A Frog, A Jaguar, A Concert and Rodrigo

Time to update you on some of Robin's activities over the past few weeks.
At the beginning of January he set off for Miami where he joined Crystal Serenity.
It was over a week before his first concert so there was plenty of time to adjust, and to enjoy the sunshine in Grand Cayman, before any serious practise started.
But daily practise is required whether it's a concert day or not.
As I've said before, Robin sometimes feels a little inhibited rehearsing in his room for fear of disturbing his neighbours with endless scales and arpeggios.
So if possible he finds a quiet place somewhere and takes himself off.

On one such occasion he was joined in the lift by an American couple.
As is often the case in lifts, either everyone stares straight ahead into a void of silence, or, someone starts a conversation.
The couple chose the later and asked Robin if there was a guitar in the case or was it a machine gun?
His reply, "It's a guitar but played like a machine gun, however today I'm just supplying elevator music."
He spends a lot of time with comedians...

I did receive some very enthusiastic emails from Cartagena, Colombia, as Robin had purchased a beautiful frog:



He was delighted with it and put his new friend on display in his room.
It was with some dismay that a few days later he found a small piece of wood on the floor.
Not a frogs leg but definitely its foot.
Luckily, as I have said before, no guitarist travels without superglue for those emergency nail repairs, so within minutes he had repaired the footless frog.
The next day a very sheepish and anxious housekeeper appeared uttering the words, "I'm very sorry Mr. Robin but I broke your frog."
Not a sentence he ever thought he would hear.
She was greatly relieved to see that no long lasting damage had been done.

After bird spotting through the Panama canal, and a day on the Pacific before arriving in Costa Rica, still no concert had been performed.
But, it was scheduled for that evening.
So there was only time for a quick trip into Caldera, in which Robin returned with a tray:




I must say that I was relieved that the concert had finally arrived.
The tension mounts gradually when away for so many days just waiting for concert day.
It went very well and the American couple discovered, that when required, Robin can in fact play the guitar like a machine gun....

After a couple of days at sea, a quick visit to Puerto Chiapas, Mexico, and some dolphin and sea turtle spotting off the coast of Acapulco, Serenity arrived in Cabo San Lucas.
Robin likes it there. You may remember this post involving an iguana and a sombrero.
This time there was no sign of the iguana but there was a rather splendid wooden jaguar head:



Or maybe you prefer this view:



Shopping aside there was work to be done.
After the success of the first concert Robin was asked to perform a second one.
As you know he is currently rehearsing Rodrigo's 'Concierto de Aranjuez' for a performance later this year.
He had also been spending time with Naki Ataman, a pianist Robin has met a number of times.
You can read about a previous meeting with Naki in this post, 'Dangerous Time in Los Angeles...'

A musical collaboration emerged when Robin asked Naki to join him onstage to perform an arrangement of Rodrigo's Adagio for piano and guitar.
The introduction:

"Normally I perform this piece with an orchestra but tonight I have replace them with the incredible Naki Ataman. Up until today we have only ever played tennis together."
It went beautifully and both audience and musicians were very pleased.

Eventually Serenity arrived in LA and Robin was required to dispose of some clothes in order to pack a jaguar head, frog, tray etc.
I am now left wondering where exactly we are going to put them....

Coffee in Alicante

We have had a strange few days.
Robin and son left Crystal Serenity some time ago.
To prove Robin did actually do a concert whilst there, here's the poster:



And this was taken during the sound check:




They then spent a few days in Spain preparing for the concert with Izzy Cooper. This is one of many rehearsals:



Apparently the concert was a huge success.
The beautiful setting was the perfect backdrop for a lovely concert, with a programme that included pieces by Leo Delibes, Manuel de Falla, Villa-Lobos, Leo Brouwer, Tarrega, Joaquin Rodrigo, Handel, Puccini and many more, and there was even a firework display at the end!
I'm hoping to get some pictures at some point, but I do know that the audience had a wonderful evening.
Despite some technical problems, which required Robin to tell a few jokes whilst the team sorted it out, all went extremely well.
So successful was the event that a recording will hopefully be made in the next few months.
It was 2am before the audience finally let the pair go, so it was rather a tired party that arrived to meet me at the airport.

Not that I minded.
I'd been up incredibly early myself in order to arrive in Spain at 11 am....
The reason for this madness??
Well, when it was arranged that son number one would accompany Robin on the Crystal trip we thought they would both be returning home at the end of it.

After all flights were booked and plans made, it became obvious that the only available date for the Robin and Izzy to perform, was the 28th August.
So, the Hill men were diverted to Spain.

Unfortunately, Robin then had to fly straight off to Malta...
So, on Friday, I flew over to Spain to collect my son, before he became an abandoned child.
We had checked out all possibilities for him to fly solo, but unbelievably it isn't possible between Alicante and Manchester before he is 12 years old!!

Actually, it did at least mean that I briefly met Izzy, and also had a whole 2 hours with my husband.
Obviously coffee and a sandwich in Alicante airport isn't the romantic of settings, but when he's away for a month anything is a bonus.

The time sadly flew by, and before we knew it there was a tearful farewell, as Robin boarded a plane to Malta.
Son and I then spent many hours sitting in the sun, outside the airport, catching up with news, before our flight home.

Now Robin has joined the Queen Victoria where he has two concerts over the next week, the first one today.

More on that soon. Hopefully.

No News is Good News?

The news is - that I have no news....
Literally.
Actually it has all been rather difficult for the last 24 hours.
Here are the facts so far:

I know that Robin, and son, left Crystal Serenity on Sunday morning as they called me from a hotel whilst waiting for their transport to Athens airport.

I also know that they arrived at the airport and boarded a flight to Madrid.
After the recent dreadful events there, I was rather anxious about this particular flight. I know this was completely irrational, but try telling that to your brain as it works overtime.

The anxiety then increased when there was no call on arrival at Madrid.
However, I reminded myself, frequently, that it was a rather tight connection, and that the flight Athens - Madrid had been delayed by 30 minutes, thus making the situation worse.

So, with the aid of a glass of wine on Sunday evening, I reassured myself that there just hadn't been time to call home.
Then, later, I got a call - from a public 'phone box (Remember those things!)

They had landed safely in Madrid, run as fast as they could to make their connection, and caught it - just. Then they flew to Alicante.

The battery had gone flat on the mobile, hence the use of a 'phone box.
That's all OK, I was just relieved that my two Hill men had arrived.

10 minutes later another call.
"Can you get hold of Izzy (Cooper) and tell her we are here but they have lost our luggage..."
The 'phone line went dead.
Urmm.
I called the only number I had, spoke to a very helpful lady who said she would pass the message on, and basically that was the last thing I heard.
This was late Sunday evening.

So all day I have been thinking about what might be happening. (Apart from a very pleasant few hours when I was out with family.)
No news is good news, right?

My current thinking is that the luggage didn't appear as the charger for the 'phone will have been in the suitcase.
But to lose both sets of cases!!!
Maybe they are still on the dockside in Athens. Or perhaps left in Madrid. Or even on the wrong plane completely and are right now in Honolulu....

The concert is on Thursday so there is time for the cases to appear.
But I have been concerned how Father and son have been coping with the complete lack of clothes, wash bags etc.
More importantly, strings, nails repair kit and most of Robin's music will also be missing....

Actually, I'm rather pleased I'm not there.
And as the 'phone can't be charged until the case arrives, I don't even have to deal with any of the 'long distance' fallout.

But this is a scenario that we are unfortunately rather familiar.
A few examples, 'The Robin Hill Saga', 'A Case of the Borrowed Tuxedo', or, 'Lost Luggage Again', and the most frightening, 'Missing - Miguel Rodriguez Churchdoor...'.

An added frustration has been an inability to access Twitter. This is ongoing and I don't know if it is just me, or whether the whole system is down.
The lack of tweets for 24 hours has made me realise just how much I use it - and how much I needed a few reassuring words from the global community over the last day.

But for now all I can do is wait.
Hopefully at some point the cases will be returned.
So the 'phone and charger will be reunited.
Then I can find out exactly what has been going on.

Take Five, Spain and MySpace

It's rather a strange experience for me, and for Robin, on this trip.
He is so used to travelling alone, and even has his usual room on Crystal Serenity, but this time is sharing it with son number one.

For me, it's odd to be receiving e mails from both of them, and pictures of my eldest, globetrotting around Europe!

To prove they are both there, here is the official Crystal photograph, of them beside Serenity:



The first two days were spent in Venice, and here he is again, sporting a Crystal t-shirt given as a present from a previous trip:



After a day at sea, they arrived in Katakolon, Greece, and spent a very pleasant time having a good look around.

But it isn't all fun.
Robin has also been working hard. Not only on the programme for his recital in a few days time, but also the new pieces and arrangements for the concerts in Spain, with Izzy Cooper, which are on the 27th and 28th of August.
You can see details of the Spanish concerts, including the official poster, here.

Meanwhile, here at Hillhouse it has also been busy.
I have been very pleased with a number of comments recently over on our MySpace page.
Go and have a look, and if you haven't been there for a while, you'll see there is now another track added, 'Footsteps of the Moai', taken from the new CD, 'Eyes That Talk To The Sky'.
Enjoy.

Wife of a Musician - Revisited

Robin and son have been enjoying Venice and the last I heard had just visited the Vivaldi museum.

I am pretty sure that after a couple of hours sightseeing the pair will return to their quarters as Robin will need to start rehearsing.
Whilst son is on holiday, Robin certainly isn't.
He will have a few high profile and high pressure concerts in the next few weeks on Crystal Serenity.

But I, as I completed some regular site checks, was once again struck by the number of followers we have, interested in the 'wife' of the musician, as much as the 'life' of the musician.

So, as I reflect on the trials of the last few days, it seemed an appropriate time to point people in the right direction for posts related to the 'wife' of this particular musician.

For example, 'The Wife of a Musician - Part 1 - The Music' seemed a good starting point.

Neatly followed by 'Part 2 - Travel'. (Very appropriate at the moment...)

Guitarists nails have been mentioned many times here, and this post looks at the problem from a slightly different perspective, 'Guitarists Hands - and Nails'.

'Sound Checks Complete and Wives of Musicians Unite', has always been a popular post.

Or maybe you could try, 'Creativity and the Wife of a Musician'.

Finally, for today, 'A View From The Stage'.

There are others, so if your desperate for more, then take a look around. Alternatively, look at any post and read between the lines - I did after all write them...

Hill and Son on Crystal Serenity

Excuse my absence for a few days but it has been a busy time.
Robin has spent the grand total of three days at home before embarking on a lengthy 4week trip away.

This will be something of an ordeal for all involved.
We have occasionally coped with three weeks but never four.

However, Robin has company for part of the month.
Our eldest son has joined him.
He has seen his Dad in concert many times before, but never on foreign trips, so there has been great excitement here.

Son number one won't be there for the whole time, but his presence will certainly help Robin cope with being away from home for so long.
What started out as a simple 2 week trip, escalated into a complicated sequence of events, which will become clear over the next few weeks, so watch this space...

But for now, they have arrived in Venice, are settling into their room on Crystal Serenity, a territory that Robin is very familiar with, and is looking forward to showing his young companion.

I meanwhile am recovering from a hectic few days.
So I am feeling a little jaded, and yes, I am expecting a great deal of support and sympathy from the blogging community.
Thank you in anticipation.
UPDATE:
I didn't have to wait long - I've already had a message via Twitter and I haven't even posted yet!

Volume in Venice

Finally, word from Venice.
I have actually had a couple of 'phone calls over the day, mainly enthusing about the delights of the surroundings.
Mind you, who wouldn't be pleased to have a view of the Campanile from their bedroom?

Robin did go out and about for a while, and visited all his favourite places.
Venice is after all somewhere that you can return time and time again, and never tire of.

But, it is also his last day on board Crystal Serenity. Tomorrow he will be leaving for pastures new.
Tonight though, as requested, he attended the farewell concert, and gave a 10 minute performance.

As he took his seat, the lights were particularly strong, and he couldn't see a single thing from the stage.
Not that this matters, other than it is nice to know for sure that someone is out there!
The stage was prepared for other artists later in the show, and Robin got quite a shock when he played the first notes of Asturias.

Robin's guitar is a particularly powerful one, and he's also known for his ability to project the sound of this generally quite quiet instrument.
So he was rather taken aback when he realised that the sound system was set to 'high', and Asturias was being delivered in a manner that Led Zeppelin would have been proud.

It was fine though.
A large theatre, and, as it turned out when the applause rang out, also a large audience, soaked up the excess sound beautifully.
He played two more pieces, accompanied by whoops of delight from some of the audience, and that was it.
Job done.

Now, he can relax for the rest of the evening, and tomorrow he will have a bit more time in Venice before his flight to London.
But, he won't be coming home, not just yet anyway.
You'll have to check back to find out where Robin is off to next...

'A' for Albania 'B' for Bob Dylan

Crystal Serenity has been in Albania today, Sarande to be exact.
Robin did go ashore for a short time but I don't have any photographs as the camera battery was flat...
However, he did say there's currently a lot of building work being done, and the streets are lined with stalls selling shoes!
Not a great deal for me to go on...

Consequently I was quite pleased this morning when a Twitter friend inadvertently informed me about a new art exhibition.
Paintings by Bob Dylan are being exhibited, and as you know, we are great Dylan fans here.
If you want to take a look, you can watch a BBC news report here.

Sun, Sea and Santorini

Whilst Robin spends the day cruising the Ionian Sea, I shall return to my alternative career as a travel writer, and show you the fabulous Island of Santorini:



There are many churches to be found in the little roads and alleyways:



And it is certainly worth taking the time to go inside and have a look:




There are also numerous villages to explore:



Robin took the opportunity to say hello to a shop keeper he has met on a previous visit, and after a chat, was directed to a spectacular place, with fabulous views. Most people go by donkey, allowing the beast to take the strain on the long and dusty route.
Not Robin.
He chose to make the 45 minute, arduous trek, in the searing sun, on foot.
He therefore arrived very hot and thirsty at his destination.
Luckily, there was a very welcome internet cafe, so he was able to enjoy a refreshing drink, and also to send me an e mail!

(I've just remembered that the last time Robin was in Santorini he came across a party of holiday makers, each on a donkey, and was asked, by the owner, to lead one donkey down the hillside. This he did, causing great confusion, when the same passengers later saw him up on stage performing a concert!)

However, it was worth the walk, as this was the view, which Robin admired along with a new found friend:



Yes, that is Crystal Serenity waiting in the bay below, and once back on board Robin was challenged to a game of tennis by Naki Ataman.
I think he slept well that night.

Kusadasi and a Concert

Yesterday Robin performed his concert on board Crystal Serenity.
It went very well, both audience and musician enjoyed themselves, and a request has been made that Robin play again at the farewell concert.
So he doesn't get the rest of the week off after all!

He did manage to go into Kusadasi, Turkey, and have a look around, earlier in the day.
Luckily he remembered to take the vital lead needed to send pictures home on this trip, so I can share some of the photos with you.

No prizes for guessing one of the first places that caught Robin's eye:



But you can't help noticing this colourful display:



Or resist walking down this alleyway:



Of course, when in Turkey, you have to look at some carpets:



Robin enjoyed himself here, sat and had a cup of apple tea with the nice man in the picture, and discovered that he had been to our home town last year, when visiting relatives!
Despite the pleasant conversation, Robin didn't buy the carpet, so we don't have to worry about getting it home.

Trieste and the Concert Programme

Crystal Serenity is in Trieste and Robin has had a very quick look around.
Most of the day has been spent in preparation for the concert tonight.
I have just been sent the programme, here it is, so we can all imagine ourselves there, enjoying the music!

Asturias - Isaac Albeniz
Un Dia de Noviembre - Leo Brouwer
Canarios - Gasper Sanz
Mozart Variations - Fernando Sor
Berceuse - Leo Brouwer
Danza del Altiplano - Leo Brouwer
Tango en Skai - Roland Dyens
Jota - Trad.Arr.Hill

The observant amongst you will realise that this programme is about 40 minutes long.
Robin has certainly been away a long time, and travelled to many places, for two 40 minute concerts!
As the day progresses, it is easy for musicians to start to feel the tension mounting, in anticipation of their performance.
Robin has an excellent way of preventing this.
Walking.
He loves walking and makes a brisk walk a part of every day.
Today he was de-stressing with 14 laps of Crystal Serenity. This took him just over an hour, and was a total of 4.172 miles, apparently.
He is now well and truly ready for the concert.

Corfu and Quacks

Maybe I am turning into a travel writer after all, albeit an armchair one.
Today Crystal Serenity has arrived in Corfu.
So far, I have had very good reports about the beautiful island. There are many old buildings, churches, and forts, plus numerous narrow alleyways, containing interesting shops and houses.
But unfortunately I can't show you any pictures.
You may have noticed that lack of photographic evidence on this trip, well, that's because the vital lead needed to transfer the photos from the camera to the computer, so they can then be forwarded to me, is lying on the floor in the music room...
So unless Robin physically takes his computer out with him, and holds it up to try and capture these images, then we'll have to wait.
Mind you, mad dogs and English men, maybe he should give it a try.

It's now 4 days since Robin's concert, and his second one isn't until Wednesday, so it's rather a strange time for him.
He has had plenty of time to practise and has even given an interview.
Coincidentally, on board is a journalist, he loved Robin's concert and is very keen on the guitar.
So he invited Robin to meet up for an interview.
They did, and as far as I know it went very well. I'll let you know when I find out more details.

When Robin has time on his hands, I do start getting strange messages.
The latest asked me if I knew where the term 'quacks' came from. (When referring to doctors)
Apparently, in the time of the plague, doctors wore helmets with a beak on the front, possibly to help protect them from illness. (The fact that they didn't really tend to the sick probably protected them more.)
These helmets identified them as doctors, but also bore a resemblance to a ducks beak, hence the term, quack.

See, it's worth visiting this blog, you never know what you may discover!

Stromboli to Don Corleone

Robin has a few days before his second guitar concert, so is able to relax a little, and enjoy some fantastic scenery.
Late last night Crystal Serenity passed by an incredible sight.
It was the Island of Stromboli, which is home to the worlds most active volcano.
True to form she was spitting out lava as they watched. You can see the sort of images that Robin has just observed, here.

After a restful night, Robin awoke to find a horses head in his bed, which the maid swiftly dealt with.
No, only joking.
But he has arrived in the small town of Taormina, Sicily, used in the filming of 'The Godfather'.

He is currently exploring, and says that it is beautiful, mountainous, with little hill top villages in the distance.
Don't worry, I'm not turning into a travel writer, I'm sure normal guitar practise will resume shortly.
Meanwhile, Robin is on the lookout for Don Corleone.

Sorrento a Mandolin and a Music Box

Robin's first guitar concert on Crystal Serenity has gone very well.
His nails remained intact, much to my, and his, relief, and the audience were appreciative.
Although he probably had the least relaxing, 'post concert relaxation', that he has had for a long time.
Robin arrived at a big screen, just as United and Chelsea went into extra time, so he wasn't spared any of the drama.
I think his already high adrenaline levels will have taken some time to reduce.

But today he has gone into Sorrento, to have a look around, and I keep getting calls about how beautiful the area is.
Although one call was slightly more worrying, as he asked me to look up 'Nicola Spoto'.
The conversation went like this:

Robin: "Can you look up Nicola Spoto for me?"
Anna: "Why?" (I guessed there was more than idle curiosity at stake here.)
Robin: "Oh, no reason."
Anna: "Why?"
Robin: "OK, I've found a fantastic shop, with an incredible mandolin, in a case...!"

Whilst I pretended the 'phone had gone dead, I did look Spoto up. The best reference I could find was here, just scroll down the page and you'll see some nice pictures.

I called back.
Anna: "Are you still near the music shop?"
Robin: "No."
Anna: "Good, because he made very nice instruments."

Luckily Robin had decided that travelling home with his guitar, suitcase, hand luggage and a mandolin, may not have been practical.
He bought a music box instead. Phew.

Here it is:

Sound Check in Sorrento and the Lost Violin

Crystal Serenity has arrived in Sorrento and apparently it looks beautiful from the Bay of Naples.
But today it will remain at a distance, as Robin is busy preparing, for his first guitar concert.
It takes great will power not to go ashore and explore, I think I would be sorely tempted, but then I don't have to sit in front of a theatre full of people tonight...

However, tomorrow there may be the opportunity to have a look around before setting sail again.
Robin has already completed his sound check, so now will be limbering up with right and left hand exercises, before running through the programme a few times.
He is very pleased with a mute he recently purchased, as now he can practise without fear of annoying his neighbours, or having to stuff a sock behind the strings!

You may recall the recent story of Philippe Quint, the Grammy award winning violinist who left his 285 year old violin in the back of a taxi.
We have some idea of the torment Philippe will have been going through.
Back in March 2007 one of Robin's concert guitars went missing. You can read about the saga here.
Whilst we had no idea where Robin's guitar was, Philippe saw his violin driving off into the distance, but was unsure if he would ever see it again.

Restoring faith in humanity, the taxi driver tracked down Philippe, and returned the precious instrument.
Now, Quint has given a special 30 minute concert, outside the airport, to show his gratitude.
You can see an extract here.
This story caught my eye as Philippe is a friend over on the new MySpace page!

Quiet in the Med, Interest in Cuckoo Clocks and Handling Handel

It has been remarkably quiet out in the Mediterranean sea today.
Other than hearing that Robin had enjoyed a very pleasant alfresco breakfast, on board Crystal Serenity, there has been little news.
I do know that the first of his two guitar concerts takes place tomorrow, so Robin will be hard at work preparing.

This lack of information left me with time to contemplate the latest batch of unusual Google searches.
Why has there been a sudden interest in cuckoo clocks?
A number of different people have recently been searching cuckoo clocks and found themselves here.
I can only assume it is due to one, or both, of these old posts.

The first was back in January 2007, 'Pierre Petit and the Cuckoo Clock Pendulum', which looked at Robin's uncanny ability to judge tempo, acquired after many years of foot tapping.

Or maybe it was, 'Cuckoo Clocks and Microphones', from 2006.
Either way, I hope they found what they were looking for.

There was another search that I haven't been able to figure out.
"Robin Handel you can't Handel Me"
The mind boggles with that one....

Arrival in Rome and Alternative MySpace Profile Picture...

We have had a particularly busy weekend preparing for Robin's trip and keeping up with new friends on MySpace.
Fans of Twitter will already know that we were up at 4.30 this morning, although I must confess I returned to bed, after waving the taxi off...

Robin has arrived in Rome, after a very brief stop in Munich, in which he had 1/2 hour to reach his connecting flight.
He made it, and is now making his way to Civitavecchia, where he will be joining 'Crystal Serenity'.
More of that as the week unfolds.

The new MySpace page is going well and I'm delighted with the response so far.
When setting up the page we talked at length about the profile picture we should use.
Should it be Robin alone, or, should I be shown, as I am obviously involved?

We decided to take a few pictures to see what we thought.
Those of you who have already visited the page, will have seen that we decided on a picture of the two of us.
However, there was another close contender.



We were really just having a bit of a joke.
Robin was doing a very good Eric Morecambe impression, and I was wrestling the guitar from him. (Something I have to do most evenings otherwise he just keeps on playing...)

So if anyone has any strong opinion about the picture we should use then do feel free to let me know!

How to Boil an Egg - Sir John Barbirolli

Robin will spend the day taking in a few sights in Yangon, but mainly, will be on board practicing his guitar. Still, he can take comfort from the opulent surroundings.



I'm not sure if this is inside Crystal Symphony or Serenity, but, hey, looks alright to me.

As there is only me and son number two at home at the moment, I decided against the traditional Sunday lunch. Didn't seem worth it.
So, eggs it is, and here is how to make the perfect one:

"I always have a boiled egg. A three-minute egg. Do you know how I time it? I bring it to the boil and then conduct the overture to 'The Marriage of Figaro'. Three minutes exactly."

Sir John Barbirolli (1899-1970)

Enjoy!

Robin Hill Docks in Durban

Crystal Serenity docked in Durban today. Various day trips were available, but for a working musician taking a whole day off is not an option, especially as his recital is tomorrow.
He did have a quick trip ashore, mainly to feel land beneath his feet for an hour, then it was back to his guitar practice.
Or not.



This is a rare glimpse of Robin relaxing. After hours of right and left hand exercises what better way to recover than on your balcony, in the sun, being served coffee, and reading a good book.
Incidentally, the book is 'Suite Francaise' by Irene Nemirovsky.
I'm off to make my own coffee, it's the butlers day off...

Cape Town Now Calling

Robin has now arrived in Cape Town and made the short journey from the airport to join 'Crystal Serenity'. On the way he passed the Groote Schuur Hospital where Professor Christiaan Barnard made medical history in 1967 when he carried out the first human heart transplant.
The weather so far hasn't been quite as predicted, it's currently cloudy and wet. Apparently the locals find it very difficult driving in the rain and it has a similar effect to the traffic problems the UK faces when it snows!
I'm sure it is only temporary as he said the sun was trying to come out. I was rather amused to be able to report that it is a beautiful sunny day here.
He can however console himself in his luxury suite, with balcony, currently overlooking Cape Town's most famous landmark Table Mountain. (if he could see it for the mist...)
If he takes a walk to the other side of the ship he can see Robben Island. Yes, that is the prison island that held South Africa's first democratic President, Nelson Mandela.
OK, that's the end of your geography/history lesson.
Robin is delighted to be reunited with his guitar, which coped well with the journey, and is no doubt putting it through its paces now.
He had a funny e mail waiting for him from Leeds University. The students have to fill in an evaluation form and under 'any further comments' one of them had put 'Robin Hill's Fab'......