the Travel Blog
by Maureen Horton of Travel a la Carte LIFE’S A BREEZE.... On the Atlantic Ocean
After arriving back to Fort Lauderdale from our cruise in the Caribbean, we headed back
home...not by plane out of Miami, but on the same ship we had just sailed on! My husband had always wanted to do an Atlantic crossing and persuaded me that this was the ideal opportunity. I had visions of George Clooney in the film ‘A Perfect Storm’, but suppressed these anxieties, put on a brave face, took a large glug of champagne and headed into the abyss!
As we entered the Bermuda triangle, the captain duly informed us about all the ships and aircraft that had been lost in this area in the last 50 years.... just what we wanted to hear! Fortunately we exited one of the ‘corners’ intact. However, while in the area, the ships hooter started blasting.... we had come across a yacht close by which seemed directionless. After contacting the Bermudan coastguard, it was identified that this yacht had originated from San Francisco and had been abandoned in November in bad weather when one of the occupants had been rescued and the other had sadly drowned. This had been the first sighting of the yacht since then. Once our crew established that there seemed to be no life on board, we continued on our way.
The weather, for the most part, was warm and sunny and for a couple of days the ocean was as calm as a lake with the only movement being our wake. Under the unfaltering rhythm of the ship and the seemingly endless ocean, the days passed pleasantly and peacefully by.... No commitments, no schedules and no telephones interrupted the somnolence that seemed to take over. After watching the sun disappear into the ocean each evening, producing the most gorgeous sunsets, we “woke up” for beautiful dinners and superb entertainment provided by singers and dancers who had performed in the West End.
Sleep came easy, with the abundance of fresh sea air and the gentle rocking movement of the boat.
We knew we were approaching land when a lone seagull turned up and followed us into the port of Funchal, our first port after 9 days at sea. We were still out in the Atlantic, so it was not until we reached Malaga and mainland Europe that we felt “wow, we made it”. All I can say is, thank goodness we were not in a rowing boat!!
Workshops for Parents and Carers
Equal Futures are delivering a series of workshops in Renfrewshire for parents and carers based on our book Safe and Secure. The workshops will be relaxed and friendly and give families the time and space to think and begin the process of planning for the future and address some of the challenges that families with a relative with a disability can often face.
During the workshops there will be the chance to hear from experts on the law and housing and from families about their experiences of realising their vision for the future. There will be current information on housing, finance, wills and trusts and Circles of Support and real stories of how future planning has helped families have peace of mind by giving them the tools to help their relatives have a good life with a lifelong circle of friends.
Sign up to our series of workshops with: Renfrewshire Carers Centre, Paisley on May 8th, 15th, 22nd, 29th.
Workshops will cover:
Day 1: Exploring housing options with Housing Options Scotland Day 2: Sound decisions & financial security with Caritas Legal Day 3: Trusts and trust management with Cairn Trust Management Day 4: Circles of Support and next steps
All workshops run from 11am till 2pm with a light lunch included. Everyone attending will receive a copy of Safe and Secure. For more information on our free workshops please contact: Joyce Gallagher on 07944 172810.
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