Falklands – Fondest Travel Memories

SA: Port Stanley, Falkland Islands (part 3)

Thursday, January 26, 2023

We strolled along the cliff edge toward the Sea Cabbage Cafe.

The owners of the cafe also own the entire Cove land. In addition to the cafe and the penguin experience, they also raise sheep and sell items that are made from the wool there. She is a professional baker.

Chuck chose a cup of coffee, a cookie and a piece of peanut butter cake. I chose hot chocolate, a scone with the diddle-dee jam and cream, and a piece of lemon cake. Everything was excellent.

We walked through the small museum and gift shop. Chuck bought a very nice wool hat that was made with the Farm’s sheep wool.

June was picking us up there at the cafe so we sat on one of the picnic tables and watched the penguins on the beach. We could have walked out on the beach and some people did.

Real Sea Cabbage –

On the ride back, she pointed out some various battle sites and some local cows – the belted cows. They were too far away for my camera to get a good photo.

Once we got back to the port area, we chose to get on the next tender and go back to the ship. It had been a great day.

Travel Trivia

Stanley, Falkland Islands

The Falklands are a compact group of 740 islands with a total land area approximately the size of Connecticut. The Falkland Islands are a self-governing British Overseas Territory.

The name “Falkland Islands” comes from Falkland Sound, the strait that separates the two main islands. The name “Falkland” was applied to the channel by John Strong, captain of an English expedition which landed on the islands in 1690. Strong named the strait in honour of Anthony Cary, 5th Viscount of Falkland, the Treasurer of the Navy who sponsored his journey. Many South Americans still refer to the islands as Isla Malvinas, the original French-given name.

The islands’ vegetation is low and dense in a landscape with no natural tree growth.

There are over 500,000 breeding pairs of penguins consisting of 5 species: King, Gentoo, Rockhopper, Macaroni and Magellanic.

Approximately 65% of the world’s black-browed albatrosses live in the Falklands and it is the only place to see the Falklands steamer duck and Cobbs wren.

Four-fifths of the Falkland population live in Stanley. The islands’ British heritage is apparent in Stanley, where pubs, bright red mailboxes, and well-kept gardens are numerous.

Stanley’s weekly paper is named Penguin News.

Peat was once a prominent heating/fuel source in Stanley, and stacks of drying peat can still be seen by the occasional house.

Almost the whole area of the two main islands, outside of Stanley, is devoted to sheep farming.

SA: Port Stanley, Falkland Islands (part 2)

Thursday, January 26, 2023

The most popular penguin tour in the Falkland Islands is the 7 to 8 hour one that goes to see a large King penguin colony. I know HAL does that tour and I know of at least one independent tour operator that does the tour. I thought about signing up for this tour but the description said there would be a long time on rough road and I didn’t think my back could take it.

Instead I signed us up for HAL’s tour “Bluff Cove Penguin Rookery.” The tour description states

About the Excursion – 3 hours

King and Gentoo penguins and other bird species of the Falklands are the stars of this award-winning scenic, off-road excursion to Bluff Cove Lagoon — a privately owned wildlife haven.

Meet the Bluff Cove team on the pier and head out by minibus for a 20-minute journey through Stanley and across the rolling hills to Bluff Cove Farm. Transfer to a Land Rover 4×4 and relax as your skillful driver navigates the rugged off-road terrain for another 20 minutes.

Upon your arrival at the Bluff Cove Lagoon penguin rookery, knowledgeable and friendly rangers will brief you about what to expect and what to look for. Stroll through the penguin colony, which features a scenic backdrop of a large lagoon and a white, sandy beach that is occasionally patrolled by sea lions from the nearby island. This pristine reserve is home to more than 1,000 breeding pairs of gentoo penguins, which protect the growing colony of king penguins and their chicks. Magellanic penguins, which burrow on the nearby island, can also be found on the beach. Bird species that frequent or nest in the area include skuas, upland geese, ruddy-headed geese, Magellanic oystercatchers, South American terns, dolphin gulls, flightless Falkland steamer ducks, snowy sheathbills and southern giant petrels.

Warm up with a cup of tea, coffee or hot chocolate served at the legendary Sea Cabbage Café on the beach and enjoy delicious home-baked treats including scones with diddle-dee jam and fresh cream (gluten-free options available). Bask in the warmth and aroma of the peat stove while the enjoying splendid vistas of waves crashing on the sandy beach and penguins porpoising in.

The Bluff Cove Museum & Shop, also by the beach, depicts life in the Falklands and tells the story of Bluff Cove. Learn about the farm, the nearby 1863 ‘sugar wreck’, the 1982 war with Argentina and the fabulous lagoon wildlife.

You will have an hour of free time to take photographs, stroll along the beach and look around the museum. A small gift shop sells unique Bluff Cove souvenirs, including Bluff Cove tweed items made with the farm wool, and postcards that can be stamped and mailed from here. Look for samples of knitted, crocheted and felted local wool work displayed on the walls of the café and museum.

After an unforgettable visit, your Land Rover 4×4 driver will take you back to the minibus for the return journey to Stanley. Make the most of an opportunity to see the new Stanley Museum at the historic dockyard.

Notes: US dollars are accepted at the museum gift/souvenir shop. Modern restrooms are available at the café and museum. Tour involves traveling over rugged terrain in a Land Rover 4×4, and is not suitable for guests with back and/or neck problems. The 300-yard walk to the beach is mostly flat and there are courtesy vehicles ready to drive guests with mobility limitations. Assistance is available for guests using a wheelchair. Wear comfortable walking shoes and warm layered clothing with a windbreaker. Bring sunscreen.

A few minutes after 11:00, three vans showed up to pick us up. June was our driver. She has lived on the Falklands for 40 years. On the thirty-minute drive to the rookery, she talked about the 1982 War with Argentina, the current government, and the education system.

The van seating was tight and the aisle was very narrow to get to the seats. I was glad that the ride wasn’t too long. When we arrived at the rookery, we did not change vehicles. The van just bumped along the dirt road until we reached the penguins.

We were met at the site by the park ranger (they called them wardens). He told us to remain outside the white flags. If the penguins walked outside the flagged area, give them 6 feet of space. Don’t touch them. Don’t feed them.

There were so many penguins – King and Gentoo. I never did see any Magellanic penguins.

King –

Mom looking down at her chick (fuzzy gray object)

Gentoo –

There were other birds around also.

Skua – the penguins will put up a fuss when skua fly low if there are eggs or small chicks. Since the chicks are bigger now, the penguins were not as threatened (said the warden).

There was a skua flying overhead and one sitting on a bench. When the flying skua landed, the other skua jumped on him. It was a brief scuffle. One flew away and the other went to the bench. Penguins just kept going about their business.

A buzzard was also flying around but the penguins paid no attention to him. The geese just stayed in the field away from all the penguin commotion.

Before we made the walk to the cafe, we took one last look at a penguin high-stepping his way across the water.

SA: Port Stanley, Falkland Islands

Thursday, January 26, 2023

Prior to dinner, we had another table shuffleboard match. The score is now 4 – 3. Chuck is in the lead. I cannot let this situation stand. Another match will happen before the end of he cruise. Once he stopped bragging about being in the lead 😁, we played some slots and went to a late dinner in the Lido.

I got some pasta and a salad. Chuck had some red snapper, pulled pork and grilled Brussel sprouts.

Went to the main stage for Toni Warne’s 9:00 show. She is an excellent British vocalist who sang songs from Dolly Parton, Gladys Knight, Whitney Houston, and Barbra Streisand to name a few. When she came on stage, I realized we had seen her before on a previous ship. I am glad we attended her show.

When the show was over, we were able to get some photos of members of the Rolling Stone Lounge band members who had the evening off.

After the photo session, we called it a night. Hoping for an early day ashore tomorrow.

We ordered room service for breakfast which was a first for us this cruise. I know we will need to order it a couple of more times before this cruise ends (in one week from today). 😥 It was delivered about 15 minutes after the order time and he apologized for the delay, but I am sure they were slammed with people taking early tours and wanting an early breakfast. We only received one set of tableware, but I was able to make-do with a spoon since I had only ordered cereal and a fruit plate.

I am happy to report that Guest Services was correct about the tender process. Security checked our key cards to be sure we were 4-star mariners and let us go on to the tender platform.

Took a while for the tender to fill up and then it was about a 20-minute ride to the dock. It was one of those floating docks so the movement of it was a little unnerving, but we had made it to the Falklands!

The port area was busy as there was also a Norwegian cruise ship that was tendering in and another expedition-type ship that was bringing its guests ashore by zodiac.

As Kevin said in his port talk, all of the main attractions were to the right once you left the port area. The first one we came to that was open was the Christ Church Cathedral. It is the southernmost Anglican cathedral in the world. It is the parish church of the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the British Antarctic Territories.

Adjacent to the cathedral is the Whalebone Arch, constructed in 1933 from the jawbones of two blue whales to commemorate the centenary of continuous British administration in the Falklands.

There were a number of war memorials.

We walked through one of the local stores. Chuck calculated that the prices were about double of what we pay at home. Of course, they have to import most everything.

We wanted to go to the Museum, but it had not yet opened.

The local police force was out keeping an eye on the crowds and answering questions. Easy to spot their vehicle.

We had walked as far as we wanted to go so we headed back to the port area. We were still too early for the tour, so we decided to walk to the left of the port area along the cove into the more residential area.