Segment 3 England

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Our 10 day cruise was almost over! Our last port of the cruise was also our first port in England. The Isle of Portland on England’s southern coast is known for its limestone and deep water port. But this day we were off to Abbotsbury, famous for its sub tropical gardens and swannery. It was a perfect day for a walk with rhododendrons and hydrangeas in full bloom, colorful pheasants and beautiful views of the hilltop chapel overlooking the ocean. We then proceeded to the swannery and were amazed as we walked among 400 Mute swans and their fluffy baby cygnets. The swannery was established by Benedictine monks around the year 1040 and today the swans remain here by choice and don’t seem to mind the presence of humans. It was truly a one of a kind experience! On our way back to the port our driver took us on a surprise detour to the highest point on the island of Portland for a breathtaking view of the coastal town. Because we had celebrated the formal Captain’s party the night before, our last night was a more casual affair, considering we had to pack for tomorrow’s disembarkation. The next morning we arrived in Southampton and were met by our good friends who we have known since we circumnavigated South America on the Mariner in 2002. They have recently retired to an historic 8 unit building called Burton House which is located in the English countryside. They presented us with an itinerary which included a garden walk, lunch at the “Kennels”, tour of Goodwood, croquet on the lawn with champagne, a pint at the local pub and an evening movie in their home theater. And that was only the first day! The next morning we were up at 8am for a healthy breakfast, a roof tour, a walk to the lake, a tour of the local village of Petworth, a Thai lunch and then it was time for them to deposit is at the train to London. Thanks you two for an amazing visit! Our London hotel, the Radisson Mountbatton was located smack dab in the middle of the West End in Covent Garden off 7 Dials Circle. It was a perfect location to walk to restaurants, shows and shops; and to see famous areas like Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. During our week there we saw “We Will Rock You” featuring Queen’s music and the lively show by “Stomp”. We also had fabulous meals at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant-rated the top restaurant in London, Joel Robuchon’s L’Atelier, J. Sheekey’s and Rule’s- the oldest restaurant in London. We couldn’t leave London without visiting our long time friends who live 45 minutes away by train. We had met him over 20 years ago in Tenerife, Canary Islands. Back then we shared many experiences together with the most exciting being a trek up to the top of the Mt. Teide volcano. He since has married his lovely wife and we have enjoyed watching their two beautiful daughters grow up. On this visit we enjoyed a local Pub lunch and a wonderful afternoon enjoying each others company in their garden. Then it was back to London and time to move hotels. We were looking forward to meeting our land tour group and anticipating our upcoming Circle Great Britain tour.

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Comments

[Eddie & Phyllis Marco]

Thank you for your photos
Dear Chuck and Linda, What an outstanding trip. You sure do know how to travel. Thank you for keeping in touch. We will be joining the Regent Voyager this August embarking from Stockholm for 35 days. We will disembark in Istanbul,Turkey. We will visit Stockholm before the cruise for three days and also stay in Istanbul for three days. George and Sherri Burke will also be on the ship. We recently did the Grand Asia Pacific trip at the end of 2008 with the Burke's. The GAP trip,100 days, on the Mariner was wonderful. We renewed friendships with many old cruisers and made some new friends as well. Stay well and keep travelling. Fondly, Phyllis and Eddie