HAPPY NEW YEAR 2025
from Martin!
This is my annual newsletter, I would welcome receiving your news too!
Last Christmas day I had a lovely lunch with my friends Mark Urwin, David Croxall and Philip Medcalf, with the meal cooked by the former. That week I went to TWO line dance socials led by Jane Eminson: for Twixmass and for New Year's Eve.
On the fifth of January I was flown out to Miami to join the Regent Seven Seas (RSS) Mariner (not Marina). We sailed via the Panama Canal to San Francisco. I gave six enrichment lectures and went on seven tours, the best of which was my first time zip-lining. I visited one new country (Guatemala) and five new ports, including Cabo San Lucas in Mexico: Click here
At the end of the cruise, I stayed on in San Francisco for a one week holiday in an AirBnB. I had three lunches out with friends and visited two Universities: Berkeley & Stanford. I was particularly impressed with the public transport systems: Trams, Trains, Trolley Cars and the BART: Click here
In March, rather than my usual September, I had my annual holiday in the West Country. I stayed in an AirBnB in Nanstallon in Cornwall. I visited Bodmin, St Austell, Charlestown, Mevagissey, Launceston and Chard in Somerset. The highlights of the trip were visits to the famous Eden Project and the spectacular Lydford Gorge in Devon.
At the end of the month, I was flown out to San Juan in Puerto Rico via JFK in NYC by the Regent Seven Seas (RSS) cruise line. I had eight days going around the Caribbean islands on the splendid RSS Splendor. The first cruise involved me in giving six lectures. It included my first ever visit to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic: Click here
I then had fourteen days on a Transatlantic re-positioning cruise back to Europe. This second cruise on the splendid RSS Splendor involved me in giving four destination lectures and four enrichment talks. It included my first ever visit to the famous Blue Lagoon in the Bahamas: Click here
At the end of April, RSS flew meet out to Rome and back from Nice, again on the splendid RSS Splendor. The highlights of the first leg were the three Ancient Greek cities of Priene, Miletus & Didyma. I gave six destination lectures and one enrichment talk on Mamma Mia: the Greek Musical: Click here
The highlights of the second leg were the Ancient Greek city of Pergamon and my first visit to San Gimignano in Tuscany. I gave nine destination lectures and one enrichment talk on the Story of the Mediterranean Sea: Click here
At the start of June, Oceania Cruises flew me out to Rome and back from Amsterdam on the Marina (not Mariner). The highlights of the first leg were second visits to both Rabat and Taroudant in Morocco. I gave seven destination lectures: Click here
The highlights of the second leg were long day trips to both Paris and London. I again gave seven destination lectures: Click here
At the end of June, I had just one night at home, before Oceania flew me out to Italy to join their Riviera cruise ship. At the end of the cruise, they flew me back from Greece. The highlights were THREE new ports for me: Trieste in Italy, Rijeka in Croatia and Paphos on Cyprus. Yet again I gave seven destination lectures: Click here
At the end of July, I joined the Caribbean Princess in SoToN for a cruise to Iceland and, for the first time, to Greenland. The highlights were the two ports of Qaqortoq and Nanortalik in Greenland. I gave seven enrichment talks: Click here
Again I had only one night at home before joining the FOCL Borealis for the first time. The highlight was a RIB tour on Hardangerfjord in Norway. I gave just two enrichment talks: Click here
At the end of August, I had three nights at home before Viking Ocean Cruises flew me out to Stockholm to join the Viking Sky. The highlight of the first leg was the tour to Schwerin Castle from Warnemunde. I gave five enrichment talks: Click here
The highlight of the second leg was my first time on a Segway electric scooter in Cartagena, before flying home from Barcelona. I gave five enrichment talks: Click here
In October my one Open University MSc student submitted their dissertation and I acquired two more students for next year. At the start of November, I stayed with my sister-in-law Pam in Harlow for a couple of nights.
My next pair of cruises were on the Viking Sky again. The highlights of the first leg were a first visit to Rethymnon on Crete and an electric bike ride around Athens. I gave just three enrichment talks: Click here
The highlights of the second leg were the ancient towns of Ephesus in Turkey, Tindari on Sicily, Pompeii in Italy and the Athenian Acropolis. I gave four enrichment talks: Click here
During the year I have continued to attend Karl Harry Winson's excellent line dance class when at home. I have also attended social dances at the BoMoH Pavilion Ballroom with Sue Grahame, and line dance socials with Jane Eminson, Sue Elizabeth Payne, Jenny Lee (no relation), Karen Harding and Alan Joy.
I will be spending Christmas on the Viking Saturn in the Mediterranean including a first visit to Villefranche-sur-Mer in the South of France. I will be back at home for the New Year, so hope to attend Jane Eminson's line dance social on New Year's Eve. At the time of writing, I have seven cruises booked for next year and eight for 2026, all with Viking Ocean Cruises: Martin's Cruises
I hope you and your family and friends are keeping well. Do keep in touch!
Kindest regards,
Martin
2021 11 Cruises
2022 12 Cruises
2023 13 Cruises
2024 16 Cruises
2024 Cruises:
6 Viking 5 Regent 3 Oceania 1 Princess 1 Fred.Olsen 16 Cruises