White Egret posing with White Swan

Spotted this (single) egret when coming away from an excellent cocktail party on board HMS Protector, on her way to Antartica. The egret is silhouetted against the three-masted Brazilian Navy training ship, the Cisne Branco (White Swan). Somehow my mobile managed to transform one egret into three - must find out how it does that!

Took forever to get to the ship, as it's berthed on the Niteroi side of the Guanabara Bay - luckily the friends we shared a taxi with knew this, as otherwise we would have gone to the docks on the Rio side. However, the hour in the rush hour traffic gave us a chance to catch up with our friends' news - they celebrated their Golden Wedding while we were in the States.

It's always fascinating to visit a Navy ship . The hospitality is brilliant, albeit strictly timed. Guests should leave promptly after the ceremony of 'putting the Queen to bed' - lowering the flag. I think our contingent was the last to leave, as the people who gave us a lift home got stuck in traffic and had only been there a short time.

I wish the gallant crew well on their onward journey.