Not the ship - but US. Never again can we face travelling on a long-haul flight! We're both wrecked and ruined for any more flights in...

Jun 24 - July 7, 2015 This was the title of the first book I read by philosopher Alain de Botton and it seemed apt after our recent...

The night before we arrived in Moscow, we enjoyed a delicious Russian- inspired farewell dinner while sailing down the Volga to the...

At last Carol has let me create my own entry on the blog as she's not interested in feats of engineering. Locks are an interesting...

After too many late nights we were glad to have a leisurely morning on board.  But who could resist the temptation of seeing us go...

This was something of a strangely sad day, being our last day sailing the Russian waterways. From my studies of the Vikings at uni, part...

No, despite the title, not a monk's cell. Judging from what we saw of the monastery, St Cyril or Kirill, had plenty of those in what...

Long harsh winters, short lush summers. Lakes, woods, meadows. Buildings, both beautiful and functional. Harmony with the seasons, with...

After spending a lazy, leisurely night/day cruising across Lake Ladoga, marvelling at the pristine river banks with nary an erosion scar...

We were there four days and saw all the main sights but what interested us both most - and to our shame - was something we barely knew...

As you can see, this is a new travel blog and this entry is its prologue as many of you don't know the background. Late last year I took...