Margaret

Longwood House Part 2

After Napoleon’s burial on May 9, 1821, his French entourage left St Helena within days.  Longwood House itself fell into neglect, reverting into an agricultural property.  Napoleon’s own rooms were used to store farm equipment, while termites demolished much of the rest of the structure.  Hearing of its sorry state in 1854, Napoleon III (our …

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More Than Just Napoleon

In some ways, St Helena seems a lot like other islands I’ve visited: cinderblock homes, lush greenery along potholed roads, and a limited selection in the grocery store, but this place has surprised me.  With just three Napoleonic sites and nine days to spend, I thought I’d be reading novels, reorganizing my laptop filing system, …

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Record of Napoleon’s Burial

While looking through St Helena’s official archives, I found the record of Napoleon’s death and burial in May, 1821. In the middle of the page is the entry, “Napoleon Bonaparte, late Emperor of France, he died on the 5th Instant at the old House at Longwood, and was interred on Mr Richard Torbett’s Estate.” Click …

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Longwood House Part 1

At first glance on a sunny day, Longwood House seems like a pleasant place to be exiled.  The garden, in particular, presents a cheery face, with daisies, day lilies, and the native ebony bush in flower. In 1819, three years into his exile, Napoleon corralled his small entourage into planting a lush garden, much like …

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Arrival on St Helena

Approaching St Helena at Dawn

After five relaxing days on calm seas, we rose early to capture a true Napoleonic experience: our first sight of the island’s dark cliffs at dawn. Although my camera couldn’t do it justice, St Helena’s forbidding silhouette didn’t disappoint me.  The barren rock faces do indeed rise out of the sea like prison walls. Napoleon’s …

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On Board the RMS St Helena

The RMS St Helena proved more pleasant than I had expected from a dual-purpose passenger and cargo ship.  Our cabin was roomy, the food good without being exceptional, and the service friendly.  The crew tried hard to provide amusements—shuffleboard, trivia contests, movies—throughout each day.  Mostly, I read on deck or talked with other travelers. I …

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On the way to St Helena

Today my husband Bert and I board the RMS St Helena for the five-day voyage to the island. Since the ship doesn’t offer internet to its passengers, this is my final blog until we disembark on May 16th.  No internet for five days might feel like a hardship, but I expect our cruise will be …

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On Safari

Here’s one more safari photo and then I’ll get back on the Napoleon track.

From the King of the Ocean . . .

. . . to the king on land!  South Africa is full of wonderful sights and experiences.  We’re on safari today and tomorrow, then back to Cape Town for one day sightseeing before boarding the RMS St Helena.