Goodbye to Thomas

Thomas left today to go back to university - he only starts next week but he has exams and wanted to go back to concentrate on his work. Here he is giving Xena a goodbye hug.

With an empty house once again, I need to focus on other things.Two years ago Gavin and I booked to go on the most exciting trip we have ever done – to Antarctica – and now I cannot believe that we will be leaving in a month’s time. Gavin has always wanted to go, but I was reluctant due to the crossing of the infamously rough Drake Passage, the body of water between the tip of Argentina and the Antarctica continent, as I get very seasick. Two to three days (each way) on a rough crossing was my idea of hell. However, I received an email from a pro photographer who I have travelled with before, inviting me to consider a trip he was organising to Antarctica, and this trip did appeal as instead of sailing across that rough passage we fly directly from Punta Arenas to the South Shetland Islands in Antarctica where we board the boat, which is a brand new, modern expedition vessel purposely built for Antarctic air-cruises. Before I had even finished reading the email to Gavin he was signing up! Despite being a photography trip partners were welcome and of course the majority of passengers on the boat are not part of the photography group.
 
I have been busy planning the correct clothing to take, deciding on photography gear, which lenses to take, the right camera bag….it has to be carefully planned as we have a weight limit of only 20kg for the flight, including hand luggage. Before we go to Antarctica we are spending a few days in Torres del Paine in Chile so that will require different clothing. I will be taking two small suitcases with the different clothing required and leaving one behind at the hotel before we fly to Antarctica.

I am the third blipper that I know of to be visiting Antarctica in recent months. Jenny was there last month and Peter is about to go. It is a photographers’ delight.

This afternoon I went with a friend to see Little Women, which I very much enjoyed. I seldom get to the movies so it was a good outing.