THE CRUISE - towards Iceland...

Day Four - Tuesday, 21st June

I was up very early today, and got dressed and went right up to the top decks. We were passing between Ireland and Scotland, near the Isle of Skye, and the Captain had said that at this point it was only about 12 miles from one country to the other.

Magic sunrise, and just me and the statue man, and it was so peaceful, (and cold), but I managed to get some stunning shots of the coastline and the sunrise. (Statue man is a featureless figure that appears in several parts of the ship, usually near the pool areas. I don't think he adds much to the decor, but he is there all the time).

We believe the pyramidal mountains are on Skye, and we had seen these close up when we came off the ferry from Harris/Lewis, some weeks ago.

We saw the last of Scotland around midday, (probably Lewis/Harris), and the midday report from the Bridge mentioned them, and the rest of the day and night we were on open sea, and it was calm, but fairly cold. We were at about 56 06 degrees North at 7.30am. The Arctic Circle is 66 33 North, just above Iceland.

We had pizza for lunch. They have a pizza bar on one of the decks and you just turn up and order what you want, and they make them on the spot. Small in size, but just enough for lunch and quite tasty. All this is included in the fare. The only thing you pay for are your alcoholic drinks. They are not cheap, but you have to forget that and just go with the flow, because if you restricted yourself because of your budget, then there are some drinks you couldn't afford on a daily basis. Typically, any bottle you could buy here in Australia for say, $14, would be £12-14 (which is about $20).
(Needless to say, our bar bill formed a substantial part of our account on board!!!) 

We both went to the music quiz today, but the theme was mostly based on British TV shows, so we didn't do too well this time. Tonight is another "straight jacket" night, i.e Black Tie, (they seem to do them on the nights you are at sea), so we had an early drink and then went up to the buffet.

Tonight's dinner theme was Meditterranean, and we tried a few bits of everything, including some moussaka (the Greek version of Lasagne, done with lamb), and other Greek and Italian dishes.
We were able to go back to the Glass House for an after-dinner tipple. On Black Tie nights they restrict access to certain areas, but the Glass House is not included, but you have to walk past and through the throng of 'uncomfortable penguins' to get anywhere. Tonight was also the Gala Reception in the Atrium, right in the middle of the ship, so you can't avoid them.

Lee retired early but I threw caution to the winds and went and saw the show in the Theatre, which was excellent, and was a composite theme of many Broadway shows, so just the thing for me. These shows are the things I would go and see more often, but you have to get there early to get a seat. I was in the back row, just in front of the area where people in wheelchairs can sit. There is a seat beside the wheelchair space for the partner, so it is very well organised. 

The gentlemen behind me were talking about the access they have as wheelchair bound passengers, and they agreed they were well catered for, but one chap was saying that he had to book 18 months ahead, as the accessible cabins are not plentiful.
Nobody gave me a second glance at my attire, which was jeans, shirt,  and a woollen jacket, so what is all the fuss I ask myself.

I think the cruise lines are trying to keep alive a tradition of elegant sophistication that perhaps people don't really want. I believe if any of them offered "Completely Casual Cruising", it would sell out just as quickly! 

Next - all at sea...

THE CRUISE - Pros and Cons of shore excursions...

As part of any cruise, you are offered a huge range of excursions organised by the company. These always involve getting 70 odd people on a bus and carting them round to see the sights.

This is not what Lee and I like to do. We like to get an appreciation for the people and the city we are going to. I don't want to go up to the edge of a volcano, and I certainly don't want to dunk myself in a hot spring.

Nobody (else) is going to see this body naked!!
I even bought my swimmers, but never used the pool, partly because the weather wasn't nice enough for it, and mostly for the reason quoted above. I could have gone in the early hours of the morning, but didn't quite make it.

Another thing which would turn some people off about excursions, is that they are soooooo expensive. The trouble with P & O is that they only want you to do their excursions, and so if you want to do your own thing, they don't always let you know that other things are available.  
We had the most wonderful local "bus" trip in Olden, (see later post), which was also enjoyed by everyone else with us, but we had to find all that out for ourselves, by approaching those who ran it, after we got off the ship. And it was much cheaper than the organised ones, and perhaps just as interesting.

It's not because we couldn't afford any of the ship's tours, but we just don't like being crammed in on a large bus, and then you don't always get to see what's going on.
So, if you do a cruise like this, check out what is offered, but also do some research about other possibilities.
One thing you can do, is check out Google Earth, go to the area you're interested in, and click on some of the photos other people have taken. That way you can perhaps see some things you might want to also see.

THE CRUISE - Dublin...

Day Three - Monday, 20th June

The captain had also said we would have to dock early, at the request of the Harbour Authority, so that we wouldn't interfere with local ferry traffic. There was already the early stirring noises of people involved with the port, and after I took the sunrise photos, went back to bed!

From our cabin we could see Dublin Harbour, with the city behind, and the River Liffey, with its bridges. They have the now requisite wheel, and these seem to be popping up everywhere as there was one at Plymouth.

We went ashore after 9.00 and got one of the shuttle buses to the city centre, which took about 25 minutes, and already there was quite a bit of traffic. Dublin appears to be a very busy city, and we passed by Trinity College, and a statue of O'Connell, on O'Connell Street and O'Connell Bridge. Whatever he did he must have been famous as the statue is huge!

The bus driver had pointed out a shop called Kilkenny, and said everything in there was either Irish design and/or Irish made, and these are the things you like to get, actual things made in the country you are in.

Sadly there are the usual street beggars and homeless people, and they seem to park themselves outside the nicest buildings. But, all the ones I've seen don't even have the sense to squat on a pavement on the sunny side of the street!

Hanging out for coffee by this stage, and found a really elegant building, festooned with baskets of purple petunias, and a sign for a coffee shop. When we found it, it was closed, so tried another across the road, called 'Insomnia' and they had good coffee there. 

Grafton Street seems to be the main drag for shops and we looked in a few, with the view to getting Gordon a new pair of shoes to better cope with all the walking.
We did get a pair earlier in the trip, but they haven't proven such a good buy.
We were able to use an ATM and try the card our friend Wendy had given us, and it still had some Euros left on it, but turned out we could only get 20 Euros, as the machine didn't give anything other than twenties, so there mustn't have been enough in there for that. Still, it went towards a nice bottle of wine later in the trip!

Found our way back to the street where the shuttle bus left from, and on the way back saw the National Library of Ireland building. Very grand with a semi-circle of columns at the entrance and quite a substantial stone building. There was also an interesting bridge over the river, which we couldn't work out if it swung open or raised up or what, and in the end decided it probably didn't do either. 


Lunch back on board, as we hadn't seen anywhere that impressed us for a meal in the city, and by then there were so many people about, the streets were very crowded.


As part of our exploration of the ship, later in the afternoon we found a bar called The Glasshouse, and it is set up to display hundreds of bottles of wine,and had a good assortment of tables and chairs, and lounges. The staff in here, and in fact everywhere on the ship, are extremely friendly, and mostly Indian or Pakistani. (?) This bar became our favourite watering hole and we became very friendly with the boys who served us.

(It's very interesting that so many people we spoke to, vented their displeasure with the UK Government over their immigration policy, but they are more than happy to waited on hand and foot by these people on board!!)

There were a couple of announcements calling for certain passengers to contact Reception, and this would happen most days when passengers went ashore. I always thought it shouldn't happen because you have to have your ship card scanned leaving and returning, so I don't know how people could be missed. However, everything was resolved and they obviously found everyone, and we left port on time.
The 'sail away' was cancelled as we had some inclement weather and the decks were wet and dangerous.

Down to the formal dining room, nice soup and then roast meats, and a bottle of Mullygrubber Chardonay, (worth trying, not a bad drop). Then back to the cabin for a night of crosswords, and a good sleep.


Tomorrow, on to Iceland...

THE CRUISE - at sea, on the way to Dublin...

Day Two - Sunday, 19th June

The captain announced at one point that we would be rounding Lands End around midnight, and then setting course for Dublin, across the Irish Sea. We are scheduled to arrive on Monday morning.

The sea was so calm, and there was very little sensation of swells or anything. I don't have any idea what this part of the ocean is usually like, except when you hear horrendous stories of winter storms, etc, but our cruise would turn out to be one of the smoothest we've ever had.

This is the day when people new to this ship do their exploring and find their way about. With all these floors and different places to find, it can take a couple of days to know which way to turn. There are three major sets of lifts, one fore and aft and the middle set which connects you to the heart of the ship, and reception, and the shops, etc. There are thankfully a lot of places you can go, and find somewhere to sit, and these only got more crowded because the weather outside was a little cool on some days, so passengers were not inclined to sit out on the deck chairs.

We had to do the basic enquiries about going ashore, and money, (Dublin and Belgium do Euros, Norway does Krone, Iceland does kronur, so you either get some before you come on the ship, or buy it from reception, or just use your card in an ATM on shore. There are usually charges of one kind or another, whichever way you go, and our bank is very good with fees for exchanging foreign currency.

Then a nice lunch in one of the buffets, cold cuts and salads which were all pretty good. You have to pass you hands under a hand-wash machine EVERY time you enter the buffet food area. Not a bad idea, and we had no instances of novo virus this time, so it must help. All throughout the ship, you are encouraged to wash your hands under warm water for at least 20 seconds each time you need to. 

Lee went for the daily nana nap and I headed to the cinema to watch The King's Speech, but the theatre was full already, so I opted to sit in on a quiz being run in the atrium area. It was about Musicals and their composers, and the pianist plays a few bars, and you then have to write your answer, e.g. composer and song. And I came second (by myself), behind a team of four people!

Tonight was the first Black Tie night, and if you don't do the formal thing you are unable to go to certain parts of the ship "unless suitably attired". I have complained in my questionnaire that I thought this was discriminatory, and explained why. And besides, all those in black tie can go wherever they liked, and turned up in the buffet in their penguin outfits. What a joke!!! I must say that some couples did look very elegant, but others shouldn't have bothered. There were some ladies who probably asked their husbands how they looked and hubby didn't give an honest answer!!

So, our buffet tonight was Seafood and there is always a good selection, including Norwegian Fish Pie, seafood thermidor, and some asian style dishes. All very good but a little rich in some cases. 

It was a lovely evening and so we had more drinks outside near the pool, and were there until about 9.30pm.

Sunrise, coming into Dublin harbour - 4.00am

THE CRUISE -

Day One - Saturday, 18th June - Southampton

(This cruise was chosen only because of its destination, Norway.
We have had two 14 day cruises before this, both of which included New Zealand, and the second of which was on a large ship like this one, the Azura.)

We had left Australia before P & O would have sent us the balance of our ticketing, etc., and so we didn't have baggage labels, which they said they would send. You can download them on-line, but we had no access to a printer during most of our trip around the UK.

When the taxi dropped us, a large man in porters outfit came with a trolley and once he was told we had no labels, we were escorted inside to a table which had been set up for people in our situation. A friendly team of volunteers (?) then wrote our cabin number on the labels, and after attaching them, the porter disappeared with our luggage, assuring us they would end up in our cabin.
Upstairs, in the huge waiting area, you can sit wherever you want, and they have free magazines and coffee, and drinks, and precisely at midday they call passengers to board. It was very interesting just sitting there and perusing all the different faces around us. Obviously a big percentage of Brits, but scattered through were the odd Oriental couple, or those from other parts of Europe. Something I love doing.


Naturally the ones first called are those with large staterooms and suites, and then they work through the alphabet, and you are called up according to the letter which is given to you when you get to this area. We were fairly early, so we were letter "E", and it wasn't long before we got in line. 

However, we were the odd ones out, i.e. NON European residents, and so were shown to a special area, where they checked our tickets, and then took our Passports. At this point you begin to wonder if they are really allowed to do this, but they explain that they will be returned to us when we disembark.
(Note: Not so. We had to be given them back later in the cruise, so that we could enter Belgium)

The whole process is VERY efficient, and then you each get a ship card to use for ALL purchases on board, as they don't use money. It is also your cabin key.
After the required holiday snap by ship's photographers, we boarded. The cabins are not ready until later in the day, so went found one of the buffet restaurants, as we hadn't eaten for a while, and then found a bar (Surprise!), and had a bit of a look around.

The cabins were ready about 2.00pm, and when we got the call, went to find ours. It is on A Deck, and is the twelfth floor, and this deck is called "Australia", and the entire deck is cabins, some inside with no windows or anything, and the rest face out to the sea on both sides. All but one of our bags was there and so we set about unpacking, and it was good to know that we wouldn't have to do this again for over two weeks!!!

These are the shots from our deck, showing the length of the ship fore and aft.

They had a "champagne sail-away" up on the top decks, and we had our share, although we are still not sure whether or not we paid for the drinks, it was very pleasant being up there to watch the ship leave port. I always enjoy this part. This giant ship slips so easily out from the dock, and then gently gets under way. We had to wait for some other ships to leave before us, (tides wait for no man).

This wasn't as good as the time we left Auckland, when hundreds of boats 'escorted' the ship out of Auckland harbour, but the weather cleared, and it was very pleasant, and good to know we were under way.

Decks of the cabins below ours

One of the local brass bands to send us off.

We were booked into the early sitting for dinner at 6.30, and wandered down to try and find the restaurant. There was a card in our cabin, which had the details of which table we were to be seated at, No 57 in the Peninsular Restaurant. This is one of two large rooms dedicated to serving the two meal sittings of 6.30 and 8.30pm. This means that whatever happens during the early sitting, we all had to be out in time so that they could re-set for the later crowd.


The early crowd had a great many people who are into all the shows and things and so wanted to be done with dinner and then go to the show. A lot of the latecomers, would have already been to an earlier show at 7.15pm , and so it goes on. If you are that type of person who likes all your activities just so organised, then this is for you.

It's not for Lee and I !!

Still, having dinner early does give you the chance to do other things, like have a walk on the deck, or go to the bar, or casino, or just find somewhere else that the crowds aren't.


Our table at dinner was interesting to say the least. We had another two couples with us and you have the same people every time you go to dinner. They were all very nice people, but the husband of one couple (we think), may have had a stroke or something, and I don't think I heard more than five words he said. His wife was next to me and she was nice and we chatted a bit. 

Lee had the husband of the other couple next to her, and he seemed very interesting, and so was his wife, but she was the talker, and we didn't get much from him. 
We saw all of them again during the course of the cruise, but only joined them at dinner four times.
This was mainly because there were four Black Tie Formal Dress nights, and three Semi-formal nights where the men (discrimination!!!) had to wear a jacket.


We don't do formal nights and we thought that out of a 15 day cruise, a total of six "straight jacket" nights was too much, and besides, you can't carry formal gear half way around the world, just to take on a cruise.


The first meal was very good and the serves were not large, (in fact I wouldn't be surprised if some people thought the servings to be small), and you get a choice in each of the three courses. It is good service, and at the end of the cruise you are expected to give the head guy from your table an envelope containing a remuneration, which is spread amongst he and his team. 


First evening meal on board over with, and who knows what they thought of us Aussies, but we did have some interesting conversations on the few nights we were with them
After dinner we went out and looked at the water, and tried to work out where we were, relative to the English coastline, and thought we might be off the Isle of Wight and possibly looking at Osborne House. Then we proceeded along the coast of mainland England, past Dorset, Devon and Cornwall.

A good night's sleep, as the bed is quite comfortable, but not sure yet about the pillows.


Tomorrow - Sailing towards Dublin, and getting used to the layout of the ship...

The Cruise to Norway, including Dublin, Iceland, and Brugge...

Saturday, 18th June - SOUTHAMPTON - ALL ABOARD!!!

Yesterday, the taxi driver who brought me back from the Hertz yard, suggested we get down there around 11.30am, as that would be when the bus loads of other passengers would start arriving. Good local knowledge is always handy!

So we walked into town to try and find a better (third) bag to replace the cheap one we'd bought in Gloucester, which was becoming hard to manage and perhaps not strong enough. On the way, we went to the remains of the old town walls and you can go up stairs and get a better view around the area. It's good they've kept these bits of the past, and fascinating to see just how large the wall would have been.

Then we headed to the large shopping mall, to get bag labels and the new case.

There isn't much choice for travel goods, which surprised us a little, given that so many cruises leave from Southampton, and we had lunch at Pret a Porter first, and then went back to find things. Great shops, and you could go berserk finding lots of lovely clothes here, but that's not what we wanted and so after discovering that M & S didn't have luggage, we went back to John Lewis (which I reckon is their version of David Jones), and found a really good one, that had been reduced. It ended up being just the thing, and again we were able to re-organise everything for the trip down to the docks tomorrow.

The taxi driver down to the ship was telling us that the big shipping lines don't necessarily bring that much money into the town any more, as they had taken over a large part of the docks and had dedicated it for the parking of cars and buses for cruise passengers. We came across several people on the ship, who simply parked their car at the dock for the duration of the cruise, and all they had to do when we disembarked, was to wheel their bags over to the car, and drive off home. One couple only lived ten minutes away in Southampton, and they parked there!!!

So with that service provided by the shipping lines, the hotels aren't getting as much trade. Why pay for a night in a hotel if you can simply drive to the ship on the day?

On a completely different note, this wonderful model of the creature from the ALIEN movies, was on display in a game shop! It was all metal, and sculptured/welded/soldered together!

Next - ALL ABOARD!!

Dover Castle, Hastings and Chichester...

Wednesday, 15th, Thursday, 16th and Friday, 17th June

We had brought everything down the tiny stairs last night, so that we could pack in the morning. Not an easy task, as there is so little space to move. Used up the final bits of things we could have for breakfast, and ended up leaving a few things behind, like pepper, olive oil, teriyaki marinade, and a can of tomatoes, as this is the last self catering place we'll have.

Dover Castle is English Heritage run, and we thought we'd do it on the way out and down to Hastings. The same easy drive away from the cottage at about 9.30, and later got a message from the owner to say she was sorry she'd missed us, and thank us for leaving five pounds to pay for two broken wine glasses.

The parking for the castle was quite close, but at first we thought we'd have another trudge up a hill to do, but the road winds in and around and actually ends up very near to the entrance. Good thing we had joined English Heritage, as the entry fees would have been £28 for the two of us! I think this is quite expensive, and could well imagine some families not wanting to outlay that much.

The castle complex is quite extensive and covers a huge area, and was used during the 2nd World War as a defensive position against the "German invasion", as well as by Henry II originally. The tunnels from wartime were not open yet and so we went up to the castle itself. The tour is self-guided, and you do end up seeing quite a lot, but we (and others  later in the shop), said there weren't enough clear signs indicating which way to go. Thankfully the stairs up to the ramparts are quite wide, and you come across various rooms at different levels, and they are fitted out with replica wall hangings and furnishings from the period, and they work very well and give an excellent indication of how things were.

The dining hall was simply done with silver dishes and only knives for eating. There are passages behind the rooms and views from all parts, out over Dover and the harbour. Once at the top, and out in the open air, you can see in all directions and get a sense of what it might have been like to defend this castle. 

One family emerged at the top, and we noticed the older lady was totally blind, and was being told what everything looked like by her daughter (?), and she seemed to be very happy to have gotten that far, and was enjoying it. Lovely to see that sort of thing.

Back down in another part of the grounds is a Roman Pharos, or lighthouse, the base of which was the original Roman construction, and the top had been rebuilt in the middle ages.

 

We bought another cushion cover in the style of William Morris, which should go well with the other one, and suit our loungeroom. 

On towards Folkestone from Dover and headed for Hastings, but there didn't seem to be much there, and the Romney Marshes, and Gordon saw a sign for The Royal Oak hotel, off to the left with the prospect of a nice lunch. It ended up being a good choice as the pub had been extensively re-furbished, and was very pleasant, with bright open colours and good seating. the menu was as promised and although we both had a 'hamburger', they were not like any other, and G's was minted lamb, and Lee's beef. Very pleasant stop, only spoiled by the most obnoxious table of seemingly very wealthy men who were sat at the next table. Thankfully they were separated from us by a half wall and could not see our reactions to some of the drivel they were spouting! Also the name dropping like mentioning Cherie Blair, and a speech of hers he had attended. Another man told of giving a thousand pounds to a charity function he'd been to, and was stunned when they actually wrote to him and said they'd thought he would have given more! Obviously they all had more money than they needed, or said so. Totally obnoxious people!

We turned off too early on the way to Hastings and got lost and phoned the hotel, and were given directions, but drove up and around and back and down and missed it a couple of times. By the time we got there, the events of the day and frustrations with traffic etc., were too much and we were tired. Had dinner in their restaurant. only to be told halfway through that someone had said our car window was open and it was raining!! Obviously not on our game this night!

On a map book everything looks fairly straight forward, but when you have to go off motorways, it can be a problem judging how long it may take on other types of roads, and from Folkestone onwards there are seaside towns and traffic lights, roundabouts, etc.

Thursday - 
We had originally planned to visit Battle, and the English heritage site relating to 1066, but as yesterday had been such a big day, and rain was threatening, we decided to go into Hastings town centre. Found a multistory car park, and walked out into the main part of the town, and were both pleasantly surprised by Hastings. It seems quite spacious with some very attractive rows of 4-storey apartments and a good mixture of new and old architecture.
Fairly easy to walk down to the seaside and you can use a tunnel under the road, and come out on a promenade, looking out into the Channel. You can actually see France from here on a clear day, as you can from Deal, and Dover and I suppose most places along this part of the coastline.

There was a very nice pier jutting out into the water, but it had recently had a massive fire and looked decidedly bleak. We haven't heard if it is to be re-built.


We quite like piers, and they have been made good use of by the brits for many years, so it was sad to see one in this state. Like a lot of these seaside towns, all the buildings along the beachfront face the water, and the place must have fairly bustled, (and perhaps still does), during the summer months. It is a pebble beach, and would be very hard to walk on. Found some more pyjamas in M & S, and had the requisite coffee, and then headed back and on to Chichester.


We had a map and an idea where we should find the next hotel, and after one glitch, discovered it was a fairly new one, set in behind and area of restaurants, movie theatres, bowling alley, etc. Being early, we parked the car and went for lunch in a place called Frankie and Benny's, which trades on the 60's rock and roll era, with photos of all the stars and pop stars, but at least it was quiet. Finding we haven't coped too well with lots of noisy people, and always look for somewhere a little more peaceful.


This Premier Inn was on a flat site and so it was easy to take everything in and do some preliminary sorting for our cruise on Saturday.
We identified another bundle of things to send home, to lighten our load, like more pamphlets and guide books.
Still, we had 5 bags of various kinds and two are carry-on bags for the plane home, but we are still not sure how much washing we will be able to do on board the ship.  
(This doesn't matter when you are travelling really, because if you are moving around from place to place, the next people don't know you've got on the same shirt as yesterday!!!)

Dinner was at the local chinese restaurant. They don't have too many proper chinese ones in the UK, mostly takeaways, but this was a buffet, and the selection of food was good, but the temperature of it, wasn't, which was a bit iffy. Lovely flavours, but no temperature. Still, it made a change from what we've been having.


Friday -

Chichester Market Square

Before leaving today, we walked down into Chichester town to post the parcel back home. (We ended up sending quite a few things in an assortment of envelopes and tubes since we've been here, and they all went Surface Mail, which is cheaper, and they are things we won't need before we get back)

A little puppet show, with the fiddler playing lovely music

Chichester town is very nice, and was only ten minutes walk from the hotel. Like many towns, they have gone to a pedestrian bit in the centre, and it has a lovely Market Cross, (where the trading and markets were held in earlier times), and today was a market day with stalls everywhere. Shame we couldn't buy much, and many things would have been those we couldn't take home or would go off without a fridge. Lots of local produce, including plants, cheeses, small goods, meat, chicken, pastries, seafood, vegies, etc., etc. I know if we lived here, these would be
the places to go and get supplies!!


Back to check-out at the hotel and move on, and this trip would be quick as the road to Southampton is divided most of the way. Again, we were too early, but were able to park the car, and walk into town for lunch. Nice meal at a noisy place, and Lee's was a wrap (of sorts) with mediterranean vegetables and goats cheese, which she said was delicious. Mine disappointed, as although I like BLT's, this one wasn't toasted, and the bun it was on wasn't that special.


Once we had checked in, I decided to take the car back to Hertz, and get the bad news about the wrong fuel, etc. I knew where I should go, but Hertz are not allowed to have a sign of any kind out on the road, so I missed the turn-in, and finally got some help from  local man, and found the yard. 

Long story short, they charged us £500 for the mistake, and there's nothing I could do at this point. Plus a charge for a scratch on the front guard, and we'd forgotten to fill the car up, so there was a charge for that as well, and by this time I was totally glad to be rid of it. Eleven weeks of very comfortable driving, and wonderful things to see, but I'd had enough of the car and wanted a rest.
Still, I'd effectively "ruined" a brand new car, and it was my fault, so I can't worry about it now after the event. 
To have done what we've done in the past eleven weeks, and been able to go to the places we did, it was all worth it. Doing it by train and bus and other transport just wouldn't have worked for us, and we'd have been even more tired.

Tomorrow - the cruise to Norway

Calais on the ferry...

Tuesday, 14th June

We had booked on line to do a ferry trip over to France for the day, just to say we'd been to France. We don't believe we will ever go back that far across the world again, and I do like the idea of seeing more of France, but we had so much to do and see in the UK, and the Norway trip, this one day crossing would be enough.

Got away from Sandwich about 7.40am. One thing Lee and I are always guilty of, is been early for (almost) everything! Don't know where it comes from, but it is probably more from me than her, because as a young kid growing up, I couldn't stand missing the start of anything, like movies, etc.

The road from Sandwich to Dover is very good, and we had no trouble either getting there or finding our way to the dock and the car park. You simply come off a divided road down the hill towards the water, and the road loops back around into the port complex. The car park is very good value for all day parking, and we had no trouble finding a spot and then headed down via a lift to the ticket office/waiting area.

You have to check in 45 minutes before the ferry departure time, and then they announce a bus to take you to the actual wharf area, via a customs and immigration check, where you get back out of the bus, have your luggage scanned and passport checked, then back on the bus across to the ramp up to the ferry.

The ferry is enormous, with seating of all types, but not  so much outdoor seating and so most people were out there, mainly because the day was so balmy and sunny, but also to be able to get a look at the white cliffs as you leave port.

The cliffs are stunning and much more impressive than any sense of them you get from films or photos. The crossing was very calm, and takes about 90 minutes. There is a shuttle bus from the Port of Calais to the centre of town, but it wasn't immediately clear where we could, or should go in Calais itself. The map we had didn't seem to indicate any major area of shops, although what seemed to be the main drag, certainly had its share of shops and restaurants, and perhaps we should have done more research about what we would find. Still it was a pleasant day and we ended up in the Cafe de Paris, which certainly had that look and feel of a proper french restaurant. We ordered what was called a tart with cheeses, and it turned out to be more like a pizza crust, but with the most beautiful ingredients, including fromage blanc (cream cheese), and mushrooms and bacon, and was very nice.

We wandered up and down the street, being careful to watch for cars coming from a different side of the road, and found a park, which seemed very formal and not as pleasant as some others we'd seen. Across from the park was an enormous hotel, which looked more like a palace than anything else. Got a taxi back to the ferry wharf, as we were not sure exactly which way the shuttle bus would come or where it might end up.

Small hiccup in the entry hall coming back with a young man trying to get to the UK, and his passport had expired 3 years before!! He didn't seem to understand why he couldn't go, and it seemed to us that the french officer had let him get that far, but in no way where the UK guys letting him pass, so he stormed out mouthing many obscenities, and threatening to complain to someone!!

Trip back was equally smooth, and we stayed inside this time and watched the passing parade of other vessels and ferries.

So now we can say we've been to France, and although it was a long day, we quite enjoyed it. Trouble is, you see so many nice views on things like the Tour de France, and wish you could see them up close as well. However I would never want to drive in Europe, it's bad enough coping in England!

Getting out of the car park back at Dover was very simple and we were soon on the good road heading back to Sandwich. No food in the cottage, as we are heading off tomorrow, so got a bit of cooked chook and some salad from the supermarket.

Canterbury on the bus...

Monday, 13th June

Meant to say that one of the dishes being sold at the French Market was being cooked on a huge pan, (like a paella pan), and it was simply sliced potatoes, bacon, onions and cheese, and pots of cream. Totally not good for the heart or whatever, but it smelled wonderful!!

We also wanted to get and try some of the cheeses, but we'd have nothing to keep them in on our trip across to Southampton, and they'd be wasted and spoil. The other interesting thing was that many of them are made with fresh milk that hasn't undergone any treatment, and the taste difference is quite marked.

So, after bacon and eggs, we headed to the town square to catch the bus to Canterbury, to see the cathedral and the city. The bus took about 40 minutes, but went through some really nice countryside and cute towns. Some bus stops seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, and the people waiting must have come from nearby farms, or been dropped off.

The bus drops you at a central terminus, and is very efficient, and all the buses we saw were well patronised, and the drivers all seemed to be very friendly and helpful.

We went towards the cathedral first, but unlike other places you have to pay to get into the whole complex, and at £8.00 each, it's not cheap. Other cathedrals simply asked for a donation, which you don't mind. The actual cathedral seems quite "menacing", and is the least favourite of all the ones we've visited. It is certainly very old and has seen some historic events, like the assassination of Thomas a Becket. 

However, it isn't one of those places where you can see down the length of the church, and there are many different levels. The crypts were beautiful, but you had to be very quiet, and some people didn't seem to heed

the notices.

The shop was good tho, and we got a nice cushion cover with a scene of Peter Brughel.

Didn't fancy any particular place for lunch, so got the bus back to Sandwich and after the nap, as it was a lovely sunny afternoon, we had a long walk around the town, and found the docks, where there are many boats, so there must be a large boating fraternity as the river goes out to the North Sea, and some of the boats were quite large.

One of the many interesting buildings was the Barbican, which was the old Toll Gate, up to the 1930's.

Then quite by chance we found a garden which had been designed by Gertrude Jekyll and Lutyens, and might have been very interesting, but it was set to close at 5.00pm, so we wouldn't have had time. Simple dinner of tuna and salad, and then an early night as we've booked to go over to France tomorrow, on the ferry for the day.

Deal...

Saturday, 11th and Sunday 12th June

We had found a laundrette at Deal, which is on the coast about 4 miles away. But the car wouldn't start and this was where we had to call Hertz, and to cut a long story short, I had put petrol in the diesel, and they arranged for an AA man to come out and fix it. He came within 30 minutes, and found the problem, and arranged for another guy to come and drain all the fuel, and then put some diesel back, and got the car going. Still, our planned trip to do the washing would have to wait until tomorrow.

Whilst all this was happening, I suggested to Lee that she see what was happening in the town square, as we'd heard lots of loud French-type music coming from that direction. As it turned out, this entire weekend was turned over to a French market, and the aromas of cheese, fresh baguettes, lovely fruit and veg, cold meats, olives and all that goes with French food. She came back with enough to do a really nice lunch, and we knocked up a pasta dish with really hot chorizo, etc for dinner.

On the Sunday, we got everything ready to take to the laundrette at Deal, and found it quite easily. Deal is very nice and lovely views out to the ocean, and the usual arrangement of holiday lets along the waterfront. It might have been something we should have looked into more,as it would have been a better place to stay.

Got back to Sandwich and had to find ways to get the washing dry, and rigged up lines in the tiny backyard, and all around the cottage. The French market was still on today, and Gordon went 'round and got some beautiful fresh croissants, which we had for lunch, and later had a walk around the town. Another simple dinner of savoury mince and tomorrow, we are off to Canterbury on the bus, to have a look around.

Change of plans and Knole and Sissinghurst...

Thursday, 9th June, and Friday, 10th June - (Catch-up)

(Regarding Catch-up: now that we are back, everything will be catch-up, so if anyone out there is still reading, there's much more to come)

We finally heard from cousin Andrew and Veronica, via an email. They had obviously forgotten about meeting us at Wisley, and had been involved with rehearsals for an biblical oratory in which they were singing, in London. They invited us to come along, but there were a few reasons we couldn't or wouldn't. First, we didn't want to travel into London again; second, we can't stand choral music, and third, it was biblical. So we sent a reply and offered our apologies, and pointed out it wasn't our cup of tea.

The other good thing about the Premier Inn chain, is that if your plans change, as long as you let them know before midday, you can check out a day early, at no penalty to you. So, we decided we might like to see Sissinghurst again, and I re-booked at another P.Inn at a place called Winteringbury, which is in the area.

On the way there, we visited Knole, which was the childhood home of Vita Sackville-West, (who later was associated with and helped establish Sissinghurst castle and gardens), and so there is a real connection, and we were also going to Sissinghurst the next day. We had a good drive there, and got to Knole too early to see the house, which didn't open until 12.00. I'm not sure why some of these places open so late, as there are always hoards of people waiting to go in.

Still the cafe was open and coffee beckoned, and there were a couple of things you could look at before the house opened.

The entrance to Knole is in the road back in the town, and once through the entrance, this enormous estate opens out. It is huge and has herds of deer wandering everywhere. We went through the house after opening at 12, and it is self-guided, and  is huge, but not grand or decorative in the manner of some other places we have been. It hasn't really been updated much since the 17th/18thC, and looked faded and dull. This was something Vita said herself when she was growing up, so in some ways it was a little disappointing. However a lot of history connected to the house and the family, which was interesting. Still it was National Trust, so no money wasted.

We found the hotel quite easily, and it is slightly different in layout to others in the chain, (older?), but our room was way down the back, away from the main road, and looked out to a small grassed courtyard, so very peaceful. Dinner was a non event, as they got a couple of things wrong, and then offered us dessert on the house. Trouble with apple pie is that it was nice, but had been zapped in the m-wave and so was not crisp.

Friday, 10th

After filling up the diesel car with petrol, we headed off, quite oblivious to what I had put in the tank, and actually drove quite a way to Sissinghurst.
We missed a turn on the way, and ended up going SW instead of SE, and so didn't get to the castle until 10.30, which is when it opens.
Inevitably there are lots of people there, as it is the most visited garden in the UK (?), and in high summer they have timed tickets so that not too many are in the garden at the one time.

The Tower

We love Sissinghurst, both for its history, and mostly for the way it has been created and planted, and this time was a little different from four years ago, and it seemed there had been some refurbishing happening. The climbing rose at the centre of the white garden was much sparser, and looks as tho they have hacked it back to renew the growth.


However there is still that "magic" that we found when we first came here, and it is the combination of the buildings and the layout and the plantings, and the skill with which Vita designed and planted the garden. We were both very happy to have come back, and it was quite crowded by the time we left. 

(This time the photos we took were mainly of quite special things we hadn't seen, or thought were interesting. Too many to put here).

Had a little trouble starting the car, (duh!!), but still unaware what we'd done, and so moved on towards Canterbury, via many very pretty villages, and once in Sandwich, we had a little trouble finding the place.
The houses are in Cattle Market, and are a row of quite charming cottages, in a beautiful, very productive garden, and were rebuilt in 1805, from Almshouses originally from the 1200's.

Trouble was, the cottages are only 12 feet wide! The furniture was not comfortable and simply the wrong type of furniture for such small spaces. Then you had to get upstairs!!! This would have been the smallest stairway I've ever seen, and had handrails all the way up, which you needed to get there.

And to top off the cramped quarters, there was no washing machine, which we were counting on to clean up all our  clothes for the up-coming cruise.

Yes, the stairs are as small as they look!

A sign in the kitchen said, "please feel free to use our electrical appliances" !!!

 Excuse me, we are paying to use the cottage, and everything that goes with it.

So, over the 5 nights we had there, it was one of the most uncomfortable stays we'd had, in that we couldn't relax properly, and the only practical seating were the two wooden dining chairs.

However, Sandwich itself is a lovely town and in times past was actually on the coast, a few miles away. Gradual silting up of the rivers/land has, over time, reformed the area.

The town had almost everything we wanted. Two supermarkets, pubs, other interesting shops, fish and chips, and several restaurants. But we had done this sort of thing to have a break from pub meals, etc, and so had a few very simple meals of our own. Trouble is, we had to also try and restrict what we bought in, because after here, we are back to hotels again, on the way across to Southampton and the cruise.

As with many towns of its type, the streets are very narrow, but with many really interesting buildings and building styles.