WEATHER: Cool and 15C
HIGHTLIGHT OF THE DAY: Getting to see some French countryside – it’s beautiful
BUMMER OF THE DAY: Having to use my Antarctic jacket all ready
BUYS OF THE DAY: Some postcards
WORD OF THE DAY: Bonjour
MOVIES WATCHED TODAY: Flipped and Unknown
WHAT WAS ON THE MENU:
Maki of smoked salmon with avocado and cream cheese wrapped in a crepe with horse radish sauce
Dauphine raviolis with tomatoes cancasse and parmesan shavings
Homemade grapefruit sorbet with sparkling wine
Grilled fillet mignon of veal in creamy morel sauce, served with seasonal vegetables bouquet and pommes Argenteuil
Almond sponge layer with espresso mousse and Valrhona chocolate ganache
Today is the first day off the ship. They are breaking us in slowly by having out tour start time at 10.30am! Nice. Get to have a sleep in and with breakfast at 8.30am this is truly what it feels like to be on holidays.
I have to say the staffs on Uniworld River Baroness are amazing. They are kind, patient and everything is made quite clear, in simple terms on what is happening and what is to come. All the announcements are clear and simplified, and it sounds like I am being facetious but they know their clientele and they know how to handle them to avoid confusion.
We had a presentation this morning at 9.30am of the optional excursions offered on the cruise. We basically have a tour included as part of your cruise package but when the afternoons are free they offer an optional tour and you can then decide just how busy you want to be with your time. AJ is our cruise director, a young fella of 33 from the UK but he seems pretty switched on and is very narrative with his speaking. The included tours are each numbered 1, 2 and 3 and on the morning of the tour you just select a number out of one of the baskets yourself and then that is the group you will have for the day. The day tours are run with what are called Vox Boxes. They are basically a headset with one ear piece so you can hear what the guide is saying without actually having to be standing directly beside her. It is a great idea and these wonderful machines need to be charged each night for the following day.
We also have boarding passes. They have your room number on them and every time you leave the ship you must collect this from the front desk and then return it back to them upon your return. It is their security check and the only way for them to know if you are on board at the time of departure.
Les Andelys was out first port if call this morning and out tour to Chateau Gaillard. This was a walking tour directly from the ship, there was a bus offered for the ‘older’ clients that wouldn’t be able to climb the ‘small’ hill to get to the top of the bluff and where the castle ruins were located. They wouldn’t get to actually see the castle up close as the road didn’t take them that far over, but they still would have got a view of the castle. Les Andelys is a small country village located in the valley of one on the Seine loops.
So after disembarking the ship, getting our vox boxes onto the right frequencies we set off for the Chateau. AJ made it quite clear that it was a small hill that had to be climbed and once at the top it would be easy going for the old folks. Well I tell you we only had to walk 5 minutes to get to the hill, and it was a little bigger than he made it out to be. We were walking slower than a snail, keeping the pace, well there was no pace, to a very minimum to get to the top, and in the oldies defence it was a tougher climb than he made out and once at the top you did have to walk over some loose stones to get to the level of the castle. We had a few people drop out, it was just too much for them, but we made it to the top and it was a glorious view and you could see what the spot was chosen for the castle.
Château Gaillard is a ruined medieval castle, located 90 m above the commune of Les Andelys overlooking the River Seine, historical Normandy. Construction began in 1196 under the auspices of Richard the Lionheart, who was simultaneously King of England and feudal Duke of Normandy. The castle was expensive to build, but the majority of the work was done in an unusually short time. It took just two years, and at the same time the town of Petit Andelys was constructed. Château Gaillard has a complex and advanced design, and uses early principles of concentric fortification. Richard the Lionheart inherited Normandy from his father, Henry II, in 1189 when he ascended to the throne of England. There was rivalry between the French king and Richard as the King of England was more powerful than the King of France, despite the fact that Richard was a vassal of the French king and paid homage for his lands in the country. I made my own way back to the ship via the small town and took some pictures and bought some postcards to send to the gang.
We departed at Les Andelys at 12.30pm and cruised for the rest of the afternoon. I had a light lunch of salad and pasta in the Monet lounge but there was also a full buffet lunch served in the Van Gogh restaurant as well if desired. I set up a possie next to one of the large picture windows for the afternoon and watched the River Seine pass us by as I internet’ed for the rest of the afternoon – 2 more blogs up and trying to get some photos onto Facebook from Ethiopia. The internet is free on the ship, but you need a password and code which is only valid for 2 hours. They do it this way, so that it gives everyone a chance to jump on the internet and avoid people staying logged in and chewing up all the speed. They also provide 4 laptops for people to book out and have access to the internet while away from home, which is a pretty good idea. I had to duck back to my room a few times, to get a book, my camera and then back for my charger to plug in and I just left everything where it was, with my bag and purse on the chair with no fear that it would get stolen.
Watching the river pass us by and going through a lock reminds me of the Black Sea Cruise I did last year, but on a better ship, with better facilities, and I have to say I enjoy the concept. It is so relaxing and as they are river boats, they public areas and cabins are closer to the water and you just feel so peaceful. It is hard to explain, but I would love to do a few more but it is a shame it is set for the older market, I think younger people would enjoy this experience as well. Maybe they should have a departure for 18-35 year olds? Something to think about if not if you got a group of 6 or so I think that could also work. It is a great way to travel that is for sure.
Afternoon tea is served every afternoon between 4-4.30pm in the lounge which generally consist of finger sandwiches and sweets / cakes of some sort. You just help yourself and it is located right next to the cappuccino maker that is always stocked 24 hours a day with coffee, tea and hot chocolate always at the ready. There is also an ice dispenser there and a cold water tap with access to purified water to refill the bottles that were given to us yesterday, their part in trying to help with the plastics and environment.
6.30pm was our Welcome Reception where we got to meet all the staff on board and the Captain. There are 32 of them and 108 of us, so that’s a pretty good staff to passenger ratio. 90% of the staff was from Romania and from what I have seen in 24 hours they are all very friendly and have smile on their faces. AJ while he had us also went through the next days programme and what was expected timings and information. He really is a great speaker and all the old ducks just love him. Tomorrow is a BIG day and an emotional day for some of the passengers with us heading to the Normandy Beaches, the D-day Museum and then the American Cemetery at Omaha that has nearly 10,000 graves form the D-Day landing and consequent 70 day battle. AJ quoted a poem to conclude the talk and it was really a very sobering moment.
Dinner was great. As I am an odd number there is always a spare chair at my table. But I am getting to know some of the older people and they are really great bunch of people. Tonight I spoke to a couple that used to be a Chaplin on Holland America ships in the 90’s and I met another 2 solo travelling women on the cruise. The strange thing is that they are all from South Carolina and they don’t know each other. Talking D Day and what it means to them. Art’s 6th birthday was on the 6 June 1944 and he can quite clearly remember when they declared D-Day.
Not many Australians I think there are only 5 of us – 90% are American passengers, but I guess when you think about it, heading to the Normandy Beaches, there would be a lot of American making some form of pilgrimage for family members, especially concerning the landings on Omaha Beach.
So once again after dinner, I headed home and watched another movie before closing my eyes as I hear the water pass by my window. I know it sounds like I am heading to bed early but by the time the 5 courses of meals comes out it is already around 9-9.30pm, so even for me that is getting late, let alone a ship of 70+……so don’t judge us, I am still in keep with my Intrepid rule of no bed before 8.10pm. The Africa crew would be so proud I spread that rule on every trip I do……
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