update

After a brief but very much appreciated small boat trip around the bay at Rothera on the last evening

and then flew back safely from Antarctica, flying north on the BAS Dash 7

and then back from Falklands on the MOD flight via Ascension Island - this also being a commercial route. Had a couple of days in Falklands so managed a walk up Tumbledown Mountain - one of the last battle sites from the Falklands war

and a trip out to a Rockhopper Penguin colony.

with a lonely Macaroni Penguin amongst them - large and orange crests

After getting back on Sunday, had 2.5 days in work, packed again and went home to London. Then down to Southampton on Thursday for my PhD viva (successful, I'm now the second Dr H J Venables in the family, after by sister-in-law). Then been home for Christmas, but now packing again before flying south tomorrow, well starting to fly south - will take over 2 days to get to Falklands this time via South America. We then have to 'mobilise the ship' which mostly means unpack the contents of several laboratories from a couple of containers, set the stuff up and then tie it down so it doesn't fall on the floor once we start rolling. Hopefully that will only take a day (will be a long one) before we sail for South Orkneys.