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of pumpkin made into jam and it’s delicious.

I make it back to the ship just as the heavens open. But by the time we set off for Mahon in Menorca, 21 miles away, the skies are blue again. Everyone is up on deck as we sail the three miles of Mahon’s harbour. It’s one of the largest and deepest natural harbours in the world; no wonder the British Mediterranean fleet decided to base themselves here in the 1700s.

THE port is busy when we arrive, with a cruise ship docked in our berth, right outside the Xoriguer gin distillery. So we have to anchor on the naval base side and wait for the tenders to ferry us over before tasting the Mahon gin. From the port, it’s a steep climb up many flights of steps to the old town, but once there we enjoy the views and sample the seafood at a tapas bar in the old fish market.

So far the weather has been sunny, but not quite warm enough to sunbathe or go swimming in one of the ship’s three pools. As we approach Bonifacio, on the southern tip of Corsica, clouds are gathering over the 300ft cliffs. This is where the Laestrygonian giants sat as they pelted Odysseus and his ships with rocks 3,000 years ago. The tight bend into the harbour is still there too, so we anchor beyond the cliffs and take the tenders in. With its narrow cobbled streets and vertiginous steps into some of the houses, Bonifacio, once home to the French Foreign Legion Parachute Regiment, reminds me of Edinburgh’s Old Town. There are colourful scented wildflowers everywhere, especially around the Cimetiere Marin on a high plateau overlooking the Strait of Bonifacio. The whitewashed mausoleums are beautifully kept and laid out in neat rows facing the setting sun.

It’s a rough trip back and one of the ropes tying the tender to the Royal Clipper snaps just as I’m about to step onto the ship. The plan was to sail to Calvi, but because of the weather – we’d have to take tenders ashore – we make for the port of Ajaccio instead. It’s the birthplace of Napoleon and the influence of France’s former emperor is everywhere. The Musee Fesch, a former palace owned by his uncle, Cardinal Fesch, houses a large collection of religious artwork, as you might expect. But there are also paintings by Bellini, Titian, Vasari and Poussin along with Napoleon-related memorabilia on display.

As we head toward Cannes on the last leg of our cruise, the late afternoon sunshine turns the ferrous rock of the Corsican mountains red and a couple decide to take advantage of this and have an impromptu wedding ceremony on the back deck. A perfect end to the cruise and proof of the enduring romance of the sea.

Exploring the roots of modern music’s most influential genres, new documentary America’s Musical Journey follows singer-songwriter Aloe Blacc on a tour of the US, studying the history, meeting key players and giving audiences a sense of the vibrancy unique to each place. Here he shares some of his highlights from the filming.

“I’ve travelled to a lot of places but as a touring artist you don’t spend long in each city. This project gave me the opportunity to explore the roots of American music and the musicians I admire. We looked at cities where different genres were born – soul, rock, country, pop, blues and jazz.

“New Orleans. It has so much energy. You don’t have to go to any place in particular; you can just feel it when you’re there. Jazz music has always been very important in my life and I go to follow in the footsteps of Louis Armstrong, who is one of my heroes. I was also fortunate enough to have New Orleans native Dr John as my guide.”

“Nashville is such an exciting place. There are so many talented songwriters working on material. It’s a place I’d like to go back to – to learn more and to work on projects.”

“I love the freedom of expression in this country, which is a source of creativity and innovation. I want to help people understand influences behind all these genres and inspire them to visit these places. Doing this film has certainly given me more motivation to learn about the musical history of cities. It’s definitely something I want to do more.”

“I love New York. There are so many parks and green spaces where I can hang out with my family.”

For more information, visit americasmusicaljourney.com/theatres