May 7, 2018

Avenue of the Glaciers (aka Glacier Alley) in the Beagle Channel, Chilean Fjords

As we left Ushuaia the ship set an easterly course and once abeam (at right angle) to the lighthouse Faro Les Eclaireurs the ship altered course and begun sailing west on the Beagle Channel. Where the Beagle Channel splits into two arms the ship took the north one and entered a gorgeous channel known as Glacier Alley (I prefer the more elegant “Glacier Avenue“). Cruising the crystal waters, surrounded by rugged Andes mountains with their dramatic... View Article

May 5, 2018

Mushroom soup with cream and herbs

Still cool enough here to enjoy a warm bowl of soup and mushroom soup is one of my favourites. You can use a variety of mushroom to add flavour. I like texture so I sauté a few additional mushrooms briefly in olive oil and use as garnish. For a creamy vegan version use cashew cream in the puréed soup or as garnish on top. If you use bay leaves don’t forget to remove them before... View Article

May 5, 2018

Ushuaia, Patagonia, Argentina – Tiera del Fuego (land of fire) and El Fin del Mundo (“End of the World”)

After circling Cape Horn our ship headed north through the narrow Mar del Sur channel en route to Ushuaia. We then proceeded west through the Beagle channel and at 3:30 am the ship slowed its course and soon stopped off the coast of Puerto Williams for custom clearance before crossing back from Chile into Argentina. Needless to say we slept through this stop to the gentle rocking of the ship. Once we received clearance we... View Article

May 4, 2018

Grilled Eggplant with Miso Glaze

I have had a few good versions of Japanese eggplants in the past and have been looking for a way to recreate something similar at home. I found a recipe for miso eggplant in an Australian publication and worked with their recipe to make this dish. I think I would try it with Japanese eggplants next time although this version was nice. The recipe called for grilling it but I roasted it in the oven... View Article

May 3, 2018

Cape Horn, Chile – “Rounding the Horn”

The highlight of our trip around South America in terms of historical significance was sailing around Cape Horn. This rocky point on Hornos Island, part of the Tiera del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, is where many seafarers perished in an attempt to cross these rough waters. The treacherous pass was the route from Europe to the far east and many ships went down trying to navigate around the Cape. The opening of the Panama... View Article

May 2, 2018

Beet salad with goat cheese and walnuts

I find that roasting a few beets (2-3 large ones) is useful as they keep in the fridge for a few days and you can use them to make a soup or salad or serve as a vegetable in various ways. Today I had two beets, previously roasted, and they were perfect to make a nice little beet salad with goat cheese and walnuts. I sliced them and then cut into cubes of equal size... View Article

May 1, 2018

Falkland Islands

    From Puerto Madryn we continued sailing south and east to our next destination, the Falkland Islands. Port Stanley on the East island cannot accommodate our large ship so we dropped anchor across from the port and traveled between the ship and shore in the life boats used as tenders. It was quite windy and the water was rough, splashing up along the sides of the tender.   The town of Stanley is sheltered... View Article

April 29, 2018

Magellanic Penguins at Punta Tombo National Reserve, Patagonia, Argentina

Puerto Madryn is the gateway to Peninsula Valdes in central eastern Patagonia, knowns as the best place to observe large marine life in their natural habitat. It is also the gateway to the Punto Tombo Natural Reserve, home to the largest colony of Magelan penguins in South America. I have seen whales but not penguins, so Porto Tombo it was.   We drove about 2 h south of Puerto Madryn along the coast hoping to... View Article

April 27, 2018

Afternoon Tea in Gaiman, Patagonia – the Welsh Heritage and Welsh Tea Cake Recipe

After sailing through the Rio de la Plata to Uruguay and exploring Montevideo and Punta del Este for a couple of days we begun our journey south-west in the calm waters of the Sea of Argentina until we entered the Golfo Nuevo towards our next destination, Puerto Madryn, Welsh History in Patagonia Puerto Madryn was originally home to the indigenous Tehuelche people who lived off the sea and land. It was later settled by 150... View Article

April 19, 2018

Uruguay – Punta del Este, where the rich and famous play

After a short stay in Montevideo we drove 150 km east to visit Punta del Este, a famous resort town known as the Riviera or Monaco of South America. It is so well known that the entire coast is now referred to by this name. Well to do Uruguayans, Argentinians and Brazilians made this place a summer playground where the South American elite play. They are lured to this sun drenched peninsula by the promise... View Article

April 17, 2018

Roasted cauliflower and chickpea salad with tahini sauce

So, we just returned from 4 months of travel, two of which were in South America. I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun, interesting and educational this experience was. I wrote about the trip as we went along but there is so much more to share and since I compile these posts and images into travel book for our family, I will continue to write and document our experience. It took me... View Article

April 14, 2018

Uruguay – Montevideo

Nestled at the edge of the rio de la Plata (more like a sea, being the widest river in the world) before it spills its content into the Atlantic ocean, Uruguay is a small country squeezed between the much larger Brazil in the north and Argentina to the south. Perfect for visiting any time of the year thanks to it warm, mild climate Uruguay makes a great destination for visiting historical Montevideo, enjoying the beaches... View Article