Limoncello Monster

After a wonderful meal of octopus and scampi on tagliatelle, the restaurant brought out a luminous bottle of Limoncello, so we drank it all (would have been rude not to). The effects of Limoncello are devastating, it creates the chocolate ice cream monster you see below

As you can see the eyes are wide open as she consumes dark chocolate and thanks everyone with the priceless phrase of Gracias (despite being in Italy)

The Misty Mountain

Up bright and early to join every other tourist going up the 2 cable car journeys to the top of the mountain and of course the obligatory FFP2 Face Mask while in the sardine can!

But obviously Mrs Fogg has to have a cup of tea once at the top (despite the option of a glass of Dom!)

Done and Done

Well a fairly uneventful journey back from the Maldives, beside the sea plane flying through heavy rain and then 2.5 hour wait at Male airport before we could checkin. Saying that the move through Male airport was a breeze, so much smoother than most UK airports.

4.5 hours flight from Male to Doha, a 1.5 hour wait then a 7.5 hour flight from Doha to Manchester. Mrs Fogg was unfortunately on the verge of losing her lunch, since there was onion in the earlier flight meal and as we explained she was feeling sick the only thing on the cabin crew’s question list was “is it COVID”, which we had to try and explain several times as they desperately wanted to disembark us before flying. No it’s mild food poisoning from a previous flight “well it couldn’t be a Qatar flight” came the response, “but it was”, we replied. “Must be COVID we get doctor!”.

Eventually we got to continue on and 7 hours Kip, left Mrs Fogg all fighting fit and raring to go. And for the first time ever, we landed at Manchester at 0715, cleared the farcical UK border control, collected our luggage from the broken conveyor belt, navigates the abandoned wheelchairs and found the unmarked bus stop to the car park, eventually driving away from the airport by 0750.

And now all set for work, whoop and kitchen tiling, what an exciting life we lead.

Homeward Bound

Yup we have now left Maafushivaru on the 14 hour trek to Manchester, just as the heavens opened.

Have to say even tho Male airport is tiny and disorganised we sailed through security, checkin, immigration and the second security in less than 10 minutes. What’s betting Manchester passport control will take hours and the luggage carousel will be broken.

Fine Beach Dining

Our last night at Maafushivaru in the Maldives and we decided to do a romantic 4 course meal on the beach in a love heart with candles and one helluva breeze. Beautiful food and company, with excellent service from Rahul

Return to Waterworld

Our last full day before we travel back home and as promised, here is the little hero on her second snorkelling outing in the Indian Ocean. Oh and she found the sea swing again

Sunset and Sunrise

The top picture was sunset last night at 18.30 and the bottom was sunrise this morning at 05.45 from the gym

And some more shots of the gym, our half kilometre walkway and any guesses what Mrs Fogg is about to eat?

Welcome to Waterworld

Yup so today we ended up in some really hot water, well about 30 degrees that is, with the outside temp a blistering 34 degrees. Now I know that the UK is in a heatwave, but you really can’t get views like this in blighty.

Hats off then to Mrs Fogg who has a real fear of water, as she not only spent an hour in a kayak paddling us around the island, but also had her very first ever try of snorkelling. Really proud of you for overcoming your fear to put your life in my hands (fool). But a rare chance to see a vast array of fish in the ocean and coral (smoothbelly sardinalla, silver sprat and angel fish among them). Tomorrow she is trying it again and this time photographic evidence.

Oh yes, there was also a heron on the beach

Snorkelling lunch

Mrs Fogg is all set for an ocean canoe trip tomorrow, and to relieve the stress of being in the ocean had a light (yeh right) lunch