France to Iceland

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Day 114 Monday 6 July

Blois to Rennes

31c



We rose about 6.30 and organised our gear then went out to have breakfast. We packed the car, said goodbye to CoCo and set off for Blois with Thierry crossing the Loire on the Francois Mitterrand Bridge. We arrived at the station early and saw that we could catch an earlier train to St Pierre de Cors which might give us a chance to get an earlier train to Le Mans which then might give us more time for our next change.



As it was the holidays the train from Blois was not as crowded as we expected but when we arrived in St Pierre de Cors there was no earlier train to Le Mans so we went to the waiting room and sat down. I checked out where the train to Le Mans would come in and then Gail's phone rang. She was doing her nails so I answered it. It was Shani and we had a long talk then handed the phone over to Gail. Just after she finished the train to Le Mans came in. This one was a lot more crowded. We rang Glenn and Laurette to let them know what time we would be arriving.



At Le Mans we identified the spot where our carriage would come into the station and waited there. When the train came in it was really crowded although as bookings are mandatory everyone had a seat but finding room for the luggage was tricky.



The train was an old TGV and while it was pretty fast it did not reach the speeds that Friday's train did. Glenn and Laurette were there to meet us when we arrived in Rennes. We caught the metro to the centre of Rennes where their flat is and walked from the metro station through a restaurant precinct to their flat which is on the first floor. It has a good sized bedroom, a lounge room, a kitchen which is big enough to hold a 6 seat round table and plenty of room to talk. The bathroom is also a good size.



They have a black cat which they have named Jenga. Laurette is part of a group that rehabilitates cats found on the streets and keeps them until they can find a home for them. The cat is pretty angry and lashes out with its claws for no reason at times. They say she is getting better.



Glenn went back to French school which is part of the conditions of his visa; he has to pass a test and get a certificate within the 12 months. Laurette, Gail and I went for a walk to find a restaurant for lunch and after walking through many old streets with half timbered houses we finished up in the Thabor park where we had a pleasant lunch.



We walked back to the flat and went into the little bookshop below their flat. Laurette has struck up a friendship with Bernadette the woman who runs it, and she had invited us for a cup of tea in the little courtyard behind the bookshop. The tea was very nice. Her husband Bernard joined us later and then Glenn came in after he got back from school. He had been learning about the gender of countries in French.



As we were leaving the bookshop Laurette got a call to say that although she was rated number 1 for the job in Paris she had not got it because they had wanted her to start that day and she had said she couldn't because we were coming. She was a bit upset so the three of us went for a walk back up to the park so Gail could take some photos. We feel a bit guilty because they need the money and they had made her a very good offer.



Glenn got a call to say some friends were with Laurette at the bar beside the bookshop. We went back and had a couple of drinks with Pete (Australian) and Michelle (New Zealand) who are also musicians and have been living in Italy for 7 years but are now moving to Edinburgh.



We went up to the flat and had some dinner and talked for a while then went to bed. They gave us their bed and are sleeping on a double mattress on the floor in the lounge room.



Day 115 Tuesday 7 July

Rennes

21c rain



Glenn got up early and left for school. We got up a bit later and Laurette made us galettes for breakfast. They were very good.



As it was raining she did some work including organising the hire car for the next 2 days, and we read. Gail did a load of washing. Later in the morning Gail and Laurette went up the street to do some shopping and came back very wet. By the time Glenn came home the weather had cleared and we were going to go for a walk but he had had a good day and wanted to do his homework, something that was a novelty for us.



When he was finished we went round to the city market place which is not far from their flat and had a drink at one of the outside bars and looked at the very old houses in the street. We had dinner in the restaurant right beside their flat which wasn't bad. After dinner we went back to the flat and started a game of 500. After 2 hours of play the score was 120 to -60 so we adjourned the game and packed to go to St Malo and Mont St Michel the next day.



Day 116 Wednesday 8 July.

Rennes to Binic

18c cool wind overcast



Up early and Glenn and Laurette went up to pick up the car. It is one of these businesses that uses private cars so is cheaper than the regular companies so they picked it up from a private address and it was not as well detailed as they usually are.



Their friend Michelle was coming with us for the day so she arrived just before they got back with the car so when they arrived we packed the boot and set off. It took about an hour and a half to get to Mont St Michel. It is a lot more commercially organised than when we went there some years ago. There is a huge parking area, a new visitor centre and shuttle buses across the causeway to the site itself. The buses are free but the parking is expensive.



We walked up the stairs and around the ramparts and then through the little streets. We did not go into the church or the chapels. After just over 2 hours we left and went back to the shuttle buses and to the car, making a stop at the visitor centre on the way. Then we drove to St Malo,



The town was crowded but Glenn and Laurette knew of a parking area which had plenty of room and was close to the old city. We walked around the old city, along the walls and through the streets. There are large trunks of trees driven into the sand outside the walls that protect the walls from the sea and stop the sand from being washed away. It is a marvellous place to visit.



We found a really good restaurant, Le Comptoir Briezh Cafe, and had a really lovely galette lunch with local cider. After lunch we dropped Michelle at the railway station and set off for Binic. When we arrived we went to the bar where Melanie used to work and is still a centre for all Glenn's contacts and met up with the owner Ludo again. Melanie came in and after a couple of drinks and catch up with old friends of Glenn and Laurette we got the keys from Melanie and went up to her parents place where we were staying. Her parents were away with their horses and her niece Lea who had just finished her exams was also staying there.



We all had a bit of a sleep and when we woke up there was a party going on as it was Melanie's birthday and her family and friends were there celebrating. It turned into a late night with lots of food and some wine.



Day 117 Thursday 9 July

Binic

23c blue skies little wind



I got up reasonably early and did some washing up before the others came down and we were ready when Melanie arrived in her van with the dog Lulu which is one of the greatest dogs I have ever come across. He is unbelievably well behaved and when she has to control him she ties a handkerchief onto his collar. This despite him being the size of a German Shepherd.



She lead off in the van and we followed to Pontphoul where we caught the ferry to Ile de Brenat. We must missed one ferry despite Laurette making a mad dash to try to get tickets but one came in about five minutes later. The whole bay was just lovely with little rock outcrops all through the water. It must be a nightmare to navigate.



The ferry trip took no more than 10 minutes and the wharf was in a spot that obviously would be underwater at high tide. The causeway we walked on up to the island was the same because there were boats moored in the mud on the landward side.



We had come in at the southern island and walked all around it. The flowers were beautiful as were some of the old houses and their gardens. We were admiring the garden and the view from the garden of one of the houses when a man came out and invited us to come into the garden and look at the view from there. He was renting it for a couple of weeks and thoroughly enjoying it. There are no private cars but there are lots of bikes.



After about three hours walking we decided to have lunch so walked across to the the north island (the gap between the Islands is about 10 metres) to the village centre. We went to a restaurant called the Shamrock where we sat in the garden out the back and had Moules Frittes, probably the best I have ever had.



After lunch we did a bit more walking then went back to the wharf of the ferry. The tide was now in so they were using a different jetty as the other one was under water. We drove back to Binic and had showers. When we went downstairs Caleg, Melanie's partner was there. He had been away working. We had an aperitif including some sausage that had been on the menu at lunch that we had never heard of. Melanie had bought a Brittany version and a Normandy one for us to try. I think it is made mostly of offal and is regarded as a delicacy.



We went to dinner at a restaurant right up near the mouth of the harbour. We all went in Melanie's camper that she and Caleg are going to Portugal in on Saturday. Lea came with us down to the harbour as she was off to a beach party. She is a lovely girl.



The meal was nice and we went back to the house and went to bed at a reasonably early hour.



Day 118 Friday 10 July

Binic to Rennes

29c fine



We got up had some breakfast and drove back to Rennes. When we arrived in Rennes Laurette and Glenn took the opportunity to do some shopping while they had the car. We unpacked the car at the flat and Laurette and Glenn took it back. Some time later Gail discovered that she did not have her camera and we realised that she must have left it in the boot. Laurette contacted the lady who owned the car and she confirmed that it was there.



Gail and Glenn went out and did some shopping and then we prepared for a picnic. On the way to the park we called in at the home of the car owner and picked up the camera. At the park we found a grassy, shady spot and set up the picnic. It was cheese, tomato, cold soup, bread, tomato, beer/cider and dip. Very pleasant.



Michelle arrived to bring back the key as she had gone into the flat to feed the cat while they were away. We decided to move to a lower part of the park near the waterfall. We finished the game of 500 eventually, after 25 hands. What a marathon.



As we walked back we went past the house where Pete and Michelle were staying which was the oldest house in Rennes but could not contact them. We went home, packed and had a shower. A friend of Laurette's arrived and she went out for a while. When she came back we went out for dinner. We found a really authentic

French restaurant Chez Regi and had a really nice dinner for Laurette's birthday. I discovered that Filet Mignon is actually a pork dish in France.



As we went home Pete and Michelle were having dinner at the restaurant beside their flat so we spoke for a while then went upstairs and talked for a bit more. We gave them our gifts and went to bed.



Day 119 Saturday 11 July

Rennes to London



This is the day that Gail and I and the Tour de France both leave Rennes. Gail cannot believe she is so close and can't see it.



We were up at 7.00 and went down to the market where we bought some cheese and wine. They were very extensive markets. We walked up to the metro and went to Gare Gare. We were there early so had to wait for the platform to be shown on the indicator board when it came up we went to the platform and put our bags in the storage areas and then said goodbye to Laurette and Glenn.



The train left a little late but seemed to be going along on timetable but there were so many unscheduled stops that we ended up 35 minutes late into Paris. As we had 2 hours between trains it was not a major issue. The walk between the country station and the metro must have been well over a kilometre and when we got there the metro was a madhouse, people pushing others out of the way to get in, arguments all over the place. We arrived at Gare du North and eventually found where the Eurostar left from. British immigration was very slow and the terminal inside was very crowded, but we found our seat without much trouble.



When we arrived at St Pancras in London I checked out the Lost Property office for my Kindle. They must have at least a 100 in a box but none of them mine. We then found out that the direct trains from St Pancras to Bickley only run on weekdays so as this was Saturday we had to find an alternative route which involved changing trains. We rang Jenny and Lindsay and he met us at the station.



At their place we watched the final of the Wimbledon Men's Doubles then the Women's Doubles. We had dinner which was very nice and then some of the cheese we had brought over for them and went to bed.



Day 120 Sunday 12 July Start of Phase 3

London to Southampton

16c cool cloudy some rain



Up early and took the bags out the front. Jenny and Lindsay had made us a cup of coffee and toast. The taxi arrived a bit early so we got away at 6.15. The driver wanted the post code rather than the address for his GPS and we took a very complicated route, the only hold up being the roadworks.



We arrived at the Grosvenor Victoria hotel well before time and waited in the foyer. The bus arrived on time and we loaded our bags into the bus and got on. He had to make some other pick ups so we didn't get out of London until just after 9.00. The road was pretty clear and we had a good run until we reached a roadhouse where we had a bite to eat and a drink. After that it started to rain.



When we reached Stonehenge the rain had stopped but it was very cold. We walked all around the stones which are fenced off quite a way back but you could still get good photos. The visitors centre is quite a way from the stones so you have to take buses which of course cost extra. If you want to explore the whole area you could spend a day there but we only had 2 hours so just did the main areas.



We got on the bus and set off for Southampton where we arrived about 3.00 pm. Because the bus company arrange the delivery of the bags booking in was pretty simple. We met Margaret as we came on to learn that the table arrangements had not worked so we had to see the Maître D'. We went to our cabin and unpacked which took forever then went down to have a destress drink. We saw the Maître D' and thought we had fixed it up. We went to dinner in the bistro and went to bed. It was dark and cold by the time we sailed.



In Europe I read "The Summons" by John Grisham; "The Long Road to the North" and "The Target" by David Baldarchi





Day 121 Monday 13 July

At sea around the South of England and into the Irish Sea

16c cloudy



We woke up a bit late and went for breakfast. After that we got some money to work the washing machine and the dryer. There was a Cruise Critic meeting on in the nightclub that we went to then Gail went to have her hair cut. After that we found a vacant washing machine and loaded the clothes. Then we went up to the library which was very disappointing both in the number of books and the quality.



Back to the laundry and loaded the clothes into the drier and started to iron some of the clothes that had been in suitcases for 7 weeks. All in all we spent about 5 hours doing our laundry. We took the clothes back to our room and put them away then relaxed for a bit then got ready for the formal night. The Captain's Cocktail Party was the same as they always are.



When we went to dinner we found that we were on the same table as Margaret and Geoff but their other friends that they had been with before we made the change were not there even though we had 2 spare seats. The other two on the table are Keith and Heidi who live on the Mornington Peninsula.



The show was Viva Voce, a group of four tenors. They were pretty good. We caught up with Annette and Ray, Margaret and Geoff's other friends to find that they sat alone on a table for 8 so they were going to see if they could make the change.



Day 122 Tuesday 14 July

Cobh Ireland (Euros). The port for Cork

15c cloudy and windy some early rain



We left the ship about 9.00 and walked into the town which was not far away. The people here make it a big day when a ship of Australians arrive with Australian signs, flags and animals all over the town. The streets looked beautiful with flowers everywhere.



Beside the port was their Heritage Centre celebrating the 40,00 Irish convicts that sailed from there to Australia, the immigrants who sailed from there to the USA including Annie Moore who was the first immigrant ever processed on Ellis Island in New York. It also remembers the Titanic which actually sailed from there and the Lusitania which was torpedoed just off the coast near Cobh and many of the victims are buried in the town cemetery.



We walked up to St Colman's Cathedral which has one of the largest carillons in Europe and is quite a nice church. The cemetery was supposed to be just out of town but after walking some way we decided to forget it and walked back into town.



The Rob Roy pub had a big Australian promotion so we went In there for a Guinness and a cider and there was a fair crowd already in there. They had a band that started to play and they were really good so we stayed. It was a great afternoon, there was an old guy who did Irish dancing to some of the songs and another one who sang some songs and had a great voice.



At dinner we found that Annette and Ray had arranged to be on our table. Dinner was good. Gail did not want to go to the show so I went alone. Mistake. Apart from the fact that it was not very good I got dragged onto the stage for some inane stunt. I left soon after and went back to the cabin where Gail and I had a nightcap and a read.



Day 123 Wednesday 15 July

Dublin

17c, cold at times



We took the shuttle bus into town and it dropped us right in the centre, having gone past a number of the major sights of the city. We got off and got immediately onto the hop on hop off bus. We sat up the top which was quite chilly and did the first route completely which took us past Trinity College, Christchurch Cathedral, St Patrick's Cathedral, the Guinness Storehouse and the Guinness factory and Temple Bar.



When we got back to the starting point we changed buses and went on the same route to the Guinness Storehouse where we got off and went inside to do the tour. It takes about 90 minutes to do the tour which is perhaps a little too much. Gail actually drank a very small glass when we went into the tasting room but she didn't like it all that much. Arthur Guinness took out a 9,000 year lease on the entire factory land in 1759 for which he paid 900 pounds and pays 450 pound per year, for the life of the lease. Not a bad deal.



After we finished the tour we went up to the Gravity Bar which is on the 7th floor and I had a "complimentary" pint of Guinness. Gail could have had one but she opted for an orange juice. This is close to sacrilege.



We got back on the bus and finished the tour going for a bit of a walk along the River Liffey and then through Temple Bar to Trinity College where we walked through the grounds. Gail was particularly keen to see the library so went there. The Book of Kells is kept in this library but it is pretty difficult to organise to see it if you only have one day.



They told us that Dublin has 630 churches but that's ok because it has 840 pubs as the balance.



Gail had a letter she wanted to post so we went on a search for a post box which took some time. When we found one we found four. There were police (Guarda) everywhere in the street where we were supposed to pick up the shuttle because it was the street the Parliament was in and there was a huge demonstration on. Luckily someone came and told us they had moved our pick up round the corner. We had gone through the centre of the city about four times during the day and there had been huge traffic jams but this time it was clear so we had a clear run so we got back to the ship in good time.



We went to see an early show but after about five minutes the lights went out. Evidently there had been a break in a water pipe and a lot of water flooded the section the theatre was in so they turned the power off in that section of the ship.



After dinner we went to a show by an English impressionist Madi Cryer which wasn't too bad.



Day 124 Thursday 16 July

Greenock, Glasgow

17c cloudy



After breakfast we walked through the town to the railway station and bought our tickets to Glasgow. The train came in just as we were paying for them so we raced onto the platform and caught the train. It was a really pleasant trip into Glasgow but when we got there we realised that on our haste at the start we had actually only got one of the tickets and so had one forward journey and one return. We thought they were both return tickets.



The tickets got us out so we walked up through the town calling in at the Celtic shop on the way. We walked up Buchanan Street which had a number of old buildings. At George Square we found the Hop On Hop Off bus only to find that they did not take credit cards and we had to go to the Tourist Bureau to buy a ticket. We looked where they told us and where the map indicated the Tourist Information Centre was but could not find it so we looked for the other one on the map only to find out that it had been moved. Eventually a guy showed us where to go and we found it only to find that they would not accept the 10% discount voucher we had. At this stage things were not going well. The girl at the tourist office did tell us to catch a tour on the half hour because they have a live commentary rather than the taped one.



Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland with a population of 850,000 whereas Edinburgh has about 650,000.



One of the features of Glasgow was the number of tenements and the churches. St Mungo is the patron saint of the city and there are a number of monuments to him. We got off the tour at the Riverside Museum which we agreed is probably the best transport museum we have ever seen. We spent an hour there including a look through an old sailing vessel. At the end of they tour we walked around George Square looking at the statues and had a look at the City Hall which was really beautiful with lovely marble staircases and wooden doors.



We walked back towards the station stopping to have a cup of coffee and a tart then went to the station where I went to the staff and told them how we had stuffed up and they let us on the train. The trip back was good and when we arrived we walked around Greenock and looked at the interesting architecture there.



At the port there were some shops so Gail had a look and I went back to the cabin and made a phone call to Europacar to try to sort out the insurance. I seemed to make some progress but we will wait and see. As we prepared to sail away there was a pipe band playing which was a nice touch.



At night there was a production show "Talk of The Town" which was good but much more of the big production than on the Ocean Princess.



Day 125 Friday 17 July

At sea across the North Atlantic on a North Easterly Course

12c rain, fog, heavy seas.



Horrible day, so bad they had the sick bags attached to the staircases. We did Zumba and checked out the line dancing but decided not to do it. The British Open golf from St Andrews was on TV so we watched some of that then read.



After lunch we went up to the casino where we met Margaret and Geoff and played Mah Jong which they had not played before. We got ready for dinner early and went down to the Crooners Lounge and listened to the classical trio and had a pre dinner drink.



After dinner we went to the Vista Lounge which is always very cool, and watched Madi Cryer again. Not as good this time.





Day 126 Saturday 18 July

Reykjavik, Iceland: 1Icelandic Kronur =A$0.99

15c cloudy, cool breeze



After breakfast we went to Zumba and then Gail walked and I rode the bike in the gym for 20 minutes. We went back, had a shower and changed then went up and had an early lunch.



We docked at Reykjavik just after 1.00pm and we went ashore just after carrying a bag full of coats just in case. After a bit of time in the tourist office we got a map and started to walk the 4.5km into town along the seafront. It was a pleasant walk until we stopped at an information panel and an Icelandic lady who was pruning some plants came up and asked us who had told us we could walk along this path claiming it cut through her property. We thought this a bit strange as there were official information panels about the area on what were clearly officially constructed sign posts. She was not aggressive but was clearly angry about all these tourists from ships that walk through her property.



The view across the harbour was spectacular looking towards mountains with patches of snow on their peaks and very green foothills. We had been told to remember that " Iceland is green and Greenland is ice" and it certainly looked as if the first part was right at least. There was a fair amount of public art along the walk including a model of a Viking ship which was very good.



At the end of the path was the Harpa Concert Hall and Convention Centre which was a spectacular black glass cube building. From there we walked along the Main Street to the lake and looked at the Town Hall and some other official buildings then walked up the hill past some very nice traditional houses to the main church, the Hallgrimskirkja, which is spectacular. Unfortunately there was a wedding on so we could not go in to see the interior although some other passengers who are obviously more important than us did think it was Ok to go while the wedding was on even though there was a sign that said the church was closed.



From there we walked down the hill through the shops buying a patch and some cheese on the way back to the sea front to catch the Hop on Hop off bus which started from there and ended back at the ship terminal. The bus took us past most of the main features of the city including the Pearl, the geothermally heated water storage that provides Reykjavik with its hot water and heating. All the hot water and house heating in most of Iceland is provided using the naturally heated water. It also provides the power for their aluminium processing plants which is the main industry and export.



The bus got us back to the ship at 5.30 and at 6.30 we went back down onto the pier and boarded the bus out to the Blue Lagoon. The ride out was interesting as we went through extensive lava fields that looked so much like a moonscape that the astronauts did some of their training there. Iceland is the second most active volcanic area in the world. When we arrived at the Blue Lagoon they gave us a wrist band that had a microchip in it. This let you in opened and locked your clothes locker and most importantly allowed you to purchase drinks from the bar in the middle of the lagoon then pay for them as you leave, stopping you from leaving if you haven't paid. It also limited your purchases to three alcoholic drinks.



We changed showered and went out into the lagoon which is a very pleasant geothermally warmed temperature with some hot spots. It was very relaxing floating around. We had a beer and a red wine (A$25 thank you - we had been warned about how expensive Iceland is) and covered ourselves in the white mud which is supposed to have therapeutic properties for the skin although it might take more than one go to have any effect.



After about 2 hours we had another shower (they provided shampoo and conditioner) and boarded the bus to go back to the ship. When we went back on board we went up to the bistro and got some rolls and biscuits and went back to our cabin and had some cheese and wine. By this time it was about 11.00pm.



Day 127 Sunday 19 July

At sea southwesterly across the Atlantic

11c partly cloudy



Breakfast, Zumba then Gail went for a walk and I rode the bike again. After that we did some computer work and read. After lunch went to the theatre and watched a movie "Woman in Gold" with Helen Mirren and then played Mahjong with Margaret and Geoff for quite a while. After that we watched the British Open Golf which had been delayed because of bad weather.



We had dinner then went to the show which was a pianist Mickey Finn and his wife who played the mandolin. It wasn't too bad. Then bed. Quiet day



Day 128 Monday 20 July

At sea. Still southwesterly across the Atlantic

15c cloud at times



Today Zumba was taken by Chris the Assistant Cruise Director, who just happens to be newly married to the Cruise Director, instead of Sarah the girl who has been doing it since Sydney. Boy was she energetic. A lot of people actually found her too full on, but they do not like changes to their routines. We found it challenging but enjoyed it.



Gail went for a walk and I did some more rowing. Then I went back to the cabin, did some washing and then basically watched the British Open Golf all day. Good Championship and I thought there was a realistic chance for an Aussie win but not to be.



Gail read, watched the golf, and otherwise had a relaxing day. We went to an early show which was a guy called Jeffrey Allen who did an Elton John tribute. He was good when he played the piano and sang but pretty ordinary when he tried to be funny.



At dinner it was Heidi's birthday so the waiters serenaded her and gave her a cake and we have her a little present. Then the waiters came back and sang some more. It was a fun dinner.



After dinner we had a drink and a dance with Margaret and Geoff because we did not want to go and see the late show which was a comedian we had seen on the previous voyage and there are only so many times you can hear the same jokes. A bit late to bed but saved by having to put the clocks back an hour.



I finished "America America" by Ethan Canin

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