I woke up just after midnight, heavy seas causing the Aranui to roll noticeably. We had left the sanctuary of our anchorage and were traversing the 100-kilometre passage across to Hiva Oa. This unnamed strait is a long slide between the northern and southern groups of the Marquesas and allows the Pacific swells that began … Continue reading Poets and Painters

We came into the Bay of Taiohae just after dawn, past the islets of Motu Nui and Matauapuna which guard the channel. We disembarked at the village of Taiohae, and later made our way over the mountain to Comptroller’s Bay and the village of Taipivai. No, you are not reading a new Melville novel, but these names … Continue reading The Marquesas

It is Sunday the 5th of February, 2023. We are at anchorage in the lagoon offshore from the village of Rotoava, on the island known as Fakarava.  I must confess, I still can’t believe that I’m starting a blog with those words. We left Papeete at four o’clock yesterday afternoon, hugging the coast and getting a Cook’s-eye view (Bougainville’s-eye? Bligh’s-eye?) … Continue reading Fakarava

Tahiti lives up to its reputation. Aphrodite’s Island it has been called, and it has attracted travellers for centuries – explorers, writers, artists. Gauguin famously came here to escape the petty bureaucracies of Paris, as did Matisse, who somewhat dismissively noted: “it was the light that interested me. I never thought of Gauguin” (Laudon, 1999, p. 22). It is a heart-stoppingly beautiful place, full of colour and vivacity. We have … Continue reading Iorana

Punch-drunk and scrambled; that’s not a new breakfast order but rather the way that I feel right now. It’s 0930 here in Montreal, 1030 back in Charlottetown, and I’ve been awake since 2.45 this morning. That’s awake in the physically conscious and aware sense; I crawled into the taxi, climbed on and off the plane, … Continue reading Punch-Drunk

And here we go, again, it’s that time of year. A time of reminiscence, yes, especially for those whom we have lost, but also one of hope and future. Indeed, as soon as the days start getting longer, on the twelfth day after the solstice, the tradition on Prince Edward Island is for certain worthies … Continue reading Divination

This is just a short blog to wish everyone a Merry Christmas / Happy Hanukkah / other seasonal delight. At least we’re now past the Solstice, so for those of us in the northern hemisphere, the days are getting longer! We're going to spend Christmas Day out at our daughter’s place, and are planning on staying … Continue reading I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas

Prologue. I know there are some people, not many but enough, who find football strange, uninspiring, unintelligible, even – gasp! – boring. I know that there are people in North America who view soccer the same way. I am not one of those people. I fall more into the camp of those who agree with … Continue reading Reflections on the World Cup

Season’s Greetings! I’ve constructed a website! I know, I know – Ned Ludd is probably rolling on his loom. Now I don’t claim to be a technophile, and my next trip to Australia will be for a holiday and not as penal transportation, but I’ve emerged into the 21st century somewhere between Luddite and Geek. … Continue reading A Seasonal Gift

Fifty days. That’s how long it’s been since we were hit by Hurricane Fiona. Even in the calm(er) light of day, the devastation is appalling. In some places we lost ten metres of shoreline, sand dunes eroded by the storm surge. Trees still litter the countryside, although the roads and ditches have been cleared so … Continue reading Ta-da; ta-da ta-da ta-da