The first day on our Patagonian adventure gets off to an ideal start: gentle seas, a light breeze under huge skies. These conditions help everyone to become better acquainted with the ship.

Early-morning risers make their way to the bridge to get a good vantage point for spotting the seabirds and mammals that might be encountered as we steadily head south. They are rewarded by large numbers of seabirds and occasional mammal sightings. Each new sighting elicits lively exchanges from all those present. In between times it is an opportunity to share other anecdotes and some good laughs.

On occasion land is sighted off to the west and, as was the case yesterday, what strikes one is the incredible flatness of the coastline. We are sailing along the coast of the huge Humid Pampas, which stretch westwards for hundreds of miles and where Argentina’s enormous agricultural wealth comes from. If we could quickly step ashore to plant a small tree we would be witness to the rich black loam stretching three to four feet down, with no rock in sight, before reaching the silty layer. Of course these rich lands are also where the famous beef is produced and one of the reasons for the tenderness and delicious flavor is the fact that the cattle are grass fed and spend much of their lives out in the open fields.

Throughout the day we also have the opportunity of attending several presentations, all aimed at helping us better take advantage of our Patagonian experience. And of course there is the food, served up at regular intervals and in the middle of the afternoon a delicious tea of scones with whipped cream, lemon curd and lingonberry jam – they are delicious and keep us going until dinner time.

Either side of teatime we sail by the largest seaside resort in Argentina, the city of Mar del Plata, with a population of just over 600,000 inhabitants, and where over 7,000,000 people will throng to each summer season. There are also other industrial activities such as textiles, fishing and food manufacturing.

The day ends with the Captain’s Welcome Dinner, where our captain presents the senior officers as well as a very entertaining speech about the ship itself and what we are to expect along the way.

It has been an ideal first day: gentle seas, good weather and time to recover from the long flights from the northern hemisphere.