meaningful testing
As we passed through - we really were impressed!
Nine days at sea, and we loved every minute
With painting, lectures, looking out for birds,
And the vast sea, and everything that's in it.
Exhilarating - just defying words.
The flying fish delighted; dolphins too,
And sea snakes. crocs and sea lions joined the cast.
Then booby birds (a bit like gannets) flew
Beside the ship - some landing on the mast.
We got to Nuku Hiva and to Tonga
But missed some island treasures with bad weather.
We wished we could have stayed a little longer
Just to experience South Seas life together.
New Zealand brought us time with family,
With Clare and gang up specially to meet us,
Along with Ruth's dear cousin Hilary
Who's based in Auckland. All were there to greet us.
We weren't sure if we'd love Oz - but we did!
Sydney and Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.
We met with friends in Perth. We visited
The cricket ground in Adelaide - well worth
The bother, if just for the lorikeets
Close to Don Bradman's statue, a delight!
Although we weren't allowed to tour the seats
As Pink had played the place the previous night.
From Oz to Penang, Phuket, Singapore
Where brother Richard and his wife were staying
So they could meet us for our day ashore.
Ruth even videoed some otters playing!
Colombo was the following port of call
We took a tuk-tuk ride - a novelty
Though diesel fumes did us no good at all,
And Adrian was as squashed as he could be!
The Maldives and the Seychelles may be known
For sun and sea and sitting by the pool,
But we enjoyed the fact that we were shown
Where local people live and go to school.
Mombasa was a mess, but fascinating,
Where people carry shopping on their heads
And traders drag their goods on handcarts, waiting
To find the perfect pitch to sell their beds.
We stayed there overnight, so friends and we
Treated ourselves to time at a resort.
The pool was so much nicer than the sea,
And the whole place far better than the port!
To Durban, and then Cape Town was next stop
The sea was rough - the ship had trouble mooring.
We loved the Waterfront, then to the top
Of Signal Hill we went. The view's not boring!
For Table Mountain and Cape Town were clear,
Spread out before us - one amazing sight.
Then Boulders Beach, and penguins which, I fear
Are threatened with extinction as I write.
The next place that we saw - not many do -
Tristan da Cunha; the remotest place
Inhabited on Earth. We wanted to
Set foot, but couldn't. So at gentle pace
We sailed around the island, then departed
To cross the sea to South America.
Most of us felt a little bit downhearted
At missing Tristan - but that's how things were.
Rio, Mount Corcovado, to the height -
Christ the Redeemer! Glorious thirties art!
And Salvador was interesting, despite
The armed police patrolling every part...
Recife was a washout, so Mindelo,
Cape Verde, gave us scenery and sun.
To Casablanca then, and with our fellow
Adventurers, to Marrakech. Great fun!
Then home, via Lisbon, to reality.
Four months away, home to our house, our car.
A garden full of weeds awaited me,
As did the rest of our full calendar!
To cricket, and to Northants. Gloucester won!
The sunshine we brought with us seemed to please.
And later, Lord's simply had to be done.
They won there too - we felt like VIPs!
Sticking to cricket, and their winning ways -
Our Glorious Glo'sters, while we were in Devon
Won the T20 cup! The best of days,
And though we couldn't be there - it was heaven!
Our next door neighbours tied the knot in June;
Though chilly, they were blessed with sunny weather.
Niece Tasha had a similar afternoon
When she and Murray made their vows together.
Speaking of chilly, June the first was cold
When Ruth met friends to sing and have some fun
They had a lovely day there, up in Old
Though Ruth knows singing days are all but done.
We've been to Proms and festivals and shows,
Heard music that defies analysis,
And Ruth saw Billy Joel - goodness knows
How he's still so amazing - but he is!
We've seen new friends we made while on the cruise,
And longer-standing friends, and different places.
We're finding ways to beat the winter blues -
The calendar has hardly any spaces.
There isn't room to cover everything;
Before you reached the end you'd hit the booze!
But just to say what the New Year will bring -
We're booked to go on one more longer cruise.
A month in France and Spain and Italy,
To places new to us - we can't resist!
And some of it will be in February,
A month which here I find is never missed.
So to the Festive Season. Christmas greetings
To you, our lovely friends, and all good cheer.
We hope that there will be some happy meetings
With you, sooner than later, this New Year!