Mums Travel Blog

17/01/2025

Last week, Simon, Cameron, Georgia and I took a snowy trip out to the West Coast of Ireland. It would have been my Dads 90th birthday (he died in 2020), but we decided to go and celebrate the special date with his younger brother, as he was unable to make Dads funeral due to Covid restrictions at the time.

We flew Heathrow - Knock, just a one hour flying time and Air Lingus once again proved to be a fabulous airline to fly with (they don’t get the praise and accolades they deserve in my opinion).

Picking up the rental car was an experience in itself as the car park was like an ice rink, but we got it and Simon navigated to narrow icy roads to our hotel - The Kiltimagh Park, which again we would highly recommend. Wonderful staff, amazing food and clean comfortable rooms.

The following day we drove out to Westport, we would have like to explored further but with further snowfall we didn’t want to go too far off the beaten track. The scenery was truly breathtaking though, and of course the snow capped mountains just added to the beauty. We only had a two day trip there, but already planning to go back and explore further.

I have to say that being well travelled I have been fortunate to visit some incredible places including the Norwegian, New Zealand and Chilean Fjords but nothing beats the majestic scenery of West Ireland and West Scotland. I forgot there is so much beauty virtually on our doorstep, with both being a fairly cheap flight and an hours flying time.

Already can’t wait to go back.

24/11/2024

I haven’t updated this page for a while, as we haven’t done as much travelling the second half of this year. Believe it or not my 13 year old son is now of an age where he has pretty much lost interest and is now saying “please don’t make me travel any more Mum, all we do is travel, travel, travel!!!” He does live for his annual rail camp in Chattanooga however.
Several people have asked me however “have you got any trips planned?” and well, yes I have…..
December 24 - Copenhagen Christmas Markets
January 25 - Ireland
February 25 - Annual trip to Dubai with my husbands work.
May 25 - Off on a ‘Sound of Music’ singing retreat in Salzburg with my bestie (sooo excited for this one!).
June - Chattanooga Rail Camp with Cameron, hoping to get in a cheeky trip to Nashville whilst he’s camping out in a railroad carriage.
September 25 - 2 weeks in Japan with same bestie, after a 3 night stay in Dubai, also for hubby’s work.
Very happy that as an expert in finding great business class deals, I have managed to find Kathie and I return business class flights from London to Tokyo (via Dubai) with Emirates, cheaper than Simon was able to find Premium Economy seats just to Dubai!!

03/04/2024

I cannot beleive that we have now be aboard the Oosterdam for 4 weeks, but our cruise is now coming towards its end. Although we are both ready to get off now, we have had the most phenomenal adventure and are still trying to process the vast amount we have seen/done/experienced over the last month. Our highlights have been:
Falkland Islands.
Ushuaia (Argentina).
Punta Arenas (Chile).
The Chilean Fjords (the especially Glaciers).
Visiting Pablo Nerudas house from Santiago (Chile)
Panama.
The Panama Canal.
Every single sunrise and sunset we have seen at sea.
Whales, Dolphins and Pelicans galore….

…And today in Aruba - it was just wonderful to get into the warm Caribbean Waters, spend some time snorkelling and then just chilling on the beach, before returning back to the ship via Catamaran.

I am beyond grateful for absolutely everything we have experienced this last month, and especially grateful to my wonderful Aunty and Uncle for a generous inheritance which has enabled us to have this phenomenal opportunity.
It’s not quite over yet though - we still have 2 days cruising at sea, then we will finally be reunited in Fort Lauderdale with my amazing husband, daughter and step-sons, then we shall spend a few more days there enjoying a family holiday together before returning to the U.K.

Would I sail this itinerary again?? Definitely YES
Would I sail with Holland America Line again? Definitely NO (well not until I’m over 80).

01/04/2024

I swear this ship is rife with Covid, I have honestly never heard so many people coughing and hacking in my entire life. I don’t know whether to laugh or feel angry when I look back on our Maasdam fiasco of 2020, but also how quickly and efficiently hygiene was stepped up.

We have now stopped going to the theatre shows because so many people coughing so badly with no masks, and not even coughing into their hands. Yesterday we saw that someone had spat out phlegm in the elevator, and then a lady coughed so hard on Cam when he was queuing for food that she actually spat on him, but instead of apologising she just laughed 🤢🤬.
This morning I went to a talk by the cruise director and officers, and felt the man behind me literally coughed in my hair, so I got up and moved - people are truly revolting!!! 🦠🦠🦠🦠
Lots of passengers complaining to guest services today, only to be told “there is nothing we can do, we can’t force people to mask up” ! That’s a total lie as when we joined our long cruise on the Noordam in Oct 2022, ALL passengers had to wear masks for first few days until we had all re-tested for Covid after having been onboard for first 5 days.
Has literally gone from one extreme to the other. We’ve been loyal passengers and sailed 120 days in total with Holland America Line, but so many things have gone down hill this cruise, decline in entertainment, zero enrichment program, zero guest lecturers, zero for children or even younger/middle aged adults. It’s become a floating care home. Will definitely be giving our loyalty to another cruise line from here on in. Very disappointed Holland America Line.

31/03/2024

I have felt strangely emotional today. For as long as I can remember I have heard my Mum ‘Gloria’ speak of her transit through the Panama Canal on her journey home from Australia in 1966, having spent 2 years living down under as a Ten Pound Pom.
She sailed down through the Suez Canal in 1964 and back via the Panama Canal on her return two years later, having basically circumvented the globe. Although I’ve known forever that this was part of her voyage it’s not something she spoke about in great detail, so as we sailed through today I realised how much I wanted to tell her that Cameron and I were making this journey ourselves and I had so many questions that I wanted to ask her.
Transiting the Panama has been on my bucket list for ages and it certainly didn’t disappoint, a truly phenomenal feat of engineering, not to mention the skills of the pilots and ship crew who navigate these locks every day, with less than 2 feet clearance either side. Cameron has loved today too, although I think he’s enjoyed the mule trains more than the cruising!!

27/03/2024

Today we are at sea, making our way to Manta in Equador. I was aware of the political and social unrest in Equador before we left the U.K. and decided to cancel the shore excursion we had booked several months earlier. Then, since being aboard I told myself I was being paranoid so I re-booked it again.
On Sunday morning however Equadors youngest ever Mayor, Brigette Garcia was assassinated, then this morning we received a personal letter from the ships Captain which informed us that the U.K. Foreign Office has now raised the security level in Equador advising against “all but essential travel”. This means if we did decide to go ashore then our travel insurance would be invalidated.
So, adding all the risk factors together and travelling as a lone woman with a child, we have decided to cancel our shore excursion (again) and stay on board the ship.
Whilst disappointed to miss a port, it was not one of the major ‘must-dos’ of this cruise, and I still want to get to the Galápagos Islands one day, so hopefully at some point in the future we will be able to make another trip to combine the two.

27/03/2024

26/03/2024

We’ve just spent 3 days in Peru, one in Pisco and two in Lima. I have to say that out of the countries we have visited so far this has to be my least favourite. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy it as I did, just not as much as other places we have been to.
In Pisco we went out on a rather wild speed boat ride to the Ballestas Islands, which are marketed as ‘Peru’s Galapagos’ I’m not I’d go that far, but we did see lots of incredible sea birds and some baby sea lions.
In Lima I think I was put off by the cruise port talk before we even got there, safety was clearly as huge issue, and we were very much briefed on where to go and where not to go, not to wear anything which would draw attention to you being a tourist, not to wear back packs etc. The cities are VERY crowded, and there is a lot of very obvious poverty. Last night we went to see the magical fountains in Lima, which were very spectacular, but SO crowded we couldn’t move. Our poor tour guide had a very difficult job keeping our group of 28 together and I could tell over all a lot of passengers were not happy and were worried about their safety etc being out at night in such huge crowds.
I would have like to have got out and seen more cultural and nature things because I know there is a lot of beauty in this country - probably just a little too much for a cruise excursion (and I wasn’t prepared to pay $4000 per person for the excursion to Machu Piccu - but it sold out so I guess many people did!!!)
Anyway, we are taking away all good memories, it’s another country to tick off the list, just not sure I would be racing to return back.

21/03/2024

Completed last night! Phew

20/03/2024

A mere 1.84miles to walk this evening and I will have completed my 100 miles walk at sea! I was hoping to do it in 10 days but it’s taken me 14 due to decks/gym being closed because of high winds and wave heights, then me getting hit with a flu type virus which pretty much wiped me out for 3 days, but tonight the challenge is complete. Thank you so much once again to everyone who sponsored me in aid of SSAFA, the Armed Forces charity.
For me personally, I have enjoyed the motivation of walking so much that I am going to sign up for a new challenge and start virtually’ walking the Florida Keys which will be 150 miles. It’s the most relevant challenge I could find, given that our voyage will end in Fort Lauderdale.

19/03/2024

Pablo Neruda has long been one of my favourite poets, so when I saw a cruise excursion in San Antonio, Chile to his former home, I booked it immediately. I also knew it would be a great way to introduce Cameron to some of his works.
Driving out of the San Antonio port area is quite an eye-opener, very obvious poverty, houses crammed in on top of each other over a vast expansive space, many of which look like they are going to tumble down on top of one another with the slightest earthquake.
Our journey took us out along the coast with revealed some beautiful scenery, then we reached our destination ‘Isla Negra’ - which isn’t really an island, but was what Neruda referred to it as due to its black rocks, against which the waves come crashing in.
His self designed house is phenomenal, set on the top of a cliff, overlooking the ocean. It had been designed to feel like a ship and it certainly feels that way, full of nautical treasures, collected from around the globe. Unfortunately you are not allowed to take photos inside of the house, but believe me it’s a fascinating treasure trove and one which was enjoyed by all ages on our excursion today, Cameron was enthralled, and I have never before seen him quite so engaged in a ‘museum’.
The outside takes you to a deck made of stones and beautifully replicating the bow of a ship. It is here that both Pablo and his wife are buried side by side. It was Pablo’s own request to be buried upright, so he could still overlook the ocean.
When Pablo died in 1973 it was believed he died of cancer, despite other rumours. It wasn’t until 2013 that his body was exhumed and his remains sent for forensic investigation in the USA that it was proven that he had been injected with poison whilst in hospital, due to his strong communist views and political activism.
A wonderful day, and fantastic addition to our world-schooling classroom experience.

18/03/2024

Yesterday we docked in the Chilean Port of Puerto Montt, tendering in the spectacular Reloncaví Bay. This city lies as a gateway between the Patagonian Fjords (where we have just spent the last few days cruising) and the Andes Mountains. It is also known as Chiles Lake District.
Unfortunately it was one of the only ports where we hadn’t booked an excursion and I somewhat regret that as the port itself had little to offer and wasn’t in any way set up for tourists. Cameron however quickly spotted some redundant steam locomotives on display along the prom so he was in his element. We enjoyed a lovely walk along the shore with beautiful views out over the sound, and we saw both dolphins and sea lions frolicking in the water, although as always I was too slow with the camera to capture them.
Outside of the port area are beautiful lakes, mountains, waterfalls and an active volcano, so was kind of disappointed that we hadn’t done a tour. However we have seen the most spectacular scenery over the past few days so I don’t feel too deprived!

16/03/2024

After a truly magnificent day in the Chilean Fjords yesterday, we headed out into the Pacific Ocean to continue our journey north bound. The Captain told us all to batten down the hatches as we were in for a rough ride due to an area of very low pressure. He wasn’t wrong, I have lost count of how many cruises we have done and this was the one an only time I have ever felt scared at sea. Felt like we were a cork in a washing machine, the boat pitching and listing in all directions in the pitch dark, with the wind battering us. The video below is simply the sound of the wind against our cabin door at 3am this morning!!

Thankfully this morning the winds dropped a bit, although we were still rocking and rolling a little bit until we entered the Darwin Channel at 2.30pm this afternoon to explore some more of the Fjords and can now follow this channel right up to Puerto Montt in Chile where we will hold at anchor and tender ashore from 8am tomorrow, a much calmer night together and hopefully might get some sleep as got virtually none last night. Thankfully I do have very good sea legs however, and Cameron miraculously slept through it all!! (Or should I say I drugged him with Dramamine before he had a chance to feel ill)

15/03/2024

We have cruised the Norwegian Fjords and we have cruised the New Zealand Fjords, but I have to say that I don’t think I have ever seen more beautiful scenery anywhere in the world than the Chilean Fjords.
We were meant to be visiting Cape Horn this cruise, but due to operational reasons it got cancelled. There are a lot of passengers unhappy about this, but the Captain explained that this was due to us having our order of ports swapped around as one of the ports had too many ships in on the same day and as a result he wouldn’t have had time to safely navigate the ship down there in bad weather in new time slot allowed. Whilst it would have been nice to say we had been there, it’s a very choppy sail down to a large rock with a lighthouse on!!
Instead however, it meant that the Captain was able to bring us deeper into the Ffords where very few cruise ships get to go, and up close to the Pio XI glacier. It stands at 66km wide, 1265 square km (the same size as Santiago) and is the largest glacier in the Southern Hemisphere outside of Antarctica.

We were once again up at first light, and the dense cloud base over the fjords gave the whole area a natural monochrome look - slightly eerie and yet both mystical and majestic. Then a few small pieces of bright blue ice started to float by us, we knew we were getting close to the ice field. Then we got our first glimpse of this vast glacier in the foreground. Against the dark granite mountains it looked very white to start with, but as we got closer it got bluer and bluer.
I, of course wish I had taken some photography lessons before I came away, rather than just pointing and shooting, but I don’t think the best photographs in the world would come close to capturing the essence of the scale and beauty. I guess if they did then we would all just stay home looking at photos rather than travelling! I had to remind myself to put the camera down and experience it through my own eyes, but hopefully captured a few memories for prosperity. It is bitterly cold now and the winds blowing a force 8 gale which means you don’t want to stand outside for too long 🥶. Thankfully we have a balcony cabin though which means we can see it all from our window. The protection of mountains keeps the waters calm, but we are now heading out towards the Pacific Ocean to change channels which we also did last night, encountering some pretty rough seas for around 4 hrs and we are expecting the same again later with predicted 20ft sea swells. For those who think they could never do this because they may get sea sick, don’t let it put you off such an experience, these big ships have massive stabilisers on them which keeps it a lot smoother than you would ever expect. I would highly recommend this voyage to anyone though, it’s phenomenal.

13/03/2024

Today has been truly magical and special. We were up at first light as the Oosterdam made its way into the Beagle Channel/Glacier Alley at 6.30am. We were treated to a mystical waking of Mother Nature as we sailed down the channel watching the sunrise over the mountains as whales and dolphins swam alongside ship.
At 12noon we docked in Ushuaia, Argentina-the most southerly city in the world and gateway to Antartica. It was here I managed to surprise Cameron by meeting with one of our dearest friends whom we met on ‘that’ Maasdam cruise in 2020, and sailed across the South Pacific with in 2022. It was pure coincidence that his Antarctica expedition ship was disembarking in Ushuaia today, the same day we were in port. We had been plotting our reunion for months, but kept Cameron totally in the dark, so he had the best surprise!
We then took the bus into the Tierre del Fuego National Park where we boarded ‘the train to the end of the world’ - a former prison train! There was so spectacular scenery framed by the Andes Mountains in the background.
We returned back into town for some dinner and shopping before re-boarding the ship and sailing away into the sunset. We truly have made the most of every minute of daylight today, and I know we will sleep well tonight!!!

13/03/2024

We have been on the cruise exactly a week now and I have completed just over 50% of my walk. Thank you to everyone who has sponsored me for SSAFA - especially those who have made anonymous donations, as I haven’t been able to thank you personally 🙏🏻💖

12/03/2024

Visiting the Penguins of Patagonia on Magdalena Island in Chile - and then coming back to catch up on some online schoolwork.