fionaistravelling

Coming up to week 13, half way through my Six Month Travelling Adventure. And here we are, anchored off the island of La Maddelena (the largest island in the archipelago ) today: Tuesday (24 July) – after being holed up on the boat in extreme windy weather for three days (of which more later) It’s been a very lovely, warm sunny day. After lunch we decided to go to the nearby beach.  Jo swam there, and Rae, Steve and I rowed over in the dinghy, taking Jo’s stuff with us. I then put my phone and all my valuables (passport, money, etc) into my brilliant watertight small blue swimming valuables-holder, rolled it up as per the instructions (like I’ve been doing once or twice for the last three or four weeks without any problems), and took it with me for a swim in the sea – which was gorgeous, beautiful, deep, warm and welcoming. And then got back on land , and emptied rather a lot of water out of my suddenly irritatingly NON watertight bag ☹    and that seems to be t

the latest podcast in the Fiona Is Travelling podcast series is an interview with County Wexford thatcher Matt Whelan.   (Recorded in Kilmore Quay in May, mixed here in the Maddalena Archipelago marine conservation area, Sardinia on board the catamaran "Graceful Days" in July 2018.) I saw this intriguing little scarecrow on top of one of the thatching jobs across from the cottage I was staying in in Kilmore Quay.  I found a calendar celebrating his thatching career in the local community centre; and on his linked in profile he listed himself as 'thatcher and part time philosopher".  So i had a hunch he'd be a good person to interview!   And I was very happy when he agreed to come and meet me near the harbour at the end of my stay (listen out for sea birds).   Well worth listening I think.  . “We don’t go back to a job now for 20 years…. In the old days they had to get it done every seven years. The craft wasn’t at a very high standard – probabl