April 16, 2020 
19 Comments
This was recorded by my lovely wife Sarah whilst on holiday inĀ Pembrokeshire with Sarahās family on 18th Jan 2020. It was before the lockdown happenedā¦But it looks like we were trapped inside and i was finding a way to entertain Sarahās dad and brother Marshall, lol!Ā
I also had no idea Sarah was recording thisā¦But i hope it can shine into your homes and bring a little smile. šĀ
June 6, 2020 1 Comment
Here is a constellation of wonders!Ā
(Charles Spurgeon)Ā
“TheĀ forgivenessĀ of sins, according to the riches of His grace.” Ephesians 1:7Ā
Could there be a sweeter word in any language than that word “forgiveness,” when it sounds in a guilty sinner’s ear!Ā
Can it be possible that sin–such heinous sin asĀ mine–can be forgiven, forgiven altogether, and forever? Hell is my portion as a sinner–there is no possibility of my escaping from it while sin remains upon me.Ā
Can the unfathomable load of my guilt be removed? Can the crimson stain of my sins be blotted out?Ā
Can the adamantine stones of my prison-house ever be loosed, or the doors be lifted from their hinges?Ā
Jesus tells me that I may yet be forgiven. Forever blessed be the revelation ofĀ redeeming love, which not only tells me that pardon is possible–but that it isĀ securedĀ to all who rest in Jesus. I have believed in the appointed sin-atoning sacrifice, even Jesus crucified, and therefore my sins are at this moment, and forever–forgiven by virtue of His substitutionary sufferings and death! What joy is this!Ā What bliss to be a perfectly pardoned soul!Ā My soul dedicates all her powers to Him who of His own unpurchasable love became my surety, and wrought out for me redemption through His blood.Ā
WhatĀ riches of graceĀ does free forgiveness exhibit!Ā
To forgive atĀ all,Ā
to forgiveĀ fully,Ā
to forgiveĀ freely,Ā
to forgiveĀ forever!Ā
Here is a constellation of wonders!Ā
When I think of . . .
Ā how great my sins were,
Ā how dear were the precious drops which cleansed me from them, and
Ā how gracious was the method by which pardon was sealed home to me,
I am in a maze of wondering worshiping affection!Ā
I bow before theĀ throneĀ which absolves me!
I clasp theĀ crossĀ which delivers me!
I serve henceforth all my days–the Incarnate God, through whom I am this day a pardoned soul!Ā
“BlessedĀ are thoseĀ whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.Ā Ā
Ā BlessedĀ is the manĀ whose sin the Lord will never count against him!”Ā Romans 4:7-8Ā
June 5, 2020 0 Comments
Thanks for joining me and Sarah on another Birthday celebration cruise and stay in the Caribbean, itās great to have you guys along for the ride.
Marella Explorer (Apr 2019)…
Unbelievably this is the Blind Sightseers 6th cruse! We have never been on the Marella Explorer and Sarah had booked cabin 8001 which is dead centre and right at the front of the ship. She chose this cabin as she thought the views from the window would be fantasticā¦.Sheās right again! šĀ
All it was missing is a steering wheel, lol.
ā§ View from our cabin NĆø 8001 ā§Ā
Before getting to Aruba we had a day at sea. We were pleased with this as it gave us time to walk about 80,000 steps to find out where we could get Breakfast and the evening mealā¦But most of all find the Coffee Port to see if they made lovely strong coffee? They did! š Ā
Ā š¦š¼ Aruba…
As usual we had booked an excursion for each of the 5 islands we were visiting and todays excursion is:Ā De Palm Island – Full Day, Aruba.
De Palm Island has got it all. Set adrift off the Aruban coastline, this private reef offers up pristine waters and a huge variety of exotic marine life, itās a first-class spot for an underwater exploration. Your day will start off with a short boat trip over to the island, where the friendly staff will be waiting to meet you. After a short safety briefing, youāre ready to slip on your mask and wade into the warm, clear waters. Expect to meet friendly blue parrotfish and angelfish. Back on dry land, thereāll be time to sprawl out on the sand, take your seat for a banana boat ride or visit the islandās small waterpark before heading back to the ship. Don’t forget that a full buffet lunch and refreshments throughout the day will be included.Ā
On the dock…
Ā We had a short walk around the dock until we arrived at the place to get the little fun boat.Ā
The little fun boat…
Ā Yay, it didnāt disappoint as it bobbed up and down spraying us in the face with nice cool sea water.Ā
De Palm Island…
Ā ā§ My lovely Wife Sarah catching some long awaited sunshine outside the cafe ā§Ā
When booking this shore excursion we had visions of excitement and adventure from the amazing Xel-Ha island in Mexico, unfortunately this wasnāt like that. This place was tiny in comparison which worked well for us not getting lost but there wasnāt much to do either. The weather was overcast and muggy, until the clouds parted and gave the sun chance to burn a hole through your flesh! š„Ā
I was well impressed by the solid wooden walkways that curled around the whole place, and i marvelled on how long it must have taken to construct this very accessible path. When i was fully sighted i worked as a panel beater in a bodyshop so i know a little about sanding etc. I was enjoying the smoothness of the wood when Sarah pulled me from my reverie…āSteve! Come on stop touching everything to see how smooth it is, lol!ā š¤£ Ā
We found the cafe first (funny how that happens) and use it as our starting reference point. We found a souvenir shop (weāll be back) then the toilets (useful) and passing the bar and food court (Mmmmmm) we stumbled upon the sun bed area. Seeing that all of the sun beds were taken and weād only just got here, we walked back to the cafe to see if they had iced coffee?! š Ā
Walking around the cafe looking at the assortment of food we suddenly heard an american man with a bright and cheery accent right behind us āHOWDYā Sarah and i turned to face him and he continued āI hope you donāt mind me interrupting? But i saw you have an insulin pump and wanted to ask about itā Sarah talked to him about how long sheād had Type 1 diabetes and how long sheād had the pump. The man was a chemist/Pharmacy person and his niece was debating whoever to get one or not? After Sarah talked about how much of a life saver the pump has been i think his niece will be getting one! The man (sorry forgot his name) had arrived on the āCelebrity Silhouetteā cruise ship that weād noticed towering over ours in the dock, and it was also his first time in Aruba, then we finished up our coffees (no iced coffee, just a machine) and parted ways with the lovely man. š Ā
Ā Yayā¦It was the first time in a while that iād been able to wear the bright orange shirt i bought in Saint Kitts from our first cruiseā¦Read all about it here.
We quickly figured out that this place was mainly for snorkelers, and that wasnāt an activity the ‘Blind Sightseers’ could do (yes even we have limits, lol). We managed to secure 2 sun bems ( nobody wanted them as they were in the shade) and as i sat down Sarah went to see if she could have a paddle in the sea?! Sarah quickly returned looking sad as theyāre were rocks pretty much all the way round and lots of āBeware of Jellyfishā signs. More clouds came and lowered the temperature so we walked into the food court place as it was lunchtime already. Ā
Yayā¦I was happy as they were mainly serving burger and chips (well french fries which are fake chips) and Sarah said they served salad too! š¤£ Once again (like the sun beds) every table was taken except the only one in the blistering sun no-one wantedā¦So we sat down and i placed my āTactical sun hatā on my frying head and enjoyed the burger, although i wasnāt sure which one of us was barbecued, lol! Ā š Ā āļø Ā š Ā
āHOWDYā the man said whilst walking past, i said to Sarah āI donāt have to ask who that was as his accent is fantasticā as we waved in his general direction. As Sarah and i canāt make eye contact itās almost impossible to make friends or start a conversation unless people come over to us. So it felt great to make a friend here who always says āHowdyā when seeing us! š Ā
Sarah & i had a great time wondering around this beautiful little island and we found lots of little places until stumbling intoā¦.The gift shop! We love to find souvenirs that help us remember the amazing journeys/adventures we have conquered, and Sarah bought a fantastic t-shirt with “Biba Dushiā written on the front. Biba dushi in Aruba means āliving the sweet lifeā. The language is actually called Papiamento and is one of Arubaās two official languages spoken by many on the island. Papiamento is a Creole language derived from Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, English, French, and African languages.
Back at the ship…
After another fun ride on the little boat back to the ship, we had enough time to get changed, leave our bags and have a well needed iced-coffee before heading out to explore as much as we can without getting lost before the ship leaves.
We walked up one street and turned right before Sarah stopped and said āWow, that lady is having her photo taken in front of that cool wall art/sign. Quick get one of meā āOk my lovely, youāre wearing your new yellow Michael Kors t-shirt too, i hope i get everything inā. Sarah had bought this t-shirt for our holidays and couldnāt wait to put on the lovely bright colours and flowers.
Ā This is one of my fave photos as it shows Sarahās smile is as bright as her t-shirt.Ā
Walking back to the ship we finally found a local Bauble makerā¦Her daughter makes and paints them herself. We bought a beautiful one which even had a cruise ship painted on with the Aruba island and even 2019 on it. š š Ā
We’ve started collecting Christmas Tree Baubles since i started going abroad 5 years ago. We love unpacking them at Christmas and filling the tree with all Ā of the places we visit. We think its a lovely idea to fill the tree with our lives journeys and give thanks to God for everything.
Our wonderful new friends…Ā
Sarah & i like to share a table with other passengers, mainly to take this opportunity to try and be sociable( being blind and trapped in your very small world & not having any eye contact itās almost impossible to be sociable. or start conversations). So asking someone to read the menu for you because we are blind is a great ice breaker, lol!Ā
We met 2 lovely couples that night and you will hear a little more about them throughout this trip.
Thanks for joining us on our visit to Aruba! Have you been here before? š¤
To be continued…Ā
ā¬ Ā Previous DayĀ š“Ā Next DayĀ ā”
June 5, 2020 1 Comment
Oh how ashamed you would be if men could see your thoughts!Ā
Oh how ashamed you would be if men could see your thoughts!Ā
Is not the eye of God ten thousand times more to be regarded?
“You alone know each human heart!” 2 Chronicles 6:30Ā
“Behold,Ā I know your thoughts!” Job 21:27Ā
“Would not God have discovered it,Ā sinceĀ He knows the secrets of the heart?”Ā Psalm 44:21Ā
“You have set our iniquities before You,Ā our secret sinsĀ in the light of Your presence!”Ā Psalm 90:8Ā
“You know when I sit and when I rise;Ā You perceive my thoughtsĀ from afar!”Ā Psalm 139:2Ā
“Death and Destruction lie open before theĀ LORD—how much more theĀ hearts of men!“Ā Proverbs 15:11Ā
“I know what is going through your mind.” Ezekiel 11:5Ā
“I know their works andĀ their thoughts.” Isaiah 66:18
“Lord, You know everyone’s heart.” Acts 1:24Ā
“For God will bring every deed into judgment, includingĀ every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” Ecclesiastes 12:14Ā
“God, through Jesus Christ, will judgeĀ the secret thoughtsĀ of all.” Romans 2:16Ā
“Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will exposeĀ the motives of men’s hearts.” 1 Corinthians 4:5
“Search me, O God, andĀ know my heart; test me andĀ know my anxious thoughts.
Ā See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”Ā
Ā Ā Psalm 139:23-24Ā
June 4, 2020 0 Comments
It was amazing to have my friend of nearly 30 years Adie Monk join our “Hard As Nails” team. I thought we’d sit and catch up over a coffee….I didn’t have this in mind, lol! š¤£ Ā
After jogging a little, we came to thisā¦ā¦.
“At over 2 stories high, this is one of the most impressive obstacles in the UK. It is a giant A-shaped cargo net that you and your team will have to scramble up and over it. Working together will be the only way to overcomeā.
This was easily my favourite obstacle of the day as i could get my hands on it. Also it’s where my new trainers just hooked perfectly around the rope and it felt completely solid.
My blindness helped me out for once as i couldnāt see how high i was climbing and scrambling over the top. I heard a lot of fear from other people and a few of them froze going up and were glued to the spot. šØ
Ā Thenā¦.When getting to the bottom i hear āYay, Whoop Whoop, Steve, Steve, Steveā and the sound of the plastic clapper hands were going crazy! What a feeling to know my lovely Wife Sarah and the Crazy Clappers team were cheering me all of the way, a great feeling! š
More joggingā¦.Adie and the team were excellent at guiding me when jogging. Moving low hanging branches, telling me of tree roots and pulling me in the right direction. Adie said āI tried running with my eyes closed for a few stepsā¦And there is no way iād try any of this if i couldnāt seeā.
Thenā¦..Ā
āWe’ve taken the 10′ Hero Walls and tilted them right at you. By removing the ability for you to climb up and over this wall, you will have to form a strategy with your team, work together and boost each other to the other sideā.
More Joggingā¦..
“This obstacle will have you crawling on the ground, pinned down by a giant cargo net. Working your way through this one will require lots of communication, teamwork and a strong willā.
Youāve guessed itā¦..More jogging and thenā¦.
“The aim of the game is to get your team up and over this stack of super-sized hay bales. There is no right or wrong way so boost, shove or yank every last team member over the other sideā.
Nextā¦ā¦.
“Can’t go through it, can’t go round it, you’ll have to go over it. Work together to boost and shimmy your teammates up and over this 10′ Tough Mudder stapleā.
Yep, more joggingā¦..
Time to get swinging. Grab on, hold tight, feel the momentum and swing yourself from ring to ring like a regular Tarzan. This obstacle will test your strength, coordination and flow. Hang in there, you got thisā.
Really didnāt do well on this oneā¦And i canāt really blame my sight for lack of strength, lol!
After a little more joggingā¦…Ā
“One of the most teamwork-inducing obstacles in the Tough Mudder portfolio, this obstacle is difficult to complete alone. You’re going to have to work together to form a human pyramid and, like its namesake, climb up and over your fellow Mudders on the way to the topā.
As Vini was making everything look so easyā¦..It was great to look at the photos afterwards and see it wasnāt all too easy and he had to struggle too!! šŖš¼ š¤£ Ā
AND NOWā¦ā¦MY NEMESIS!!!!
Ā “A true Tough Mudder legend. Everest will challenge participants to run up a quarter pipe to reach the summit. Can’t do it alone? Not to worry – teammates are encouraged to hang over the top to pull their new friends up and overāĀ
I knew this was going to be difficult for me as i needed to try it and get hands on before i could calculate what exactly i needed to do. Adie and Ashley kindly explained the processā¦.But i knew i just had to do it before i would really knowā¦.As running at a half pipe wall thingy when blind is going to be interesting!
Here Goes Nothingā¦..
I thought iād feel the incline of the ramp and know roughly where i needed to jump and reach out for the top. But i took 1 step too manyā¦.And before i knew it the hard wall was in my face! š¤Ā
“Awwww i was so close to reaching the ledgeā.
After hitting the wall i dropped down hard on both knees, and as the obstacle was made of hardish tyre rubber, it simply burned and ripped the skin off both kneesā¦.”Wow that stings!”
Time to regroup and recalculate! I could sense the crowd went very quiet, and i heard a couple of people wonder how iām going to get up there?
“Ok Steve, just do the same (not the face plant and flesh stripping knee thing) but with 1 step lessā. Here i go again! š²
Yay!! Now thatās better, and once i had my talon trainers gripped to the ledge i was solid, now i Ā could just heave myself up. Wow i made it! šŖš¼Ā
ā§Ā Ashley showing how it should be done!Ā ā§š Ā 
The team were fantastic and we all made it up. No-one was being left behind and you could just feel the team growing closer with each obstacle, it was amazing.
Now the final obstacle was overcome, it was time for a short jog to the finish line,Yay!
The Finish Line & The Headbandsā¦…
Ā
With more than a week pastā¦.My knees are still scabbed and bruisedā¦..But iād like to give an Elephantine amount of thanks for everyone involved! šŖš¼
Ā
Ā
Ā
First…Iād like to give a stupendous amount of thanks to my lovely Wife Sarahā¦.The amount of love and encouragement was mind-blowing! And for the āHard As Nailsā teamā¦..āāmy muscles were fading but the sense of team work was overwhelming and no matter whatā¦..We were getting over those obstaclesā.šŖš¼
Second… Iād like to give a monumental amount of thanks to the āCrazy Clappersā team. “When i’d finished an obstacle and was about to collapse……I’d hear the Cheering Team and you’d put a big grin on my face to remind me it was alright and to keep going! š
Ā Thirdā¦Iād like to give a gargantuan amount of thanks to all of you guys for your donations to āWorld Cancer Research Fundā and encouraging me (and the team) every step of the way! WeĀ passed (and smashed my target) the whopping Ā£1,000. “Intention isnāt Preventionā¦ā¦And you all have helped me spread the good news with everyone so we can all be aware and empowered to start fighting the cancers we can prevent.ā
Finally…A colossal amount of thanks to John and Sarah Atherton (from the Epsom Camera Club) for giving up your Saturday and taking the amazing photos of us allā¦.Weāve got fantastic memories of the day which we simply wouldnāt have without you!
Thanks for cheering me on around the course! Have you done anything like this before? š¤
Now i need a holiday! Wait a minuteā¦The āBlind Sightseersā havnāt finished yet, Yippeeee! š Ā
To be continued…
ā¬ Previous Day š“ Next Day ā”
āļøĀ Start tour from beginningĀ š Or join at:
June 4, 2020 2 Comments
Heaven has become a trifle to you, Hell is almost a jest, eternity an empty notion, and death but a bugbear!
(Charles Spurgeon)
“Many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able!” Luke 13:24
I do not wonder that so many are deceived, when I see the careless way in which they deal with their souls. When men have to do with theirĀ estates, they are very careful; they pay a lawyer to go back over the title-deeds perhaps for two or three hundred years. InĀ tradeĀ they will hurry hither and thither to attend to their commercial engagements; they would not launch into speculations, nor would they run great risks.Ā
But theĀ soul, the poor soul–how menĀ playĀ with it as a toy, andĀ despiseĀ it as if it were worthless! Two or three minutes in the morning when they first roll out of bed; two or three odd minutes in the evening, when they are nearly asleep–the fag-ends of the day given to their souls, and all the best part given to the body!Ā
And then, with what indifference do you lend your ears too often to the preaching of the Word! It is an old song–you have heard it so many times.Ā Heaven has become a trifle to you, Hell is almost a jest, eternity an empty notion, and death but a bugbear!
Alas! it is a marvel that there are not more deceived. The wonder is that any find the gate, that any discover eternal life, when we are so, so mad, so foolish, so insane–as to trifle where we ought to be solemnly in earnest; and to play and toy–where the whole heart should be given to a work of such everlasting importance. God help us, since it is so easy to be deceived–to search, and watch, and look, and test, and try, that we be not found castaways at the last!
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it!” Matthew 7:13-14Ā
“Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you–unless, of course, you fail the test?” 2 Corinthians 13:5
June 3, 2020 0 Comments
This is our last full day before we have to fly home. šĀ Weāre going to miss this view! Ā
Breakfast…
Ā We had our penultimate breakfast (yes sausagesā¦I mean fruit) and i was wearing my new āBirthdayā t-shirt. Sarah had seen it in the little gift shop (on site) and knew she just had to get it for me. It says āDonāt sweat the small stuffā and has a surf board with a large bite mark out of the side, it also has Barbados written on itā¦Fantastic! Sarah was wearing her āWorld Cancer Research Fundā t-shirt which is the charity she works for, and itās the reason for my impending doomā¦Let me explain…
The Blindman Tough Mudder!Ā
People who know me?! know that Iāve been struggling and fighting all kinds of obstacles for the past 18 years since being registered blindā¦..BUT Iāve never faced obstacles such as these.
I was recently challenged (strong-armed) to do the Tough Mudder 5K by Sarahās nail tech/artist Ashley, who works at Ooh La La Hair & Beauty Salon. I chose the team name ‘HARD AS NAILSā and I’ll be competing and raising funds for one of my favourite charities Ā -World Cancer Research Fund
My lovely wife Sarah works for World Cancer Research Fund and I was stopped in my tracks by one of the statistics she showed me – That 40% of cancer cases are preventable ….that’s around 147,000 cases each year in the UK alone. And that after not smoking eating a healthy diet, being more active and maintaining a healthy weight are the most important things you can do to reduce your cancer risk. This totally blew my mind!
āWhat??? There are cancers that I can prevent? I thought cancer was something that you just got!ā š±Ā
The light switched on for me and I thought āWhy didnāt I know this?Ā
I want to share this good news with everyone so we can all be aware and empowered to start fighting the cancers we can prevent.ā šŖš¼ Ā
Since then Iāve been following World Cancer Research Funds recommendations and have never felt more healthy and energised (even though Iām on beta-blockers). Most of all I know Iām helping to not dig my own grave with my own knife and fork!
Can a blindman do a ‘Tough Mudderāā¦? (post coming tomorrow!)
Now itās time to spend our last full day on the immensely packed beach! š¤£ Ā āļø Ā
Ā After our 1st wave (see what i did there, lol) of beach fun it was time for a cool down, but first i had to try and get Sarah off the beach. š¤£ Ā
Ā Just as iād gotten comfortable in the shadeā¦āSteve letās play some crazy golf! I bet you canāt beat me, lol!ā Not another challenge! šŖš¼ Ā Ā
Ā Putting (pun intended) the ācrazyā into crazy golf…
This hotel and beach club was just fantastic for us as there were no steps to trip us up. Walking out of our roomā¦The main swimming pool was about 10 meters away, the restaurant/bar was about 20-30 meters away, and the crazy golf course was about 30 meters and just around the back of the hotel in the beautiful grounds. š Ā
Ā We were happy straight away as the course had a lighthouse obstacleā¦Sarah loves lighthouses and we stayed in the āOld Hunstanton Lighthouseā for our honeymoon and then for the following 5 anniversaries! š ā¤ļøĀ
We didnāt have the course to ourselves as there were also some children playing, this really helped us out when Sarah did her ‘Happy Gilmore’ impression and smashed the ball off the course and into a load of bushes! The children (who were a lot smaller kindly returned Sarahās ball as they could fit under the bushes! š¤£ Ā
We had no idea whoād wonĀ the game as we were having too much fun!Ā š Ā
Ā Back to the beach…
As the hotel is great and accessible for usā¦The empty beach was fantastic. When youāre registered blind you hardly ever get to walk freely without millions of obstacles coming at you from every angle. So once Sarah plonked me by the sea and said itās safe to just walk up and down and follow the edge of the sea, i got moving. Itās a freedom i never ever thought about when i was fully sighted but now i love these brief moments!
Ā After spending lots of time playing in the shallow water and being splashed (blasted) by the waves, we walked as far as we could along the bay (east), then we walked all the way back to Sarahās favourite placeā¦The rocks (west). You may recognise this place as the sunset location, as this is the place we always come to every night to capture a sunset. š Ā
Ā It was a beautiful place to stop and listen to the sound of the waves crashing and to sit Ā (or stand) in reverie.Ā
Well now thatās out of the way itās time to try and catch up with Sarah. I really need to take more video clips as the auto focus isnāt fast enough to keep up with Sarah, lol!Ā
Ā Goodbye Sharkeyās…
After our scorching day on the beach we headed off to our local for an iced coffee! š Ā Ā
Ā Farewell Barbadosā¦ š§š§ Ā
Ā Weāve had such an amazing time staying at the Southern Palms Beach Club, playing on Dover beach and enjoying Barbados! So i thought there would be no better way to leave this place as to let the beautiful Bajan sun set on our holiday. šĀ
Ā To be continued…Ā
ā¬ Ā Previous DayĀ š“ Next Day ā”
āļøĀ Start tour from beginningĀ š Or join at:
June 3, 2020 0 Comments
A beloved child, watched over, cared for, supplied, and defended by your Lord!
(Charles Spurgeon)
“The Lord takes pleasure in His people!” Psalm 149:4Ā
How comprehensive is the love of Jesus! There is no part of His people’s interests which He does not consider. There is nothing which concerns their welfare which is not important to Him. Not merely does He think of you, believer, as anĀ immortalĀ being–but as aĀ mortalĀ being too. Do not deny it or doubt it: “The very hairs of your head are all numbered!” It would be a sad thing for us if His mantle of love did not cover all our concerns–for what harm might be wrought to us if any of our matters did not come under our gracious Lord’s care!Ā
Believer, rest assured that the heart of Jesus cares about your smaller affairs. The breadth of His tender love is such that you may resort to Him in all matters; for as a father pities his children–so does He pity you, His redeemed child. The smallest interests of all His saints–are all borne upon the broad bosom of the Son of God. Oh, what a heart is His, that does not merely comprehend the salvation of His people–but comprehends also, all their diverse and innumerable concerns!Ā
Do you think, O Christian, that you canĀ measureĀ the love of Christ? Think of what His love has brought you–justification, adoption, sanctification, eternal life! The riches of His goodness are unsearchable; you shall never be able toĀ tallyĀ them–or evenĀ conceiveĀ them. Oh, the breadth of the love of Christ!
Shall such a love as this haveĀ halfĀ our hearts? Shall it have aĀ coldĀ love in return? Shall Jesus’ marvelous loving-kindness and tender care, meet with but faint response and tardy acknowledgment?Ā
O my soul, you are no desolate wanderer–butĀ a beloved child, watched over, cared for, supplied, and defended by your Lord!
“May you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully!” Ephesians 3:18-19
June 2, 2020 0 Comments
Good morning friends! Yay weāre still at the š“Ā Southern Palms š“Ā
Ā Southern palms breakfast…
āWow, how nice are these bananas with a little fresh orange juice drizzled over them!ā i said as Sarah puts some fresh water melon next to me. āWhat a way to start the day, they taste so much fruitier and juicier than back homeā. Sarah loved going over to the numerous tables and getting fresh fruit, nuts and best of allā¦The coconut bread! We then walked over to the cooked food table where we ordered our fresh omelettes.šššš°š„„
But then…
āDING DINGā yes thatās the sound of my (not Sarahās) āBlind Sightseers Gastronomic Leaderboardā bell again. This time it was for the nicest sausages iāve ever tasted. I have no idea what herbs and spices they used but itās right up at number 1 for sausages! š Ā
After being dragged (kicking and screaming) away from the sausages, we had a monumental walk back to our room (about 30 meters) as Sarah wanted to go for a swim. The pool was fantastic and not very busy! š Ā Ā
Ā There was always a cold fresh jug of water (with cucumber or lemon) available under an umbrella for guests to drink. It was a life saver for me who just boils to death the second i leave the air conditioned room. Being sat under an umbrella next to the pool, hearing Sarah splashing around and having fun with the view over the beach (see image below)ā¦It wasnāt the worst place to be, lol! š¤£ āļø Ā Ā
Sitting still is not the usual Blind Sightseers way of doing things but suddenly Ā i heard an airplane pretty close to us. I just pointed my phone towards the noise and i didnāt expect to capture anything, but to my surprise i managed to get the plane. My ears must be well calibrated! š¤£ Ā
Ā Sharkeyās Tropical Cafe…
Ā You may remember from my ‘Barbados #1‘ post that weād had a walk up the āGap’ from our hotel to explore. We walked past Sharkeyās and thought weād try it another dayā¦Well now we are here! š We absolutely loved the incredibly bold and vivid colour scheme and it wasnāt long before weād sat down and had our iced coffees. We chatted with the man (making the coffees) and when he found out Sarah was diabetic he said āHey, i can make a special one for you! Itās good that you told me as nobody dies on my watch, lol! š¤£ Ā
Just when i thought this place couldnāt get any brighterā¦Sarah hits me with that amazing smile! Ā
Ā The Birthday Bajan Braides…
As we were on a ‘Full Day Island Tour‘ yesterday, we didnāt have time to book Sarah into the on site hairdressers to get her birthday Ā braides. As you may know the wind here is quite strong (and cooling) so i already had my hair in braides, as itās my birthday 4 days after Sarahās. It was the same lady whoād done my braides and Sarah looked fantastic! š ā¤ļøĀ
Ā The evening…
Weād already had another lovely day but it was time for the evening meal. The hotel had a different band playing every few nights, and sitting in the restaurant next to the perfect postcard beach was stunning. Ā
Ā āDING DING DING DINGā Yes you know what this meansā¦Itās my āBlind Sightseers Gastronomic Leaderboardā and something has just smashed itās way to the top, i wonder what it could be??
This one isnāt for the faint hearted but i donāt have enough hyperbole to do this justice! So iāll just introduce you to my favourite burger of all timeā¦The āSouthern Burgerā This is hard to write about without drooling. š I must confess that i ordered this on the first night and then for all 7 nights! Once youāve hit the top thereās nowhere else to go! š š Ā Ā
Ā The sunset…
Thankfully we walked along the beach for the sunset before we had the evening meal. We always knew exactly what time to leave for our daily beach sunset walk as the ‘Bajan Whistling Frogā would start singing at the same time every night! šĀ
š“ The āSouthern Palmsā and Barbados was already our fave place and island and weād not even been here a week. As the sun set on another fantastic day i wanted to leave you with this stunning view. Ā
Ā Iād like to say that iād set up a tripod, set the self-timer and walked into position, But (you guessed it) Sarah āTop Trumpedā me again with this beautiful photo! š Ā
Thank you so much for taking time to join us in Barbados, but itās still not over yet! š Ā
Have you ever been to Barbados? Iād love to hear about it!Ā
To be continued…Ā
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June 2, 2020 0 Comments
We canāt all play the same part in Godās band of service, but we should all play in harmony!
June 1, 2020 9 Comments
Good morning friends!Ā
HAPPY BIRTHDAY SARAH!! š Ā
Wow what a view to start your Bajan Birthday whilst eating an amazing fresh and juicy breakfast. š š š š šĀ š„ We couldāve stayed here foreverā¦But we have a fantastic birthday trip starting in a moment! š Ā
Ā The Barbados 360 Island Tour…
Ā The Barbados 360 Island Tour is a great way to see BarbadosYour incredible experience begins with pick-up at your hotel by a friendly local guide/driver.
Southern Palms…
We didnāt even have to leave the hotel as the coach pulled right up to the entrance. We were one of the first on the coach and it was nice to get the chance to see the other hotels as the driver stopped to pick the other people up.
Bridgetown…
You’ll be driven through our bustling capital city of Bridgetown which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Here the architecture and charm of a bygone era merges with the beauty of a modern city.
The tour guide told us lots of history as we drove through Bridgetown. It looked (and sounded) fantastic and itās a definite place for us to go and explore at a later date! šĀ
Speightstown…
And speaking of lovely architecture and colonial towns, your first stop is at Speightstown. Here you’ll enjoy seeing historic buildings and beautiful tropical beaches.
The tour guide kept talking about the PRC Bakery at our first stop, and said she was going in to get something for the trip. āOOohhhh maybe we could get a small cake for your birthdayā āYes letās follow her and see what goodies they have?ā As we walked in to the little bakery the guide said āOh yes a lead pipeā as she picked one up and went to pay for it. āWhatās a lead pipe?ā i said to the guide āItās a local cake but it can be used as a weapon too as itās very heavyā. Sarah then passed me a bag with a cake in and said hold this āWow this weighs about the same as a 16lb bowling ballā āeverything is so heavy in here, nothing has fluffy cream like in England as it would melt instantly, lolā.
Sarah told the baker that we loved coconut and did e have anything with coconut in them? We only got 1 coconut slice as we didnāt know how sweet it was or even if we liked it?! šĀ
Ā I never (ever) stop talking about this coconut slice as itās the nicest cake iāve ever tasted! The bell on the āBlind Sightseers Gastronomic Leaderboardā was destroyed as this flew to the top of the cakes list! If iād have known i wouldāve stayed in the bakery and continued to eat every single last one of them! But we only had that one and weāve never been able to go back since this monumental occasion. Oh yesā¦This monumental occasion is my lovely wife Sarah’s birthday! š¤£Ā
Ā āIf i can just break this cake in to small pieces then i could hide it in my pockets. Iām sure this cake is too sweet for Sarah and she just wonāt like it!ā š¤£ Ā
āNothing to see here, i hope i havnāt got crumbs all over me!ā š¤£ Ā
A kind person from our group asked if weād like a birthday photo together? Iām sure she must have noticed us fighting over the coconut slice, and thought sheād better break us up, lol! š¤£ Ā
Oh yes, this beautiful place wasnāt just about the coconut sliceā¦Who am i kidding? Yes it was! š¤£ Ā
But itās not my birthday and it was time for us to get back on the coach.
Morgan Lewis Windmill…
Get your cameras ready for the stop at Cherry Tree Hill, our favourite look-out spot on the island! Sugar cane fields and the lush countryside lead down to a beautiful coastline.
Ā Oh wow, itās not my birthday but Sarah treated us all to a stunning stupendous panorama! š²Ā
Ā
North point and Saint Lucy…
After a short drive we ended up at North Point, the most northern part of Barbados. Instead of flat sandy beaches this place had cliffs and big waves. But first Sarah had to have her photo taken with Saint Lucy. š Ā Ā
Ā We walked inside the cafe/bar area as we had enough time for a cold drink, and then lots of noise and singingā¦It was the tour guide and a few of the staff singing Happy Birthday (stevie wonder style) bouncing and dancing around whilst carrying a bowl of flying fish with a sparkler sticking out of the top! It was a special moment for Sarah and weāve never had anything like this before, a lovely thing for them to do. š Ā
It was an amazing place and totally different to the postcard beaches weāre used to at our hotel. āļø
Bathsheba & the soup bowl…Ā
Next you travel along that coastline to the seaside village at Bathsheba, to see fascinating rock formations standing strong against the battering waves. You might also see surfers enjoying the white surf of the world famous “Soup Bowl”.
Ā Leaving the coach we realised why this was great for surfersā¦The wind was really strong and we had to be really careful not to get blown away! Ā
Ā Hey Sarah has tried to sneak another monumental panorama! šĀ
Ā This place was beautiful and wild and also very different from the normal beaches. Just before we arrived at the next location our driver treated us by singing (with a great voice) āAll of meā by John Legend. Every time we hear this song playing it takes us back to this stunning place! š Ā āļø Ā
Ā Sunbury Plantation House…Ā
By now you might be feeling a bit hungry, so it’s off to Sunbury Plantation House, for a delicious local buffet lunch and a tour of this beautifully restored historic home.
Wow what a place packed with so much history. We had a short walk around looking at the antiques then sat down for a stunning buffet birthday lunch. We tried an omnifarious amount of local foods and it was so tasty! š Ā
Ā This was the view from the tableā¦Stunning! šĀ
Ā We were sad to leave this place but the āBajan Birthday Tourā hasnāt ended yet.Ā
St. Johns Church…
After enjoying the beauty of nature it’s time to visit St. Johns Church, a gothic Church that boasts amazing views from its hilltop location.Ā
Ā This was the last stop on our epic tour of the island and it was beautiful. Ā
Ā The day ends as you are safely returned to your hotel…
After a long day filled with excitement, surprises and beautiful scenery, the coach pulled up outside our hotel. We said our goodbyes and headed back to our room.
And then…
As we opened the door to our room we were greeted with this lovely surprise for Sarahās birthday from the hotel staff.š Ā Ā
Ā But the birthday isnāt over yet. Sarah then dragged me out on to the beach for a lovely walk before it gets too dark.Ā
Ā Wait a minuteā¦Is Sarah getting tiredā¦Impossible! š¤£ Ā
Ā Today was a perfect day and Sarah really enjoyed her bajan birthday. Itās been great having you guys with us to celebrate too. Have you enjoyed Barbados?Ā
To be continued…Ā
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June 1, 2020 2 Comments
Don’t look to the future when you might be in a better situation to serve God. Serve Him today, whatever your situation may be. Ā š Ā š Ā
May 31, 2020 0 Comments
Ā Good morning friends! Yay weāre in Barbados! š Ā āļø Ā
After our relaxing breakfast (as no excursion today) we had a couple of hours on the ship. We were excited not to be flying home as usual but to be staying a week on Barbados. Weāve never done a cruise and stay before so had no idea what to expect. But while we are waitingā¦How about a game of blind crazy golf? š Ā Ā
Ā We made sure there wasnāt many people playing as i take too long on a shot. I canāt see my feet never mind a golf ball, lol! To take a shot i bend down and place the ball on the floor while holding the club against it. Then slowly rise up whilst at the same time trying not to move the club or the ball at all. Hopefully the wind hasnāt blown my ball away from the club (happened a few times as i swung and just hit air) then i swing. If i make contact with the ball itās a bonus, but sometimes i just fluke a hole in one! š šŖš¼ Ā
Ā After a very hot round of crazy golf (i think Sarah won) and a farewell iced coffee it was time for us to leave this lovely ship.Ā
Ā š“Ā Southern Palms š“…
Ā After a short ride in a minibus with the driver telling us some great places to visit if we get the chance, we pulled up a the hotel. We were welcomed by a steel drum band and Sarah just had to get a video of this place! š Ā
Once weād been shown around our room with lovely air conditioning, we unpacked our case and went for a little walk round which included the beach. āļø šĀ
Welcome to ourĀ perfect Caribbean postcard beach…
Ā We couldnāt believe how empty the beach was and had a walk up and down up to the limits of our hotel (the hotel was wider than we’d thought) and there were not many people on the beach at all. We walked around the whole bay (which wasnāt very big) and there were more people on the beach in front of the next hotel down, but hardly any in front of our hotel..Excellent. š Ā
The sunset photo…
As the Southern Palms faced directly south we headed right along the beach so i could find a lovely sunset photo, i knew the sunsets must be amazing here so wondered where we could stand to get one?! Wow i think this looks like the place! We couldnāt believe it as this place was about 50 meters from our hotel, and it was the end of the bay so we couldnāt walk any further anyway. Sarah quickly found her new āHappy Place’ on the top of the rocks.Ā š²
Ā It was beautiful and we stayed as long as we could before it got too dark for us. It had rocks, coastline and trees for composition and we were happy to come here for the next 7 days! Ā
Ā We knew instantly that this place was something special and weād love itā¦And i havnāt even mentioned the evening meals yet!! Oh the āBlind Sightseers Gastronomic Leaderboardā is going to get busy! More about that on a later date. šĀ
The following day…
We had breakfast and evening meal included at the hotel, and wow what a breakfast (tell you later!) So when weād filled our tanks we headed out of the hotel for a short walk. As the hotel was located on St Lawrence Gap we thought even if we get lost, someone would always know about the gap and take us home, good plan.Ā
St Lawrence Gap…
It was scorching hot (and then some) but there was a sprinkling of stalls, shops and cafe/bars along the gap, so i could stand underneath in the boiling hot shade, lol! Then walking further along the gap we found (which is now) our favourite and most colourful cafe…āSharkeyās Tropical Cafeā.Ā
Ā We didnāt have time to stop at the moment as we were on exploration mode. The gap then turned 90Ė to the right until we hit the main road. We knew we could just turn back and get back the way we came, but weād read about the legendary public buses and wanted to try one!Ā
The bus…
Wow, let me tell you a little about the bus! Remember how i was telling you about my favourite cars of all time back in Corsica, yes the insanely fast āGroup Bā rally carsā¦Well when weād walked along the main road a little, on some tiny paths that took some navigatingā¦One of these blasted past (i enjoyed the breeze,lol). āWow that was closeā i said whilst trying to sort my shirt out as it had been blown violently around. Climbing on board one of these missiles (it was heading the way of another coffee shop iād found on Facebook) the first thing that we noticed was the noise! It had a hugely loud raspy exhaust (like Group B cars) and it only accelerated hard and fast. There were no cruising and just hard braking for anyone else brave enough to get on. It took us about 7 seconds (maybe 10 minutes) before we could breathe again and the g-force came down to normal and we could step off.
It stopped right outside the āVictoria Coffee Shopā and we were greeted with this fantastic sign as we walked in…Ā
Ā The coffee shop was beautiful and we had a lovely strong coffee with some local banana bread, Mmmmm. Ā š Ā
Ā After another dizzying blast on the rocket fuelled bus we managed to get back to the hotel after a good time exploring. Sarah said (i think sheād seen my hair after the bus ride) āShall we book you in to get your hair braided as the hotel has itās own hair salon?ā My hair did look like a cross between āAslanā and āWorzel Gummidgeā so i was happy to get it out of the way for a whole week! š Ā Ā
Ā The lady did a fantastic job and we had a great time chatting to her and learning more about Barbados.
Sarahās Birthday in Barbados…
Tomorrow will be Sarahās birthday and weāve booked an excursion that will take us all around the island, showing us the different coastlines of this beautiful place. Weāre really looking forward to it and canāt wait to share Sarahās birthday with you in Barbados. š§š§ š Ā Ā
To be continued…
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May 31, 2020 2 Comments
On our learning this lesson depends our comforting walk heavenward
(Letters ofĀ William Romaine, 1714-1795)
When the Holy Spirit takes of the things of Christ and preaches them to the heart–oh, what a sweet peace follows! For the believer then finds himself saved from all the miseries of sin, and entitled to all the blessings of eternal glory.
Being thus persuaded of his safety by believing in the sin-atoning blood of our Great High Priest, the Holy Spirit then teaches himĀ how to live upon Christ, and how to make use of Christ’s fullness.Ā
On our learning this lesson depends our comforting walk heavenward. For Christ does not give us a stock of grace and expect us to improve it by being faithful to grace given. No, no, that is not His way. Our souls must depend upon Him, just as our bodies do upon the elements of this world.Ā Every moment we must live by faith upon His fullness, and be every moment receiving out of it grace upon grace.Ā
And this is our happiness–to have all in Christ!
A beggar in myself, but rich with unsearchable eternal riches in Him.Ā
Ignorant still in myself, but led and taught by His unerring wisdom.Ā
A sinner still, but saved by His blood and righteousness.Ā
Weak and helpless still, but kept by His Almighty love.
Nothing but sorrow in myself, nothing but joy in Him.Ā
Oh, this is a blessed life!Ā
No tongue can tell what a Heaven it is, thusĀ to live by faith upon the Son of God.Ā Thanks be to Him, that I do know a little of it. Surely I could not have thought, some years ago, that there was such aĀ Heaven upon earthĀ as I now find. May you find it more and more! Sweet Jesus keep you, my dear friend!Ā
Yours,Ā
William Romaine
May 30, 2020 0 Comments
Ā Good morning friends and welcome to Grenada! š Ā
Ā Sarahās really looking forwards to Grenada and visiting the nutmeg factory, she loves nutmeg! It reminds her of lovely memories of her even lovelier nan, and the beautiful smell of her legendary rice pudding.
After yesterdays post (short story) i thought weād have a lovely gentle coach rideā¦What can go wrong, lol! š¤£ Ā Ā
Where are we going today…Ā
All cinnamon, cloves and allspice, itās little wonder Grenadaās known as the Caribbeanās Spice Island. But theyāre not the only treats that grow here. Thereās plenty of citrus, bananas and cocoa beans too. In fact, the menu of plants that call this place home reads like the ingredients for a Nigella recipe, so itās easy to see how this place came to be one of the worldās leading spice suppliers.
Youāll wind through the rainforest to the Grand Etang Lake viewing point. A giant volcano crater filled to the brim with cobalt water, itās certainly easy on the eye. And its volcano-top location makes it all the more breathtaking. From here, youāll travel to Annandale Falls, a fairytale paradise of cascading water, hanging ferns and dainty orchids thatās like a secret Caribbean garden. Then itās of to the nutmeg factory!
Ā On the dock…
Wow you can smell the lovely warm spices even from the dock! Oh and what a beautiful place! šĀ
Ā We boarded our air conditioned coach and met our guide who was very knowledgable about the history of this incredible island. The first thing we noticed is just how green it was. Massive fruit and all kinds of food just grew along the roadside, it was just lush with life! It wasnāt long before we were getting off the coach for our first stop of the day. Ā Ā
Ā Annandale Falls…
SarahĀ expertly guided me down steep paths and large steps to get down to the waterfallā¦And it was totally worth it. š Ā
Ā Wow i really hoped you could feel how fresh and cool it was when stepping nearer this waterfall, i couldāve stayed there all day but itās back to the coach.Ā
Wait a minuteā¦Thatās a sheer drop! I kept asking if they wanted me to drive?? š¤£ Ā Ā
Grand Etang Lake viewing point and national park…
Every time we stepped off the coach we were greeted with the amazing smell of the spices, and walking through the national park there were a few stalls where we could finally buy some! š Ā
It was so beautiful up here.Ā
Ā Back on the coach…Ā
We were driving past many nutmeg trees when the coach slowed and came to a stop and the guide jumped out, picked something and jumped back on the coach.Ā
He held up the freshly picked spice and told us all about the nutmeg and itās various uses, he was showing us their yellow apricot-sized fruits, that were often split open, showing the red mace covering the hard-shelled nut with the seed inside. He also told us that Grenada is one of the biggest producers of this spice in the world, after Indonesia from whose Banda islands this nut originates.Ā
The coach then pulled away and we had a beautiful scenic drive until we reached the nutmeg factory. š Ā
The nutmeg factoryā¦
Ā Wowā¦What a delight for the senses! The wonderful aroma ensconced us as we walked into the factory and it never let us go until we were back on the coach.
We were shown and told all about the process from farming to distribution around the world. The ladies were smiling (some even singing) which gave a lovely feel to the place. My favourite part was the snapping and popping of the used shells under our feet, it was so loud. The guide told us that not even the shells are wasted as locals put them on their paths and around their gardens so they know if someone (or something) is coming!
This nutmeg factory industry is an essential part of the island economy and it’s gratifying to contribute in some small way to its continuance.
The shop…Ā
At the end we went to a souvenir shop, where nutmeg products are sold in all kinds of forms, from powder and jams to syrups. Most of our group were already on the coach and we only had a few minutes. It smelt amazing and we wanted to take everything. Sarah bought an incredible smelling cream then we rushed back on to the coach.
We later found out the Sarah had bought an insect repellent āNo way i thought it was a moisturising creamā¦But it smells so amazing!ā We used it lots but made sure to save some as it really does smell incredible! šĀ
Back on the ship…
I was happy for the refresh as the plaster on my leg (from yesterday) wouldnāt stick as i was so hot my legs felt they had custard drooling down them. š Ā
Well weāve sadly made it (mostly intact) Ā to the end of another cruise (Seven Isles Cruise) but the adventure doesnāt stop here! This is the first week of our 2 week cruise and stay, so tomorrow we head for Barbados. We are staying for a week at āSouthern Palms Beach Clubā and hope to meet with you there! š Ā
To be continued…Ā Ā
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May 29, 2020 9 Comments
Ā Bonjour mes amisĀ (Good Morning My Friends) and welcome to Martinique!Ā
Sorry but Sarah & i took no photos at all on the very wet shore excursion. Yes even i was in my wet gear (last time ever) and we had no water proof cameras. But this is a must read and a gripping drama of an adventure weāll never forget!Ā
Side noteā¦Although itās called a post itās actually more like a short story. So settle back with your favourite beverage and enjoy the drama! šØ Ā
Letās have a look and see where we are going…Ā
Kayaking Mangroves Martinique
Had your fill of sunbathing and swimming? This is one for the more active crowd. Youāll first travel to a nearby islet to pick up your kayaks. And with paddles at the ready, youāll head off into the quiet mangroves. Youāll be in the water about 40 minutes, gliding under tropical canopies. And red and black mangrove trees sprout from the water. Guides are on hand to make sure you get the most out of the day and help you perfect your technique. Plus thereās plenty of time to chill with a fruit juice, or swim in the sea before taking the boat back to the ship.
On the dock and boarding the boat…
After another lovely breakfast we left the ship and joined our excursion guide on the dock. We stood waiting for a while and started talking to a lovely man and his grandson who he was taking on our trip. When the man knew i was registered blind and still kayaking and swimming he seemed to relax a little. Yay i can help without helping! š Ā
We were then guided onto a small fun boat, it had a totally flat and wide floor (like a dance floor) so was easy for me to get on. We took our seats around the edge of the boat and it pulled away bobbing across the sea. The cool sea breeze flowed briskly through the boat (which i enjoyed) and before long we were pulling up to a small islet. Sarah unplugged her insulin pump and stored it safe in our bags that weād left on the boat, then we stepped off the boat and after a short lesson on kayaking we were ready to get in.Ā
The kayak and the mangroves…
Ā As this was the second time weād tried kayaking (see 1st time in Mexico) we thought we knew what to expect. Sarah climbed in the back seat and i sat in the front waiting for the navigator (Sarah) to direct. The guide took us across the open sea and we swiftly pulled into line about half way up the group. We were kayaking across the open Caribbean sea and it was incredible, itās such a lovely feeling being out in the open sea. Then we started to turn towards the mangroves. The group pulled in tight as we made our way along the stunning narrow waterway.Ā
Then…
I heard a commotion a head of me and a screaming/shouting. As we pulled nearer a woman had fallen in and her husband was still in the kayak trying to help her. The woman was freaking out and on the verge of hysterics and could not be reasoned with. As a side noteā¦During our boat ride from the ship the guides showed the group huge photos (about A3) of the omnifarious types of creatures out there including huge crabs that lay on the floor and the sides of the mangroves, and i think the woman had those photos still etched in her mind. Sarah said the woman was up to her shoulders in water and couldnāt get back in to the kayak. Her paddle had hit the side of our kayak so we stopped to give her support and save her paddle for when she gets back in.Ā
Ā With the woman safely back in the kayak (she was fuming) the group continued along the amazing mangroves until we stopped for a rest before heading further along for about 20 minutes until it opened back out in to the Caribbean sea. Now we could test the top speed as we flew back to the little dock thingy. I wouldnāt say our kayaking always went smoothly and we have had a few crossed paddles along the way, but we had fun and made it back.
The boat and the short beach break…
Ā We sat back down on the boat (tired) after a fantastic kayak trip and the guide said āItās about half an hour until we get to the beach, so relax and come and have a fresh cold drink at the bar area at the front of the boat. I said to Sarah āThat was the Blind Sightseers 2nd kayak trip and we made it without sinking or capsizing againā āYeah i knowā Sarah said very slowly and quite slurry. At firs i thought she was just tired as it took a lot out of us with all of the paddling, and how could it be a hypo as she hasnāt had her pump attached? But i said āAre you ok?ā If it is a hypo then i need to hear her speak so i know it is for definite. āI think iām having a hypo?!ā Sarah said as she looked at her pump to clarify the very low reading. I knew Sarah really wanted to enjoy the beach we were heading towards but this was going to be a big hypo!Ā
I jumped up and headed for the juice bar and asked for any full sugar orange juice if they had any? They did and Sarah was just with it enough to be able to drink itā¦Now we wait to see if the sugar kicks in or Sarah passes out. I do not enjoy this bit at all, but i just think about how Sarah must be feeling and stop complaining! The music on the boat was loud, the people were chatting away while i was trying to keep Sarah sat upright. About 15 minutes had passed and the juice wasnāt really working, so i got up and asked for another one. I knew Sarah really wanted to go on the beach and would be upset if she missed it, but i also knew sheād be absolutely freezing after this hypoā¦The T1Dās who read this will know exactly what iām talking about, the bone chill that happens is like your bone themselves are frozen and the only way to get warm again is to have a hot bath.Ā
With about 5 minutes to go Sarahās speech became much more normal again and she asked if weād already been to the beach. āNot yet my love, we are about 5 minutes away but we can just stay on the boat where itās safeā I said with my arm around Sarah trying to get her warm. āNow way itās freezing on here and itās in the shade, at least the beach will be in the sun and i can warm upā āGood thinkingā i said as people were getting ready to leave the boat. āHang onā i said as i heard a couple of people splash into the water āIt sounds like we are not on landā āNo weāre not, we are in a beautiful film set looking place but the beach island is a long way over thereā The guide said we have about half an hour until the boat sounds itās 1st of 2 horns then you have a few minutes to get back on board, the guide continued You can swim over to the Ā beach if you want to as we have permission to use the bar there etc but make sure youāre back on the boat shortly after the 1st horn blastā. Sarah said āThe sea should be warmer than being trapped in here and lots of people are getting off so we can have a swim over to the island and get warmā āSounds like a plan, letās goā.
The sea and the island…
Sarah guided me to the back of the boat and there were steps leading down to the sea. āSteve you can sit on the bottom step and then push yourself offā āWhich way is the beach?ā Sarah pointed at a 90Ė angle to her right āOk thanks if i canāt tread water iāll head that way until i hit landā, here goes…
As i slid off the last step i went straight under and started to sink like a stone. At the same time salt water filled my lungs as i panicked and i seemed to stop breathing. I kicked my legs and frantically thrust my arms in a a swimming motion with little effectā¦At first. More water filled my mouth and lungs and finally my head poked out of the water. I think the panic of drowning was overtaking me as i couldnāt keep my head above water long enough to spit out all of the salt water. Treading water was out of the question but if i swam i seemed to stay on top. I only know 2 swimming strokes Breast stroke and doggy paddle (doggy paddle really wouldnāt work right now). I said to myself āSteve youāre not drowning here and leaving Sarah all on her ownā¦Just swim to the beachā I knew if i stopped then iād drown , and i knew roughly which way the beach is so i started the breast stroke (iām really good at breast stroke). The faster i went the less likely i was going to drown so i kicked and pumped my arms as hard as i could!
I seemed to be swimming for quite a while and i couldnāt hear Sarah at all, i thought Sarah wouldnāt leave me out here alone? But maybe she is next to me or behind me as i can only hear the water forcing itās way into my ears, either way iāll meet up with her on the beach as she is an amazing swimmerā. There was no beach or island getting any closer and i tried looking and i thought i could see a shadow of something to my right (it was just blue everywhere else) so i steered myself towards the shadow and kept pumping my quickly tiring arms and legs.
āYESā i said whilst spitting out another mouthful of salt water āThis looks like an island. OUCHā i said as my knee hit something sharp and hard, it stopped me dead and i kicked my legs around to try and get purchase on something. I was so thankful that iād bought some āHot Tunaā beach shoes with heavy rubber tread, as all i could feel with my feet were lots of points like hundreds of tall pointy pyramids trying to pierce me. As iām blind iām really good at feeling with my feet to compensate my sight loss, and after a few attempts i managed to grip on with a foot either side of the huge point. I was crouched and wobbling as i tried to counter the waves hitting me constantly but i was glad of the rest. Looking straight ahead (where i thought the boat would be) i saw nothing but blue. āWow no boat or peopleā i could also hear nothing or no-one. āHow far have i swamā i thought whilst looking to my left, i was using and straining my very blurry sight to itās limit but i could make out that this islet i was on continued further along. Realising i couldnāt stay hear (especially as my foot slipped and my left shin is stinging like mad) i pushed away.Ā
Finally after swimming around those nasty pointy things Ā i crawled my way onto the beach. āI thought they said there was a bar hereā i thought whilst hearing nothing as i sat down to catch my breath and to think about what had just happened. I expected to hear Sarah calling meā¦But nothing. I looked out again straining until my eyes burned but couldnāt see a boat either. My left shin was really stinging and i knew it was bleeding and had salt water in it,ā¦
Then…
As i was rubbing my hands to get the sand off i noticed my wedding ring was missing. My heart dropped through the floor so i checked againā¦Still missing. My first thought was āSarahās going to kill meā as i dropped to my knees to search around the sand with my sweeping hands. I couldnāt find it and knew it probably flew off in the mad panic from the boat, so i started walking up and down the beach at the sea edge and thought, “if people were looking for me at least they have a better chance of spotting me if iām up and moving”. The beach was only about 50 meters long and iād done a few lengths already and still heard nothing. I walked another time up and down the beach with the realisation of my predicament setting in. I was tired, iād lost my wedding ring and i was lost on a Caribbean islet, iād stopped walking at this point and was just looking out into the vast blue sea deep in prayer and thought when…
āSteve?ā i looked a little to my right where iād heard the noise and thought āThatās not Sarahās voiceā āSteve?ā āYesā i said as the man continued āSarah (your wife) has sent me to guide you back to the boatā I was almost in tears of relief as i started to walk into the sea and join him. He continued āHow much can you see?ā āVery likktleā i said āOk just follow my voice as i keep shouting at youā. I was back in the water and swimming along behind my navigator as we arrived at the rear of the boat. My mind was picturing me swimming into the propellers and slicing me into a thousand pieces just as i thought iād made it, but i hit the bottom step instead. š²
Here is a photo of my wedding ring that is still in Martinique!Ā
ClimbingĀ the last step and into Sarah’s arms she saidĀ āYouāre not swimming ever again!ā i replied “I do not disassociate myself from that statement!ā. Sarah continuedĀ āDo you have any idea how terrified i was that iād lost you?!
I heard you enter the water as i was looking down to make sure i didnāt trip on any of the tiny steps. A lady who was smashing around with an inflatable lilo and another person were totally distracting me with another inflatable theyād pulled out of nowhere, so when iād looked upā¦Youād disappeared. I quickly looked to the right (towards the beach) to see if i could see anyone swimming in that direction, nothing. I looked straight ahead and still nothing. For some reason i looked out to the open sea, and just caught sight of your head bobbing up and down,Ā The woman on the lilo kept chatting and chatting really loudly, people were behind me getting more drinks and some were trying to get into the water, it was really confusing. I tried asking the woman on the lilo to help but she wouldnāt leave her lilo, so i asked a man behind me for some help, and when i turned back aroundā¦Youād vanished again! More time passed and my thoughts didnāt get any happier. IĀ was still freezing and feeling a little sick after the hypo, i just wanted you back and to get a hot shower back in the cabin to get rid of this bone chill.
I continued asking for help when this kind man came over to me and i told him how you were heading for the beach, but iād seen you in the opposite direction heading out to sea! The man looked out to sea and couldnāt see you anywhere, then he looked towards the beach and couldnāt see you there either. A few more minutes went by and the man said āThere he is!ā āWhere?ā Sarah said āHeās on the beach walking up and down the beachā āIs he ok?ā āhe looks fineā āSteve is registered blind and wonāt be able to see the boat never mind how heās going to get back. Could you please go and guide him back?ā I was so relieved when the man left to go and get youā¦And now here you are! Youāre banned from ever swimming again and youāre never leaving my sight! š”Ā
Safe on the boat…
Weād sat back down when i was about to tell Sarah about losing my wedding ring when she said āWhat have you done to your leg?ā I lifted my throbbing leg up for her to see āWow itās cut and bleedingā āI know itās stinging like madā āIbet it is, how did you do that?ā I thought about a reply but it would be too long, and iāll tell her the details later āIāve got even worse news than my legā āWhat could be worse than this?ā I held up my hand and said āMy wedding ring has gone, it must’ve come off in my blind panic (pun intended)ā. I was expecting a drilling but got a hug instead āThatās ok iām just glad to have you backā ā¤ļø
Back on the ship…
ā§ Photo of the Marella Discovery from a later date ā§ Ā Ā
After a refresh and a very strong coffee, we went to reception and asked if a nurse could take a quick look at my leg to make sure it wasnāt infected. We went down to the hospital deck and had my massive gaping wound (large cut) cleaned and got lots of large plasters to keep it covered for a couple of days. š Ā
We decided not to get dressed up for the evening meal and just go up and get a snack from the buffet restaurant. We were just walking in when…
The man, Ā his wife and his grandson walked up to us. The man was really limping as he approached and Sarah said āOh no what happened? Did you enjoy the adventure today?ā The grandson said heād really enjoyed himself and the grandad said āI stepped onto a sea urchin and it pierced straight through my sea shoes and deep into my footā. Sarah & i made the noise together āAawwwwwā āYes it really hut and when i stepped backwards after the first sting, i stepped onto another one but luckily it didnāt get me as bad! Did you 2 enjoy the day?ā Sarah relayed the story of what happened and showed him my leg. As we said our goodbyes i was in need of a chip butty! š Ā
As we sat down and chatted about the usual Blind Sightseers adventure i said āI didnāt know i could swim that fast?!ā āDonāt startā Sarah said with a smile lighting up her face. š Ā
Thank you…
If you are still reading this and canāt quite believe what āThe Blind Sightseersā Ā can do on a simple shore excursionā¦Then we thank you profusely for coming along for the ride! This is still an abridged version but i know i canāt go on and on and on like Sarah says i do, lol! š¤£ Ā Ā
Weāll see you in the morning for another (hopefully less dramatic) shore excursion.
To be continued…
ā¬ Ā Previous DayĀ š“ Next DayĀ Ā ā”
āļøĀ Start From #1Ā š Or join the adventure at:
May 29, 2020 0 Comments
God’s jewelsĀ are often found buried in theĀ worst filth!
(James Smith, “Exhortation and Encouragement” 1859)
“One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision:Ā Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent.Ā For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, becauseĀ I have many people in this city.”Ā Acts 18:9-10Ā
What kind of aĀ cityĀ was it?
CorinthĀ was one of the most worldly and immoral cities of the east. Here was theĀ temple of Venus, with its degrading and disgraceful services.
What kind ofĀ peopleĀ were they?
“Do you not know that theĀ wickedĀ will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither theĀ sexually immoralĀ norĀ idolatersĀ norĀ adulterersĀ norĀ male prostitutesĀ norĀ homosexual offendersĀ norĀ thievesĀ nor theĀ greedyĀ norĀ drunkardsĀ norĀ slanderersĀ norswindlersĀ will inherit the kingdom of God.Ā And that is what some of you were!Ā But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God!” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11.Ā
This is the apostle’s own reply to the question.
Observe:Ā
Ā 1.Ā The Lord’s people are often found in the most unlikelyĀ places!Ā Who would have expected to find God’s chosen people–aĀ multitudeĀ of them–in a place so foul, so polluted, so degraded, as Corinth?Ā
God’s jewelsĀ are often found buried in theĀ worst filth!
Ā Ā Ā 2.Ā The Lord chooses the most unlikelyĀ people!Ā Who would ever have thought that the Lord would have chosen the sexually immoral, idolaters, adulterers, male prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, the greedy, drunkards, slanderers, swindlers–to be saved? But He did!Ā
God’s peopleĀ are picked off theĀ foulest dunghills!
O the wonders of sovereign grace!
May 28, 2020 0 Comments
Good morning friends! We are in Saint Lucia! š āļø š“Ā
Wowā¦Itās our 50th day of our trip. I canāt believe weāve hit this milestone already time is cruising by and i hope youāre still enjoying this adventure?! š Ā
What a day yesterday! As we had to focus on not falling to our death we didnāt get to see much of the rain forest canopyā¦So we thought weād book this excursion today at a more relaxing pace. Wait a minuteā¦Did i say relaxing? This canāt be right weāre āThe Blind Sightseersā lol. š¤£ Ā
Aerial Tram: Scenic Tour
Soar above a tropical rainforest reserve on this sky-high tour. Hop on to an open-air gondola and rise up through Castries Waterworks Reserve, where youāll have a birdās eye view over the rainforest. With towering trees, tangled vines, and brightly coloured hummingbirds, this exotic jungle is Mother Nature at her best. As you glide through the canopy, your experienced guide will share their knowledge, point out unusual plant life, and identify the calls of local birds.
Once your feet are back on the ground, your guide will take you on a short walk through the forest, so remember to wear your walking boots. And, of course, youāll need a camera to capture the colourful sights around you.
Ā On the coach…
We sat at the front of the coach (thanks excursion team) and even though our muscles were hurting from yesterdays zip lining and from walking up a million steps through the rain forest, we sat back and listened to the guide tell us about Saint Lucia. I was excited as our excursion involves an arial tramā¦Could i call it a cable car? If so then itās the 4th cable car of our lockdown memory trip!Ā
We heard a lot of people worrying about heights and if the arial tram would be safe. This is where another of our blind perks help us. As both me and Sarah have severe sight problems we donāt know how high we are, which works great as iām scared of heightsā¦And it worked brilliantly yesterday walking and zip lining above the rain forest canopy! So it should work well today too! š¤£ Ā
Ā The arial tram…Ā
Ā Standing at the start of the arial tram circuit we had a few minutes to wait for our turn to begin.Ā
Ā Yay we are on board and ready to go! Unfortunately we didnāt take many photos as we simply didnāt want to drop our phones out of the arial tram and onto the floor miles below us.Ā
Heyā¦Thatās a sneaky shot, lol! š¤£ Ā Ā
We continued to travel through the multiple layers of the rainforest in our open air ride, we travelled all the way from the forest floor and all the way to the top (and beyond) of the canopy!
Our new car was sturdy and felt very safe, and our guide continued to tell us about the incredible trees and plants we were passing, then as we climbed a little higher the leaves of the trees began to overshadow us and block our view…
And then…
Iām not sure what just happened? But it seems like weāve just travelled through a classic literature portal in our arial tram which has just trasformed into a ātravel boxā and we seem to be travelling through āBrobdingnagā as we glide through the pages of ‘Gulliverās Travels’ part 2.
This is my roundabout way of saying the leaves were enormous! Iāve never seen leaves this big ever, 1 leaf easily covered the whole tram and was so wide it was beyond belief!
We were coming up to the half way point where the tram turns around to make the return trip down, the breeze up here was lovely and there is a nice view of the northern part of the island and both oceans come into viewā¦If you could see them, lol! š Ā
Ā The rain forest floor…
After the tram ride, our guide took us on a 20 minute walk and continued our education of the fascinating trees and beautifully vivid flowers on the forest floor. The path was treacherousĀ and laced with tree roots, rocks and hidden holes, so when iād engaged my knees into full suspension mode i was ready to go! The combination of my warrior wife and my super duper sandals protected me once againā¦Thank you Sarah! ā¤ļøĀ
A complimentary (and very tasty) glass of non alcoholic punch Ā was welcoming us upon our return from the all terrain walk. There is a nice gift shop with locally made sauces and spices. We bought the photo of me and Sarah sitting in the tram from here (2nd photo in this post) which is a lovely memory for us. š
Back at the dock…
Right we were on a mission to try and find (and eat) some Breadfruit. This was our 3rd cruise in the Caribbean (5th in total) and the guides always talked about the Breadfruit but weād never got the chance to eat it. But today is the day. We walked out of the dock and we were instantly greeted by a street with shops, market stalls and men trying to arrest you (i mean sell you things). Our plan (so we didnāt get lost) was to walk up the right hand side of the street as far as we could go, then return by crossing the road and walking back down to the shipā¦Sound simple enough. š Ā
We didnāt have to walk far before we stumbled upon a fruit and veg stall, and after a while of Sarah looking at each vegetable she said āSteve i donāt think i recognise any of the vegetables at all?!ā The man on the stall asked if we needed any help? Sarah said āYour vegetables are amazing and look nothing like anything back in Englandā āThank you and that is Dasheen you were just looking at, itās local to Saint Luciaā he said as Sarah continued āWe are looking for some Breadfruit to try, is there anywhere here we can try some? Weād also like to try Dasheen too?!ā āIf you go over the road into the indoor market there is a place who cooks it all dayā āWow thanks very muchā Sarah said and we crossed the road.
Breadfruit & Dasheen…Ā
We found the little cooking place and it had a few tables outside. The lady said ā Hi Can i help you?ā Sarah said āWeāre looking to try some Breadfruit and Dasheen if we can pleas?ā āWhat would you like them with?ā āJust some Breadfruit and Dasheen on their own pleaseā āWhat with?ā āItās ok weād just like to try them to see what they taste like, so on their own pleaseā. The woman getting a little impatient said āYou have to have them with something theyāll be too dry on their ownā I thought it wouldnāt be too dry for me as i can eat dry toast without butter for some reason, but i digress. Sarah asked āWhat would you have with them as we canāt see well enough to see your menu?ā āIāll make it nice for you, take a seatā.Ā
The lady placed the food down in front of us and we got stuck in. Sarah said āWow it looks like Tipexā We both tried some Breadfuit and decided it tasted of absolutely nothing! I said āI didnāt think something could taste of nothing?!ā Ā After we both decided it was used as a filler like a potato we started on the Dasheen. āWow, now thatās niceā we both said āitās so herby and really tasty we shouldāve just had a plate of thisā i said āYeah but there is no way iām asking the lady, lol!ā š Ā
The bird feeder…
We left the indoor market discussing Breadfruit and Dasheen as we walked back towards the ship, when a really funny and cool guy walked over to us. He said with his thick Caribbean accent Ā āWould you like a bird feeder?ā Sarah said āNo thanksā we had only slowed our pace down a little ā§This bird feeder is the one you wantā āWeāre good thank you we donāt need a bird feederā The man had walked in front of us now so we stopped āI made this bird feeder and itās just $30 USā āĀ£30 dollars, we are fine thanks and thatās too muchā āok, $25ā the man said as he was making us laugh with his humour āThatās still too much and we donāt have room in our suitcases anyway for a bird feederā The man made a small laughing sound and said āWatch thisā¦You see this is a special bird feederā he continued as he pulled a couple of wooden bits off the bird feeder and made it smaller āThis is a special travel bird feeder as it comes apartā Oh man i thought heās got us on that one, lol. Sarah continued āItās still too much for usā Afterr another 20 minutes chatting with this man (we really liked him he had such a cool character) Sarah bought the bird feeder for $15. šĀ
Back on the ship…
Ā With another relaxing strong iced coffee we chatted about the fantastic day weād had and the experiences weāve shared, and it wasnāt long before we had the photo shoot and the lovely evening meal.
The food photo quiz…
I wonder if you guys could help us? Weāve taken this photo of a fantastic plate of food but we have no idea what it is? And we canāt remember? Could you have a go at describing it for us? We just know we must have loved it as it inspired a photo. š Ā Ā
Ā The photo shoot…
We had such fun messing around (i mean being serious) during the shoot. The photographer was great and kept talking so i could have some idea where they were standing. Now we have even more photos together that weāll cherish. ā¤ļø š Ā Ā
Ā Weāve had another memorable day, isnāt Saint Lucia beautiful? Have you got any rain forest experiences?Ā
Thank you once again itās such a blessing to have you guys join us on our adventures. š Ā
But the drama, fun and exploration hasnāt stopped yet!
To be continued…Ā
ā¬ Ā Previous DayĀ š“Ā Next DayĀ Ā ā”
āļøĀ Start From #1Ā š Or join the adventure at:
May 28, 2020 0 Comments
āLord, You are worthy of our praise, our worship, our gratitude and our love!ā Amen. Huge thanks to Lesley for blessing us all today! š
Praise theLord! Let all that I am praise theLord.
I will praise theLordas long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.
Donāt put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there.
When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them.
But joyful are those who have the God of Israelas their helper, whose hope is in theLordtheir God.
He made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.
He keeps every promise forever.
He gives justice to the oppressed and food to the hungry.
TheLordfrees the prisoners.
TheLordopens the eyes of the blind.
TheLordlifts up those who are weighed down.
TheLordloves the godly.
TheLordprotects the foreigners among us.
He cares for the orphans and widows,
but he frustrates the plans of the wicked.
TheLordwill reignā¦
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May 28, 2020 1 Comment
From such folly deliver us, O Lord!
“IĀ meditateĀ on Your preceptsĀ and consider Your ways.”Ā Psalm 119:15Ā
There are times when solitude is better than society, and silence is wiser than speech. We would be better Christians if we were more alone, waiting upon God, and gathering spiritual strength for labor in His service through meditation on His Word. We ought toĀ museĀ upon the things of God, because we thus get the real nutriment for our souls out of them.
Truth is something like the cluster of the vine: if we would have wine from it, we must bruise it–we must press and squeeze it many times. The bruiser’s feet must come down repeatedly upon the grapes, or else the juice will not flow and much of the precious liquid will be wasted.Ā
So we must, by meditation, tread the clusters of truth, if we would get theĀ wine of consolationĀ therefrom.
Our bodies are not supported by merely taking food into the mouth, but the process which really supplies the muscles, and the nerves, and the sinews, and the bones–is the process ofĀ digestion. It is by digestion that the food becomes assimilated with the inner life.Ā
In the same way, our souls are not nourished merely by listening awhile to this, and then to that, and then to the other part of divine truth. Hearing, reading, marking, and learning, all require inward digesting to complete their usefulness–and the inward digesting of the truth lies for the most part inĀ meditatingĀ upon it.
Why is it that some Christians, although they hear many sermons, make but slow advances in the divine life?Ā
Because they neglect their closets, and do not thoughtfully meditate on God’s Word.Ā
They love the wheat, but they do not grind it;Ā
they would have the grain, but they will not go forth into the fields to gather it;Ā
the fruit hangs upon the tree, but they will not pluck it;Ā
the water flows at their feet, but they will not stoop to drink it.Ā
From such folly deliver us, O Lord!
May this be our daily resolve, “I willĀ meditateĀ in your precepts.”
“But his delight is in the law of theĀ LORD,Ā and on His law heĀ meditatesĀ day and night.”Ā Psalm 1:2Ā
“Oh, how I love Your law! IĀ meditateĀ on it all day long.” Psalm 119:97
“I have more insight than all my teachers, for IĀ meditateĀ on Your statutes.” Psalm 119:99
“Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth;Ā meditateĀ on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.” Joshua 1:8
May 27, 2020 3 Comments
Ā Good morning friendsā¦Wow weāre in Antigua! š āļø Ā
Well the trip is still going ahead (i knew they wouldnāt cancel this one) but letās remind ourselves what weāre doing today?! Ā
Antigua Zip Line Canopy Adventure:
Hear the distant sound of running water, exotic chirps and the whistling of birds flying over the canopy. This is an adventure playground with a difference. It all takes place 50 to 300 feet off the ground in Antiguaās rainforest canopy, including a series of 12 zip-lines – some stretching lengths of over 300 feet, a leap of faith, 3 aerial walkways and a suspension bridge. Not forgetting the hidden tree house where the world seems to stand still.
This thrilling journey includes 26 elements and 9 typical challenge course features, with water stations along the way. This really is an adventure in the sun! Donāt worry, youāre in safe hands, all the rangers here are trained to world challenge course standards and before you set off in your harness youāll have a full safety briefing, to learn all about the equipment.
On the dock…
Yay weāre back in Antigua! If you remember the last time (our first time here) we did horse riding across the beach (click here for the post). We love that all of the assistance people on the dock wear bright yellow t-shirts too. After following our assistance person to the taxi place we got in a nice minibus that took us to the deadly zip lines. šØ
The safety harness…
Our small group went inside and had a short safety briefing and as they know iām registered blind i got my own assistant. They let me hold the harness and the huge carabiners. I started to feel a little better after holding the super heavy duty harness. The assistant strapped it on really tight and i was ready. I checked that Sarah was still next to me and had everything sorted too. Sarah often gets neglected as the people see that iām the blind one and then leave Sarah to carry on without helpā¦But Sarah is also registered blind but not quite as severely as me (totally different eye problems).Ā
The ranger dude…
Walking out and onto the start of the wooden bridge with thousands of steps leading up and through the rain forest and above the canopy Sarah and i was greeted by the amazing ranger guide (forgot his name unfortunately). He was simply fantastic and guided me up every step by calling out when a step was coming etc. He said āIāll clip onto the cable behind you and fly down with youā i said āThanks as i wonāt be able to see the end and when i need to brake, iāll just fly straight into the tree at the end like a cartoon characterā.
Here goes…
He used really clear instructions and before long i was lifting my feet up and landing on the platform at the other end. āWow that was coolā i said whilst laughing and trying to find the rail to lean against. I wonder where Sarah isā¦Sarah was last and all on her own to figure out how to do it all, she of course managed it somehow! š The ranger asked if we were both ok and if we enjoyed the little zip line to start with.
I said āLittle one? Yeah it was amazing, so is there longer and higher ones?ā āOh yes the longest one is called the screamer and iāll let you know when we get there as it takes a video of you tooā.Ā
I remember wishing i had a camera up here as it was beautiful, and i still canāt believe we only had 2 photos and 1 video of the dayā¦But thatās better than nothing. š¤£ Ā
We had much more fun on the longer zip lines, climbing higher and higher steps with the guide passing us cups of water at each water station, wow i needed that.Ā
And then…
We finally arrived at āThe Screamerāā¦It’s the highest, fastest and longest zip-line in this place. It stretches 328 feet across a ravine and is 350 feet above the rain forest floor.
I stepped slowly to the edge of the platform, my heart was trying to pound its way out of my chestā¦Even though iām on beta blockers and my heart rate cannot go over 120bpm no matter how hard i try. I reached above my head and clipped my carabiner onto the cable and took a deep breath as I sat my whole weight into my harness. āAre you ready to make some noise?ā the ranger dude behind me said āOh yeahā and we stepped of the incredibly high platform…
Yay!! Weāve done it!! Sarah flew down too and even did a couple of spins (nobody likes a show off, lol) we both laughed lots and with just a couple of zip lines left we could safely say āThe Blind Sightseersā have conquered another challenge! šŖš¼ Ā š Ā
Ā The cafe, bar and gift shop…
Finishing the last zip line and then walking across rope bridges we ended up in the gift shop. I thanked the ranger profusely as he left to guide another group.Ā
āWow it would be fantastic if we could buy something from here to remind us of this monumental day. Sarah found a beautiful Antigua bauble for our Christmas tree and she bought a really cool t-shirt (Sarah modelling it below) that says āFor a good attitude, change your latitudeā.
Returning to the dock…
We had a quiet ride back as we both were reflecting on managing zip lining as blindies and the relief that i didnāt die today. š The minibus pulled in and we started walking back towards the ship for our iced coffee refresh when…
Sarah said āMy hatā āWhat do you men?ā i said āIāve lost my hat?!ā āWhat your really cool one that youāve had for yearsā āYes that one, i think iāve left it at the zip lining place or on the minibus. I lost my sunglasses yesterday and now my hat todayā. We walked back to the taxi rank and asked the man who then phoned one of his drivers. About half an hour later another minibus arrived with the second group from our tour and the driver had Sarahās hat! Sarah must have left it in the cafe after all of the excitement! Phew! š Ā
Back on the ship…
“Aww now thatās a Ā nice cold coffeeā i said whilst sitting back in the lovely big arm chair in the coffee place āI canāt believe weāve done it, a blind man (and woman) have done zip lining!ā āI knew we would do it and i still get to keep one of my fave hatsā. š Ā
Weāve booked a photo session tomorrow like the one we had last year when we were at āOlympiaā, itās a colour shoot this time instead of black and white. And of course as itās another lovely new island we have another shore excursion booked too.Ā
Did you enjoy your time in Antigua? Have you ever done zip lining before?
To be continued…Ā Ā
ā¬ Ā Previous DayĀ š“Ā Next DayĀ Ā ā”
āļøĀ Start From #1Ā š Or join the adventure at:
May 27, 2020 0 Comments
Amen! š š
There is hope for our marriages through the word of God. We need to be seeking scripture for this as well as for everything in our lives. The focus we should have is on God. Remember the J.O.Y. acronym? Jesus first, Others second and Yourself last spells JOY. Jesus first in our selves, Jesus first in our marriages, Jesus first in our parenting, Jesus first with our extended family, Jesus first in our friendships, Jesus first at our place of employment and Jesus first in our entertainment. We need to put Jesus first. Then we will be able to spell JOY in our selves, marriages, parenting, family, friendships, work and entertainment. In order to put Jesus first, letās look to the word of God for our answers.
Genesis 2:24 NLT
Ā This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the twoā¦
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May 27, 2020 11 Comments
A rare creature!Ā
(Charles Spurgeon)Ā
“I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that He considered meĀ faithful, appointing me to His service.” 1 Timothy 1:12Ā
AĀ faithfulĀ preacher isĀ aĀ rareĀ creature; and, like a diamond, asĀ preciousĀ as he is rare!
If you alwaysĀ enjoyĀ his sermons, that minister is not a faithful steward. He who gives out nothing butĀ sweetsĀ is not acting wisely.
It is the duty of the Christian pastor, if he would make full proof of his ministry to warn men of the results of sin to tell them that there is a judgment that for every idle word they speak they will have to account.Ā
Some preachers do not preach of eternal wrath and its terrors. This is cruel, for they ruin souls by hiding from them their ruin!Ā
The object of all true preaching is the heart. Godly ministers aim at divorcing the heart from sin, and wedding it to Christ.Ā
“If you point these things out to the brothers, you will beĀ a good ministerĀ of Christ Jesus brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.” 1 Timothy 4:6Ā
May 26, 2020 0 Comments
Bonjour mes amisĀ (Good Morning My Friends) š Ā
With your detective hats on did you guess we were landing on Guadeloupe? Sarah & i had never watched any of the āDeath in paradiseā TV shows so didnāt have a clue that it was filmed on this islandā¦.When we returned home we watched (and loved) the whole series! š There was even a shore excursion visiting all of the places from the showā¦We want to come back here now and do that excursion, maybe one day! š Ā
Ā Anyway letās see where weāre going?Ā
Botanical Garden & Deshaies Beach Walking:Ā
Locals used to refer to Guadeloupe as Karukera ā the Island of Beautiful Waters ā and this trip shows you exactly why. Youāll start by visiting the islandās vast botanical gardens, which sprawl out for 17 acres. Packed with everything from tropical palm trees to colourful lotus flowers, itās one of Guadeloupeās most-prized possessions. Itās even home to flamingos and a huge parrot aviary. From here, youāll drive to the biscuit-coloured beach at Deshaies. This long sandy number is tailor-made for lazy days in the sun, and the glassy waters are great for swimming. Head to the waterfront food shack when youāre done tanning, and youāll get to tuck into spicy fish fritters and handmade coconut sorbet.
On the coach…
After another bowl of porridge, a lovely omelette and a banana we made our way off the ship and onto the coach. Yay the excursion team had booked the front 2 seats for us again. The sun was already hot and i thought it might get a little cooler as rain started to hit the windows of the coach. But the guide was telling us that the climate changes as we drive into the centre of the island, then gets hot again at the coast. āļø Ā
Botanical Gardens…
The first thing that hit us (no not the sun) was the vivid and saturated colours! Iām also colour blind but these colours were something else! Ā
The whole botanical garden was full of massive trees with fruit, pinecones and other things that were as big (or bigger) than your head. Walking around this incredible place was like nothing else weād seen especially at home. Ā
Ā Cafe & Waterfall…
After a while it was time for a short break and we stopped at a little wooden hut type thingy. The whole group sat down but we found this fantastic waterfall next to the rail. The air suddenly turned fresh the nearer we came to the waterfallā¦It was lovely. š Ā Ā
Small digression…
After returning home and watching the whole āDeath in paradiseā TV show, there was an episode where the detective inspector stood exactly where i am now next to the waterfall! As you can imagineā¦I donāt stop talking about that either! š¤£ Ā
Moving on we found these beautiful flamingos. Ā
Ā We had about an hour free time to walk around this incredible place and to be wowed some more! š Ā Ā
Ā Wow did i mention we were in Guadeloupe, colours so bold and vivid and then some more flamingos! Ā
Ā Sarah and i managed the hot walk back to the coach but all the way wondering if we could grow any of the trees back at home. We decided it just wasnāt hot enough and it was pointless trying!Ā
The coach slowed down on the way to the beach and people started getting up, talking and taking photos. I said āIāve just heard them say that itās the police station from Death in paradiseā Like i said we’d never seen a single episode at this pointā¦But if i did iād be jumping off the coach by now and trying to get my photo taken, lol! š¤£ I think we need to go back!
Ā Deshaies Beach.Ā
The guide said this was not the beach where the detective inspector lives but itās not too far awayā¦Man i need to let this go! š¤£ Ā
Iād brought my rucksack with towels, sun cream and other thingsĀ ready for this moment of Sarah playing in the sea, and it wasnāt long before she got to put her feet in the Guadeloupe water!Ā
The sea Embrace…
As you may have read on the older posts Sarah loves toĀ splash, play and walk around the edges of the sea where the waves crash in and push her around, making sure she doesnāt go too deep asĀ the current is very strong and doesnāt want to get her eyes wet or damaged.
Sarah was playing with the waves, smiling and laughing when…
A man grabbed her and pulled her further into the sea and past where the waves crashed which was Sarahās fave. By the time Sarah was stood back up and not impressed she realised her special polarised Oakley Embrace sunglasses hadĀ flown off when the man grabbed her! There was no way of finding them as they had disappeared straight away into the sunglasses graveyard! š
I obviously didnāt see any of this as i was on the beach with the bags and towels but i knew that those special sunglasses helped Sarah see better thanĀ usual. When you have severe sight problems every smallĀ increment helps and Sarah said with the polarised lenses and the brightness of the sun her sight was at itās best.
Well the fun was over prematurely and we headed off the beach. I gave Sarah my sunglasses but i knew they wouldnāt help much but at least theyād keep the harmful rays off her delicate eyes.Ā
The handmade coconut sorbet…
Stepping off the beach Sarah said āWow thatās a lot of coconuts! Steve there is a table filled with coconuts and then there are piles of coconuts on the floor and the man has and huge machete in his handā āOohhh iāve never had fresh coconut like thatā i said as we walked over to the table. Sarah then said with excitement in her voice āThey are making fresh coconut sorbet would you like one as i bet you’re roasting?āĀ
Whilst one man was hacking, whacking and smacking the coconuts the other man was passing Sarah the handmade coconut sorbet. As i tasted the first little spoonful i heard the sound of the bell as this dream food hit the top of the āBlind Sightseers Gastronomic leaderboardā for ice cream and sorbet! It was the best iād ever tasted and seriously nothing comes closeā¦And still hasnāt! š Weād hit the low (losing sunglasses) and the high (coconut sorbet) in the space of about 20 minutes!
Back at the ship…
Youāve guessed itā¦We had another iced coffee during our refresh on the ship and left for the dock. We found a small market and slowly browsed each stall until…
A man from the upcoming sandal stall caught sight of Sarahās ultra bright Asics triathlon trainers. Sarah has to wear these trainers all of the time whilst on holiday because it keeps her feet secure and safe as she needs protection from another āCharcotā foot becoming active. The man lept out from the store and folded in half and said āWooaahhh i love them! I have a pair of sandals like them that youāll love, come and look!ā We stopped at the stall and Sarah said that they were beautiful and brightly coloured but i canāt wear them.Ā
He said āI make the best sandals on the island look at the qualityā āI know i can see they are good quality and i love the coloursā Sarah said as the man ran around the stall with a pair of the sandals āI know feet and i guessed these are your sizeā They were the perfect size and he kept saying try them on whist Sarah was saying i canāt wear them as i need protection and canāt wear sandals. This good natured banter kept on for about half an hour until Sarah finally managed to get him to understand a little of the problem. š Ā
Ā Back on the ship…
After a lovely sail away coffee it was time for me to start thinking of the shape my squishy mangled bones would be in if i fall off the zip line tomorrow, and continue to fall all the way down to the hard rain forest floor.Ā
But first weāll think about our memorable day in Guadeloupe. š Ā āļø Ā
I hope you enjoyed your little tour around this stunning island?
To be continued…Ā
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May 26, 2020 0 Comments
He can extract pleasure out of pain!
(Letters ofĀ William Romaine, 1714-1795)
Dear friend,
He loves you more than you can possibly love yourself; and He will send you nothing but what is for your real and best interest, and He will let you find it so. His love is almighty, and it is unchangeable. What can He not do, what will He not do, when His heart is set upon blessing His people!
He does all things well! Yes, He intends to do better for you, far better than you can even imagine!Ā
It is a common thing with Him to bring spiritual good out of temporal evil.Ā He can extract pleasure out of pain!Ā Yes, He can enrich by impoverishing; and turn losses into gain. To you it is now given, as a matter of His choice favor, not only to believe on Him, but also to beĀ conformed to Him by bearing His cross. This He is aiming at.Ā
May 25, 2020 0 Comments
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Assurance of Godās Protection A thousand may fall at your side, Because you have made the Lord your refuge, For he will command his angels concerning you Those who love me, I will deliver; |
May 25, 2020 2 Comments
Ā Good morning friends, welcome to Tobago! āļø šĀ
Ā Yay weāve made it onto another cruise ship and itās in the Caribbean! āļø We have booked a 1 week cruise (Seven Isles Cruise) and then a week stay on Barbados at the Southern Palms beach resort. Wow we are excited! š Ā
Itās time to see what the Blind Sightseers(and you) will be doing today… Ā
Tobago South Walking: Easy Scenic TourThis tour offers up Tobagoās natural beauty and history rolled into one. After travelling through Scarborough, youāll arrive at the Mysterious Tombstone, the burial place of an 18th-century woman called Betty Stivens. Her gravestone bears an enigmatic epitaph, which has puzzled people for over 230 years. Youāll also see nearby Fort James, built by the Latvians in the 1600s to guard Great Courland Bay. Next comes a drive along Mount Irvine Road, following the scenic northwest coast to the famous Mount Irvine Bay Hotel and Golf Club. Its undulating fairways are carved from an old sugar plantation and serve up wonderful panoramas over the Caribbean Sea. From here, itās on to Store Bay, one of Tobagoās most beautiful beaches, where white sands mingle with glossy palms, crab-n-dumpling stalls and light blue seas. We’ll also call in at Fort King George. Built by the British in the 1770s, its old buildings and cannons sit in manicured lawns high above Scarborough, giving you breathtaking views over the coastline and capital.
Ā On the coach…
āOoohhh itās nice on hereā I said whilst tilting my head up towards the air conditioned vent above my head. Iād forgotten about this oasis away from the burning laser beaming sun. The coach stopped at fort King George and the guide said āLeave any bags or belongings on the coach so you donāt have to carry them around. I said to Sarah āI think iāll stay hereā Sarah quickly responded āGet up and get off the coach itās freezing on here, lol!ā š Ā
Fort King George…Ā
I loved walking around and touching the old cannons, it reminded me of a touch tour back stage at the theatre before a play would start (another blind perk, lol).
Ā My lovely wife Sarah enjoying the view, she said you could see all around and was a perfect spot for a fort! Ā
Ā Sarah stood underneath the great Saman tree. Ā
The mysteryĀ tomb of Betty Stiven…
After hearing the story ofĀ Betty StivenĀ we walked down to see more of the coast line. It was such a shame it had a fence in the way but it was there for good reasonā¦Iāve forgotten why itās there though, lol! š¤£ Ā
Ā Wait a minuteā¦Thatās not Sarah taking a panorama is it??
Ā Scarborough and the necklace…
We had some free time to explore the market and town. We headed straight for the market stalls Ā as Sarah loves all of the crafts and necklaces hand made and sold by the locals on the market stalls. Walking around the tables Sarah found a few necklaces that she likedā¦But one she loved! She asked how much it was and they said ā$70ā āThank youā Sarah said whilst smiling as we walked away. Sarah continued āWow itās expensive here and all i wanted was another pendant on a thong to remember this placeā We walked up to a shop selling scarves and they were about $100! āWoooaahā I said āThatās really expensiveā Sarah started to walk back to the market stall with the necklace and looked at the necklace again. āNoā¦Itās not worth $70ā I knew she loved this necklace and i said āWellā¦Maybe you could get it as i know you love it and we wonāt be here again?!ā As weĀ hummed and hawed over what we were going to do i said āOk letās get it but thatās taken our budget for this island but i know you love itā.Ā
When the store owner came and put the necklace in a bag and said “$70 pleaseā we handed him the money. There was a slight pause and i felt something going on he continued āWowā¦I meant 70 TrinidadianĀ dollarsā We only had US dollars for the trip as the exchange people said the island all take US dollars so youāll be fine. I think i had heat stroke or something but the man continued āWe generally get a bad name from tourists for ripping you people off and itās simply not true. There are 7 TD to the US dollar so the necklace is $10 USā. Sarah started beaming and i was so thankful to the man and thanked him profusely! š Another teachable moment that weāve never forgottenā¦But what a lovely Haematite necklace! š Ā Ā
Ā Ā Back at the dock…
After a refresh on the ship that now includes an iced coffee. Itās not a coffee port like the āDreamā ship as that is the best place ever we headed off the ship and into the town. Oh did i mention it was hot (for me). āļø Ā
There were only a few stalls in a small market where we stumbled into a fruit and vegetable store. After Sarah had walked around the stall looking at crazy vegetables sheād never seen in England before she said āWould you like a banana from Tobago?ā āYes please iād love to see if they taste any different?!ā i said as Sarah bought 1 each and we walked down the street towards the ship.
The bananas were smaller than a normal sized banana and…
āWowā we both said as weād just put the banana in first place on the āBlind Sightseers Gastronomic BananaLleaderboardā āNow that is the best banana iāve ever tastedā we both said together! š šĀ
Back on the ship…
Sarah & i enjoyed a coffee as the ship pulled away from the shore (we’ve done this on every cruise) and we have a relaxing time thinking about the day and the excursions weāve booked that are cruising towards us quickly.Ā
Oh did i mention that weāve booked to go zip lining high above the rain forest canopy? Have the āBlind Sightseersā stretched a little too far? We are also going kayaking through mangroves and across the Caribbean sea?! Iām a little unsure about some of the excursions weāve booked but it wouldnāt be an adventure if it was easy, lol! š¤£ Ā
Thank you so much for joining us in Tobago itās great to see youāre still with us! You might have to put on your detective hats to figure out where we are going tomorrow?Ā
To be continued…
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May 25, 2020 1 Comment
His Providence is wisely designed and sovereignly sent for our good!
(Don Fortner)
As a wise, skilled pharmacist mixes medicine–so our heavenly Father wisely mixes exactly the right measure of bitter things and sweet, to do us good.Ā
Too much joy would intoxicate us.Ā
Too much misery would drive us to despair.Ā
Too much sorrow would crush us.Ā
Too much suffering would break our spirits.Ā
Too much pleasure would ruin us.Ā
Too much defeat would discourage us.Ā
Too much success would puff us up.
Too much failure would keep us from doing anything.Ā
Too much criticism would harden us.Ā
Too much praise would exalt us.Ā
Our great God knows exactly what we need.Ā
His Providence is wisely designed and sovereignly sent for our good!
Let God send and do whatever He wills–by His grace, if we are His, we will face it, bow to it, accept it, and give thanks for it. God’s Providence is always executed in the ‘wisest manner’ possible. We are often unable to see and understand the reasons and causes for specific events in our lives, in the lives of others, or in the history of the world. But our lack of understanding does not prevent us from believing God.
“We know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28Ā
May 24, 2020 0 Comments
Ā Buenos dĆas (Good Morning) š Ā
The āBlind Sightseersā have arrived in Minorca! I love the way weāve had 3 different languages in 3 days..Italian, French and now Spanish! š Ā
Today was a beach break on one of the south coast beaches. Letās hope itās a relaxing one but you never know, lol!Ā
On the dock…
After another lovely breakfast š„ we headed out onto the dock to get the coach.Ā
The beach…
This beach was much easier to find (unlike the one in Corfu) and Sarah instantly walked across the sand and into the sea, yay! š Ā Ā
Ā Sarah then came back and found a place to put our towels, sit and put our bagsā¦Then walked straight back into the sea! š Ā
Ā Although it wasnāt really a hot sunny day and it was very windy and cloudy, i still was boiling and had to go for a cooling off. š Ā
Ā We had a lovely time although sand blasted and totally covered in sand. it was a lovely place and it was good for me and Sarah to chill out for a while. š Ā Ā
Ā Back at the dock…
After a quick refresh on the ship we were sand free and ready to explore. The main street ran parallel to the ship so we couldnāt get lost. We found a few shops and in one of them Sarah found a lovely necklace, yay! We continued walking up the street until we reached the end. āOoooohhh palm treesā i said. Ā
Ā The cafe and the storm…
Ā The black clouds were moving in quickly so when we found a lovely cafe i said āAs these tables are 3 deep and completely covered, if we sit in the middle the rain will never get us hereā. We sat down and waited for the waitress.
And then…
Iāve never witnessed rain like this ever. It gave no warning and came down (sideways) very hard, very heavy and very fast! Even though we were sat a long way from the end of the shelter we were getting soaked. The waitress ran out collected something off the tables and ran in. I thought āSheās done this before, lol! Sarah grabbed me and we flew inside.Ā
The whole point of coming to a cafe in a Spanish countryā¦Was we wanted to ask for ‘Patatas Fritasā. Sarahās dad and brothers spent a lot of time in Spain and can speak fluent Spanish, so when the waitress came over to ask us what we wantedā¦Both Sarah and i said ‘Patatas Fritasā. The waitress looked at us and said āSo you want chips!ā ā¹ļø Although we didnāt get the Spanish languageā¦The chips didnāt disappoint.Ā
We could still hear the thunderous rain storm outside and we had to get back to the ship soonā¦I think we were going to get soakedā¦.We did! š Ā
On the ship…Ā
Wow what a beautiful sunset… Ā
Ā Yay we finally have a photo of my lovely wife Sarah in the evening restaurant and sheās wearing her new necklace!
Ā Now we know why this ship is called the Thomson Majesty..Such a beautiful piano set in a lovely part of the ship with my lovely wife Sarah (meaning Princess).
Ā The Blind Sightseers have had another lovely day exploring yet another islandā¦And although itās the end of this ‘Treasures of the Mediterraneanā Cruise itās not they end of our monumental tour during this lockdown.Ā
So letās jump from this Thomson Majesty ship onto the Marella Discovery. Thomson were also bought out by Tui and now the ships are called Marella instead of Thomson.
I wonder where this ship is heading??
To be continued…Ā
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May 24, 2020 3 Comments
O, give thanks to the Lord!Ā
(James Smith, “Sunny Subjects for All Seasons” 1858)
“O, giveĀ thanks to the Lord, for He is good! His mercy endures forever!” 1 Chronicles 16:34Ā
O, give thanks to the Lord, Christian, for He has not dealt with you after your sins, nor rewarded you according to your iniquities! He has . . .
Ā pardoned your sins,
Ā justified your soul,
Ā renewed your nature, and
Ā given you a title to everlasting life!
He has thus . . .
Ā prevented your eternal ruin,
Ā borne with your faults and follies,
Ā supplied all your needs,
Ā guided your steps, and
Ā promised to conduct you to glory!
His mercy has been ever great toward you!
“O, give thanks to theĀ LORD, for He is good!Ā For His mercy endures forever!”Ā Psalm 107:1
May 23, 2020 15 Comments
Bonjour mes amisĀ (Good Morning My Friends)Ā
No way weāre in Corsica! My lovely wife Sarah is going to kill me for ruining this post with another of my digressionsā¦But my fave cars of all time raced here and i canāt contain myselfā¦.Yes itās Group B rally cars! Ā
Awwww i can hear that ferocious engine sound (and the monster dump valve) of one of my favourite carsā¦The Lancia Delta S4. It had an Abarth-designed supercharged and turbocharged 500bhp 1.8-litre engine, it could hit 60mph in just over two secondsā¦And this was 1986!Ā
Butā¦After a fatal accident (here in Corsica) Group B rally cars were banned and a FISA investigation later proved that driversā reactions were too slow to keep up with Group B cars, and driversā eyes could not adjust their focus between the fast corners, which caused tunnel vision. Now thatās fastā¦And insane!!Ā
They said the cars had so much raw power but with little containmentā¦I have a wife like that, lol! Sorry Sarah! š¤£ Ā
What is the āTour de courseā for the blind sightseers today…
A visit to Corsicaās most southern tip is on the cards on this tour. On the drive over, youāll stop at Roccapina, where you can see the lion-shaped granite rock that looks over the Genoese tower ā itās an opportunity for some great photos. Once you arrive in Bonifacio, the mini train will take you past the ruins of three mills, and the Church of St Dominique. Youāll also be treated to panoramic views over the neighbouring island of Sardinia. Youāll continue on foot to the citadel ā your guide will tell you all about the chapel of St John the Baptist, and the 14th-century Church of Saint Marie Majuere. The walking tour finishes up in the marketplace. From there, you can brave the 100 steps down to the marina. Or, hop back on the mini train and it will get you there.
Next, youāll be boarding a boat for a tour of the Bonifacio caves. From the sea, youāll have views over the town, perched on top of 230-feet-high limestone cliffs. Youāll see Sdragonatto cave, meaning the little dragon ā itās shaped like Corsica. The tour wraps up with some free time ā you can sit in a cafĆ©, or do some shopping.
On the coach…Ā
After another lovely breakfast we started our exciting tour. The weather was hot but very windy so a little unpredictable today. After a while the coach stopped at the side of the road and we got off to take some photos.
Ā Wow what a view! Hang onā¦Fasten your 5 point safety harness as Sarah is drifting towards another stupendous panorama! š Ā Ā
Ā Thenā¦The wind started to blow really fast (or was it an old Group B rally car screening past) Ā and Sarah took this funny photo of me.Ā
Ā Whilst watching us taking photos of each other a kind person from our coach took a photo of me and my lovely wife Sarah! Yay one more i can cherish! Ā ā¤ļøĀ
Ā The crazy boat…
Arriving at Bonifacio we were meant to go on a boat ride alongside the legendary cliffs and even steer through a small cave/rock but the weather was too windy and the sea too rough and choppy.Ā
But this is a āBlind Sightseersā tour so we climbed on board. Some of the group opted out and stayed behind to make their way for the town. We were initially disappointed when we sat down in the middle of the boatā¦But we soon appreciated being sat here! Suddenly a choir of voices shrieking, shouting and laughing as the waves came over the side and drenched everyone except me and Sarah! š¤£ Ā Ā
Ā The boat was bobbing up and down lots which was great for me as i canāt see whatās around us but i like the tactile fun bobbing and splashingā¦Thankfully i donāt get sea sick! š Ā Then we entered this really dark narrow rock.Ā
Ā The stunning cliffs of Bonifacioā¦.Ā
Ā The fun train…
After the memorable bumpy boat ride it was time to be escorted to the top of the cliffs byā¦”No way itās not a Lancia Delta S4 is it?ā I said āNo but itās a fun train similar to the one in Hunstanton that we likeā Sarah said whilst pushing (i mean guiding) me into a seat. š Ā Ā
Ā Then…
Whilst heel toe shifting, maintaining perfect balance and keeping up turbo boost pressure Sarah manages another monumental panorama
Ā We had such a lovely time exploring the upper city in this special place. First we found a cafe and quickly ordered coffees and a coissont (no it didnāt beat the Amalfi coissont but it came close) then found a souvenir shop. We bought a fantastic bath towel with beautiful photo prints of Bonifacio! After exploring further it was time to catch the fun train back down and meet the group ready to head back to the ship.Ā
Back on the ship…
After another lovely evening meal we stumbled upon these creations made out of fruit an vegetables! š Ā Ā
Ā We hope youāve enjoyed Corsica? Weāve had a fantastic time and made so many memories.Ā
We are not out of fuel yetā¦I wonder where we’re going to end up tomorrow?
To be continued…Ā
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May 23, 2020 1 Comment
Psalm 16Song of Trust and Security in GodA Miktam of David.Ā As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; You show me the path of life. |
May 23, 2020 1 Comment
Thus He will make the soul enamored with Jesus!
(Letters ofĀ William Romaine, 1714-1795)
“When theĀ ComforterĀ comes . . . He will testify about Me.” John 15:26Ā
He shall testify to MyĀ personĀ as self-existentĀ Jehovah.
He shall bear witness to MyĀ workĀ as the perfect sin-atoner.Ā
He shall testify of MyĀ grace, how free it is, how full it is.Ā
He shall enable the sinner, any poor wretch, however vile in his own eyes–to trust his soul into the hands of Jesus. And having enabled the sinner to do this, then He will testify of Jesus, that He has received him, that he is safe in the arms and may be happy in the enjoyment of Jesus’ love.Ā
Thus He will make the soul enamored with Jesus!Ā There will appear such consummate beauty, such infinite loveliness in His precious person, as will eclipse the glory of all other lovers. There will appear such true happiness in fellowship with Him, as will quite dethrone all former idols.
And when the foolish heart would depart, theĀ ComforterĀ will not let it. Then will He testify of Jesus, “To whom would you go? Who has eternal life to give, but Him? Turn, turn again to your rest, oh my soul.”Ā
If the soul is mourning; He will testify of the joy that is in Jesus.Ā
If the soul is burdened; “Cast the burden,” He says, “on your Lord Jesus.”Ā
If the soul has lost any creature comfort; “Let it go,” He says, “Jesus is still your salvation and your great reward.”Ā
If the soul is grieved with indwelling sin; “It is pardoned,” He says, “you are free from the curse of sin.”Ā
Whatever the needs of the believer are, the Spirit’s office is to testify of Jesus: “Jesus is what you need–and you have Him freely.”Ā
TheĀ ComforterĀ will keep you by His almighty power, until He brings you to the Heaven of heavens–the sight and enjoyment of dear Jesus, eternally dear and lovely Jesus!Ā
May 22, 2020 3 Comments
Ā Ā Ā Buongiorno amiciĀ (Good morning friends) Ā
Yesterday we visited Sorrento, Amalfi and Pompeii all in 1 day (we donāt mess about, lol) itās time for 11 hours of aĀ gladiatorian excursionā¦I hope you donāt think youāve come on holiday to relax! š¤£ Ā
Rome & The Colosseum shore excursion…
From the toga-wearing days of Julius Caesar to the artistic boom of the Baroque, Rome is a city that catapults you through time. Itās as if history seeps from every cobblestone, and traversing it all is no mean feat. And thatās where this tour comes in. It showcases the very best the Eternal City has to offer – plus it gives you an inside view of two if its biggest attractions.
The trip follows a classic itinerary through the heart of the Italian capital. Youāll get to see global landmarks that need no introduction – places like the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. But one of the biggest highlights has to be the Colosseum. Head inside and relive the days of the gladiators as you wander round this ancient landmark.
This is going to be a clash of the Titans, i wonder if the Gladiators have met my āWarrior Wifeā yet? Sarah (dressed in her new camo skirt) is ready! Ok iāll start being serious now. š¤£ Ā
The walking tour…
First our guide gave us the radio ear thingy so we could hear him over the noise of the crowds as Rome is a busy city. Then it was time to get walking! Once again iāll shut up for a while as you enjoy this beautiful and majestic place.Ā
The Spanish Steps…Ā
Ā
Wow weāve been walking for hours but then a kind member of our group asked dif weād like a photo together. Ā š Ā Ā
Then a street artist type dude…Ā Ā
The Pantheon…Ā
Free time…
Just as the guide had told us we had 40 minutes free timeā¦The clouds moved in and darkened the whole place. It started raining and instantly umbrellas sprang up from nowhere, stall workers flipped over their items and were selling umbrellas all of a sudden and we ran into a shop! Iād never seen anything like it, it was like somebody had hit the secret bookshelf and itād flipped around without anyone noticing. š¤£ Ā
āOoohhhhhā Sarah said as she picked up and tried to show me a massive hand made intricately designed Christmas tree bauble. “This would look wonderful on our tree this year”. š Ā Ā
Ā
The Colosseum…
Wow what a piece of history and to think what went on in this arena was soberingā¦.Especially after just finishing the audiobook āFoxeās book of Martyrsā by John Foxe.Ā
TheĀ Architecture is simply stunning.
Ā I thought for a moment that Sarah had found a gladiator to fightā¦But she was lining up one of her mighty panoramasā¦Lucky for the gladiator! Ā
Back on the ship…
Wow what a day and what an incredible place. I hope youāve enjoyed it as much as us? Have you been to Rome before?Ā
After the ship set sail and we were thinking about all of the places weād seen today,..There was just enough time to…Ā
I wonder where weāre going tomorrow? š¤ Weāve already seen some fantastic ‘Treasures of the Mediterraneanā and there are still more gems to see.
To be continued…Ā
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āļøĀ Start From #1Ā š Or join the adventure at:
May 22, 2020 4 Comments
All Lands Summoned to Praise GodA Psalm of thanksgiving. Know that the Lord is God. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, For the Lord is good; |
May 22, 2020 2 Comments
He puts a finger upon the scar!
(Thomas Watson)
“OurĀ FatherĀ in Heaven.” Matthew 6:9
Since God is our Father–He will take notice of the least good He sees in His children.Ā
If there is but aĀ sigh for sin–He hears it.Ā
“My groaning is not hidden from You.” Psalm 38:9Ā
If there is but aĀ penitential tearĀ which comes out of the eye–He sees it.Ā
“I have seen your tears.” Isaiah 38:5Ā
If there is but aĀ good intention–He takes notice of it.Ā
“Since it was yourĀ desireĀ to build a temple for My name, you have done well to have this desire.” 1 Kings 8:18
God takes notice of theĀ least spark of graceĀ in His children. “Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord.” 1 Peter 3:6. The Holy Spirit does not mention Sara’s unbelief, or laughing at the promise.Ā He puts a finger upon the scar–and only takes notice of the good that was in her.
More, that good which the saints scarcely take notice of in themselves, God in a special manner observes. “I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink. Then the righteous will answer Him–Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink?” They as it were, overlooked and disclaimed their own works of charity! But Christ takes notice of them, “I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat.” Matthew 25
What comfort is this!Ā God spies the least good in His children!Ā
He can see a grain of corn, hidden under much chaff.Ā
He can see a little grace, hidden under much corruption!
ThoseĀ dutiesĀ which we ourselves censure–He will crown. When a child of God looks over his best duties, he sees so much sin cleaving to them that he is confounded. “Lord,” he says, “there is moreĀ sulphurĀ thanĀ incense, in my prayers.”Ā
But for your comfort, if God is your Father, He will crown those duties which you yourselves censure. He sees there is sincerity in the hearts of His children. Though there may be many defects in the services of His children, He will not cast away their offering.
An earthly father kindly receives a letter from his young child–though there are blots and bad spelling in it.Ā What blottings are there in our holy things!Ā Yet our Father in Heaven accepts them. “It is my child!”Ā God says,Ā “I will look upon him, through Christ–with a merciful eye!”
May 21, 2020 4 Comments
Ā Ā Buongiorno amiciĀ (Good morning friends) Ā
Amalfi &Ā Pompeii…
Youāll tick off 2 of the Neapolitan Rivieraās heavyweights on this tour. Weāll start with a camera-worthy journey along the Amalfi Coast, one of the most scenic drives in the world. Weāll snake along dramatic cliffs, passing castles that cling to the hillsides and pastel-painted villages that tumble down to the Tyrrhenian Sea below. When we arrive in Amalfi, weāll tour the townās historical heart and youāll have some free time to explore and grab a bite to eat.
UNESCO-listed Pompeii will be our next port of call. Sitting in the shadow of Mount Vesuvius, the town was buried for centuries by ash and pumice after the volcano blew its top in 79AD. Youāll have almost 2 hours to explore the ruins, starting with the Forum and meandering past mansions, temples and amphitheatres.
On the coach…
Youāll be pleased to know i donāt need to write much as Ā youāll just see how beautiful this place really Ā is.
The Amalfi coast… Ā
Amalfi town…Ā
After a lovely drive along the wonderful Amalfi coast, time seemed to just fly by as we arrived in the town. We had quite a long period of free time to enjoy this incredible place. We headed straight for the sea, and after a while we managed to find this tiny dock thingy.
Ā It was a little oasis away from the crowds and we could either look out to sea or look back and see the townā¦Wow. š Ā Ā
Ā Wait for it…Ā
Yayā¦Now weāve arrived! šŖš¼Ā
Before exploring the busy part of town (the centre) we thought weād try walking up the hill to see how far the town goes, Wow itās beautiful up here!
Ā The Cafe, Coffee and THE Ccissont…
Yay we found a little coffee shop and Sarah said “we have to try the croissants with a black coffee”. We sat outside and i said āWooaaaahhh have you tried your croissant yet? Itās the best one iāve ever tastedā āMmmmmmmā Sarah said and thatās all i needed to hear. š Ā
Every croissant weāve had since eating this one 3 years ago has had to be compared with this one. Itās still the remaining champion as no other croissant anywhere has even come close! Ā
The centre of townā¦.
This town was good for us as it wasnāt very big and we thought itād be hard for us to get lost. Walking into the town we found a lovely gift shop, both me and Sarah got a souvenir. Sarah bought another t-shirt with Amalfi across the front and i bought a great Amalfi vest. š Ā
We left the shop and found the natural spring fountain the tour guide was talking about and Sarah went over for a drink.Ā
Sarah was soaking and was walking towards meā¦Yes she spun around like a helicopter and soaked me through. š¤£ Ā She said she wanted to cool me down as i was too hot againā¦But she also enjoyed soaking me too, a win-win situation. ! š¤£Ā
Now time to explore the backstreets…Ā
Time for another attempt at a selfie with my lovely wife Sarah…Ā
Then Sarah stretches and lines herself up to take some stunning panoramasā¦ š Ā
What a beautiful place.Ā
Back on the coach…
Wow what a lovely town., itās now time to head towards Pompeii.
Pompeii…
We followed the group towards a square near the main gate entrance. The guide said āNow itās time for you to try the amazing local Margharita pizza. Wowā¦This was the best Margharita pizza iāve ever tasted and also sets the bar at the top of the āBlind Sightseers Pizza Leaderboard’. š Ā
Moving swiftly on we walked through the main gate on onto the excellently preserved ruins. Iāll shut up for a moment whilst you sit back and enjoy the photos, lol! šĀ
The guide was really knowledgable and gave us a lot of history on this place.Ā
Why struggle and take lots of shots when you can fit everything intoā¦A stupendous Sarah panorama! š Ā
The walking…
Yay the blind sightseers have found the worst walking conditions to date, it was horrendous! As many of you know i canāt see much and i certainly canāt see my feet never mind the path. I have no idea how Sarah guided me around this placeā¦But she managed it. I owe all of my holidays to her as i couldnāt do anything without herā¦Never-mind get to see some of the most beautiful places in the world! ā¤ļø š
My new walking sandals were great and protected my toes from being stubbed at least a few times. They allowed my ankles to roll over without snapping and had great grip when i needed it.Ā
We finally managed to go inside the beautiful buildings and hide from the burning sun. āļø Ā Ā
We were coming to the end of our walking tour of Pompeii and after a few more statues we ended up at the Centaur statue. Ā
The statue ofĀ Centaur…Ā
One last Sarah panorama…Ā
Back at the ship…
Wow what a memorable shore excursion! We talk about this trip all of the timeā¦Oh wait, we talk about all of our adventures! š¤£ Ā
After the excursion (but before the evening meal) we enjoy going out on deck to enjoy the fantastic coast line whilst looking back on the day. Itās also a great time to take a few shots of my lovely wife Sarah! ā¤ļøĀ
Then Sarah spotted a boat which looked like it was heading towards our ship. I said āItās not āGibbsā again and the NCIS special agents looking for the blind sightseers? They must have followed us from Montenegro, lol!ā Ā āNo i think itās just a tender boatā š¤£ Ā Ā
Quiet reflection…Ā
Being blind and guided (expertly) by Sarah throughout each day normally gives me a massive headache as there is just too much external stimuli. My sight is super blurry and walking around quickly whilst listening intently to Sarah (as donāt want to break my ankles, legs or worse) and trying to learn lots of history from the guide is simply too much to process. Itās like trying to use modern day apps when i can only process things as fast as an old Commodore 64. Awww i remember my dad breaking lots of joysticks trying to beat me on āThe way of the exploding fistā gameā¦But i digress! Oh yes i was trying to say i really enjoy everything being quiet as i lean on the rail and give thanks. š Ā Ā Ā
Just when you think youāve had another incredible dayā¦Youāre blessed with a beautiful sunset.Ā
Wowā¦What a beautiful part of the world. Thanks for joining us again on ourĀ incredible, breathtaking and above all memorable tour. š Ā
I wonder where weāre going tomorrow? š¤
To be continued…Ā
ā¬ Ā Previous DayĀ š“Ā Next DayĀ Ā ā”
āļøĀ Start From #1Ā š Or join the adventure at:
May 21, 2020 10 Comments
Bruce THE Boxer
july 14th 2000 – Dec 3rd 2011
Thank you all so much for helping me keep Bruce THE Boxer and his legacy alive by joining his Boxercise classes. Itās been great for me to use the photos of him iāve taken over the years and share them with friends.
I canāt believe weāve made it to 50 days!
But with great sadness i have to announce weāve come to the end of the āBoxerciseā classesā¦Also canāt believe itās nearly 9 years (Dec) since Bruce died. š¾ ā¤ļø
But itās not over quite yet as iāve also created a video of Bruce, Sarah & our loving home so you can see him in actionā¦š Ā
ā¬ Ā Previous DayĀ š¾
May 21, 2020 0 Comments
Praise for Godās Goodness to IsraelTo the leader. A Song. A Psalm. Come and see what God has done: Bless our God, OĀ peoples, I will come into your house with burnt-offerings; Come and hear, all you who fear God, Blessed be God, |
May 21, 2020 0 Comments
Amen! What an Awesome God. There is such peace knowing that He’s in absolute control…And not me or any other! š
He is sovereign over what appears the most random acts in the world.Proverbs 16:33says, āThe lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.ā In modern language we would say, āThe dice are rolled on the table and every play is decided by God.ā There are no events so small that he does not rule for his purposes. āAre not two sparrows sold for a penny?ā Jesus said, āAnd not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numberedā (Matthew 10:29ā30). Every role of the dice in Las Vegas, every tiny bird that falls dead in the thousand forests ā all of this is Godās command.
From wormsā¦
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May 21, 2020 2 Comments
This is mercy!
(Letters ofĀ William Romaine, 1714-1795)
“He redeems your life from destruction; He crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies!” Psalm 103:4Ā
My dear friend,What thanks ought we to give to our gracious Lord for all of His mercies to us!Ā
I can look back upon every part of my life, and upon it all I can write, “This is mercy!”Ā
Oh, it is all, from first to last, to those who are chosen and called and believe and live by faith in the Son of God, MERCY–from everlasting to everlasting! Mercy before time, mercy in time, mercy beyond time!
Where is the fountainhead, the spring of this mercy? What gives rise to it?Ā Nothing but the sovereign grace and free love of the purpose and heart of God Himself.Ā
But on whom do the streams of this fountain flow with their quickening, comforting, sanctifying, glorifying streams?Ā
On the miserable sinner, and none else; for none else are the objects of mercy. On such as you and me! Mercy has made a rich provision . . .Ā to supply all our needs,Ā to pardon all our sins,Ā to save us from all punishment,Ā to entitle us to all glory!
“I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever!” Psalm 89:1Ā
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God.” Romans 12:1Ā
May 20, 2020 2 Comments
Ā Buongiorno amiciĀ (Good morning friends) Ā
No wayā¦Weāre in Sicily! One of our favourite places to eat is Sicily Restaurant and we always say when speaking to Grace or Dora āWe come to Sicily but weāve never been to Sicily!ā Now that has changed, yay! š Ā
Now weāre here letās see what weāll be doing…
To see the best of Sicily, you have to climb to great heights. And on this trip you’ll do exactly that. After a coach drive to the cable station, youāll take the cable car up to the top of a mountain. Take in the view out over the Trapani salt pans, the turquoise sea and all the way to the Egadi Islands – it’s breathtaking. While you’re up here, you’ll explore the Medieval town that is Erice. Wander the winding cobbled streets. Visit the Mother Church that’s stood here for over 700 years. And admire the Castle of Venus where the son of Athena, goddess of love, built a temple in his mother’s honour. But save some sighs for the gorgeous Balio Gardens in all their rainbow bright glory. Last but not least you’ll have time to enjoy the atmosphere in Ericeās dinky plaza, before you take the cable car back down to the ship.
Yayā¦I love cable cars, and weāve already been on 2 during this lockdown memory tour (see Gibraltar and Matlock Bath).
Leaving the ship…
The breakfast on the Thomson Majesty didnāt disappoint and we stepped out into the warm sunshine. Itāās September so itās not boiling hot (28ĖC) but itās much warmer than England. š Boarding the coach was fine and it wasnāt long before we weāre driving through the beautiful Sicilian streets and hills.Ā
The cable cars…
The cable car seated about 10 people (all in a circle) and we all instantly started chatting about our experiences on cruise ships, other cruises and if weād been to Sicily before? As this is now our 4th cruise (unbelievable) we sounded like seasoned professionals, lol! š¤£ Ā
Then it fell silent as we climbed higher and we all caught sight of the view…Ā
Iām not sure iād like cable cars half as much as i do if i was fully sighted. I think itās because i canāt really tell how high i am as iām actually a bit scared of heights! š Ā Ā
Sarah said āSteve stop looking out of the window, face me and have your photo takenā.Ā
Ā Surely itās not that time already?? Itās much to early to be stunned by another blisteringly stupendous Sarah panorama…
Hang onā¦Hereās another…
Eris…
Wow this place was incredible. It was quite surreal to have climbed so high in the cable car to get to this beautiful town. The colours were so vivid as the bright buildings contrasted the deep blue sky. Ā
Following the guide was hard work as the narrow lanes/walkways had large stones (about 4 inches) and were fantastic at tripping you up or stubbing your toe on, if you were lucky youād do both. But the blind sightseers Ā donāt let little details like that stop us, lol! š Ā
Once weād walked (and walked) to the very top of the town a Sicilian man came with a horse (maybe donkey i canāt see it or remember, lol) and carriage and played some traditional Sicilian music on his Harmonium.
The plaza…
We had about half an hour free time and Sarah & i quickly went to find a souvenir shop. The main item of sale was the Sicilian nougat which we didnāt really want as Sarah is diabetic. The plaza was beautiful and we spent some time wondering around until we got to sit down.
Eris was a stunning place and weāre so blessed to be able to visitā¦But now back to the cable cars.Ā
Ā Back at the dock…
After a quick refresh on the ship we were ready to explore! The dock was nice and flat and had lots of multi coloured boats in long rows so we looked around here first. Wait a minuteā¦Did Sarah buy one of these little boats in the souvenir shop at Eris, lol! š¤£ Ā Ā
Of course we canāt leave Sicily without Sarahās Sicilian victory pose…Ā
Trapani town…
We left the dock and started walking along the first street we came to. We noticed that the streets were in a big square and if we walked all the way round weād end up back here without getting lostā¦Here goes.
āOh it looks like all of the shops and cafeās are closedā Sarah said sounding a little disappointed. We continued along the second street and still nothing was open. āWe might as well return to the dockā Sarah said āI only wanted to try some Arancini in Sicilyā We always order these in āSicily Restaurantā back home so i thought whilst we were here i’d try one too.Ā
Turning right again onto the 3rd street of the square i was increasingly despondent and crestfallen.
But suddenly…
Sarah says with plenty of excitement āSteve look, i thinkā¦Yes iām sure it isā¦Let me go and see if iām rightā Sarah walks quickly ahead and upon her return says āSteve youāre going to love thisā taking my hand (as i was heartbroken) she led me into a little shop (which is the only one open around here) which only cooked Arancini!! I simply couldnāt believe it! We ordered a couple of different flavours and an espresso too! š²Ā
Wowā¦Now all that is left is the taste test… Ā
Awww unbelievable now that tastes great! Yet another moment i wonāt stop talking about. š¤£ Ā
After a lovely time relaxing, eating Arancini and drinking espresso in the sun it was time to head back to the ship. walking around the last corner of the square we noticed a tiny market stall selling hats. I said āI wonder if they sell a hat with Sicily on for Vini (Nephew) who loves collecting baseball caps?ā They did (i holding it in the image below).Ā
Yay the ship is here…Ā
Oh no i donāt think i have enough energy left to be able to Ā take another stupendous, Magnificent and sublime Sarah panoramaā¦ She keeps top trumping my photography, lol! š¤£ Ā
Back at the ship…
Sorry guys but no towel folding creatures on this ship!
The blind sightseers had a lovely time in Sicily and weād definitely return (if we get the chance after lockdown) as there are many more shore excursions for us to try all over Sicily.
We hope youāve enjoyed Sicily and this new ship? Itās such a blessing to see you here.š Ā
To be continued…Ā Ā
ā¬ Ā Previous DayĀ š“Ā Next DayĀ Ā ā”
āļøĀ Start From #1Ā š Or join the adventure at:
May 20, 2020 2 Comments
Welcome back to your daily lockdown drill brought to you by Bruceā¦Your fave Boxercise instructor!Ā Ā Ā
Just wondered if you have a fave photo of me? There are lots to choose from in the mosaic above. š¾
ā¬ Previous Day š¾ Next DayĀ ā”Ā
May 20, 2020 2 Comments
Psalm 111Praise for Godās Wonderful WorksPraise the Lord! |
May 20, 2020 6 Comments
There are more lies told at funerals!
(Curtis Knapp, 2012)
Have you ever noticed that no matter how wicked a person was in his life, he becomes a saint at his funeral?
In reality, he was a bad father, but at his funeral he becomes a great father in the eulogy given by his estranged children. In reality, he was a bad husband, but suddenly, he is a great husband. In reality he was a very bad person, but suddenly everyone talks about what a good person he was.
He was never in church, but suddenly he is a great Christian man. The minister strains awkwardly to speak glowingly about the man he didn’t know and hardly ever saw. In life, he was primarily noted for his wicked works, but suddenly upon his death he is known as a man of many good works.
In short, they lie! There are more lies told at funerals than perhaps at any other occasion, and that’s the way people want it. If the minister did anything other than lie, the family and friends would be outraged!
God is the only one worthy of a eulogy at a funeral, but no one offers a eulogy to God. Instead, they offer lying eulogies for the sinner who is most likely in Hell at that moment. Think about that. The sinner has already arrived at his permanent dwelling place in Hell. He is weeping and gnashing his teeth and writhing in agony in the flames. He is begging for just one drop of cool water for his tongue, but receives no mercy.
God is not impressed with this wicked man. God sees no good in him.
The inhabitants of Hell are not impressed with him. They don’t care about the time he helped an old lady across the street, and the time he gave money to a charitable organization. They don’t think he is or ever was a good person. They don’t like him and want nothing to do with him.
And yet at this very moment, on earth, in a church or funeral home somewhere–the man’s family and the minister are talking about what a wonderful person he was and how he has gone to a better place!
Have you ever noticed how no one goes to Hell–at least no one you know? When have you been at a funeral at which the minister and family did not conspire together to convince themselves and everyone else that the departed sinner was in Heaven?
Jesus taught us that the road to Heaven was narrow, and said that few find it. Conversely, He taught that the road to destruction was broad, and that many were on it. Yet, according to our funerals, Jesus was wrong. No one is in Hell–everyone is in Heaven! Have you ever noticed that all you have to do to get to Heaven is to die? Instead of believing in justification by faith alone, most people believe in justification by death alone. Death is all that is necessary to be transformed miraculously from a depraved wretch into a shining angel.
Why do we do this? Why do we lie? Ministers often do it because they are afraid not to. Many lie because they are false prophets who deceive people, and a funeral is the perfect opportunity to say “Peace, peace!” when there is no peace.
Some family members lie because they are grasping for some piece of comfort in their loss. But consider: Is grasping at a lie truly comforting?
I suspect that most people play this game of falsehood for selfish reasons. If they eulogize the deceased, then they will also feel better about the state of their own souls. If the departed sinner went to Heaven–then they will surely go to Heaven when they die as well. If everyone is a good person and going to Heaven–then we don’t have to worry about our own spiritual condition.
We hate death. We hate to be reminded of our weakness and our fleeting time here. We don’t like to think about what happens after death. We don’t want to consider that there might be a Hell, and we certainly don’t want to hear that most people go there. We don’t want to ponder those realities, but funerals force us to do so. So we fight back against death and reality by laboring hard to convince ourselves that everyone who dies goes to Heaven.
What does it accomplish? Nothing!
Is God deceived? No!
Will our lies change God’s mind? No!
Will our lies get us to Heaven? No!
I am not saying that I think ministers should stand up at funerals and declare with certainty that the departed person is in Hell. But, when the person’s life gives us little confidence that he or she is in Heaven, it would be far better to remain silent about the eternal destiny of the lost one than to boldly declare that the person is in Heaven. Oh for some honesty in our days!
“Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13-14
May 19, 2020 3 Comments
Good Morning friends! (dobro jutro) š Ā
Are you ready for a scorcher today? Itās going to hit 41ĖC as the heat wave moves in! āļø Also i had no idea (until looking) that itās our 41st day of our lockdown memory tour, fantastic! š Ā Ā
We booked the āBlue Cave Speed Boat Tourā for today but this tour was cancelled (last minute) yesterday evening. The excursion team told us the Montenegro officials read that your were blind and said āA blind person cannot board a speed boatā so they cancelled it! We said āWeāve done much more challenging things than stepping onto a speed boatā but weĀ acquiesced and asked if there were any other tours left.
They only had āHighlights of Montenegroā a 10-12 hour tour with lots of walking. I said āWow this is going to be magnificently burning hotāā¦I wasnāt wrong! š°Ā
Well letās see what weāll be doing…Ā
The port of Kotor finds a home on the worldās southernmost fjord – or the āBride of the Adriaticā, as itās also known. As places go, itās beautiful. Think blue seas. A stony shore. Green mountains. All drenched in the heavenly scent of lemons, oranges, mimosas and camellias. And hereās your chance to explore this gorgeous part of the world.
First youāll stop at the mountain village of Njegusi to taste the regionās delicious smoked ham and cheese. Stomach full, youāre ready for…
Cetinje. Known as the āValley of Godsā, it was once the smallest European capital and itās filled to bursting with beautiful buildings. Here you’ll visit the King Nikola’s palace before having some free time to stroll around. Next youāre off to…
Budva – the most popular tourist destination on Montenegroās map. And quite rightly so. Beautiful architecture meets seductive sandy beaches in this spot. Perhaps thatās why lots of millionaires decide to live here.
Leaving the ship…
After another lovely breakfast we stepped off the ship. āWoahā i said whilst leaving the lovely cool ship and walking into a hot oven. āHow can it be this hot already?ā Sarah quickly replied āOohhh thatās better the ship was freezingā. š¤£ Ā
On the coach…
Yay, the Thomson excursion team has made sure the tour guide saved us the front seats on the coach. The first challenge (for the excellent driver) was to climb the famous Kotor serpentine road. The road was simply amazing, and witnessing the driver expertly navigate the hairpin turns and narrow road was incredible. The guide passed a picture (see below) around the coach and Sarah took a photo of it so i could zoom in on my iMac at homeā¦Thanks Sarah š²Ā
Arriving at Njegusi…
Ā The serpentine was pretty quiet and didnāt have much traffic as it was still early morning. Iām not sure how he guided this massive coach up and around those bends without flying off the cliff, but iām glad he did, lol! š Ā
We reached the top and the view was simply breathtaking! Sarah was stunned on itās beauty and said āWow you can just make out our ship all the way down thereā. šĀ
Yayā¦Iām here too! I thought iād add a photo of me just to make sure you knew i was here, and didnāt collapse into a pool of molten flesh after leaving the ship, lol! š¤£ Ā
Ā The group headed into the mountain top restaurant and sat down at tables overlooking the stunning view. I donāt think anyone was hungry as the waiters place a humongous baguette filled with the legendary local ham and cheese in front of all of us. Everyone kept saying āWeāve only just had breakfast about an hour ago on the shipā, even i was struggling and iām never full! š The ham and cheese was super tasty and it wouldāve been nice to take some home with usā¦But it was time to go!
Ā We had a few more minutes to take some photos of this stunning place as people were filtering onto the coach.
Ā Ok just one more shot of Sarah waving and saying hello to you guys, then we really do have to get back on the coach. š Ā
On to the next stop…
It was late morning now and the serpentine started to get a little busier.
And then…
The coach hit the brakes, our group said āWooaahhhā and the drivers sorted out a way to carry on. Our coach had to reverse (no idea how he did it) up the hill and around some corners until he found a little pull in. It had taken our driver over half an hour to pull off this manoeuvre, and after a round of applause he drove on. Ā
We arrived in Cetinje…Ā
Leaving the air conditioned coach and stepping out into the centre of a bubbling volcano (thatās what it felt like to me)we followed our guide towards the museum, but on the way he quickly stopped to talk to us about a church building.
Vlah church…
Walking along a track the guide pointed out this lovely old church building and started talking about itās history.
From Wikipedia…
The church was initially made of “plot” (Serbian: ŠæŠ»Š¾Ń), i.e. of sticks, switches and mud. It was rebuilt three times. First as “suvomeÄa” (Serbian: ŃŃŠ²Š¾Š¼ŠµŃŠ°), which means of stones without mortar; then of “klaÄena” (Serbian: ŠŗŠ»Š°ŃŠµŠ½Š°), which is stones with lime mortar; and finally, in 1864 the church received its current form. A guard rail around the church was built in 1897 using barrels of Ottoman rifles captured in 1858 during the Battle of Grahovac.Ā
The part about the guard rail using barrels of Ottoman rifles captured in 1858 really stuck out to me. I hope my two quickly taken photos showed the guard rail? We didnāt get any closer as the guide was moving fast! š¢
Walking towards the Museum of King Nikola…
The guide returned and told us that the President will be inside the museum we were about to be guided around. So weāll have our break now of about an hour as another group was before us and will be first to go inside the museum. We wonāt be able to go back to the lovely air conditioned coach but there is the main square just over there, and there are some shops and a cafe. As the group separated we walked towards the square.
Sarah said āThere is not much here but this looks like a souvenir type shop. Letās get you out of the heat before you explodeā. It was a souvenir shop and we bought a lovely painted plate with Montenegro written on and it hangs above the doorway to our kitchen. š Ā
Heading out of the shop we walked around the corner and Sarah said āOOooohhhh look at that dress!!ā I knew exactly what the noise meant (as i canāt see what iām looking at, lol) and we walked towards the shop. The dress was hanging up outside the shop and Sarah was completely taken with it. she said ālook at the designā¦itās all handmade stitching, the colours are beautiful and itās simply exquisiteā¦I love it! šĀ
Inside the shop…
Minding the step into the shop Sarah had a little look around to see if she could see the dress (the one outside) anywhere inside the shop. The local woman behind the counter said āYou like the dress?ā as she held up a black dress that Sarah didnāt want or like. āNo i wanted to ask about the dress outsideā Sarah said whilst pointing out of the window. āThis dress would look really nice on you!ā the woman insisted, āno i donāt like that dress itās too dark for me, do you have the orange and red flower dress thatās hanging up outside in my size?āĀ
The woman continued in her heavy accent āYou donāt like? Why do you not like? It look lovely on you!ā Just as I was thinking that weād never get out of here without even looking at the dress the woman said āThere is only 1 of the dress outside but this dress (the one she was holding) we have many. Sarah said whilst looking a little disappointed as there was only 1 of those amazing dresses āCould i have a look at it please and try it on?”
The woman finally put down the other dress and got the one from outside and passed it to Sarah. āWow this is amazing but itāll never fitā Sarah said whilst trying not to get too excited anymore, but she went over to the changing rooms and tried it on anyway.
āWow, you look stunningā i said knowing sheās about to tell me i canāt see it very well anyway, lol! āIt fits perfectly, i thought there would be no way it fitsā¦Iāve just got to have itā Sarah said with a beaming smile on her face.Ā
Leaving the shop with Sarah (sheās super excited) still stunned that she’d got the only dress of that kind available and it fitted perfectly, we headed back towards the cafe.
The cafe…
It was really busy and it was the only cafe open around this square and everyone seemed to be here. There was a man selling cold bottles of water under a sheltered bit so we went and bought a couple. Sarah found the only 2 chairs left which were in the sun. As we sat down with a bottle of water each…
Sarah shouted āAArrggghhhhā and flew up out of her seat like iād just pushed the ejector seat button! At the same time half of the contents of her water bottle hit me in the face and covered mostt of my shirt (i was glad of the cooling down). But i said āWhatās just happened?ā āAwww the burning hot arms of the chair scorched my forearms as i sat down!ā Ouchā¦I can still feel it as iām typing this! š¤Ā
Leaving the cafe it was time to meet up with the group to have our guided tour around the museum. On the way Sarah found some art and a fantastic building.
This fascinating Museum used to be the royal palace of the Montenegrin King for more than 50 years. So once the president had left we had our chance to see it. š Ā
The museum guide took us around the house and explained the significance and rarity of many of the items on display. She brought it all to life with a passion and pride that left a lasting impression.
The museum has many rooms which were presented as they would have looked when used as a royal palace, including the king’s and queen’s bedrooms, reception rooms, official meeting rooms, etc, and the various displays included clothing, weapons, furniture, medals and flags and other regalia from this historical royal house.
The temperature outside was 41ĖC but inside it felt even hotter. We were told not to lean on any hanging wall paintings but the heat coming off any one of our group couldāve melted the painting (and the frame) from 10 feet away! The museum was incredible but everyone was so hot they all just wanted to leave.Ā
Back on the coach…
āAww feel that air conditioningā i said whilst trying not to melt Sarah with the heat emanating from me! āļø
Wait a minuteā¦Yes itās that time again!Ā
The coach stopped just long enough for Sarah to take a couple of wonderful panoramas.Ā
Arriving in Budva…
The guide flew off the coach and continued walking at breakneck speed for about 10 minutes. Sarah and i were tripping up little curbs, dropping down slopes and even started falling away from the group at one stageā¦But then he stopped to Ā show us this beautiful place…
The guide said we had an hour free time and to meet him back in the main square ( i think i know where that is, lol). Ā
Sarah instantly found a coffee shop and wondered if they did iced coffees like the ones we’d had in Greece? They did even better than that! Sarah got me a massive one and said āIf you stand here in the shade of the coffee shop, iām going to go and see if i can get onto the beach. āOk iāll not moveā. I didnāt need to move as this iced coffee was incredibleā¦It even had 2 scoops of vanilla ice-cream with a double espresso poured over the top. I talk about this coffee as many times as i can. Wowā¦The ice cold coffee contrasting that scorching sun, mmmmmm. āļøĀ
Yay, Sarah managed to get onto the beach and put her feet on the sand so we were both very happy! š Ā
Not sure why i took this photo of the path?
We met up with the group and followed the guide back to the coach, the air conditioning wasnāt even cooling me anymore i was just too hot. Iād been boiled for about 10 hours and i think itās going to take about a week to cool down. šĀ
Back on the ship…
Wow what a day! 41ĖC is the hottest Sarah & i have felt so far on our travels, and we always talk about this day. But first itās time to meet Brian & Ann for the final time on this cruise .
Youāll never guessā¦??
During our lovely 4 course evening meal Brian & Ann gave us this lovely Montenegrian design wooden box as a gift. Ann said āWe didnāt go on any trips today so we looked around the town. We found a craft store and found this lovely box, i knew youād love it and we just had to buy it for you! We were blown away with their kindness and friendship and we keep this box on our sideboard in our living room. Oh we also still have the 2 chocolates inside which Ann was handing out on her birthday! š Ā
Back in the cabin…
We were disappointed not to find a folded towel creature on the bed on our last day of this wonderful cruise. But this was the first of 2 cruises Sarah managed to book at the same price as the Barbados cruise and stay we had to cancel. Sarah managed to book them a couple of months apartā¦But weāre going to jump ship (Thomson Spirit) and climb a board the Thomson Majesty and sail away to our next destination! š āļø ā ā“
We hope youāve enjoyed being on this āClassical Greeceā cruise with us? Did you have a favourite place?
To be continued…Ā
ā¬ Ā Previous DayĀ š“Ā Next DayĀ Ā ā”
āļøĀ Start From #1Ā š Or join the adventure at:
May 19, 2020 5 Comments
Welcome back to your daily lockdown drill brought to you by Bruceā¦Your fave Boxercise instructor!Ā Ā Ā
āWhat do you mean smile againā¦Heās been taking photos of us for 3 hours nowā¦Iām sure heās got a photo of me smiling ā
āThis better get me a huge Jumbone! š¾
May 19, 2020 0 Comments
Praise that God answers prayer
Of David, when he feigned madness before Abimelech, so that he drove him out, and he went away.
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
I sought the Lord, and he answered me,
and delivered me from all my fears.
Look to him, and be radiant;
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord,
and was saved from every trouble.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
happy are those who take refuge in him.
O fear the Lord, you his holy ones,
for those who fear him have no want.
The young lions suffer want and hunger,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Which of you desires life,
and covets many days to enjoy good?
Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil, and do good;
seek peace, and pursue it.
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their cry.
The face of the Lord is against evildoers,
to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
and rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the broken-hearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous,
but the Lord rescues them from them all.
He keeps all their bones;
not one of them will be broken.
Evil brings death to the wicked,
and those who hate the righteous will be condemned.
The Lord redeems the life of his servants;
none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
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