Apr 26 to May 30 Segments 8 and 9 of our World Voyage onboard the Azamara Onward. Our original itinerary included a jaunt up the Red Sea to the Suez Canal. Obviously not on. Instead we are bolting around the continent of Africa, stopping just six times, mostly for fuel and groceries, but also for some quick adventures, in order to make it to Venice in time to reconnect with the ship’s calendar for the rest of the year. Under 200 people stayed on for this leg. On a ship that holds 750 passengers this felt like a private yacht party. It was odd and wonderful, and an experience I think would be near impossible to stumble into again. We had the run of the ship, literally setting up bowling lanes in uninhabited hallways. The food and bev team embraced this opportunity to cater to a smaller crowd and created so many amazing experiences we just couldn’t get bored. It was fabulous and I’m so glad we decided to stay for it.

First up was a 7 day sail to Port Louis, Mauritius. Lovely French Colonial Architecture against a backdrop of bustling Island trading post. The highlight for me was the Caudan Arts Centre. We wandered in by chance, and there were two shows going on: a retrospective of a prominent Mauritian artist named Vaco, and another show featuring a local printmaker named Joelle Rosalee Baya. Big raw linocut images of women engaged in traditional tasks, interwoven with stitching, weaving and textiles. The show was called Femmes des Iles, and it was a perfect boost of inspiration for the prints I’ve been making onboard.

Another 4 days and we arrived at Port Elizabeth South Africa. About half the remaining guests got off to go on safaris. For us it felt like too much money (almost $9k Canadian for the three day excursion, two of which are spent in transit) to be worth it. We stayed onboard, in pyjamas mostly, and I went on an art making binge.

Three days later we picked up our safari folk in Namibia. We had enough time there to explore the German town of Swakopmund, stroll the waterfront, check out the dunes at Dorob National Park and the thousands of pink flamingoes in Walvis Bay. The warm sand/blue sky colour combo is burned into my art brain forever.

Time for our longest sea run yet; 9 straight days from Namibia to Gran Canaria. I thought it would drag, but after a good printmaking workshop and a few fun painting classes I came down with a cold. I think I was the last person on the ship to succumb, but it hit me hard and I made a blanket fort for the last few days of the crossing and just slept.

Gran Canaria. Greg and our friends had booked a golf game at the oldest course in Spain. I should have stayed in bed, but I couldn’t miss Las Palmas. I pulled myself together, wadded tissues into my bag to deal with my stuffy nose, and snuck off to enjoy a big bowl of Gazpacho on Cantera Beach.

It was heaven just sitting there in the gorgeous sunshine and fresh air all by myself. You’d think those staterooms would start to shrink when you share one with someone for five straight months, but I’ve actually loved this time with my man. We’ve gotten along great. But there’s something nice about being all by yourself in a foreign place, sipping a limonada and watching the world go by.

Back on board, we had two more stops on this segment. First Tunisia, which was gorgeous with its blue and white buildings tucked into a lush jumble of jasmine, olive groves and bougainvillea. Then a fun day in Corfu hat shopping and drinking local beers with our ship buddies in the square. Then a two day sail up to Venice, where we timed it just right the visit the Venice Bienalle; the Olympic equivalent in the art world. I’ve always wanted to see it, and the international art pavilions did not disappoint. Better to have weeks to explore it, but if a day is what we have, I’ll take it all day long.