In 1953, Hibernian FC became the first Scottish club to tour Brazil, invited to the “Octogonal Rivadávia Corrêa Meyer” tournament, which is sometimes called the first “World Club Championship”. Although Hibs finished at the bottom of their group, they left a lasting impression, most notably with a 3-3 draw against Read more
[6th-7th December 2025] We get a LATAM flight from Mendoza’s small international airport to São Paolo, heading back to Brazilian soil again. We’re both in Premium Economy this time, and are enjoying the most comfortable seats so far. The urban sprawl of Brazil’s centre of business and administration unfolds beneath Read more
[2nd-6th December 2025] Emerging from the terminal at Mendoza Airport, we get our first view of the Andes, the mountain range that forms the spine of South America. I’m reminded of my old mate Malcolm who said, more than once, that when you get married you become a mountain range: Read more
[30th November – 2nd December 2025] Our transfer from the Estancia doesn’t arrive, so we make the trip out of Buenos Aires into the pampas in a taxi, which is classed as “executive”, but appears to have no rear suspension. We pass through some less than salubrious suburbs of BA, Read more
[24th-30th November 2025] It’s time to disembark from the MSC Fantasia for the final time. We both feel that we’ve become almost institutionalised on the cruise. Who’s going to deliver our breakfast in the morning, look after us in the restaurant at lunch and dinner, do our laundry and deliver Read more
[23rd November 2025] Arriving by sea in Montevideo is definitely not quite the same as arriving in Rio. The view of the city from the port is unspectacular, but we know that the Old Town is within walking distance, on our way back to the ship later. We’ve decided unusually Read more
[20th November 2025] Everyone is on deck to view our arrival in Rio, and the scene does not disappoint. We agree that the three most spectacular cities we have visited so far have been New York, Istanbul, and now Rio de Janeiro. We have been lucky enough to arrive in Read more
[18th November 2025] Some weeks before we left Edinburgh, we had to change our plans for the latter half of the trip, swapping Iguazu in Argentina for Mendoza in the wine region. This was because Iguazu is a Yellow Fever risk area and the expert advice to us was not Read more
[12th November 2025] Cruise stop number two gives us the opportunity to visit one of a group of islands we’ve always meant to go to but never got around to it – the Canaries – in particular the capital of Gran Canaria: Las Palmas. We head off the boat and Read more
[10th November 2025] We wake up just before sunrise in Tangier, and watch the new day light up the buildings of the port and the Kasbah, from our cabin balcony. After disembarking from the cruise boat, we make the long trek from the dockside to the terminal, during which I Read more