tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4358074956479989182024-03-19T04:08:27.625+00:00Moira's Travel Blog. With Emirates Cabin Crew on the side. This blog is a Travel Blog. It is personal and logs mine and my family’s travels.
Up to 2015 it had information related to the Cabin Crew who work for Air Emirates. As my daughter no longer works for this airline the information on here may not be up to date.
Our new interests include cycling holidays and the odd cruise.
If you want details on any of the destinations I have visited please comment or send me an email.
.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.comBlogger311125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-46921545609711553912023-12-30T17:55:00.001+00:002024-01-05T06:36:55.435+00:00Transylvanian Christmas Markets by Air, Rail and Coach with Ledger Holidays. December 2023. <h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Transylvania Christmas Markets with Ledger Holidays. </span></h1><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">We have been debating a Christmas Markets visit for a while now and when I saw this tour advertised I thought it looked it looked interesting and booked it. At that stage I did not know who the flights would be with, as Ledger had not finalised that information. It turned out to be BA from Heathrow. Due to past experience with BA connecting from Manchester, I decided we would go to London the evening prior to the flight to Romania. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">So yesterday we got a BA flight from Manchester to Heathrow, the flight was due to depart at 17.10. Parking at Manchester Terminal three was challenging, the multi-storey car park was full and it took a while to find a space.</span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">The British Airways check in and bag drop was a mess! The que was massive, only one staff member was trying to check in all the passengers, no one was at the bag drop desk. There were no automated check in machines. We waited over an hour to check in. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Then at security, there was an issue as the trays were not returning, thankfully our trays were not chosen for further inspection. It seemed that 90% of the passengers bags were allocated for extra security checks.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Terminal three at Manchester very busy, the terminal was originally a designated BA terminal, but now houses Ryanair and LoganAir so it is always packed out.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Our flight was delayed, don’t know why? It was 40 minutes late. As we were not connecting to another flight, this was not a problem for us. But a lot of passengers on this very full flight, missed onward connections. Quite a few of the passengers had already been rerouted, due to the cancellation of an earlier an Air Lingus flight; MAN to Barbados. The passengers had been re routed and booked on a flight for the next day via London. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Arriving at Heathrow, the Premier Inn Terminal 5 looked quite new, the room was clean, with a large bed and tea making facilities. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">There was a restaurant at the Premier Inn, but we went to the Pheasant Inn and enjoyed a good meal with great service. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnAo4nCbH1KXwNq4rvOlQXI6qorZ-uL9PeVyfoTzLd-PIbU5wYGXBym9vbmQY_U_jx6L-Mtgn_dy4a7u_x9twtg2wUQchyJUk4S61aCOfrMKKRxUSWpon3vUYDBTd8rVlv7bjUpz5MbjoSVoYj29SXb9bgScXKARuDfmiME7KR6aN8VNk86CEjSqU89g/s1560/702DD9A5-09A6-4EED-A4E7-AADB8959FD39.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnAo4nCbH1KXwNq4rvOlQXI6qorZ-uL9PeVyfoTzLd-PIbU5wYGXBym9vbmQY_U_jx6L-Mtgn_dy4a7u_x9twtg2wUQchyJUk4S61aCOfrMKKRxUSWpon3vUYDBTd8rVlv7bjUpz5MbjoSVoYj29SXb9bgScXKARuDfmiME7KR6aN8VNk86CEjSqU89g/s320/702DD9A5-09A6-4EED-A4E7-AADB8959FD39.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpfbS6iC95epf3qBSEOPXjIMMMvDXTjaa_M5kdWmQKxnwSAxgW6exOwMu4N6qE1LDCNHCFLNYmQ41-sTre1ofFYbhkRpLikazs328rn5H9zeWgDYR5DOo-fBkJ51BYhM4uBWKe65MJB_OO3vcNwSKQCI5V-gNzdpxZisiWeyq9EpZdjpl63VbypkwpLI/s1560/73701AB6-1309-4C85-84AF-F2EA3039761D.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtpfbS6iC95epf3qBSEOPXjIMMMvDXTjaa_M5kdWmQKxnwSAxgW6exOwMu4N6qE1LDCNHCFLNYmQ41-sTre1ofFYbhkRpLikazs328rn5H9zeWgDYR5DOo-fBkJ51BYhM4uBWKe65MJB_OO3vcNwSKQCI5V-gNzdpxZisiWeyq9EpZdjpl63VbypkwpLI/s320/73701AB6-1309-4C85-84AF-F2EA3039761D.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><u>Day One </u></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Following a good nights rest, we were up at 05.00 and got a public bus from the hotel to terminal five, the BA terminal. However our flight was not from terminal five, it departing from was terminal three. The Heathrow Express took us to terminal three. Check in and security were quick and very easy, terminal three was decorated for Christmas and very festive. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">I enjoyed a healthy breakfast at Madam Prunier- tea not champagne 🥂. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-mF_DIT_YHQrP4d7EEKv8pN8zKCOP9934_fjVfeCStFXyBu2SQ82Rw94z4kqtZDeKFGd_82jF7iT_ELqFuyNZg8HeBNtGCCp2Wm6UFhEKxYJSvRUoM_BdIIVXSV6GMNHGn9Z5GYZTjsgmMMMGFGb6MvyN01mIJIydTDJArFaoJHWy386m7qebpw9qu8/s1560/11B2B766-73D0-4F51-97DE-B7ECEED5C7AC.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE-mF_DIT_YHQrP4d7EEKv8pN8zKCOP9934_fjVfeCStFXyBu2SQ82Rw94z4kqtZDeKFGd_82jF7iT_ELqFuyNZg8HeBNtGCCp2Wm6UFhEKxYJSvRUoM_BdIIVXSV6GMNHGn9Z5GYZTjsgmMMMGFGb6MvyN01mIJIydTDJArFaoJHWy386m7qebpw9qu8/s320/11B2B766-73D0-4F51-97DE-B7ECEED5C7AC.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptxSVX3hZWtpeB2Ei2j1irsZpjfHWC3hbkrZEmTfbddM1pZ7IjOhFTLs6HqB3Y7tY52JJVIGqFAME0jaq8aKlQyj7V1lkLIp6j1TiGDeuHLVe7ggzp0GFMkhirT4NCFYlL7SbC7qzMk58bkbQwdppcxhDg3myI0-AgrTg_xkiBhkrzj0x0-wKsWjcFoc/s1560/AA69C40D-850E-4B69-BD6F-40686B9B2AA5.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhptxSVX3hZWtpeB2Ei2j1irsZpjfHWC3hbkrZEmTfbddM1pZ7IjOhFTLs6HqB3Y7tY52JJVIGqFAME0jaq8aKlQyj7V1lkLIp6j1TiGDeuHLVe7ggzp0GFMkhirT4NCFYlL7SbC7qzMk58bkbQwdppcxhDg3myI0-AgrTg_xkiBhkrzj0x0-wKsWjcFoc/s320/AA69C40D-850E-4B69-BD6F-40686B9B2AA5.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWv2lqXJzy_o3h2jPl2OzgV_veLhDSATJH0A0P_61ZXPv6mUtoFqaIRC-y_9v6gpAxwrKUxEAmIADpl-UCUMy61sAlqVcqL6ERuQbvreoQjMzOP3k9OcSTwcgUN4Ye7qFwlbarrhBMGmvvIWouMtqgf3kV4pPtdlFDWOcKUeXN2f6DsXzQtvKWPVVsgsw/s4272/C87E5959-0007-4DAE-A9C0-ACCC16035C60.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWv2lqXJzy_o3h2jPl2OzgV_veLhDSATJH0A0P_61ZXPv6mUtoFqaIRC-y_9v6gpAxwrKUxEAmIADpl-UCUMy61sAlqVcqL6ERuQbvreoQjMzOP3k9OcSTwcgUN4Ye7qFwlbarrhBMGmvvIWouMtqgf3kV4pPtdlFDWOcKUeXN2f6DsXzQtvKWPVVsgsw/s320/C87E5959-0007-4DAE-A9C0-ACCC16035C60.jpeg" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIRDqLe0w4y-juI5ibjjyMU8AKI4t6TT6g-L870SWa0zvHFaOaY8-S3u7ZAurCPHLJzrvcmIy8yOgqFGdnpO5LaxkzKH2r8K4-bEyYphfVZwPLKaE-RIqw8UTdEZJTXRajTcyDBqiiwSjeUJQ3fgGTV6jaAuS8eHEbdGdt0uEE_tFWOg4CCAnOmsWxPI/s4272/6E5A850B-17CB-406A-9C65-A5AFF20CA585.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbIRDqLe0w4y-juI5ibjjyMU8AKI4t6TT6g-L870SWa0zvHFaOaY8-S3u7ZAurCPHLJzrvcmIy8yOgqFGdnpO5LaxkzKH2r8K4-bEyYphfVZwPLKaE-RIqw8UTdEZJTXRajTcyDBqiiwSjeUJQ3fgGTV6jaAuS8eHEbdGdt0uEE_tFWOg4CCAnOmsWxPI/s320/6E5A850B-17CB-406A-9C65-A5AFF20CA585.jpeg" width="214" /></a></div><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">It was a cold foggy morning at LHR, and the aircraft wings had to be de-iced as we taxied to the runway. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">The flight was good, crew also very good, you now get a ‘snack’ ( Flapjack or some Corn based snack) and a small bottle of water in economy on BA European legs. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Landing at Bucharest, the airport looked new. Getting through passport control was very fast, at the luggage collection point we met the Ledger group leader, Colin: who had flown with us from Heathrow. The local guide, Cecelia met us in the arrivals hall. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVx-TECl_Iwhqr_svm-tcnBm7DLn2-3bldQVMq8L_3dO9BlMQmEzcXdi8AGYzs6a1M442SrPqellgRNeAa_aFoty3Tyj5jPNz3Xhd77c5hRKPG40IERbF7YxnXnCLZcY33sZ2RiMbkTdMtWBGFfvdoF0t3f6DU2RSxcitz5KYd8-WjtYSEwOIKmde18Bo/s886/407397210_10160233780337582_5867490976190093509_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="359" data-original-width="886" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVx-TECl_Iwhqr_svm-tcnBm7DLn2-3bldQVMq8L_3dO9BlMQmEzcXdi8AGYzs6a1M442SrPqellgRNeAa_aFoty3Tyj5jPNz3Xhd77c5hRKPG40IERbF7YxnXnCLZcY33sZ2RiMbkTdMtWBGFfvdoF0t3f6DU2RSxcitz5KYd8-WjtYSEwOIKmde18Bo/s320/407397210_10160233780337582_5867490976190093509_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">The group was large, 37 of us I think, mostly couples and a few solo travellers. </span></div>The coach took us to the Union Plaza Hotel in Bucharest. The hotel requested passports, and kept them to make photo copy’s. The passports were returned later but this was an unexpected request. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">We were asked to meet in the lobby and went by coach into the Old Town to a historic restaurant with a folklore performance. Dinner and wine / beer was provided and the set meal was OK, but the food that people were having from the al a cart menu looked better. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHT2wa2xxY57UQv4aQ_FrLap7bOcWiL3oOUNtQ_n47IMGn8djtwCn0G5vUnuQBiCCa8RBetZnq6vLbESrTeBnA6vyD3ug_ABUD2pJw19qZSK0aNLWHHGsRc1tUlz6B5SaLnhoXF_by5Zsl6lSNblhsgjUzoqjxH6DmofCrtjsCmW7MLTp5JWI0gKpjErs/s1560/406876675_10160233781362582_2679369835031945826_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHT2wa2xxY57UQv4aQ_FrLap7bOcWiL3oOUNtQ_n47IMGn8djtwCn0G5vUnuQBiCCa8RBetZnq6vLbESrTeBnA6vyD3ug_ABUD2pJw19qZSK0aNLWHHGsRc1tUlz6B5SaLnhoXF_by5Zsl6lSNblhsgjUzoqjxH6DmofCrtjsCmW7MLTp5JWI0gKpjErs/s320/406876675_10160233781362582_2679369835031945826_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">The rooms at the Union Plaza hotel were basic, but very clean and modern, there was a sky bar. The 'bar' was really a busy restaurant, but we did enjoy a few drinks at the bar / restaurant. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><u>Day Two.</u></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Breakfast was served in the sky bar, it was a good breakfast and views across the city.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">At 08.45 we went to the railway station to get the 09.30 train to the mountain village of Sinaia, the train arrived at 10.30, we were seated in 'First Class' with comfortable seats. The first part of the journey the scenery was uninspiring, it became more interesting and picturesque as we approached Sinaia. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVSWclJosmsPb7Nu0uo2U7WW9exCMgmCT7OeUKVeuTigRIUO36WmwrkEWEMz21gFbjlvJNCDFfCXd23AM8GfIflufDG_fAFZG2XexQ4r3alcIcB18W-E8pZ3CllJ64uFuk7s11AIIkY4Q-Cos1hgYYhjVpVbJdz93WkjZAoaIFZUiwFKVTFrVeIaZ1io/s4272/P1130155.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWVSWclJosmsPb7Nu0uo2U7WW9exCMgmCT7OeUKVeuTigRIUO36WmwrkEWEMz21gFbjlvJNCDFfCXd23AM8GfIflufDG_fAFZG2XexQ4r3alcIcB18W-E8pZ3CllJ64uFuk7s11AIIkY4Q-Cos1hgYYhjVpVbJdz93WkjZAoaIFZUiwFKVTFrVeIaZ1io/s320/P1130155.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1EcYWRjFqiXYwL9vzqBqx-jWmaka9zDqIZxrUwUu_WubUqNaV-ioilJJG15wqMh9JmV6mv1ybw1vPfAiCn3Oop7eTLOqg0JuC_H9xlVdHkNHqjKBrPN2X3Q8wI-kjb6lx80v5kD-Jdlfu2Hbt6NlUtumJW76vgOGeHkqTz0JM5EW243BI1GrSzryCLI/s4272/P1130159.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE1EcYWRjFqiXYwL9vzqBqx-jWmaka9zDqIZxrUwUu_WubUqNaV-ioilJJG15wqMh9JmV6mv1ybw1vPfAiCn3Oop7eTLOqg0JuC_H9xlVdHkNHqjKBrPN2X3Q8wI-kjb6lx80v5kD-Jdlfu2Hbt6NlUtumJW76vgOGeHkqTz0JM5EW243BI1GrSzryCLI/s320/P1130159.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEggMtzwZBHflJuRFiDSF5vS2M4zeVkdGRNIE0XVApXEp-5dM6oM6arqudjliAxw7LWHiHnZ9qz8W9irOK0zgCjasXLn8cx5SgCznEsX7vWKNDL7Hu0RCzfhH2aXPIXHUCmJtr-HjsWXLaiVw-bKioicNG6WV-JuN0Mjg2KhsFndvJwAA9keB9k2GIM0k/s4272/P1130160.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEggMtzwZBHflJuRFiDSF5vS2M4zeVkdGRNIE0XVApXEp-5dM6oM6arqudjliAxw7LWHiHnZ9qz8W9irOK0zgCjasXLn8cx5SgCznEsX7vWKNDL7Hu0RCzfhH2aXPIXHUCmJtr-HjsWXLaiVw-bKioicNG6WV-JuN0Mjg2KhsFndvJwAA9keB9k2GIM0k/s320/P1130160.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">A quick walk around the town of Sinai introduced us to this delightful Romanian Ski village. <br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">We then went up the hill to Peles Castle for a guided tour. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Peles Castle belongs to the Romanian royal family, and no surprise- they are related to the British royal family. </span></div><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2L6Q88n9s3N2bKL5XcreQ5AJKClMjHZelfEZe4yKSoBLNG78CDz8h7ZllXrer_ym1YC03o1kSgI2jH4e2c2Id0V7nEfOD6nRdhZKd7QWiIslhDVfXJf2hOBKzl78PUN-YMhdHefonHet9qEU-thFLqTaSkTdcDTlEMOEo_GBYXdsCdl-oqbfLqxSSR9Y/s3377/P1130169.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3377" data-original-width="2258" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2L6Q88n9s3N2bKL5XcreQ5AJKClMjHZelfEZe4yKSoBLNG78CDz8h7ZllXrer_ym1YC03o1kSgI2jH4e2c2Id0V7nEfOD6nRdhZKd7QWiIslhDVfXJf2hOBKzl78PUN-YMhdHefonHet9qEU-thFLqTaSkTdcDTlEMOEo_GBYXdsCdl-oqbfLqxSSR9Y/s320/P1130169.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaLmfIQ1f-_RGsZ0JUReCeEfpkyLjcAb2vpz_zXD_z8nxQG5CAsEdHdCZGf_kl9owMIW7eybKYP05kv0hjoYaofbeJ7T16eFfkB91idS1KYSjhxUw7X_1cxqXJK_9AoDc9BfpKxJTRW_HtCGWmcdCE7azE8sLwaDdsf_e32qu-D8-DgZ59odKYBWwu84/s4272/P1130174.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQaLmfIQ1f-_RGsZ0JUReCeEfpkyLjcAb2vpz_zXD_z8nxQG5CAsEdHdCZGf_kl9owMIW7eybKYP05kv0hjoYaofbeJ7T16eFfkB91idS1KYSjhxUw7X_1cxqXJK_9AoDc9BfpKxJTRW_HtCGWmcdCE7azE8sLwaDdsf_e32qu-D8-DgZ59odKYBWwu84/s320/P1130174.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">After the castle tour it was onto the coach to drive to Brasov, our stop for the next two nights. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">The hotel; The Qosmo Hotel, was not in the centre of Brasov, but it was a gorgeous hotel. It looked new and was very modern, with very complicated electronics to operate the lights!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"> Dinner was provided at the hotel, it was good, especially the Pumpkin soup; that was delicious.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Opposite the hotel was a large, modern shopping centre, the shops had really nice clothes in at reasonable prices. We did a lot of Christmas shopping. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><u>Day Three.</u></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Following breakfast Cecilia accompanied us on a walking tour of the city of Brasov. The city is known as 'The Crown of Transylvania'. There was a short tour around the city highlights, then an optional longer walk along the city walls, for those who wanted to do it. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8oyl2aiKk6NK19VpgJgTOTt40GLA8wq-um0ZwD11WlY37Udz4-mFax9KAwdqZn7CbLamhTB02BctKCl61U0hhFqIiRA5RfiuCe-M_a0T9PWCpB-F2pUMUgtEyNoQANQA9T6ueOew9IOLTMtvtMTLsmtt0Lqrl_X1pgVYEN2-NIhQgEtod4h6h5ujWug/s4272/P1130186.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS8oyl2aiKk6NK19VpgJgTOTt40GLA8wq-um0ZwD11WlY37Udz4-mFax9KAwdqZn7CbLamhTB02BctKCl61U0hhFqIiRA5RfiuCe-M_a0T9PWCpB-F2pUMUgtEyNoQANQA9T6ueOew9IOLTMtvtMTLsmtt0Lqrl_X1pgVYEN2-NIhQgEtod4h6h5ujWug/s320/P1130186.JPG" width="214" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZgohxcPwykWdbl6wuKgMyW8zgkNu3p97vNP6LM9RhToAs9imVHO3bTikBEX8GvZle2Uo2YhUNqTf84buMa_hzgAEi04cRMb89B7-eEgUPH1Hv2k7mHx36FbFcQG4ooyy5hpFXNPXRWPafKEvhvqrixhYCrKG551ynPfNnURn46u-ztKvHG9SCK9UIFk/s4272/P1130187.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicZgohxcPwykWdbl6wuKgMyW8zgkNu3p97vNP6LM9RhToAs9imVHO3bTikBEX8GvZle2Uo2YhUNqTf84buMa_hzgAEi04cRMb89B7-eEgUPH1Hv2k7mHx36FbFcQG4ooyy5hpFXNPXRWPafKEvhvqrixhYCrKG551ynPfNnURn46u-ztKvHG9SCK9UIFk/s320/P1130187.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUWWKo3Ow6XnK0zc9Y32w2Je8zZd_BNf2kajUlGcxpIDKjtjOquZwmM6PvA92FW4X824XITsIuoDvT2juCq8uYIqzEl2yjFUG_MNGcPbRnVpAI7lSNPVJGuqPtHGfpD_gWkoO3gn52-a_TmayGzIQdOFNDY6bkrmj-nFJpmVccygawqgitevj_b411xE/s4272/P1130200.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVUWWKo3Ow6XnK0zc9Y32w2Je8zZd_BNf2kajUlGcxpIDKjtjOquZwmM6PvA92FW4X824XITsIuoDvT2juCq8uYIqzEl2yjFUG_MNGcPbRnVpAI7lSNPVJGuqPtHGfpD_gWkoO3gn52-a_TmayGzIQdOFNDY6bkrmj-nFJpmVccygawqgitevj_b411xE/s320/P1130200.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>Following a hot chocolate to warm up - it was a bitterly cold day. We explored the Black Church with Cecilia then boarded the coach for the drive to Bran.</span><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Located in the hilly forests of Bran is 'Dracula's Castle' . The castle was built in the 14th Centaury by the Germans, and Bram Stoker made it famous by using it as the setting for Dracula in his novel. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">First we had a very tasty lunch of traditional Goulash in the Queen Marias Tea House located below the castle. Then we had plenty of time to explore the castle itself and check out the souvenir shops. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDnAyHI4G_6N2IjvheQIJgtdOcaQeB40R-LUXyxesu_ynPyOLlI_5KX06ZS6a_IYpc-uAhx2_IV807JisrcWS4_kq5pE-Meiblams7e_Vc0jCfM_n1a9-Z-8C58C37od08bvxPkzm3CsNjCDJXTUmMosHSkX9keiDC8Uz56R6FoPl9X_BgRoubYhyphenhyphenjzA/s4272/P1130205.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzDnAyHI4G_6N2IjvheQIJgtdOcaQeB40R-LUXyxesu_ynPyOLlI_5KX06ZS6a_IYpc-uAhx2_IV807JisrcWS4_kq5pE-Meiblams7e_Vc0jCfM_n1a9-Z-8C58C37od08bvxPkzm3CsNjCDJXTUmMosHSkX9keiDC8Uz56R6FoPl9X_BgRoubYhyphenhyphenjzA/s320/P1130205.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGAwLMKf0WIlP_f3pe5PRSazNqJOPSuh6sEuMwuq48193QCSmZm3f8AJK7pW73blSPHtFwJGh99GPUr1SqKrlLejrpUkIsJWbO-fT5BLqDkrKnjdq2SRgcrIpfa7fknJ3Vo3D0l0Q4VXOVkPBNhpG3Q_LoYVy-7NP3tWo1YcZ3hPBvIDpWy0nxH0FbIw/s4272/P1130209.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVGAwLMKf0WIlP_f3pe5PRSazNqJOPSuh6sEuMwuq48193QCSmZm3f8AJK7pW73blSPHtFwJGh99GPUr1SqKrlLejrpUkIsJWbO-fT5BLqDkrKnjdq2SRgcrIpfa7fknJ3Vo3D0l0Q4VXOVkPBNhpG3Q_LoYVy-7NP3tWo1YcZ3hPBvIDpWy0nxH0FbIw/s320/P1130209.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHxAhxuokTnHcanstx1UGDVWGtrldgl0Q39l4s_78lW8ILkxjX3uPBA9YuEXJ9O1wgOO3meD4A7TsIcYwtNNXfewU1ua66lGKYueRJed6ttwOCCFOY8rT449opS7wh_wC8mOOgy-iOFR9VsitBq2fjVvLN6ogF383B0uRbyDfylIia2NdNvINTN7p1bE/s4272/P1130235.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHxAhxuokTnHcanstx1UGDVWGtrldgl0Q39l4s_78lW8ILkxjX3uPBA9YuEXJ9O1wgOO3meD4A7TsIcYwtNNXfewU1ua66lGKYueRJed6ttwOCCFOY8rT449opS7wh_wC8mOOgy-iOFR9VsitBq2fjVvLN6ogF383B0uRbyDfylIia2NdNvINTN7p1bE/s320/P1130235.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Returning to Brasov we went to the Christmas market and enjoyed the mulled wine- it was very strong; I think it was hot brandy!</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ed6piTW3b4J4692xjtTzZhb8p41bklJPWDmafCZsn2mHwsVXGa0FFyMKrGp4URhyhhwY8BdvHeUUq98nV_qzFpo55z2Yc8IseOzeRAtv_OqPz3DFoEiXccNRPNyqAaA-OW7oH5hicCTf7R2bA4G33mWG5tftIBD54tTghHWqgxcnvnzm0m7EwpzJtzA/s4272/P1130239.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Ed6piTW3b4J4692xjtTzZhb8p41bklJPWDmafCZsn2mHwsVXGa0FFyMKrGp4URhyhhwY8BdvHeUUq98nV_qzFpo55z2Yc8IseOzeRAtv_OqPz3DFoEiXccNRPNyqAaA-OW7oH5hicCTf7R2bA4G33mWG5tftIBD54tTghHWqgxcnvnzm0m7EwpzJtzA/s320/P1130239.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQKUd1jLtmvqu3RhAgYq-w3jdm8dPIbYROQjlxJtU-shS3GqvgYis-G59r-ZBbiqn-EoLZiyS-FhdomxhM0ay1BATJX4nBPi85SGZyciaSXZQQWsVdDZAfH-4UFODPzwRd8PcMQX_ltkRa5LYzM3VLlZ2egQ5ib8aB38FDZmUOvkFIBA9ljNu2hFoZiU/s4272/P1130240.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQKUd1jLtmvqu3RhAgYq-w3jdm8dPIbYROQjlxJtU-shS3GqvgYis-G59r-ZBbiqn-EoLZiyS-FhdomxhM0ay1BATJX4nBPi85SGZyciaSXZQQWsVdDZAfH-4UFODPzwRd8PcMQX_ltkRa5LYzM3VLlZ2egQ5ib8aB38FDZmUOvkFIBA9ljNu2hFoZiU/s320/P1130240.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><u>Day Four </u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">we travelled by coach to Sighisoara, a Medieval fortress town. The guided walking tour showed us all the sights. We visited the birth place of Dracula, with himself in the coffin!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4hyphenhyphenGxSGLxAIvCIDe4I4NiuE9q1iJlAwVuKI6Oro-cS8pZtXwv8v7YyLXuo_WAZAtfXYPdEhicCn5Qot7Fujplt0DhyphenhyphenU1J-i7VYCjEtG6dxo4DBOGM9BycB680AFDBwC__Cd14y8Gqdgy8H8okLOYXW5bQgDVkAVOX-S3RLhWHsogjsmIXT5Bxn_MjdMA/s4272/P1130242.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4hyphenhyphenGxSGLxAIvCIDe4I4NiuE9q1iJlAwVuKI6Oro-cS8pZtXwv8v7YyLXuo_WAZAtfXYPdEhicCn5Qot7Fujplt0DhyphenhyphenU1J-i7VYCjEtG6dxo4DBOGM9BycB680AFDBwC__Cd14y8Gqdgy8H8okLOYXW5bQgDVkAVOX-S3RLhWHsogjsmIXT5Bxn_MjdMA/s320/P1130242.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyQas1B4LQdqqkjf5xY082DUREoGVYwDlythAPboe456RtXSDrvthPZiEofxGSTIFa1OMLyazsj-VQb18gb8DyQ6pcXMKhioZg0EUtS7HAIzjmawoOoQvcZfOqcAz8N94k8R3kni322iI0sqFp_uxSNYofHKTI1EhyaaOpbhAbkbw9QTf9Ick8gaTtDU/s3157/P1130250.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2110" data-original-width="3157" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSyQas1B4LQdqqkjf5xY082DUREoGVYwDlythAPboe456RtXSDrvthPZiEofxGSTIFa1OMLyazsj-VQb18gb8DyQ6pcXMKhioZg0EUtS7HAIzjmawoOoQvcZfOqcAz8N94k8R3kni322iI0sqFp_uxSNYofHKTI1EhyaaOpbhAbkbw9QTf9Ick8gaTtDU/s320/P1130250.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0DncmeiiwwxYd401KVgRdUKZbMFiuUgYPSPIGBFGBRlOr0Y8r90DEId2XhNhOYXtk4RghpLBTby2J_-y_Ul87NBQgSqUGGN2rxJTZ9CTRMkFjE5zzU3Fg4ZkgP_P72VsfJOcQqXWBtKDJBEtgRqJf9EeOCsqbB1VNwVhEuXCjs0jNGQ_4OA1QgT_wlo/s4272/P1130243.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0DncmeiiwwxYd401KVgRdUKZbMFiuUgYPSPIGBFGBRlOr0Y8r90DEId2XhNhOYXtk4RghpLBTby2J_-y_Ul87NBQgSqUGGN2rxJTZ9CTRMkFjE5zzU3Fg4ZkgP_P72VsfJOcQqXWBtKDJBEtgRqJf9EeOCsqbB1VNwVhEuXCjs0jNGQ_4OA1QgT_wlo/s320/P1130243.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Back on the coach it was a short journey to Sibiu and we were very pleased that the Continental Hotel was located within the Old Town. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Dinner was provided by the hotel, it was a buffet, the first on this tour and for the first time there was not a lot of food left by the time we got to it. So we went to a local restaurant in the old town and enjoyed a traditional meal of a tasty, filling soup and cabbage rolls served with sour cream and polenta. Then explored the large Christmas Market. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cQ3X61mNWxhrA1eDuYr7sm5Js_tA24m_UmOJhCB91RiNwKiaRLVaZi_BmUFqTTlXROYFwz2VPw6jWREfSmrANFLAJnHD5DWKg1D8NTLlwHxmZv6Ka6M67EOVIqsKj3GHQUf49CCjJuBXGkX2jugfb3HsFwjNCdVUoYKWyPYNg177IH50ihaAaTRvsTU/s1170/407268253_10160237917507582_1633256150672023246_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="876" data-original-width="1170" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cQ3X61mNWxhrA1eDuYr7sm5Js_tA24m_UmOJhCB91RiNwKiaRLVaZi_BmUFqTTlXROYFwz2VPw6jWREfSmrANFLAJnHD5DWKg1D8NTLlwHxmZv6Ka6M67EOVIqsKj3GHQUf49CCjJuBXGkX2jugfb3HsFwjNCdVUoYKWyPYNg177IH50ihaAaTRvsTU/s320/407268253_10160237917507582_1633256150672023246_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikiBuSxDhhUyXwf8i562g6w3cA6Ecum_BMhiF8UhdE2Raq0gQAOLGEI3kyFAFKgoMLZIhGnw46bJ7NTanghk72xJbRDqHd3jM7jxXnKa_A6CaQUYAtRcXv4SGXxt_VmJxAuRBxA_O0b-1k0VKMA_I-TwAA0iMZEwIJ2bbUywSChcK0KD6-BX2E68v6jE/s1560/407818226_10160237917187582_4817635584699597003_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikiBuSxDhhUyXwf8i562g6w3cA6Ecum_BMhiF8UhdE2Raq0gQAOLGEI3kyFAFKgoMLZIhGnw46bJ7NTanghk72xJbRDqHd3jM7jxXnKa_A6CaQUYAtRcXv4SGXxt_VmJxAuRBxA_O0b-1k0VKMA_I-TwAA0iMZEwIJ2bbUywSChcK0KD6-BX2E68v6jE/s320/407818226_10160237917187582_4817635584699597003_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VXO1YpavDf1p8GWtAfGiV5fHcnj21_fjcpVz1pdnVdHWO7kJZnkQCdVpa1NKuWLv_meGHxRgZOe-NEgViAQmFVySdEKhg7Vtqhtf_ho44cjxBooRq_UhJwtnpxuYn1JH7RTs68jrjSGIgqePMwGhGLIfV0ArXTq8IhxDoy_z4Fhs-4m2sgo_aot48RA/s1494/408362346_10160237916977582_2600934218835774209_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1494" data-original-width="1007" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6VXO1YpavDf1p8GWtAfGiV5fHcnj21_fjcpVz1pdnVdHWO7kJZnkQCdVpa1NKuWLv_meGHxRgZOe-NEgViAQmFVySdEKhg7Vtqhtf_ho44cjxBooRq_UhJwtnpxuYn1JH7RTs68jrjSGIgqePMwGhGLIfV0ArXTq8IhxDoy_z4Fhs-4m2sgo_aot48RA/s320/408362346_10160237916977582_2600934218835774209_n.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><u>Day Five</u></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Walking from the hotel into the town of Sibiu we had a guided walking tour of the Old Town. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">One of the highlights was attending the Orthodox Church and participating in the St Nicolas day celebration. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Sibiu is a beautiful town and I was glad that we had a free afternoon to explore, we visited the local markets and </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">climbed to the top of the Clock Tower. </span></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWb-_GJfcsH9MnSgz9-bCMmdcbxCrZc-MXQ4kbW5vzu_NVocNpVMEBCXKkhelZuh5kFALYzuJFrdBPHYRA9meo5fOYBHAguOTy_wMisGRtqiLOzWIwTc0fFvmlgRx6UXS-ngiBz7OvtmkUC3bwRPtC-v1hhYH_4JXUT6StDOmY1PdRM4j9Rt7_1zvBL4/s4272/P1130272.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRWb-_GJfcsH9MnSgz9-bCMmdcbxCrZc-MXQ4kbW5vzu_NVocNpVMEBCXKkhelZuh5kFALYzuJFrdBPHYRA9meo5fOYBHAguOTy_wMisGRtqiLOzWIwTc0fFvmlgRx6UXS-ngiBz7OvtmkUC3bwRPtC-v1hhYH_4JXUT6StDOmY1PdRM4j9Rt7_1zvBL4/s320/P1130272.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLazakwrdLmxBHDEOgnvdvE-Fiw94JGsf33L-91iBGJe4mgEiqqJSU64HwdaZ5__3KHYMvh6h_9SjOdEcVxaRRMK2nggwIKrT1E9YqZMddDX1JuxRblNohsHqATHrXkUePnRCSlMnzRhSXEFtZnjYbBNiT3Q4X8rwyhci-d6QJMTzo2esY-7KuuS9orA/s4272/P1130274.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYLazakwrdLmxBHDEOgnvdvE-Fiw94JGsf33L-91iBGJe4mgEiqqJSU64HwdaZ5__3KHYMvh6h_9SjOdEcVxaRRMK2nggwIKrT1E9YqZMddDX1JuxRblNohsHqATHrXkUePnRCSlMnzRhSXEFtZnjYbBNiT3Q4X8rwyhci-d6QJMTzo2esY-7KuuS9orA/s320/P1130274.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzLWmB3WHaKLUUR0G9oWRY6Di5v30YiWo_ITcPjxsBnRpMAGk5tDYGsIWMxrk5rZMFVQ1CT1y0ZSmw4agBYgBmAB3DAr1KuJoq4puRLUedS5KhUHNJlCyR0wbzYWlS-LYMHP7nJHp4CKhxemkcexPR1ZGic3IQ4yLLOIjOw4iU4LIeyoU-9xKKcwjy_Y/s3157/P1130276.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3157" data-original-width="2111" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzLWmB3WHaKLUUR0G9oWRY6Di5v30YiWo_ITcPjxsBnRpMAGk5tDYGsIWMxrk5rZMFVQ1CT1y0ZSmw4agBYgBmAB3DAr1KuJoq4puRLUedS5KhUHNJlCyR0wbzYWlS-LYMHP7nJHp4CKhxemkcexPR1ZGic3IQ4yLLOIjOw4iU4LIeyoU-9xKKcwjy_Y/s320/P1130276.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1hsr_v7SOJ2I46PnTrhQQXMpIRtWkDQq4DQXRuErHqH4iB5hA8s4ZoG2N0YSUkBTwLbRtlkI6U4YNiVzHI1V1x3S5itCoyJwzkLZ4DcOrNdfX26jC2hXVZoku7uSVpFiMTePxtmVCu5XjT6fpDx1iFZOH9obHULgPuDFjlcWKjrnXQt3h04Q4t031pQ/s4272/P1130280.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1hsr_v7SOJ2I46PnTrhQQXMpIRtWkDQq4DQXRuErHqH4iB5hA8s4ZoG2N0YSUkBTwLbRtlkI6U4YNiVzHI1V1x3S5itCoyJwzkLZ4DcOrNdfX26jC2hXVZoku7uSVpFiMTePxtmVCu5XjT6fpDx1iFZOH9obHULgPuDFjlcWKjrnXQt3h04Q4t031pQ/s320/P1130280.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitI1TLah-3jYPK0OJWUvkMPgN0QZjsXESxfYqZCVeIrLDqN8_gpynrN0IdQzqkC6vrUIJJHeBZUIQJm3Ac9cSCWUAMUUMBaD366r6s85a5CcQbuJDEV2oVyy-h40XCt_rrnOxXZ2uMNBLDS1zgUouPn_5aAaRlV5OFMsg_j6RxbOxytFoMnopbY5q17W4/s4272/P1130281.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitI1TLah-3jYPK0OJWUvkMPgN0QZjsXESxfYqZCVeIrLDqN8_gpynrN0IdQzqkC6vrUIJJHeBZUIQJm3Ac9cSCWUAMUUMBaD366r6s85a5CcQbuJDEV2oVyy-h40XCt_rrnOxXZ2uMNBLDS1zgUouPn_5aAaRlV5OFMsg_j6RxbOxytFoMnopbY5q17W4/s320/P1130281.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAiOYfR8Dq8KBI7N5oV3rFwqXg-3VcbRAifOGrUJQnSBUJyqgBCmb2ZkDNrmy8CLA1h1TbXz7054HXfZ6SndnEgTmvbZsNiFbxtbN2EyxbAmT3Le5-vmjVOrX0n4_jgdbbKDpHj-uKDiTmut-RYjguQn0tRau_9NJmjCwhJ1xKt3VjvRYfeA0BSnNnPY/s4272/P1130282.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWAiOYfR8Dq8KBI7N5oV3rFwqXg-3VcbRAifOGrUJQnSBUJyqgBCmb2ZkDNrmy8CLA1h1TbXz7054HXfZ6SndnEgTmvbZsNiFbxtbN2EyxbAmT3Le5-vmjVOrX0n4_jgdbbKDpHj-uKDiTmut-RYjguQn0tRau_9NJmjCwhJ1xKt3VjvRYfeA0BSnNnPY/s320/P1130282.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShnzJiNcos_AQSPzy-Gg1j6Cw77FDNR8whx_pXIQar6LWGiaYo82EY8ZGo-3OsrTIAS0Z05kkXIAZf0AWxo_vFyo6EdnWOgp7BpkvbUnsJ2KBRYO5a8zD0OO47TU5WBx1dtToWN63f9uMVhreetmhB4CbB1567WmZaN6cHyPWl0fOl6O0Z_ml2xUs8ng/s3959/P1130284.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2647" data-original-width="3959" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhShnzJiNcos_AQSPzy-Gg1j6Cw77FDNR8whx_pXIQar6LWGiaYo82EY8ZGo-3OsrTIAS0Z05kkXIAZf0AWxo_vFyo6EdnWOgp7BpkvbUnsJ2KBRYO5a8zD0OO47TU5WBx1dtToWN63f9uMVhreetmhB4CbB1567WmZaN6cHyPWl0fOl6O0Z_ml2xUs8ng/s320/P1130284.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08iegVtH4ZxCrl9LJx5Rrm4PDSoXUdQtIb5S1e0WgUMmjrLgE3ltJG-ybfThckTU_5VmVir-jVYVXXn9RoHEMZ5HkOl0zJdvHVJ0hgT_6-mYKWkc7O3Sp8MoOhyuU4ILfFFSPq98vCncan8TsqA4HcEkw5MRoC351IivhopGx7Jeyjbhy0xlEiKyv5-4/s4272/P1130286.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi08iegVtH4ZxCrl9LJx5Rrm4PDSoXUdQtIb5S1e0WgUMmjrLgE3ltJG-ybfThckTU_5VmVir-jVYVXXn9RoHEMZ5HkOl0zJdvHVJ0hgT_6-mYKWkc7O3Sp8MoOhyuU4ILfFFSPq98vCncan8TsqA4HcEkw5MRoC351IivhopGx7Jeyjbhy0xlEiKyv5-4/s320/P1130286.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">In the evening the coach took us to a nearby village, Sibiel, where the whole group had a traditional dinner at the home of a local (must be a large) family. Home made Wine / Beer and </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">Plumb</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> Brandy was included. The menu for the traditional dinner was the same as we had the night before; but the </span>restaurants<span style="font-family: inherit;"> food was better! </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Day Six </u></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">it was a very early start today as the coach left the hotel at 07.00 and took us to Sibiu train station. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We then got a small local train; only two carriages, that took us on a scenic journey to Calimanesti. sadly the weather was poor, with low cloud so it wasn't the best conditions to enjoy a scenic journey. We then visited the Cozia Monastery and watched an Orthodox service. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">it was then a very long and slow coach journey to Bucharest where we went to the Christmas market in Constitution square </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JN5-iMYVdZq5ZtQA9FhXl6gJCaimibCS8iZIRzlkT_YQse2lFsK5KJzZ31PbDIH4aJyai1zjCgkbJuY47FI-Ar5P39F15_2mB7MoPV3TU_RX4dcw8ydyuqvTh5gl7UvmfnSbSwbCRLVRTMG_k2FoDpcuJOx8uccBPK1wRuqcFXiwfCSnxbwMN8IhbvA/s1560/408382337_10160238934392582_2337361091459973969_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1JN5-iMYVdZq5ZtQA9FhXl6gJCaimibCS8iZIRzlkT_YQse2lFsK5KJzZ31PbDIH4aJyai1zjCgkbJuY47FI-Ar5P39F15_2mB7MoPV3TU_RX4dcw8ydyuqvTh5gl7UvmfnSbSwbCRLVRTMG_k2FoDpcuJOx8uccBPK1wRuqcFXiwfCSnxbwMN8IhbvA/s320/408382337_10160238934392582_2337361091459973969_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0KwkixDQA_nlD8Tag-C1iEGfgSb5SUFkFvwDzpULofd5KiSk0Jh_RLdjUTl1Oozckt_g6UU8bsZJpHQ4IuQjZKXMF8T_pimWd-LI-vDudEyptypW-y8Sfw_n-T8ykJ-x2dgHNqZz_Whspu9-Cswh5kKfE8N5Ln8axjitaPQaVlIqrSNJxAePFERuXIg/s1560/409320436_10160240520222582_1216134913591564750_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj0KwkixDQA_nlD8Tag-C1iEGfgSb5SUFkFvwDzpULofd5KiSk0Jh_RLdjUTl1Oozckt_g6UU8bsZJpHQ4IuQjZKXMF8T_pimWd-LI-vDudEyptypW-y8Sfw_n-T8ykJ-x2dgHNqZz_Whspu9-Cswh5kKfE8N5Ln8axjitaPQaVlIqrSNJxAePFERuXIg/s320/409320436_10160240520222582_1216134913591564750_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;">before checking into the Union Plaza Hotel again. This time we were on the 10th floor in a very large room. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Dinner tonight was included and was in the Old Town at a traditional restaurant. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Day Seven</u></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The final day, another early start as we had a 10.00 booking at the Romanian Parliament Palace / Building.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-c8ILPOkRDubnRCO5cvk_6roFkhryL48rB81trlbVA1ZpiMH8pcluBsNP1y8uxUVDUrPLSh4JGpLsRVrBKIWKiHPMoanXwpKNDX3HUqDc2fHgtI0YN8AlRQs4Ft4YR-VhNlla143iy-Vdz-xiXKuU8kBnHX9GajybP3VgPaO5RQQ2DcGh3P6OWNXPOw/s1072/409298341_10160240520102582_5093846433971390257_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1072" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT-c8ILPOkRDubnRCO5cvk_6roFkhryL48rB81trlbVA1ZpiMH8pcluBsNP1y8uxUVDUrPLSh4JGpLsRVrBKIWKiHPMoanXwpKNDX3HUqDc2fHgtI0YN8AlRQs4Ft4YR-VhNlla143iy-Vdz-xiXKuU8kBnHX9GajybP3VgPaO5RQQ2DcGh3P6OWNXPOw/s320/409298341_10160240520102582_5093846433971390257_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvXEvWkKbztIkJbjqSIA-nBf-PgkP7U2anDagD1dbk58F2iVqHIHHsWhbd90povqkG3mw-hYTrL4AmolLIKgG3eyfvcAnjcA4koiResH5i9PugV4_NrQF5doIT9bGtBZUmNY1ld-B5qpyS0rIzL0n4OiIl1lamPeiX8Xe4twAg07S4gTfxF32mLelddE/s4272/P1130291.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Emirates Airline" border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdvXEvWkKbztIkJbjqSIA-nBf-PgkP7U2anDagD1dbk58F2iVqHIHHsWhbd90povqkG3mw-hYTrL4AmolLIKgG3eyfvcAnjcA4koiResH5i9PugV4_NrQF5doIT9bGtBZUmNY1ld-B5qpyS0rIzL0n4OiIl1lamPeiX8Xe4twAg07S4gTfxF32mLelddE/w214-h320/P1130291.JPG" title="Emirates Airline Uniform" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Emirates Airline New Uniform? </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzzZ3mVrUyrjGoucOtQunabAfwk-j1Hv1NJseW5LaZnUntNYfp0-UK5yN85NyLl1w4-powtIhCzMWp7NAOm9XAEpgTZ__aBtsE7h8GkO-bLj8tEFs6oWWPsLOc-2e_b8Q4-x6nND2MMWKTX_KQDpi7JOcgMfdVtSsxSAzgxGswmdUfM8PacoobgTTquU/s4272/P1130297.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGzzZ3mVrUyrjGoucOtQunabAfwk-j1Hv1NJseW5LaZnUntNYfp0-UK5yN85NyLl1w4-powtIhCzMWp7NAOm9XAEpgTZ__aBtsE7h8GkO-bLj8tEFs6oWWPsLOc-2e_b8Q4-x6nND2MMWKTX_KQDpi7JOcgMfdVtSsxSAzgxGswmdUfM8PacoobgTTquU/s320/P1130297.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEouGy3HAUIoV902C_nqpilCV7O78Z_Pl5TycQaNr-KDvKVklVTnuSub2oX1hN__yG6WHQNIrX03CWD2s9XThU1JOy1iSToR9KnaWRX2KYcx9Nlf2YLLZKw7-XaAY3Oyd5p-JtpkY1JEjrJ9pZQm8hi6hBKB0uhi2eWtImLyp6fK0T1BkGGyZS4fDH5iY/s4272/P1130300.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEouGy3HAUIoV902C_nqpilCV7O78Z_Pl5TycQaNr-KDvKVklVTnuSub2oX1hN__yG6WHQNIrX03CWD2s9XThU1JOy1iSToR9KnaWRX2KYcx9Nlf2YLLZKw7-XaAY3Oyd5p-JtpkY1JEjrJ9pZQm8hi6hBKB0uhi2eWtImLyp6fK0T1BkGGyZS4fDH5iY/s320/P1130300.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYBntvyYy2L0DBu_pS7TKlVkB7usTxqSpEljY-KGdeWOUtXY4QCn_XAs0d7kA5t4llrpx0P0bCAqJ1ne8VRvxFFuu6yETWIAOjbz7QHWjDY-8tDIH952vfVWNOzS-uSusSb3UHyzPBhhaqHYu2S34lGNkVoHRqgEUUz1MF3mwA7aT9hTzkfdd4_qC8TE/s4272/P1130298.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYBntvyYy2L0DBu_pS7TKlVkB7usTxqSpEljY-KGdeWOUtXY4QCn_XAs0d7kA5t4llrpx0P0bCAqJ1ne8VRvxFFuu6yETWIAOjbz7QHWjDY-8tDIH952vfVWNOzS-uSusSb3UHyzPBhhaqHYu2S34lGNkVoHRqgEUUz1MF3mwA7aT9hTzkfdd4_qC8TE/s320/P1130298.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">following the visit, time was given to visit the Christmas market again, but it was very wet in the square so we skipped the market and walked around the Old Town before returning to the coach.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then it was time for the short drive to the airport to get the British Airways flight to Heathrow. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The flight arrived late, and so was an hour late into Heathrow, baggage collection was painfully slow. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was a rush to get from terminal 3 to terminal 5 for our BA Manchester flight. We just made it!</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I enjoyed the Ledger Holiday, the hotels were of a good standard and the food was mostly OK. the driver and local guide were both excellent. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I felt the itinerary was just a day to long, as day six was a bit of a drag and very drawn out, and I would have been happy to skip the monastery and return from Sibiu to Bucharest on that day, and get the early flight home on the last day. But overall it was a good tour and I would book with Ledger again.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"> </span><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0Romania45.943161 24.9667619.899178569478828 -10.18949 71.987143430521172 60.12301tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-77036217716677344992023-11-09T17:33:00.001+00:002023-11-09T17:33:48.625+00:00Rugby World Cup 2023, Quarter Finals in Marseille. England v Fiji, Wales v Argentina. More food, wine and beer.<div style="text-align: left;"> <span style="font-size: x-large;">It was back to Marseille for the quarter finals weekend. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Direct Manchester to Marseille flights are Ryanair, on a Tuesday & Thursday. So we went on the Thursday flight, this was an evening flight arriving into Marseille airport late at 22.45. The passengers on this flight were mainly rugby supporters, mostly Welsh, as the two quarter finals were England v Fiji and Wales v Argentina. We had tickets for both games. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">At Marseille airport there is a bus that takes you to the main station, they are very frequent and it is a good service. It take about 30 to 40 minutes to get into the town.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">For the first night were were in the Novotel overlooking the port, as we arrived so late we just managed to get a drink before the hotel bars shut!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriA-ZGECkucMNv9UzXUJi8q-XSlv2U_QWcb_ZxtpcdDCDA3CIl2WehQp9ignUSsc2ELv-NR4AKmJ1L1K1rRjn41Wq1CXto-m5DdAkBhT3uuIdAnvVrup5uDBzrwg5F3J59h8BqCzO-vk5LqYlphSW0gBls1v2coAPiHKNS55cFOFL_lUPNK4XnYvwYt4/s4032/IMG_5248.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjriA-ZGECkucMNv9UzXUJi8q-XSlv2U_QWcb_ZxtpcdDCDA3CIl2WehQp9ignUSsc2ELv-NR4AKmJ1L1K1rRjn41Wq1CXto-m5DdAkBhT3uuIdAnvVrup5uDBzrwg5F3J59h8BqCzO-vk5LqYlphSW0gBls1v2coAPiHKNS55cFOFL_lUPNK4XnYvwYt4/s320/IMG_5248.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmeTrqtLFbK9aLu44ID_r6K4E39YwceL1bUPvfiy6995ajXr53dieOol5ShVrsu1jsc37WN-EX4Vo1AnGcIMayd5iudd_FjIS6eCk5UNPB43wtSfyB5YIDgH5C3ddaFxC6Eu8JrX4xyg6n8eu6EkUm5_kFuAIitTinEAHEYx9GLSkIYkA9oN1X_wQn-Q/s1967/IMG_5250%20(2).JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1967" data-original-width="1476" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixmeTrqtLFbK9aLu44ID_r6K4E39YwceL1bUPvfiy6995ajXr53dieOol5ShVrsu1jsc37WN-EX4Vo1AnGcIMayd5iudd_FjIS6eCk5UNPB43wtSfyB5YIDgH5C3ddaFxC6Eu8JrX4xyg6n8eu6EkUm5_kFuAIitTinEAHEYx9GLSkIYkA9oN1X_wQn-Q/s320/IMG_5250%20(2).JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">We stayed in three hotels during this visit and the Novotel was the best. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">In the morning it was time to depart from the Novotel and walk over to the Ibis Styles Marseille. This was in a busy but relatively scruffy part of town, once inside the hotel and rooms were OK, clean and comfortable and bigger than the hotel in Nice. As we were early we couldn't check in, but we could leave our bags. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">We walked around the harbour to the fort, then got the little 'train' up to the cathedral and later had a nice meal in the Port Vallon des Auffes.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjithpyTR7BAwUyAJ-mcn0pM5hQsHZI0PTG_pPRR1xlqI_Drp1esDra9jXPTYwcMQhHpXQZLzS6sIehxQpBEZxL_F5NWrT-LLPjhwWAoyPUY66u2LsyJ6rozLnE9EuVmYUwuyrsFYpfdMTPLxiYAewqIoBt830yoxHkLBEkYsjPNwwVqve42k30Tj5x18c/s4032/IMG_5262.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjithpyTR7BAwUyAJ-mcn0pM5hQsHZI0PTG_pPRR1xlqI_Drp1esDra9jXPTYwcMQhHpXQZLzS6sIehxQpBEZxL_F5NWrT-LLPjhwWAoyPUY66u2LsyJ6rozLnE9EuVmYUwuyrsFYpfdMTPLxiYAewqIoBt830yoxHkLBEkYsjPNwwVqve42k30Tj5x18c/s320/IMG_5262.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnKcLPN_OT3zgTb6kqIjrTISjrXfQTSzLkkLwpJTVU3koi-FiiP7iTsU9Q1Wf1rspB3h72P5qWhf-jg4I8nEjLC-ovyo2bmPiNnPEXa_gCAtK-V8A5Ye9r_Q0aCPwCotGZX1j3E6WKRaS-DzmpNfmpjDn76kpGPq-n8Na7b0AhdYApJ8ESsk5tq-12s0/s4032/IMG_5264.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwnKcLPN_OT3zgTb6kqIjrTISjrXfQTSzLkkLwpJTVU3koi-FiiP7iTsU9Q1Wf1rspB3h72P5qWhf-jg4I8nEjLC-ovyo2bmPiNnPEXa_gCAtK-V8A5Ye9r_Q0aCPwCotGZX1j3E6WKRaS-DzmpNfmpjDn76kpGPq-n8Na7b0AhdYApJ8ESsk5tq-12s0/s320/IMG_5264.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-rWZq6OGE_wS-4fgrzcXgMhqyb9LJjt67i07O-OfAJ3_BlposWzSa0d0tEKMaQBA61oREWzpAj4A1QnrwIjHSqphqzbzyrh4ML9fF7g-IMF2NHqaUM-qXgdwVfUP9_fJe29Sx2qL2CcieZ9qdia_cWXrVKAz214drL4BrKfUxY9T9XrnGoy6azjFyNU/s4032/IMG_5267.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS-rWZq6OGE_wS-4fgrzcXgMhqyb9LJjt67i07O-OfAJ3_BlposWzSa0d0tEKMaQBA61oREWzpAj4A1QnrwIjHSqphqzbzyrh4ML9fF7g-IMF2NHqaUM-qXgdwVfUP9_fJe29Sx2qL2CcieZ9qdia_cWXrVKAz214drL4BrKfUxY9T9XrnGoy6azjFyNU/s320/IMG_5267.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDK-mPfSDJl3BXFYDD5oAfwJ0xbVe2KA-73bfZcm0TcjAcr4Tpw3nsxYM01vWU5aQjO6hJhGbPj6KOO3wtRvBzupNn2gV-UlLz_E_NlIpXzFti0AerQIF3px4BrZ9GMR1zbJGhm7sdHd5SgpEsFcsT5aciBz1Yv6LKApE_FGtLFB0o4gP4tEMZ6jWnlw/s4032/IMG_5274.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEDK-mPfSDJl3BXFYDD5oAfwJ0xbVe2KA-73bfZcm0TcjAcr4Tpw3nsxYM01vWU5aQjO6hJhGbPj6KOO3wtRvBzupNn2gV-UlLz_E_NlIpXzFti0AerQIF3px4BrZ9GMR1zbJGhm7sdHd5SgpEsFcsT5aciBz1Yv6LKApE_FGtLFB0o4gP4tEMZ6jWnlw/s320/IMG_5274.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBR12HKfenoXcoH6lTyxeAQy4PksVNBMzVmjRoRiSdGiNTBz31spzZIIN4cfz0VNzt3IO6HSCpCWlatR_Rl2Z8SW2f-Dv_auQNOFU39WbFJKdhzAAQICbDHpgjt3k2nyEUWw8E8excmrq1v-tYzO-M5lcUaRKrFl1LXm24OwKskvlHirBdHUfD3-FvysM/s4032/IMG_5278.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBR12HKfenoXcoH6lTyxeAQy4PksVNBMzVmjRoRiSdGiNTBz31spzZIIN4cfz0VNzt3IO6HSCpCWlatR_Rl2Z8SW2f-Dv_auQNOFU39WbFJKdhzAAQICbDHpgjt3k2nyEUWw8E8excmrq1v-tYzO-M5lcUaRKrFl1LXm24OwKskvlHirBdHUfD3-FvysM/s320/IMG_5278.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZN6jIJYitQi3cKRZ0dEf5Iaayd5ZG2xq1IUzLKNsTqpLxUORglDqBYPgOPXlWzOkkCEgV9_Hbr7NKeefVDb00sfveduvf9l83NlImPq-EIigt97phHL4z-Yj4vEIL0K9xJZR0TgsB-zIW5v4PsLxBmWZeiB8we7CJJOcrJAbz84bDaRicYe3sZB_XXI/s4032/IMG_5280.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKZN6jIJYitQi3cKRZ0dEf5Iaayd5ZG2xq1IUzLKNsTqpLxUORglDqBYPgOPXlWzOkkCEgV9_Hbr7NKeefVDb00sfveduvf9l83NlImPq-EIigt97phHL4z-Yj4vEIL0K9xJZR0TgsB-zIW5v4PsLxBmWZeiB8we7CJJOcrJAbz84bDaRicYe3sZB_XXI/s320/IMG_5280.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9AkdggMg6LavtODBrjJEJ6iAmv1242B3yOBQxVoiXugNLWXd3Ul2JwfeZJNEOfqzyWQXyJIzFdz_lvK7nsg3_JShIQyXod8n_RCsUxNOuVih1WP36fK7OyElw9O2jTvcuMSEuoTR_TnLS6aSS7BXVnoltDaF_POHze_AuZRUvtYuFUJIijs9P53HieQ/s4032/IMG_5284.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL9AkdggMg6LavtODBrjJEJ6iAmv1242B3yOBQxVoiXugNLWXd3Ul2JwfeZJNEOfqzyWQXyJIzFdz_lvK7nsg3_JShIQyXod8n_RCsUxNOuVih1WP36fK7OyElw9O2jTvcuMSEuoTR_TnLS6aSS7BXVnoltDaF_POHze_AuZRUvtYuFUJIijs9P53HieQ/s320/IMG_5284.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">The next two days were carbon copies of each other-apart from the matches! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">However on the Saturday we went to the beach at du Prado before getting the bus up to the stadium for the Wales v Argentina match. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Snb2h3dODU828wls5KyzDjGRy8pzpF4bVYG0m9oPSx0PO5PXpgtrTZESaZ5K_8y7g9mY7YkYd0hmSnV39MhvhEe80Z3S1D5wwTFyyDDs6A7R6ei3PVZ0rmiEWXB5Iswn_WFRynUeuKpe0-RDy_ezqw-0A2EZwL6wm1XqLNwmwhEtuGrbSzD-6sbQEoU/s4032/IMG_5322.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Snb2h3dODU828wls5KyzDjGRy8pzpF4bVYG0m9oPSx0PO5PXpgtrTZESaZ5K_8y7g9mY7YkYd0hmSnV39MhvhEe80Z3S1D5wwTFyyDDs6A7R6ei3PVZ0rmiEWXB5Iswn_WFRynUeuKpe0-RDy_ezqw-0A2EZwL6wm1XqLNwmwhEtuGrbSzD-6sbQEoU/s320/IMG_5322.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBDxDCA0gm9xwINUCrUoEQThJZ-vBdXt3U7OKUKeF8eYweJrAt-_PJUYeRBTtHegX_sDebOs0AHHBKPzADDuZziWJLNAnyLD2J_5yv4DiijO4JXtQxlTaWCltojUTlhj3QGKCaQxAS5OJcwjggezZ8AmrLG4pkRTbc6Ne4Y__Qbv5kb9ftkA5mVDc_Rs/s4032/IMG_5316.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbBDxDCA0gm9xwINUCrUoEQThJZ-vBdXt3U7OKUKeF8eYweJrAt-_PJUYeRBTtHegX_sDebOs0AHHBKPzADDuZziWJLNAnyLD2J_5yv4DiijO4JXtQxlTaWCltojUTlhj3QGKCaQxAS5OJcwjggezZ8AmrLG4pkRTbc6Ne4Y__Qbv5kb9ftkA5mVDc_Rs/s320/IMG_5316.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfu5f7hd-GbvnQMsGAWIvgVo5ogyRFGkYdUL4LnqH246WffPRfMgEWWrWvKT4ml8ZpVacQrHnNVcSszVnVqGvFaL5N6EUpxR7NSpBPZAPPxPxOBesg4tCDuC56adBLECL-GtUdq2afS9ghrVj_TaZuaueCJb1JpCDBXQf_zllZP6ID8jbeTa1dGkOgZY/s4032/IMG_5313.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicfu5f7hd-GbvnQMsGAWIvgVo5ogyRFGkYdUL4LnqH246WffPRfMgEWWrWvKT4ml8ZpVacQrHnNVcSszVnVqGvFaL5N6EUpxR7NSpBPZAPPxPxOBesg4tCDuC56adBLECL-GtUdq2afS9ghrVj_TaZuaueCJb1JpCDBXQf_zllZP6ID8jbeTa1dGkOgZY/s320/IMG_5313.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyv8rYTqTs6rGjhZwksBRvtuIUgc_NX7qQulxUI0mqCbXLp6QTI3Hw340dNXLTiEFLODyYzCOElVvu7NYgb3QcKm6ZUxsDoXLvqDs3SSvKm9gStOM7g1KqXGSsPpCNk-yhYrZ5KVYZuGcb3Khi6iOmMsR9mrk18V2tMZVMZJeHwzOwTbowgvJSGms6DGs/s4032/IMG_5311.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyv8rYTqTs6rGjhZwksBRvtuIUgc_NX7qQulxUI0mqCbXLp6QTI3Hw340dNXLTiEFLODyYzCOElVvu7NYgb3QcKm6ZUxsDoXLvqDs3SSvKm9gStOM7g1KqXGSsPpCNk-yhYrZ5KVYZuGcb3Khi6iOmMsR9mrk18V2tMZVMZJeHwzOwTbowgvJSGms6DGs/s320/IMG_5311.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>The Sunday was England v Fiji, Fiji played really well and it was good match. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrzZXyT3f2wn4kBMSalHN7sxDvn2xlL56PWZAOs7FmMJb36bToZox1ZHbR7Cg-SSEOMtgkHrR6mVJmY4W-WIvSsYsjpvTDc35P0xTT4lhgXMc__PQkWrXfHLjxGRIrrGMFLbYLQVWaZNf3BHO2pep9-F7vyix_sOZ0jHpEXi1P8BIObrUEUgB0qHV3Io/s4032/IMG_5347.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrzZXyT3f2wn4kBMSalHN7sxDvn2xlL56PWZAOs7FmMJb36bToZox1ZHbR7Cg-SSEOMtgkHrR6mVJmY4W-WIvSsYsjpvTDc35P0xTT4lhgXMc__PQkWrXfHLjxGRIrrGMFLbYLQVWaZNf3BHO2pep9-F7vyix_sOZ0jHpEXi1P8BIObrUEUgB0qHV3Io/s320/IMG_5347.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">After the game we did hang around and congratulate the team then walked a quick as we could to get back into Marseille to watch the France v South Africa game. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xxx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSg3vWZeuECzeGe3Vbn8z23ApEkJ8V9y_2nfAlhmLz7VpfYUsyLgMv4ZOhciIVuTVcbQ2tWIczJm1ENAG5Jw8zE6biRF6XTROFcGaKJnRNFZYGdZCAP9kdFcVsxgBJ6I9RQUwSdnrSektgqK7RF7WCE888pLFix3iAmJncid0-wyf9mMFGSSD91-jIXN0/s4032/IMG_5350.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSg3vWZeuECzeGe3Vbn8z23ApEkJ8V9y_2nfAlhmLz7VpfYUsyLgMv4ZOhciIVuTVcbQ2tWIczJm1ENAG5Jw8zE6biRF6XTROFcGaKJnRNFZYGdZCAP9kdFcVsxgBJ6I9RQUwSdnrSektgqK7RF7WCE888pLFix3iAmJncid0-wyf9mMFGSSD91-jIXN0/s320/IMG_5350.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">There were not many big screen and every bar in the harbour area was packed out so we ended up outside our hotel sitting in the street with all the French to watch the South Africa v France game!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-size: x-large;">On the Monday morning we checked out of the Ibis, but again could leave the bags. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-size: x-large;">At the harbour we got the boat over to the Islands, Les Iles. The ticket showed the first stop as the Chateu d'if, but the boat did not stop there it stopped at Port du Friouibut on Les Iles. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="font-size: x-large;">It was rather a bleak, windy place, with a few restaurants - all closed. <span style="font-family: inherit;">We walked across to </span></span><h1 class="DUwDvf lfPIob" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-radius: 0px; border: 0px; color: #202124; font-feature-settings: inherit; font-kerning: inherit; font-optical-sizing: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-alternates: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; font-variant-position: inherit; font-variation-settings: inherit; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.75rem; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Feu de cap Caveaux.</span></h1><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqgORSapNgCad7MFPJJnTu35s99C8UbJScsomPTqn6PILvklLEF8DO9HMTKlEsDOwQpPN8QcxAkpOpsEOJ5nR3-0xzFZ7n5P_JtExKPy_mxiDXVfRoHt-ZQYorNMIXrMZXhmmYx7z5bG4zCJ07dxxWo2SgC_KJkTuBEJtwvMW46rKpm05LoJ_FNRtv-E/s4272/P1130135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXqgORSapNgCad7MFPJJnTu35s99C8UbJScsomPTqn6PILvklLEF8DO9HMTKlEsDOwQpPN8QcxAkpOpsEOJ5nR3-0xzFZ7n5P_JtExKPy_mxiDXVfRoHt-ZQYorNMIXrMZXhmmYx7z5bG4zCJ07dxxWo2SgC_KJkTuBEJtwvMW46rKpm05LoJ_FNRtv-E/s320/P1130135.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">Back in Marseille, we had to find our next hotel. A digital one. Maison Juste. It was easy to find the building. To get in you had to download an app to your phone, turn on Bluetooth, and at 16.00 a digital key arrive and unlocked the door. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">The area was the scruffiest we had stayed in, but once inside the studio type apartment was very nice. As having a phone was vital to getting in and out of the digital hotel, I was very glad to see a lot of charging points!</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqmgsCl9hKhRg8QZMluW4xD2OAlbS_S_zSvjYUUC5MjqMPqHZpUcxhhLub75EMx2bOaIG7Oyt5Ftvf4_JFCARPNJ3hlZ7AuhWFhyphenhyphenanAkmasXcG5qpAzyFPsrkTwz_VcA5kSLSKyhgl8XjxmXGjM86fIY1WczB4Iikzge3YmcG06XMSBvpkOm6ml-jFxI/s4032/IMG_5373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrqmgsCl9hKhRg8QZMluW4xD2OAlbS_S_zSvjYUUC5MjqMPqHZpUcxhhLub75EMx2bOaIG7Oyt5Ftvf4_JFCARPNJ3hlZ7AuhWFhyphenhyphenanAkmasXcG5qpAzyFPsrkTwz_VcA5kSLSKyhgl8XjxmXGjM86fIY1WczB4Iikzge3YmcG06XMSBvpkOm6ml-jFxI/s320/IMG_5373.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maison Juste</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5PYG0JJ_-qIMOAw0KY6A3sTHSyjlMgAIvoBgzm1Mkdg2EUxPBYntagvMPfYe065V6eYhW4PQO3FNJBCV1nQ7N-IJw_IWmW5BdekaOUtvRIgDDtK8wTGeiNlMzMKYG2vaiJgWKEQPZ3bTQ4SKMPmFxtK10jfCB6Osjhc5EI8egEgrSge_yKLU4s9exbs/s4032/IMG_5375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM5PYG0JJ_-qIMOAw0KY6A3sTHSyjlMgAIvoBgzm1Mkdg2EUxPBYntagvMPfYe065V6eYhW4PQO3FNJBCV1nQ7N-IJw_IWmW5BdekaOUtvRIgDDtK8wTGeiNlMzMKYG2vaiJgWKEQPZ3bTQ4SKMPmFxtK10jfCB6Osjhc5EI8egEgrSge_yKLU4s9exbs/s320/IMG_5375.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maison Juste</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On Tuesday the 17th October the Ryanair flight to Manchester was very late at 23,40. So this was another full day in Marseille, it was a very dull, overcast day. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I read that there was a fishing village L'Estaque, and that the train journey from Marseille to the village was picturesque. The station has a good left </span>luggage<span style="font-family: inherit;"> facility so once we had left the bags there we got the train to L'Estaque. Maybe we got off the train to soon, but in the very short train ride to the fishing village all I saw was </span>graffiti<span style="font-family: inherit;"> filled walls and railway sidings. The village its self was all closed up for the winter. Not one shop open. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">It was fortunate that the public transport in </span>Marseille<span style="font-family: inherit;"> is so good as a bus arrived and we got it back into </span>Marseille<span style="font-family: inherit;">. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We then explored the Le Docks Village, and the massive shopping </span>centre<span style="font-family: inherit;"> opposite. Finding large screens </span>that had been showing the rugby matches in both locations!!</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwwqPc2XwX8HIm2maKCest1O7JfWhKf9WBR63t9_qOvxkY47SV3ru3mdVSlcvo-akDmL9vKwOjHyJYDLixxIaOagAwYWnyAAVQJuDEVCynOQgNK5Cj_bAbbcw9WPzFluwPXUsogt5FsW7_9TzLDhmbhT2s7Tz6XpOmRW8QigJNhMsi-BTJYfV0ZiIJYo/s4272/P1130148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjwwqPc2XwX8HIm2maKCest1O7JfWhKf9WBR63t9_qOvxkY47SV3ru3mdVSlcvo-akDmL9vKwOjHyJYDLixxIaOagAwYWnyAAVQJuDEVCynOQgNK5Cj_bAbbcw9WPzFluwPXUsogt5FsW7_9TzLDhmbhT2s7Tz6XpOmRW8QigJNhMsi-BTJYfV0ZiIJYo/s320/P1130148.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyyf2OyA2qBGlkO0Rp05epJw88q_rOG6Xaip_wW2z07_spDym-kX0i8MMXnTQcbwUQ9DF2CnvEEEyqUvc9Zz2YkVJXEwYFbgj0ELRnzw2GIgHBatw5qE9LG8xV3tN1bpFjgxRRD-JnP4-sgQt0QpX4BhE7woffDEM2ocBdDRdE6WozQbP7eAEYxI2Xjg/s4272/P1130147.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyyyf2OyA2qBGlkO0Rp05epJw88q_rOG6Xaip_wW2z07_spDym-kX0i8MMXnTQcbwUQ9DF2CnvEEEyqUvc9Zz2YkVJXEwYFbgj0ELRnzw2GIgHBatw5qE9LG8xV3tN1bpFjgxRRD-JnP4-sgQt0QpX4BhE7woffDEM2ocBdDRdE6WozQbP7eAEYxI2Xjg/s320/P1130147.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh409lqHs6WzUuQLfEGgohG-SBq6W3xhwNablF6O4Q3AFGL_ZU756BVHSG2Rxnb3X19oGpWexBdpICvaz1zHUvYV3nzsb3raZq5AE4BgrVc_pB-lPfYHExiOXpqh53S2CJs0cW08EU83RlLSMLBPwxH_8GKqxoo6F6pqfFPSdbK5x-d84boomBPGuAJwRk/s4272/P1130145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh409lqHs6WzUuQLfEGgohG-SBq6W3xhwNablF6O4Q3AFGL_ZU756BVHSG2Rxnb3X19oGpWexBdpICvaz1zHUvYV3nzsb3raZq5AE4BgrVc_pB-lPfYHExiOXpqh53S2CJs0cW08EU83RlLSMLBPwxH_8GKqxoo6F6pqfFPSdbK5x-d84boomBPGuAJwRk/s320/P1130145.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCANR9Fpv0XkNg06RdHS7jrJPqA4V4NNNTJdlLVPdFhy-HVFzCXJ0n5YWgMgCZNnt7gyad0u4JIX-CKWAneeOcmCC83bWcye3D18TijJN5uWqkKywBaaOHi-EFDijn4ZdNW7lOeQ5nOw4d3JqUzqlo7boqpaIu0LbKjjG1z0WKSphNmSlO4Bm0eW6Eyw/s4272/P1130141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuCANR9Fpv0XkNg06RdHS7jrJPqA4V4NNNTJdlLVPdFhy-HVFzCXJ0n5YWgMgCZNnt7gyad0u4JIX-CKWAneeOcmCC83bWcye3D18TijJN5uWqkKywBaaOHi-EFDijn4ZdNW7lOeQ5nOw4d3JqUzqlo7boqpaIu0LbKjjG1z0WKSphNmSlO4Bm0eW6Eyw/s320/P1130141.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: inherit; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLaXiZXcqKCcqr3t0XX6unZjuqv1ZIjyBsIWKJcdXCfs7uTiSZZKXBuNAU99ROjo6pgRqqLWu7DOBcKKg5ezY1mFNGGgTFpOvMWnXwEvLgjqgfAl-IIy97ylKgUIHjlUCj097aVXywFFdpiCeTFIeGeL6EVcPICqD_9OVObGpCJPabKNp4qxnDnAo-qA/s4272/P1130140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLaXiZXcqKCcqr3t0XX6unZjuqv1ZIjyBsIWKJcdXCfs7uTiSZZKXBuNAU99ROjo6pgRqqLWu7DOBcKKg5ezY1mFNGGgTFpOvMWnXwEvLgjqgfAl-IIy97ylKgUIHjlUCj097aVXywFFdpiCeTFIeGeL6EVcPICqD_9OVObGpCJPabKNp4qxnDnAo-qA/s320/P1130140.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;">Collecting the </span>luggage<span style="font-family: inherit;"> and getting the bus back to the airport was easy. The </span>Ryanair<span style="font-family: inherit;"> flight was late in but made up the time and it was a bumpy landing at Manchester. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">So that was it, the end of our Rugby World Cup 2023 journey. The Semi final and final would be watched on the telly. Having attended each Rugby World Cup since 1999 we had decided that this one would be our last. We have enjoyed them and had so many </span>different<span style="font-family: inherit;"> experiences at each one.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">For 2023, I think France did a better job of hosting the 2007 </span>tournament<span style="font-family: inherit;">, some how there was a </span>lack<span style="font-family: inherit;"> of </span>commitment<span style="font-family: inherit;"> on this occasion. The fan zones in 2007 were fabulous </span>whereas<span style="font-family: inherit;"> this time they were </span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">awful. I certainly enjoyed the food and wine, especially in Marseille, we didn't have one bad meal. From pancakes to scallops, each meal was delicious. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-size: xx-large;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-81079669565354425662023-11-06T19:34:00.114+00:002023-11-09T16:31:51.108+00:00Rugby World Cup 2023, October 5th to 8th, England v Samoa. A weekend in Brussles!<p> <span style="font-size: x-large;">Lille was the venue for the last of England's pool games, this time verses Samoa. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Lille does not have an airport with any connections to the UK. Flying from Manchester, we would have had to go to CDG Paris then travel to Lille. So I decided to go to Brussels with Brussels Airlines then get the Eurostar to Lille. Also staying in Brussels was a lot cheaper than the (Rugby induced) inflated prices in Lille. And we had been in Lille in 2007 and for the last England pool match so Brussels would be a change. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Brussels Airlines flight was a morning flight out of Manchester, so we had time to have a great breakfast at the San Carlo at the airport. <br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPfP8T0kCaT1kb2kQGmSq9v22E2B2W_5LrJq9LL0yG1Q1eZYTgDGpMlRNxKPvVHk7UqZz083YN4qNK1J7nrlmDlDUanxvnZ1s1xSWA8yRLCoQFHrlSmdla0dWLly6vTigCoOaAthi6JOcLiprTJ6RYIpjfrlZWaB-jtPRMEElCor6IC9ld2azsGJvkmE/s4272/P1120997.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgPfP8T0kCaT1kb2kQGmSq9v22E2B2W_5LrJq9LL0yG1Q1eZYTgDGpMlRNxKPvVHk7UqZz083YN4qNK1J7nrlmDlDUanxvnZ1s1xSWA8yRLCoQFHrlSmdla0dWLly6vTigCoOaAthi6JOcLiprTJ6RYIpjfrlZWaB-jtPRMEElCor6IC9ld2azsGJvkmE/s320/P1120997.JPG" width="214" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJypSAdJaogYsJjjCpbxlKat8IUZ8hiFWqJacHwZCz6NQoi9MC7GY7-jRsyfqNJdwbb6jMZeS2nPLSXIm6Jec5mxCAUA3-BilX6RpBmX2qYElH-QTVoe1oSrg5hHnO_ieht-wf5Vlw-I7wqJ54h-MG73zRQFRn0KXJn6ILmEia3MflRmOcctefIPDbaKM/s4272/P1120995.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJypSAdJaogYsJjjCpbxlKat8IUZ8hiFWqJacHwZCz6NQoi9MC7GY7-jRsyfqNJdwbb6jMZeS2nPLSXIm6Jec5mxCAUA3-BilX6RpBmX2qYElH-QTVoe1oSrg5hHnO_ieht-wf5Vlw-I7wqJ54h-MG73zRQFRn0KXJn6ILmEia3MflRmOcctefIPDbaKM/s320/P1120995.JPG" width="320" /></a></div></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The flight was on time and a decent experience. Good seat with OK leg room, nice crew. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We then got the train from the airport into Brussels, this was 10 Euro, and walked from the station to the Citadines Aparthotel Saint Catherine. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">This was perfect accommodation, a very clean studio, comfortable, well located being central with a lot of coffee shops, bars and restaurants next to it. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">I didn't have high expectations of Brussels, but it turned out to be a great 'city break'.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Firstly we visited the Chocolate museum, and learnt about all things chocolate, and tasted lots of it as well! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1wHTi33mjLrjOCqfBWyyLd8HKCDgLoggj1m8VQKNvkKGxx1Y9-eeiPEo4v3ozG_HNtF9B8r973oSrfwu8dPM-S7r6rk2nJZ8GobbR_f8FVgItu4zwMs2vonK-16SRN64EAQ8AJhs1VvxPcXKCTYxi5ymARTQUPEte4VN94sLGPF9QWvWvsqXLtEgyOk/s4032/IMG_5087.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1wHTi33mjLrjOCqfBWyyLd8HKCDgLoggj1m8VQKNvkKGxx1Y9-eeiPEo4v3ozG_HNtF9B8r973oSrfwu8dPM-S7r6rk2nJZ8GobbR_f8FVgItu4zwMs2vonK-16SRN64EAQ8AJhs1VvxPcXKCTYxi5ymARTQUPEte4VN94sLGPF9QWvWvsqXLtEgyOk/s320/IMG_5087.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLt0iJ53lBqyeJqBDIv7xEVf99M7xCwXqqv9oY3np5z1PUdz4hdgxWfKDzxrVPKRJ0jg9wKOYeU1YcgWyEfdxqvxq1H3ILa9dzYO0lSp__IN1E85dz4zSOPG5xFHM33s79c_48ppFr0ogmiJB5q72GWu7nxaG6BuF4UvnskzLdF13n4jdBLxtuqQrNQDs/s4032/IMG_5088.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLt0iJ53lBqyeJqBDIv7xEVf99M7xCwXqqv9oY3np5z1PUdz4hdgxWfKDzxrVPKRJ0jg9wKOYeU1YcgWyEfdxqvxq1H3ILa9dzYO0lSp__IN1E85dz4zSOPG5xFHM33s79c_48ppFr0ogmiJB5q72GWu7nxaG6BuF4UvnskzLdF13n4jdBLxtuqQrNQDs/s320/IMG_5088.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJP3_j_qHDn0DLMnKRSedSUgor6_X9m-zTwlTVAEaTEJUXpzZwf8Vl9NvdX1w6MeWOLCUlguvrAmc-FLs5coXb6Uo5wTnptBJAdUj-erVg_xLPeMTNvS5Uh9r4SDb32sygmLx4HhvrwT5-nwqXAHfOjd1Y9ybWRCIxoB4CCg4pOaHjyfX4caANy0xCHI/s4032/IMG_5089.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioJP3_j_qHDn0DLMnKRSedSUgor6_X9m-zTwlTVAEaTEJUXpzZwf8Vl9NvdX1w6MeWOLCUlguvrAmc-FLs5coXb6Uo5wTnptBJAdUj-erVg_xLPeMTNvS5Uh9r4SDb32sygmLx4HhvrwT5-nwqXAHfOjd1Y9ybWRCIxoB4CCg4pOaHjyfX4caANy0xCHI/s320/IMG_5089.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_oRCNaQJRTP9vmtG_AI54T3vVHWUUPQiGI9gI_alwaI12CFjvYz-xsdqJL3KaL3elTYXm_KrGB5Xbp6vdC_dDcxLzfVh45O7InRsqxe2NNjNi-6komAg8wgMfvL7vyjjPoeymD5JvoAMmW_uTUPMgGpspYCti8kCjOdPHB2J7ZjV6x0X8OSJ8NrOy0g/s4032/IMG_5090.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_oRCNaQJRTP9vmtG_AI54T3vVHWUUPQiGI9gI_alwaI12CFjvYz-xsdqJL3KaL3elTYXm_KrGB5Xbp6vdC_dDcxLzfVh45O7InRsqxe2NNjNi-6komAg8wgMfvL7vyjjPoeymD5JvoAMmW_uTUPMgGpspYCti8kCjOdPHB2J7ZjV6x0X8OSJ8NrOy0g/s320/IMG_5090.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Then the fries and waffles were very tempting:</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFBEL6AeZ6IeKC4vIC4J56VucnH9L0ufHPShCxhS4bBLwXQ5g5p7qUZJYeyrtvp0AHPGWvSX7m_ocH6usBYAx2hYnRzJ6aeddsEhLEuSQ7TZbw6B-ddlyXH1QB61e5eJGq8TvU-wbyhHFiez8cpK78uPxrVZ1zFLi9bbc9euKPb1Srx5iNfz3BrgjoW4/s4272/P1130076.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcFBEL6AeZ6IeKC4vIC4J56VucnH9L0ufHPShCxhS4bBLwXQ5g5p7qUZJYeyrtvp0AHPGWvSX7m_ocH6usBYAx2hYnRzJ6aeddsEhLEuSQ7TZbw6B-ddlyXH1QB61e5eJGq8TvU-wbyhHFiez8cpK78uPxrVZ1zFLi9bbc9euKPb1Srx5iNfz3BrgjoW4/s320/P1130076.JPG" width="214" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-45Qmc274GZFuC0u1oYixObHrOZFEz2f435Pn87vtHuXdYKiKSkZ7vga0_NMyCwudqlXU4dhd7ed1zqUQE1zFXUhh3WOVkP5CwjfC-RP-b9n4hRouB_VbNgnZKwqX26604uKW-EUwo0nFZ07coZt7fNf8x9UQpJisnIegDQKqf2g72u2TthK5k0Xoh-I/s4272/P1130006.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-45Qmc274GZFuC0u1oYixObHrOZFEz2f435Pn87vtHuXdYKiKSkZ7vga0_NMyCwudqlXU4dhd7ed1zqUQE1zFXUhh3WOVkP5CwjfC-RP-b9n4hRouB_VbNgnZKwqX26604uKW-EUwo0nFZ07coZt7fNf8x9UQpJisnIegDQKqf2g72u2TthK5k0Xoh-I/s320/P1130006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQEeMnluuMAl5NmgHCAe3JqRGaN0xIOx_q4KCwAzohC-AHtLhZ3g46OELEd8_t0nSLfYNAqInxeRWzArr-251-eUR-aV50aX3QU5NdRnuoXq7WQwRnqn5pDBYhPOy-Rf6W1id6jMjg-lsVVPvt85KyViQWcb5fPXpHWDV0iavx_opJ6c6mnBVvp5Ji7k/s4032/IMG_5092.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinQEeMnluuMAl5NmgHCAe3JqRGaN0xIOx_q4KCwAzohC-AHtLhZ3g46OELEd8_t0nSLfYNAqInxeRWzArr-251-eUR-aV50aX3QU5NdRnuoXq7WQwRnqn5pDBYhPOy-Rf6W1id6jMjg-lsVVPvt85KyViQWcb5fPXpHWDV0iavx_opJ6c6mnBVvp5Ji7k/s320/IMG_5092.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The Grand Place was very impressive;</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn75cpJuR-98tgpGIGXOKz8cuW_SJEMq71ke13TwHzxy3It43Zd5Js7xQqw5RYNQ4DNbduUfwiIB7QLIcFmN-gGusud2L0HSUlmILUOweIpZjZU_daytFdaOfmcm4cQBNOYPYZgysrydiIWMC_9EqgM96gc5kgb506cB4nJ2XOKa7A0fRiCw35qEX8Wc8/s4272/P1130066.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn75cpJuR-98tgpGIGXOKz8cuW_SJEMq71ke13TwHzxy3It43Zd5Js7xQqw5RYNQ4DNbduUfwiIB7QLIcFmN-gGusud2L0HSUlmILUOweIpZjZU_daytFdaOfmcm4cQBNOYPYZgysrydiIWMC_9EqgM96gc5kgb506cB4nJ2XOKa7A0fRiCw35qEX8Wc8/s320/P1130066.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTW1p7iur2FFcZpenZtKWpLcXnfe1gcd1AYQ5P7lFeWOmxtPgfFB1X4U9ShouKrt6SWCwG72Q1kcVhPGKOsMjzIreHdJa6C1msrv-6KybAIGQAvrztq-wtuzSjaV5yAksXCje4TiJzq8wX4WlEw9Ig5BhlBfOR0ByjIOn5v9W5NuzTcPLJZ2aNGQd3Bk/s4032/IMG_5098.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCTW1p7iur2FFcZpenZtKWpLcXnfe1gcd1AYQ5P7lFeWOmxtPgfFB1X4U9ShouKrt6SWCwG72Q1kcVhPGKOsMjzIreHdJa6C1msrv-6KybAIGQAvrztq-wtuzSjaV5yAksXCje4TiJzq8wX4WlEw9Ig5BhlBfOR0ByjIOn5v9W5NuzTcPLJZ2aNGQd3Bk/s320/IMG_5098.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJD90NMJqU0OIgV-zA5s7aCRDiSdqroEpn4tiKqG-iHpy_io2BHz6Co2XkRX-qh-_aBzVc65gSwW6zW3ZWN0BejZUZfWm_aVNGb2XjF7gymec_MijkIWO3Gg7kxkPKzA_6dgxZulRGxEqasiaqmgTY2NiBLomNhZ-Cz8WqcG2HOwC4NgBYFONtUspZQXA/s4032/IMG_5096.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJD90NMJqU0OIgV-zA5s7aCRDiSdqroEpn4tiKqG-iHpy_io2BHz6Co2XkRX-qh-_aBzVc65gSwW6zW3ZWN0BejZUZfWm_aVNGb2XjF7gymec_MijkIWO3Gg7kxkPKzA_6dgxZulRGxEqasiaqmgTY2NiBLomNhZ-Cz8WqcG2HOwC4NgBYFONtUspZQXA/s320/IMG_5096.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Lots of things weeing!;</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzkkdjnmewZT4t5gdM6kpPmJ1dbeM0433w_rANDRrdeVVvuTj5pdWwsIT0gl1pgBPPaFqPsryMSAZWSTZVnAHNMqsbDQCvCIhvqcjWkfJya6OTPX0iD0kom4KPMjPS7Dv3Fa_BNCqgqcERHO7THSY8RWXW0-GT5vx9J2FbP6Q_oLeinXf45_cH6lTl4A/s4032/IMG_5094.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOzkkdjnmewZT4t5gdM6kpPmJ1dbeM0433w_rANDRrdeVVvuTj5pdWwsIT0gl1pgBPPaFqPsryMSAZWSTZVnAHNMqsbDQCvCIhvqcjWkfJya6OTPX0iD0kom4KPMjPS7Dv3Fa_BNCqgqcERHO7THSY8RWXW0-GT5vx9J2FbP6Q_oLeinXf45_cH6lTl4A/s320/IMG_5094.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rrKkCP0-hOrIlUKrjNEkSlY0zQG0h9La6K-tpE30qRo1OcjsUrwiv2CBbt7fyF4VmypaF9MSYBjB0rV9S_90rki_zWtMGthfVUW8gIZP9aRd86oiR8mm5db4Zb52XyM6ODkvr1EEM4EY_nS-ZPb8RShbQIIOPIANWew9czmKyzJ8WNk0rmvioRsmrDo/s4032/IMG_5106.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rrKkCP0-hOrIlUKrjNEkSlY0zQG0h9La6K-tpE30qRo1OcjsUrwiv2CBbt7fyF4VmypaF9MSYBjB0rV9S_90rki_zWtMGthfVUW8gIZP9aRd86oiR8mm5db4Zb52XyM6ODkvr1EEM4EY_nS-ZPb8RShbQIIOPIANWew9czmKyzJ8WNk0rmvioRsmrDo/s320/IMG_5106.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGciWnfhhMmKDpTlFVcYs15RlN41iQEzy62N6nQYVDFnITe8dufUdjg-y5v_2-r5iHDUMc7wpm4xVVR_JAebvDEFa-bG7_OVsdMR-hnXqoLIfAIruUXXMawkkTyLcQOLpuSx2OYvuNJ6vBjB55CWnwXlnrNTssqqkISyiXkIcCHGx4KVwWfri3NPK4wxw/s4032/IMG_5233.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGciWnfhhMmKDpTlFVcYs15RlN41iQEzy62N6nQYVDFnITe8dufUdjg-y5v_2-r5iHDUMc7wpm4xVVR_JAebvDEFa-bG7_OVsdMR-hnXqoLIfAIruUXXMawkkTyLcQOLpuSx2OYvuNJ6vBjB55CWnwXlnrNTssqqkISyiXkIcCHGx4KVwWfri3NPK4wxw/s320/IMG_5233.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The beer;</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnvEhoeZYXV3SZ0DhTrfio3c71PuZkPco-dq7oB32ZVC57zWEg8XNqyUyfJWqqpIwToDnwZN32aMd3rW3NnqemVPVREb-7Jm_iVtNEoeVeS9y6s07BHFRRgprZbWsDjOChPmYbrROfOcXIepfnhf01-wdZHLyP1N1WuR7iCsJnegwYfv0aAfWNKFNG5E/s4272/P1130014.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBnvEhoeZYXV3SZ0DhTrfio3c71PuZkPco-dq7oB32ZVC57zWEg8XNqyUyfJWqqpIwToDnwZN32aMd3rW3NnqemVPVREb-7Jm_iVtNEoeVeS9y6s07BHFRRgprZbWsDjOChPmYbrROfOcXIepfnhf01-wdZHLyP1N1WuR7iCsJnegwYfv0aAfWNKFNG5E/s320/P1130014.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">And of course Tin Tin;</span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnko_7UjTCL4ABvv_ezenfdxypBHuvfw3x26-sDgmqDMqSgc0UTXeM6HpZ12_vdm9VrXHM3cobfTcbsbXia7ST1nvo3ecOJ89dmhR9xUj2syHyAkB9G_oH2Kuk0UzeTfAKn51CMbMIJ8NpkdZWc1DxpMuj2lKOrZ1CKoQ2T4G4YbxnTF-8Nva_mbnCs2o/s4032/IMG_5084.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnko_7UjTCL4ABvv_ezenfdxypBHuvfw3x26-sDgmqDMqSgc0UTXeM6HpZ12_vdm9VrXHM3cobfTcbsbXia7ST1nvo3ecOJ89dmhR9xUj2syHyAkB9G_oH2Kuk0UzeTfAKn51CMbMIJ8NpkdZWc1DxpMuj2lKOrZ1CKoQ2T4G4YbxnTF-8Nva_mbnCs2o/s320/IMG_5084.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>We were lucky </span><span>as there was a Tin Tin immersive experience on at the Tour and Taxi venue. </span></span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>This was a real bonus and I had truly forgotten how good Tin Tin was and how much I enjoyed his adventures; I am now blaming him for my wanderlust! This experience was the highlight of my weekend. </span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYinBAEgjqCWmmSPCBmmtW426Xh978qPAANu9L0y6kaLC1YqrrBAaQ9ZiZt4gFkgcBPax1R1WrYd8dNkUklEujM-6AHZ-zRInOPdeMFyX9wXRCTr2-h6hkAB3JkUqxx7F6vWqvdM-lwOXcRyVujGP6Ttx_8wzWokV25DFo9cQgr3ghV6hSiYUZViSmgI/s4272/P1130035.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYinBAEgjqCWmmSPCBmmtW426Xh978qPAANu9L0y6kaLC1YqrrBAaQ9ZiZt4gFkgcBPax1R1WrYd8dNkUklEujM-6AHZ-zRInOPdeMFyX9wXRCTr2-h6hkAB3JkUqxx7F6vWqvdM-lwOXcRyVujGP6Ttx_8wzWokV25DFo9cQgr3ghV6hSiYUZViSmgI/s320/P1130035.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9alRPNRUqSJEY1nb7dqmVJ1tP1bIDnBTN8R3gKQhMVzy6jVG6nppLDAkNMArLNnz2TAzTnTr9ZHp41M1mCoprvzguuGR4DdfKI2iUJ5qWaaoFujxYNhx8nT8xt6Ny2djomd9aZlOLnBFbBSnagAsnPC6SxAVkXI7Fduc_s4CHxhFQ_hr6sMcsNpQgvxc/s4272/P1130028.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9alRPNRUqSJEY1nb7dqmVJ1tP1bIDnBTN8R3gKQhMVzy6jVG6nppLDAkNMArLNnz2TAzTnTr9ZHp41M1mCoprvzguuGR4DdfKI2iUJ5qWaaoFujxYNhx8nT8xt6Ny2djomd9aZlOLnBFbBSnagAsnPC6SxAVkXI7Fduc_s4CHxhFQ_hr6sMcsNpQgvxc/s320/P1130028.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RlBYL6kPBjAqOaYExiel8VY08F7MSpO4LRkqqyN-iN_pM7fA0gN1n3S7fTdtxNe2J2bqcengyZDTIRPdMm6_8yDdww6x3vTEkarH68gmz7S6eTvZB3TFZmQm0c_eiK4ARNTfXBxItB-hIN7xmwlHI4G27wcWpavhfhGD06mfn77ayp-MkTZkduJoFuQ/s4272/P1130027.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9RlBYL6kPBjAqOaYExiel8VY08F7MSpO4LRkqqyN-iN_pM7fA0gN1n3S7fTdtxNe2J2bqcengyZDTIRPdMm6_8yDdww6x3vTEkarH68gmz7S6eTvZB3TFZmQm0c_eiK4ARNTfXBxItB-hIN7xmwlHI4G27wcWpavhfhGD06mfn77ayp-MkTZkduJoFuQ/s320/P1130027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0lP36b6ujbTH5HNtE3Fey2Bhoh7AnrYax_D5MWAFna9KFh4qmtsN7KyndS6g-Ajl8BdueQ-8Cb6zL5FE8yfDI_3mdxsnSIgTGwFFsN744n9IPxdCnXcFKdCyISfmFXMPjM_IzqirgAPxJpWfMGjyDeYO2Am269dL2K3ovLLwuIVNnx9l4fFTntBXpxY/s4272/P1130025.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi0lP36b6ujbTH5HNtE3Fey2Bhoh7AnrYax_D5MWAFna9KFh4qmtsN7KyndS6g-Ajl8BdueQ-8Cb6zL5FE8yfDI_3mdxsnSIgTGwFFsN744n9IPxdCnXcFKdCyISfmFXMPjM_IzqirgAPxJpWfMGjyDeYO2Am269dL2K3ovLLwuIVNnx9l4fFTntBXpxY/s320/P1130025.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYoekSw-kQwifaGzlGrtWTry4Wl9skS5NLSS3HkdjMmhi1z9jOn9WeoPsTPmKVB-cm9ElFEgDYlUwFG5nm6Fn8hRZoQxSy1F67sBdF64xGWrti4z_ZoZEvZ6Kp2cCOL4N7yB7OOQ_DKLt097LCMyN0753xz2cXScJdtZ5mesgWmLvr6ciQupnNgp06NE/s4032/IMG_5136.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeYoekSw-kQwifaGzlGrtWTry4Wl9skS5NLSS3HkdjMmhi1z9jOn9WeoPsTPmKVB-cm9ElFEgDYlUwFG5nm6Fn8hRZoQxSy1F67sBdF64xGWrti4z_ZoZEvZ6Kp2cCOL4N7yB7OOQ_DKLt097LCMyN0753xz2cXScJdtZ5mesgWmLvr6ciQupnNgp06NE/s320/IMG_5136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcKg7Z_6EdVitOObSewNCVA0L2-fdpTznutV6rx3u0mG95aYQ0JeUZApQjLmu_htj5pnjUx-mUUZXHnwsuN2kvPkGrmtf3P0hXs9TAq2TKmObo6hLZc38ezcSEPi-SM8dXkmIHzA68Oql4hyphenhyphen1rPFDioliD0q34YS9Cdaaif-POh6W77HMvj501OtY-5U/s4032/IMG_5134.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidcKg7Z_6EdVitOObSewNCVA0L2-fdpTznutV6rx3u0mG95aYQ0JeUZApQjLmu_htj5pnjUx-mUUZXHnwsuN2kvPkGrmtf3P0hXs9TAq2TKmObo6hLZc38ezcSEPi-SM8dXkmIHzA68Oql4hyphenhyphen1rPFDioliD0q34YS9Cdaaif-POh6W77HMvj501OtY-5U/s320/IMG_5134.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>After the full, busy day we just went to a local restaurant close to the accommodation and had a great meal; I had Flanders Stew and great bottle of red wine. </span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Next day, we walked to the station and joined many other England supporters on the Eurostar journey to Lille. Where again we went to the very busy and packed out V & B bar, then over to the stadium to watch the game. Watching England rugby is not always fun and this game proved that fact! </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCynqY29So3hLtyTGbnn12evtqSWCeVK4RNT9dexCpvlYk5m9ENFUtJmaQ1TgVbnUj0QDejMIQSMeGYSpGqQ3YRto9GZNBeEkxlh2m70rPZpQ7e_T5R17SD7NqPBjL7pM_TiqAXv4HBOJFQzI3ly3T749_b8WxMnZMy0QpzwjHuByfzUfJuF_tULQ4-7I/s4032/IMG_5184.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCynqY29So3hLtyTGbnn12evtqSWCeVK4RNT9dexCpvlYk5m9ENFUtJmaQ1TgVbnUj0QDejMIQSMeGYSpGqQ3YRto9GZNBeEkxlh2m70rPZpQ7e_T5R17SD7NqPBjL7pM_TiqAXv4HBOJFQzI3ly3T749_b8WxMnZMy0QpzwjHuByfzUfJuF_tULQ4-7I/s320/IMG_5184.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>After the game, we got a coach to a metro station, joined a very long que that was moving swiftly and got back to Lille main station in plenty of time to get the last Eurostar back to Brussels. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>In Brussels we managed to find a packed Irish bar to watch the Ireland v Scotland game. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Next day, our flight times had changed since I booked them and the flight back to Manchester was now a late one. So we had an unexpected extra day. We got the Metro out to mini Europe and the Atomium;</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaVOj4CgHo6sGQNqAfZKvfP_ntH-gD98bSf1VNLK6VnwGqHlwwD0ntQbBAu3f1CJGYGj5X1OvghIa09JcwEzKzT-gu1qTPrZx8EiM6cAZsijO8u3RYNxw8-V_-ny83_-wI_fRsmPGo9XB8ZsS7f2ZpqV3ENZjYgl4gYo-4vmfEDOc3SYCYr0ZoUqduWo/s4032/IMG_5229.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDaVOj4CgHo6sGQNqAfZKvfP_ntH-gD98bSf1VNLK6VnwGqHlwwD0ntQbBAu3f1CJGYGj5X1OvghIa09JcwEzKzT-gu1qTPrZx8EiM6cAZsijO8u3RYNxw8-V_-ny83_-wI_fRsmPGo9XB8ZsS7f2ZpqV3ENZjYgl4gYo-4vmfEDOc3SYCYr0ZoUqduWo/s320/IMG_5229.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Back in Brussels, the Palace Saint Catherine was very lively with people enjoying Oysters and Champagne for Sunday lunch. We chose Restaurant François and enjoyed the set menu, it was excellent. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">This time we made our way to the airport by bus, the flight was on time and was a good flight home landing into Manchester very late. </span></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-30892739317087225482023-11-06T17:38:00.020+00:002023-11-09T10:16:35.111+00:00Rugby World Cup 2023, France. Troyes, Lille then Manchester<p> <span style="font-size: x-large;">There were no plans for the next three days, just an idea to stop on the way to Lille. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The drive from Zermatt to Lucerne was very easy and took less that three hours. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJAQTI7NqfXobKwMjQ6HUBTdEuPqwzAp_uSxzAw__v9CgIcHubGJCzoWd4zAf2gOiJa8Ux5cRJqinYItqdaNTiOScH1moyHY89HgvcBnB9r0SsicrMxx58Ns3tNXmtkrOzk08vGBCYZEKNm6e3GmH8pa2WsPFRP2XMRz3DltbZOafHRwL-0L9N6kQfUU/s4032/IMG_4964.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXJAQTI7NqfXobKwMjQ6HUBTdEuPqwzAp_uSxzAw__v9CgIcHubGJCzoWd4zAf2gOiJa8Ux5cRJqinYItqdaNTiOScH1moyHY89HgvcBnB9r0SsicrMxx58Ns3tNXmtkrOzk08vGBCYZEKNm6e3GmH8pa2WsPFRP2XMRz3DltbZOafHRwL-0L9N6kQfUU/s320/IMG_4964.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4e4OS-iBtEekVOz9WB5_X24NxeYvqMu19vRJvCKdrNogHQblzfEkyM-yfBMgVJQKu1Qq7eKdm97basw4LC5Vn4zCFm9fi7P3j315B-bSI44YRIhAVSCQFgxHdDrmkdK8LLSD3SoPEwCALRPEWktJLh16aWIXwBY1okWm0PTzKKeJwCJlvepXo8la8as/s4032/IMG_4963.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR4e4OS-iBtEekVOz9WB5_X24NxeYvqMu19vRJvCKdrNogHQblzfEkyM-yfBMgVJQKu1Qq7eKdm97basw4LC5Vn4zCFm9fi7P3j315B-bSI44YRIhAVSCQFgxHdDrmkdK8LLSD3SoPEwCALRPEWktJLh16aWIXwBY1okWm0PTzKKeJwCJlvepXo8la8as/s320/IMG_4963.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsk26tOQne7IcQvs-2MubBF1z2R88Hkm1HQndS8cg1YZhtMAbW8K6b4BOj-QQr9KqYmogNExOOf6zBmyQQ6RoB9dfknH1K280PkUhjzbZqQKJ8gH1PBeeh7LLe2YZaODtSakksEusxYM6x_s9Tm3SndMSYZK3ubghsbNETgXKbhDll-cPzgXtp79zf70/s4032/IMG_4962.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsk26tOQne7IcQvs-2MubBF1z2R88Hkm1HQndS8cg1YZhtMAbW8K6b4BOj-QQr9KqYmogNExOOf6zBmyQQ6RoB9dfknH1K280PkUhjzbZqQKJ8gH1PBeeh7LLe2YZaODtSakksEusxYM6x_s9Tm3SndMSYZK3ubghsbNETgXKbhDll-cPzgXtp79zf70/s320/IMG_4962.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRzlxFTRsVSvq2ddpe3npj3hs8xVtzavyUMRcXmO1HtIgLUM7NCSTkdLl1hXE41o2yaxktU2fqHmUUV_vWuE4BaMWQJxlv1evxrVqmLVEtV3vfObt8KOupLXDYJK90vKBuj44H0f8QIlBeXCTlAsYrkb0fgf410ND92lQEBqqGDxR5uToobcWKM6bmIk/s4032/IMG_4960.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrRzlxFTRsVSvq2ddpe3npj3hs8xVtzavyUMRcXmO1HtIgLUM7NCSTkdLl1hXE41o2yaxktU2fqHmUUV_vWuE4BaMWQJxlv1evxrVqmLVEtV3vfObt8KOupLXDYJK90vKBuj44H0f8QIlBeXCTlAsYrkb0fgf410ND92lQEBqqGDxR5uToobcWKM6bmIk/s320/IMG_4960.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We didn't stay in Lucerne, but went on towards Troyes, but got lost in road works and ended up driving through rural France and part of the Champagne route. It was a very long day, at last we arrived in Troyes. Only to find that all the reasonably priced hotels were booked up. We did eventually find a hotel with a room, the Hotel La Maison De Rhodes. It was far above our budget but by now we were beyond caring! Note to self- Next time communicate and plan ahead! </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Troyes turned out to be a a city full of Gothic churches and timber framed buildings from the 16th century. In the past it was famous for stained glass, and this was on display in all of the churches, and it is part of the Champagne region and has may champagne bars. As it was wet and raining we sampled a few glasses of the local brews!</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXzX9cTLQ16TMu_b1oSU0wx3jdPqc724P9P9OzsC8BU-lkA9656euTfE8BEc5ua7KlOpIIxWSOo7Sh2wlrgqWDF9z8-Wu8syxf-B2hVZ57pYskvBSZh6s4rwPbIjroCBZE-rGE0wIq7AtbBfTo4rME6YiqrHvFUE82dEd3kPtjuznrdzW40raDwTSA3w/s4032/IMG_4971.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXzX9cTLQ16TMu_b1oSU0wx3jdPqc724P9P9OzsC8BU-lkA9656euTfE8BEc5ua7KlOpIIxWSOo7Sh2wlrgqWDF9z8-Wu8syxf-B2hVZ57pYskvBSZh6s4rwPbIjroCBZE-rGE0wIq7AtbBfTo4rME6YiqrHvFUE82dEd3kPtjuznrdzW40raDwTSA3w/s320/IMG_4971.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtcAml9HrYpLllcjMRmv_6Ruwm1-Fv6wPurf7YVicYc7tWmhG9ftd7hi29X25RZd6pF3FgXhvCM76yY8PJvYlJUXDvApJ_S6GLd4TsB6PRpe3D6rgRlS22RS8JEEACuskL6JpwCsLfdE5N5AYQFFxTHv9X-ep4uYxepYVT5b-GJhlBbHEP8a1Tt8MBb7Q/s4032/IMG_4983.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7l2r86TGdAPQawukcEahTjGpknlOkISTx-dapPk6M54e4TF4gAGh49fWK8f1UANEAqgvxhwExbrnEyyPOxqCgtAKsniI0xJ0sMUJc84KtihO-mV3tUmfS_BKwtH4IUbB7HjbHjmXzB32s4m2Yp75i6sjwcZhhM_fMwjV-DOACiUh7D9FqT8om2PtmqTk/s4032/IMG_5020.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7l2r86TGdAPQawukcEahTjGpknlOkISTx-dapPk6M54e4TF4gAGh49fWK8f1UANEAqgvxhwExbrnEyyPOxqCgtAKsniI0xJ0sMUJc84KtihO-mV3tUmfS_BKwtH4IUbB7HjbHjmXzB32s4m2Yp75i6sjwcZhhM_fMwjV-DOACiUh7D9FqT8om2PtmqTk/s320/IMG_5020.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMfUy-sBXToM0djyt4Ci4QILhdtUsLsXEtJO1oX1u3mXN5cEuiNXo-KpRHb160-_AvCNI4hkH2VsmHJJ2UY_Z5qQGhC-e8_0Ko0yk7qEIuoGyDIMiVql880GjsCTKG278AlJtj6i9ve5RyfQNLSC14DNWmGTK24ZZGtY_Qxnmmps-9SCkORZSPUiJfUs/s4032/IMG_5027.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMfUy-sBXToM0djyt4Ci4QILhdtUsLsXEtJO1oX1u3mXN5cEuiNXo-KpRHb160-_AvCNI4hkH2VsmHJJ2UY_Z5qQGhC-e8_0Ko0yk7qEIuoGyDIMiVql880GjsCTKG278AlJtj6i9ve5RyfQNLSC14DNWmGTK24ZZGtY_Qxnmmps-9SCkORZSPUiJfUs/s320/IMG_5027.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimzLd08wKytNiqTWdQDFthbmfC-TQeq161oWACKzTW-G1z8R1c5B3fV8EO4pdt2f9nAnVO9lXeuorksNdlA0YK0gqi5_S9Ryv0jftHV8mrWzMKXpasodA-jHeUeJ6fk94j2oeNlMYlEAm2dBisF4gITgeSodfNpBkIJdJf1ygTdRsGvkmdHsnPm0-E1s/s4272/P1120970.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimzLd08wKytNiqTWdQDFthbmfC-TQeq161oWACKzTW-G1z8R1c5B3fV8EO4pdt2f9nAnVO9lXeuorksNdlA0YK0gqi5_S9Ryv0jftHV8mrWzMKXpasodA-jHeUeJ6fk94j2oeNlMYlEAm2dBisF4gITgeSodfNpBkIJdJf1ygTdRsGvkmdHsnPm0-E1s/s320/P1120970.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Before we set off to Lille for the next rugby match I booked a hotel! </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The journey to Lille was uneventful, it was dull and raining most of the way. we didn't have time on this occasion to visit the battlefields around Lille, but hope to do this on another occasion. This time it was to watch England v Chile at the Stad Pierre Mauroy. The fan zone in the town was again a disappointment, but we did find a great pub near to the stadium, the V & B Cave and Bar. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquDZrA0YkNkqY_4Lb4d1mAxR4ZzgSkgAE3AWEN_CYpGnu37bpD4HdvDr0Slc-gFXgCy6Bc5baPWTmOBpOrGseyJQcEA6f5adj_m1nj6AFvHOt1TEmaxXa8kbQlHlM0zVYqpvGpKPbiMNwZHhTbIGQHZff3yAWiR5nPz_YQ2qMIkVfA95FEc4nHXLl4Jg/s4032/IMG_5043.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjquDZrA0YkNkqY_4Lb4d1mAxR4ZzgSkgAE3AWEN_CYpGnu37bpD4HdvDr0Slc-gFXgCy6Bc5baPWTmOBpOrGseyJQcEA6f5adj_m1nj6AFvHOt1TEmaxXa8kbQlHlM0zVYqpvGpKPbiMNwZHhTbIGQHZff3yAWiR5nPz_YQ2qMIkVfA95FEc4nHXLl4Jg/s320/IMG_5043.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhobpPDh7yFdnxUwYpO8Y1_ovwnzLRXOw_JZToD_uUVDKwwICeq2s_7Y_3Jy4IWyHzYCXNgf053PxQh7JDJKAaQ4v7sqwzqcAopkvjtzzDDXKAWIDtLeWZsf8MnwkGW5UD7ziLcy3JmAYTmTB9z5cgjO515Q0zBTxw7jVdL3zSs0dlCPIYGfula7DDLo/s4032/IMG_5041.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVhobpPDh7yFdnxUwYpO8Y1_ovwnzLRXOw_JZToD_uUVDKwwICeq2s_7Y_3Jy4IWyHzYCXNgf053PxQh7JDJKAaQ4v7sqwzqcAopkvjtzzDDXKAWIDtLeWZsf8MnwkGW5UD7ziLcy3JmAYTmTB9z5cgjO515Q0zBTxw7jVdL3zSs0dlCPIYGfula7DDLo/s320/IMG_5041.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJ6hvEga32-Jxdy7odds1aGbDg5UibvG3SKaZkzV3z4WzSYoeF2RCdfgKEMhuwKdghGhchqHsiY37qHjuRmFF9YB3fGz-mYC45KycOsZvnQfLwrxakkowo8rb-J1-13kkJy_vAymqjWORIPUNGqxdW6SIN1DUJXbcnXao4XJH-8YlISjtrCEjVnCMSDk/s4032/IMG_5039.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJ6hvEga32-Jxdy7odds1aGbDg5UibvG3SKaZkzV3z4WzSYoeF2RCdfgKEMhuwKdghGhchqHsiY37qHjuRmFF9YB3fGz-mYC45KycOsZvnQfLwrxakkowo8rb-J1-13kkJy_vAymqjWORIPUNGqxdW6SIN1DUJXbcnXao4XJH-8YlISjtrCEjVnCMSDk/s320/IMG_5039.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tOvESBLfZUBj0mHfTPMblBiOf9Mn4vW1e2s0PvF8CmSFHosRleKmcnxYiTxvUWVXTfZQfnd6BhRNvexEVgIjTGE2hTz1ITTKHc7aP-jxJyANyPsaaI7-HKHzQ11HbPvfgIsh6IKgtUpGGtwd6jji1GspUYaxuFnKuPPI2GbrxOU9NxibA1PPUCGoxpU/s4032/IMG_5038.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tOvESBLfZUBj0mHfTPMblBiOf9Mn4vW1e2s0PvF8CmSFHosRleKmcnxYiTxvUWVXTfZQfnd6BhRNvexEVgIjTGE2hTz1ITTKHc7aP-jxJyANyPsaaI7-HKHzQ11HbPvfgIsh6IKgtUpGGtwd6jji1GspUYaxuFnKuPPI2GbrxOU9NxibA1PPUCGoxpU/s320/IMG_5038.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hYj5WjISF4dovzqfsCsXCE9QySF7yvepv3iuE4-HTpLO0LNE_wtVWUlOz6evYmvceUXYCouZMCduojCRY2Q-8uIfxHGvSDKiGCQ9caKMKxA7zfrCh-j3HrRvipJUK7B-PoGiTaJuFvc1dfTGhpiWCiUDIDrrJM70oRdNdd5-ea3rKuzsQDmxFUY_jtw/s4032/IMG_5031.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hYj5WjISF4dovzqfsCsXCE9QySF7yvepv3iuE4-HTpLO0LNE_wtVWUlOz6evYmvceUXYCouZMCduojCRY2Q-8uIfxHGvSDKiGCQ9caKMKxA7zfrCh-j3HrRvipJUK7B-PoGiTaJuFvc1dfTGhpiWCiUDIDrrJM70oRdNdd5-ea3rKuzsQDmxFUY_jtw/s320/IMG_5031.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>This place had a great atmosphere, good food as well as large screens to watch the other matches. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The next day we had to get from Lille to Charles de Gaul airport - it was very easy - drop off the car, that was rather confusing! then get the Easy Jet flight to Manchester. it all went according to plan. That was the end of Rugby World Cup part one. </span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-76353706465031973812023-11-06T17:00:00.021+00:002023-11-09T10:12:21.831+00:00Rugby World Cup 2023, France. A visit to Zermatt, Switzerland. <p> <span style="font-size: x-large;">The next England game was on the 23rd September in Lille, a break of 6 days and we were in no rush to get back to Northern European weather!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We left Nice very early and using the Waze App were soon out of the town heading east towards Genoa, this was an ingesting drive through tunnels and over bridges, all the while seeing Italian green houses clinging to the hill sides. Just before the Porto di Genova we headed inland on the E25. The weather was not very good and it was raining, we were going to Zermatt in Switzerland. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">When we got to Iselle Di Trasquera I was confused as we were at a station where you put the car on the train to get to Brig. We had just missed a train and it was well over an hour to the next one and with the long que of cars no guarantee that we would get on that train. The map showed that you could drive on the E62 mountain pass so we took a chance. The road was great, and it was a shame the weather was so awful, as the mountain scenery was spectacular even in the mist and rain. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The town of Zermatt is traffic free so you leave your car in the secure car park in Tasch and get the shuttle train.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bqEJ2zjS8CFCFp15A-1tqXLSxtrt1og01MkkAoIYlbBZjZd6RW-jGk9rP2YgVFgF3lRFct8pQ-_EmvcMsP8wghp9eoqNqDVk9HT0A-aNlm0NvInVwVI3EryW8JXtLxVtsYvHYrIsggIL09Aj3h4CaShX9KeH5-WgQPAkfmIZpvqlG9qluI-plRMcocY/s4032/IMG_4864.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-bqEJ2zjS8CFCFp15A-1tqXLSxtrt1og01MkkAoIYlbBZjZd6RW-jGk9rP2YgVFgF3lRFct8pQ-_EmvcMsP8wghp9eoqNqDVk9HT0A-aNlm0NvInVwVI3EryW8JXtLxVtsYvHYrIsggIL09Aj3h4CaShX9KeH5-WgQPAkfmIZpvqlG9qluI-plRMcocY/s320/IMG_4864.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtA8y2MM4ebf-M7V-VuNhqnYT8dl9npDF3u5sqe7NipNzbtwNf5n1mEWcGMcc-kukxnxom0IqxI62CdphJCggUaPo7O7krCGXCnpBeZ-lErgjUVOh3ZY0r413LzTZc8-a3U_D3v-hfpOnN9g98EcpD-GR1U3sqs8w_waN2A60HNzL_OXLb3cXZii1OoYE/s4032/IMG_4876.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtA8y2MM4ebf-M7V-VuNhqnYT8dl9npDF3u5sqe7NipNzbtwNf5n1mEWcGMcc-kukxnxom0IqxI62CdphJCggUaPo7O7krCGXCnpBeZ-lErgjUVOh3ZY0r413LzTZc8-a3U_D3v-hfpOnN9g98EcpD-GR1U3sqs8w_waN2A60HNzL_OXLb3cXZii1OoYE/s320/IMG_4876.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghO1YDbcffYNuPGdDtX5c6gxvBq6bK4bpAgkXb3MeVfcKJex8K9QgvFuCGSmTAk4CKn09Cn2oO6oAZicQphngEqUZ4Y7xQFaB_mEk9fZSXhtXHKlsyVQv5ryd6QwIB5UlByNu3HEG6NYFaP-p6cBHFSIFGCdpx1hyW1VBey0ReJ5HMCI8ggY3OZRcz-Fk/s4032/IMG_4877.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghO1YDbcffYNuPGdDtX5c6gxvBq6bK4bpAgkXb3MeVfcKJex8K9QgvFuCGSmTAk4CKn09Cn2oO6oAZicQphngEqUZ4Y7xQFaB_mEk9fZSXhtXHKlsyVQv5ryd6QwIB5UlByNu3HEG6NYFaP-p6cBHFSIFGCdpx1hyW1VBey0ReJ5HMCI8ggY3OZRcz-Fk/s320/IMG_4877.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So it was that we arrived in a very wet Zermatt, very please that I had booked a nice warm hotel, with an indoor pool. We enjoyed a good meal at one of the local restaurants; Chees Fondu had to be done! Then sat by the cosy log fire in the hotel enjoying a good red wine. Hoping for good weather tomorrow.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The next morning, it was a beautiful day. To make the most of it was went straight to the other end of the village to the Matterhorn Glacier Paradise. the girl selling the expensive tickets was miserable, but the two gondolas and then a cable car up the mountain and the views made up for it all - spectacular! </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIO4xgrQgyOO7iys3YaX1QRG5l8S4BmUvfJ77RGGTS_F2ol2822krVdFJIBShP6fg3m-GhAr8P_xvmrX2gWPlHRzw55DJIXTu0j8lJySiplU-rfIRcCn8sY2p3cjqLF5CDmDdWj0QZHg6M_4kEvGat_KA0ex85Qrcv-UOHxT1Ese0MD1alvTwoozCBGEo/s4272/P1120808.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIO4xgrQgyOO7iys3YaX1QRG5l8S4BmUvfJ77RGGTS_F2ol2822krVdFJIBShP6fg3m-GhAr8P_xvmrX2gWPlHRzw55DJIXTu0j8lJySiplU-rfIRcCn8sY2p3cjqLF5CDmDdWj0QZHg6M_4kEvGat_KA0ex85Qrcv-UOHxT1Ese0MD1alvTwoozCBGEo/s320/P1120808.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0oKTUuzSOK-jpioiDgR7pnW77QlcMZ1I5FI5RxbV4r1W-3Jv0-1vCt7fU8SXndZZzu7UIYSXBIz2SQPJRUM2VhNq7aMGw1eqQA4_BAOJWCeR7t4ozdiI4ZCxdp9pukqpeuywYk1d1DN-zbd0UzaK91N9CY-Doz0VjpNul4626EVPMINrhwodLy8Sowk/s4272/P1120812.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0oKTUuzSOK-jpioiDgR7pnW77QlcMZ1I5FI5RxbV4r1W-3Jv0-1vCt7fU8SXndZZzu7UIYSXBIz2SQPJRUM2VhNq7aMGw1eqQA4_BAOJWCeR7t4ozdiI4ZCxdp9pukqpeuywYk1d1DN-zbd0UzaK91N9CY-Doz0VjpNul4626EVPMINrhwodLy8Sowk/s320/P1120812.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNmPPSIgHxswBlDJiBnTgURKi6XGhNhVzBuKKoz10TE8qU3wk2chiSub_NJVcbavwFdin4nqj_kM7nnWX2FjD7TFL6mjwvwLfYKzAom3utj3VMVWyZ2eXUXJrxNX9rCuKqapL4aQzCkSXiHiCnlgII7Lon1nDGLIMeaNroooss7VZHtHZAFdRPlfWyjk/s4272/P1120818.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtNmPPSIgHxswBlDJiBnTgURKi6XGhNhVzBuKKoz10TE8qU3wk2chiSub_NJVcbavwFdin4nqj_kM7nnWX2FjD7TFL6mjwvwLfYKzAom3utj3VMVWyZ2eXUXJrxNX9rCuKqapL4aQzCkSXiHiCnlgII7Lon1nDGLIMeaNroooss7VZHtHZAFdRPlfWyjk/s320/P1120818.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQdc5PkIslt55iRlTefN07JJS6Xc01MVkIYMBJ75TT9l0_98kmykiV78t-o-MN34x7TZ1lZ41YlETn1WFRMqkE5ljK4SAGzOtzmqsti-Af-sTuD1UaYMAsZllaGUKEaVpQn6eomlZmwALaWx_TsPF4H8dVkVnWH6Y0GFwd3gOFbwprBT510KEJFHG7Ek/s4272/P1120829.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqQdc5PkIslt55iRlTefN07JJS6Xc01MVkIYMBJ75TT9l0_98kmykiV78t-o-MN34x7TZ1lZ41YlETn1WFRMqkE5ljK4SAGzOtzmqsti-Af-sTuD1UaYMAsZllaGUKEaVpQn6eomlZmwALaWx_TsPF4H8dVkVnWH6Y0GFwd3gOFbwprBT510KEJFHG7Ek/s320/P1120829.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKJ8i44TLZVyzWP_YrMv8t4IbNOoZaeQ7fqT_H0dMzVpv5w06eu5p2tgKDJmwsvLnXWvACHqizUdFO1uvEN0sWHeWTJOHIh9f83Hy8qkCIxl1xKj_HhfnFv3xH8-tNTNhM1_tdqWmwjnfkDXsXgXzh2ueFaC4HzvaxD4Qk3W522Oj4Jr7A8Ma3WoBeqM/s4272/P1120850.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJKJ8i44TLZVyzWP_YrMv8t4IbNOoZaeQ7fqT_H0dMzVpv5w06eu5p2tgKDJmwsvLnXWvACHqizUdFO1uvEN0sWHeWTJOHIh9f83Hy8qkCIxl1xKj_HhfnFv3xH8-tNTNhM1_tdqWmwjnfkDXsXgXzh2ueFaC4HzvaxD4Qk3W522Oj4Jr7A8Ma3WoBeqM/s320/P1120850.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxDUVvOepLm3_x94UT5D1WyrTpZPBkp7hWcEXJDZk0TDvvmlrNmhEAULORA6sJBYNvPut2DBIyifkmGYRWYJbgz2QvV1UtjDmArUMr_jjUr3sfZN8Fv5ctyo3pBF1VeXW2kmjEjtpimSYOvSeVkocJG5KjbuwxnRW9BmuJKJ8vMmFCYsoJAFnF0O9h4A/s4272/P1120858.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgxDUVvOepLm3_x94UT5D1WyrTpZPBkp7hWcEXJDZk0TDvvmlrNmhEAULORA6sJBYNvPut2DBIyifkmGYRWYJbgz2QvV1UtjDmArUMr_jjUr3sfZN8Fv5ctyo3pBF1VeXW2kmjEjtpimSYOvSeVkocJG5KjbuwxnRW9BmuJKJ8vMmFCYsoJAFnF0O9h4A/s320/P1120858.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZ_ydb0lKxDx_tv23I5vnQ31hRMUVfsJITV5MOQ8VL_anXGfCRRVpE6EPRi3tDwsPZ6bEVq-c2lzXyYVOhp_5DG2hLq3vD8dJzTpEtk_jhG3hwJqIr3RELtt-IIDzomiV2XjmynccvAC0RDGgFUgxU74uJnJmd5Dm_TMyJI5-UA6O1sTgRHMgSD6ymTg/s4272/P1120862.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrZ_ydb0lKxDx_tv23I5vnQ31hRMUVfsJITV5MOQ8VL_anXGfCRRVpE6EPRi3tDwsPZ6bEVq-c2lzXyYVOhp_5DG2hLq3vD8dJzTpEtk_jhG3hwJqIr3RELtt-IIDzomiV2XjmynccvAC0RDGgFUgxU74uJnJmd5Dm_TMyJI5-UA6O1sTgRHMgSD6ymTg/s320/P1120862.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Once down it was a nice walk through the village to the Gornergrat train to go up the other side of the Mountain and great views of the village down below. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlg9zl7tZ6nUcqntCiGVL2aDyfzepC9kuUs9iglGMouzrLYqBIGhcSC3FU5ncKyW8aSNupIjkTTkKRvaJKDyN4KXfFmAAJAkAjfeQlOkmkktwpmWWzGAOmqT4ndGee2H-YCdPjeK2KxdxodR5rpSvq4AbN2Gen7K20Iclm6KGvNHYVt3yWSvueBDMPzrQ/s4272/P1120875.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlg9zl7tZ6nUcqntCiGVL2aDyfzepC9kuUs9iglGMouzrLYqBIGhcSC3FU5ncKyW8aSNupIjkTTkKRvaJKDyN4KXfFmAAJAkAjfeQlOkmkktwpmWWzGAOmqT4ndGee2H-YCdPjeK2KxdxodR5rpSvq4AbN2Gen7K20Iclm6KGvNHYVt3yWSvueBDMPzrQ/s320/P1120875.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZFSNI_zVJghgVOVF9_M8F4GstwArsYBYsKABoH39jR8msUtCS_GoRClKg9M3QZNObiJoA5BX1ccZkAQls1fCvl5V46yxorv7bFgDgOKT6qmuv2-qdsgUkoaRwdOyMjUxAyX8Vv-3hjbY0Dhi4qMp7BJRU0HidztR-pnpCynrZip8L7A_gO-yXQfR-D8/s4272/P1120871.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWZFSNI_zVJghgVOVF9_M8F4GstwArsYBYsKABoH39jR8msUtCS_GoRClKg9M3QZNObiJoA5BX1ccZkAQls1fCvl5V46yxorv7bFgDgOKT6qmuv2-qdsgUkoaRwdOyMjUxAyX8Vv-3hjbY0Dhi4qMp7BJRU0HidztR-pnpCynrZip8L7A_gO-yXQfR-D8/s320/P1120871.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnu5kWCsvAzX3I1McJVh7cScFhp0xDoSmb0t1M1gPqXsKgSibJmVojWCM9HAo7e9qx2B2BpM9Fv5mTtm2nhdFq1g_0rW6cPX3dOd3DOw6hcnEXS3i99ALSnZ4kUNqYjvJHEeVX46zm6b_vJpfQtHW-jw3hl_a9PnbzYRetYpN8cGp0CYSbz0oba_oPJA4/s4272/P1120870.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnu5kWCsvAzX3I1McJVh7cScFhp0xDoSmb0t1M1gPqXsKgSibJmVojWCM9HAo7e9qx2B2BpM9Fv5mTtm2nhdFq1g_0rW6cPX3dOd3DOw6hcnEXS3i99ALSnZ4kUNqYjvJHEeVX46zm6b_vJpfQtHW-jw3hl_a9PnbzYRetYpN8cGp0CYSbz0oba_oPJA4/s320/P1120870.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoI4MY-ERa4NXonkppvVKOy55rEkEETSZKUZltelhh7WU2E3kFRa-ZjRCUleTa4iuJmLMEKBwHsNKkYXXasv5dUm6pU5Q-CYECiDcOL5adZU2Bb9QKQiKxDhNzCGarMIhIwCes3QfZyL_O-E0eJqNw_METM71m9C8pmo9OLPTPkgfVLa4OKhH-IN8mp4/s4272/P1120883.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnoI4MY-ERa4NXonkppvVKOy55rEkEETSZKUZltelhh7WU2E3kFRa-ZjRCUleTa4iuJmLMEKBwHsNKkYXXasv5dUm6pU5Q-CYECiDcOL5adZU2Bb9QKQiKxDhNzCGarMIhIwCes3QfZyL_O-E0eJqNw_METM71m9C8pmo9OLPTPkgfVLa4OKhH-IN8mp4/s320/P1120883.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4vrNBV8ogORXnm50_wTeXd4ep8IR8ebnAEpQL1dShyphenhyphenxDFcx_35ophUJsd8uDEuctUYsnXL-Dt4-4F6rtfbUOJY3qqIk_yZfkGSWzaISitQcg4VklncCktZQ7XBUI_UPhxTbM6QwxQ8FVbJCyAY4vVpjG15Zawn6z-8Vlzs1RO5d394KeQjygTVLxhJkE/s4272/P1120885.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm8E648_pXTDbOpdCM-o073HaoFEm6TS93sc1vHkfO4ryLT7_Dk8WUzMw-8tzSJoIwqNJSOFguh2J3_ueRsDpz8xqWzYOZPPVyAUg_g4K425VLJeilLJvqlygadB6T_TsAi7bcjBky7x1o2QCtrroyagn_8TtPeCTf__mZrlwjIbnX-trIQ9WkiDvdUJ0/s320/P1120908.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLqrYwSMlSHSfr0IZPNTqs-94n7m1rRjUMV6pPyUpJ3adS8hFTkjBgLpNQiORBuiVLSsFS_9iCSaHf-hiiBtNzYeU0L2fr9Y2QGPRm2UXtYogxG2QrCErWYwdDMiw3VDXNXsTnT7dI9LyuqUlenAqaZ48aWUIJ1Vzq7IblQMknMXF-jVfCobHtaAiV5P4/s4272/P1120910.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLqrYwSMlSHSfr0IZPNTqs-94n7m1rRjUMV6pPyUpJ3adS8hFTkjBgLpNQiORBuiVLSsFS_9iCSaHf-hiiBtNzYeU0L2fr9Y2QGPRm2UXtYogxG2QrCErWYwdDMiw3VDXNXsTnT7dI9LyuqUlenAqaZ48aWUIJ1Vzq7IblQMknMXF-jVfCobHtaAiV5P4/s320/P1120910.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">To end the perfect day, we had a traditional meal; Goulash this time, at one of the small chalet type restaurants in the village. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The next day, just as we were checking out the Matterhorn could be seen from our hotel balcony. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhIBrNcOapEvfHaSZXjj2XWsKLznM6Bc0SmGF05yOo2olOH8V-oeWlReWoqIr76gb8VqfCXIjLW-C3CnynIV8U_ksMNOLba7ThLQ4HqBWQqKrDdsDQn3VHb-t4XBcaVI7NtUnvR6utWPsKIff_LtnvG7ve4sB_qtZOu_-nw52YJHdwo3QFTF-cRzK6DA/s4032/IMG_4950.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBhIBrNcOapEvfHaSZXjj2XWsKLznM6Bc0SmGF05yOo2olOH8V-oeWlReWoqIr76gb8VqfCXIjLW-C3CnynIV8U_ksMNOLba7ThLQ4HqBWQqKrDdsDQn3VHb-t4XBcaVI7NtUnvR6utWPsKIff_LtnvG7ve4sB_qtZOu_-nw52YJHdwo3QFTF-cRzK6DA/s320/IMG_4950.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /> </span><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-44281558622518424762023-11-06T16:01:00.039+00:002023-11-09T10:07:56.864+00:00Rugby World Cup 2023, France. Nice for the England v Japan game. 15th to 18th September. <p> <span style="font-size: x-large;">Having relaxed in Spain, it was an early start on Friday 15th September back to Nice for the next rugby game. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We were booked in at the Hotel So'Co by Happy Culture in Nice.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguID5xr6OL4wWtF9dCd3ylYKSM8k2TJqEZpJoVhQePTru3X_aZViWIWb70xkjDd95qflf17EearM5NsDzBp66Je861GFJgFeAdGKbw-6rcE5Buf3_C9ubhBI3P4FlSkMcUIkrACGTTLqTwZGol0feJy3CNWU0tjfHJBJePTxz-j0xWCj_15H05Zs4MWVE/s4272/P1120772.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguID5xr6OL4wWtF9dCd3ylYKSM8k2TJqEZpJoVhQePTru3X_aZViWIWb70xkjDd95qflf17EearM5NsDzBp66Je861GFJgFeAdGKbw-6rcE5Buf3_C9ubhBI3P4FlSkMcUIkrACGTTLqTwZGol0feJy3CNWU0tjfHJBJePTxz-j0xWCj_15H05Zs4MWVE/s320/P1120772.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-size: xx-large;">It wasn't a bad journey, and we avoided most of the traffic around Cannes. We parked at the station, this was very convenient as the hotel was opposite the station. The hotel rooms were very small, but had a massive bathroom with a bath! The decor was also odd, just wooden planks and black metal! But the bed was OK. </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYn6xUjSH7jf21Rf304O0oJD3Mug8a-gB8yDqQfDswD9DtLHvCfhoe458npK5pAPoPdIsl2YjteNZRFjX7PFudX2lMqbOdo0fcWFMc5I9dMQtCkSj2VTmw1lY_mqKjrtx8e2rjjWL6Lo1FbuiDCaIGqxMRUltmNcNMXQCyDuIe_DYJGCAB9ZOsgghZWk/s4032/IMG_4793.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSYn6xUjSH7jf21Rf304O0oJD3Mug8a-gB8yDqQfDswD9DtLHvCfhoe458npK5pAPoPdIsl2YjteNZRFjX7PFudX2lMqbOdo0fcWFMc5I9dMQtCkSj2VTmw1lY_mqKjrtx8e2rjjWL6Lo1FbuiDCaIGqxMRUltmNcNMXQCyDuIe_DYJGCAB9ZOsgghZWk/s320/IMG_4793.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wardrobe</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMngmk6tgNby78r2SwhvDyTgVILmaME-hd-slFC5OIPb7SUvb-cSN-HV5gZkFvSo8WVSVkXQGPGiZCg4fLeok6U8yT99iuG-GdL_sf49YKfaDfJX70h8s2X2og6fKmZ12HRoTbXhzdjK5x2aLEj4636E31pNTDkTNAAmdDvhfMsJhJbeOfFplmLj89Emg/s4032/IMG_4792.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMngmk6tgNby78r2SwhvDyTgVILmaME-hd-slFC5OIPb7SUvb-cSN-HV5gZkFvSo8WVSVkXQGPGiZCg4fLeok6U8yT99iuG-GdL_sf49YKfaDfJX70h8s2X2og6fKmZ12HRoTbXhzdjK5x2aLEj4636E31pNTDkTNAAmdDvhfMsJhJbeOfFplmLj89Emg/s320/IMG_4792.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A desk!</td></tr></tbody></table>The area that the hotel was in was also a bit dodgy, at night it seemed to be frequented by a lot of ladies of the night and homeless people sleeping in doorways. We didn't have any problems, but it was not the best. I wouldn't stay at this hotel again. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">On the Saturday we spent the day exploring Nice, it was OK but I don't think I would rush back as there was not a lot to see and it was quite scruffy in places, with many homeless people. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">From a rugby point of view Nice was a success, the fan zone was very good and we were able to watch the Wales v Portugal match in the amphitheatre, with food, beer and fireworks. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zv7VC0duDkI3Z42TyrHne1c1xmx_hJiXKvNo3td3D4FLB2SRtmUr_5vVA9jPPrfJNX1qA47dKavqKBiL_K_XSr65Nutt9dDPtvroi2IaOD7abTtDgeiIA2HSE9RNsEOycuPW08Pv4jtzS_j2uVKmY8Ok3Xqg4ebRmpERGViO5f1l4kh7uudqw0x5AgE/s4032/IMG_4803.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6zv7VC0duDkI3Z42TyrHne1c1xmx_hJiXKvNo3td3D4FLB2SRtmUr_5vVA9jPPrfJNX1qA47dKavqKBiL_K_XSr65Nutt9dDPtvroi2IaOD7abTtDgeiIA2HSE9RNsEOycuPW08Pv4jtzS_j2uVKmY8Ok3Xqg4ebRmpERGViO5f1l4kh7uudqw0x5AgE/s320/IMG_4803.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PKfOsFI5YrIHWqd30K0RcoJ65vilRz6v4Tg7OtmRkoqfmZkH8ES0ktjCSsNVSn62CM5ahwSJ9k4pPtTF6kwGR4MEALGMyWDwlk2_69WQX4zIkgbEKDylFs1nas89a0PxwWfRr4mUgx9fq6XESEyZP61cIAFIDZmdq3Ta6zyFHcf8gtX5fls6AVzi7D8/s4032/IMG_4810.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PKfOsFI5YrIHWqd30K0RcoJ65vilRz6v4Tg7OtmRkoqfmZkH8ES0ktjCSsNVSn62CM5ahwSJ9k4pPtTF6kwGR4MEALGMyWDwlk2_69WQX4zIkgbEKDylFs1nas89a0PxwWfRr4mUgx9fq6XESEyZP61cIAFIDZmdq3Ta6zyFHcf8gtX5fls6AVzi7D8/s320/IMG_4810.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE7u-8nI30ebsqyPNg24ocTze0zCcGFCtfbaH8jIFV2lW986HeoH9XnM5mObEz2-CHjGSlJROI1DJDLqSxHEUDJE-JMROrMJ9_g3T_1lfMOKuGf0BlgL2yQAZ9phYD7spPZ-Vv4qCiSWrZXCOuy743Ex3OBdDSboqf-71bHtA-fJDPKnJQjIu-mnAZG7g/s4032/IMG_4824.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrLrJORTxTxYNEnmhUI5YFWyRcf5tlQ36ZPMm9KZPe1obVzWnV9gFIkB4punAU6wPSoLmbwH5HsECHPOXtiNcY815NLgo2HiCCcptkFlq3k-ArUEscpUX73BLDmdugUCT9KSOsQuZpI5jiDWoc-dMx1fSsorfMrdUE4bEgEb5gK_Tt_yygRdCGOfy8S8/s4272/P1120797.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsrLrJORTxTxYNEnmhUI5YFWyRcf5tlQ36ZPMm9KZPe1obVzWnV9gFIkB4punAU6wPSoLmbwH5HsECHPOXtiNcY815NLgo2HiCCcptkFlq3k-ArUEscpUX73BLDmdugUCT9KSOsQuZpI5jiDWoc-dMx1fSsorfMrdUE4bEgEb5gK_Tt_yygRdCGOfy8S8/s320/P1120797.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagZulmtfGw6-IVQrF7aVGWivP1bCRuhro23nHFd_jk8KL4p_YX24AqjtyE5JyqbyVR5ZqfblEysWSfy3XM_MfdDIKvlUY2tfoG_IEmWGWWsnA7QOZuS_aJAypbKtX6F06lfsKuEOYFbsBauhes52lXpLksrTNB5Sew9zn0qqdG40zhtqbYHbA2J1F9Ik/s4272/P1120800.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiagZulmtfGw6-IVQrF7aVGWivP1bCRuhro23nHFd_jk8KL4p_YX24AqjtyE5JyqbyVR5ZqfblEysWSfy3XM_MfdDIKvlUY2tfoG_IEmWGWWsnA7QOZuS_aJAypbKtX6F06lfsKuEOYFbsBauhes52lXpLksrTNB5Sew9zn0qqdG40zhtqbYHbA2J1F9Ik/s320/P1120800.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Sunday was match day, England V Japan, and again Nice had the best rugby related activities at the stadium, lots of photo opportunities, bands playing, free stuff and a party atmosphere. despite a massive police presence. So going to Nice for the rugby was a success, but there are better places in Europe to see and explore. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUoC1ZHmhBkdVaqAL3jER5QzwzW9TVb3psphsreFYq9zwv0Azg-gcDTTm9QP5H3iid9LRpsudVtVFaMsqn3fBWOJkIwcCnrxj9IaqwhM5mMr-86k0Bs0C5iqCdeFt8_tbxGpWKK_ZS-tjXzKLBZtoXg2SKd4yY9smW3vVS9_f9Bq0RMMxLLWUqxH8djo/s4032/IMG_4852.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCUoC1ZHmhBkdVaqAL3jER5QzwzW9TVb3psphsreFYq9zwv0Azg-gcDTTm9QP5H3iid9LRpsudVtVFaMsqn3fBWOJkIwcCnrxj9IaqwhM5mMr-86k0Bs0C5iqCdeFt8_tbxGpWKK_ZS-tjXzKLBZtoXg2SKd4yY9smW3vVS9_f9Bq0RMMxLLWUqxH8djo/s320/IMG_4852.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-65015474924070713842023-11-06T15:37:00.014+00:002023-11-09T10:02:19.461+00:00Rugby World Cup 2023, France. 11th to 15th September 2023. Spain. <p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>As we had visited Marseille and surrounds during the Rugby World Cup in 2007, and knowing that we would be back again soon for the quarter finals, we decided to explore a new place and decided upon Spain. </span><span>We collected the car from its underground car park and set off in the direction of Barcelona. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpOIsF_dr2qFsbEjlgsYQmHQng0ODXNtuLOfwXgckTwibvlQOue7P2PqFUe36Neh2749q4vOrhRw7kh7Z_vkXzqfEcBjcI0bTC7FMzHD4_ZVznWJE-16UA-3D-pym6hdLiVSgVK8dZ5TZgDpZAFJDlN3BSaRxKrb3oJ0g2rw6P0dyk7otMx4gfC1yCLo/s1560/375861753_10160079621267582_2435918110827074076_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpOIsF_dr2qFsbEjlgsYQmHQng0ODXNtuLOfwXgckTwibvlQOue7P2PqFUe36Neh2749q4vOrhRw7kh7Z_vkXzqfEcBjcI0bTC7FMzHD4_ZVznWJE-16UA-3D-pym6hdLiVSgVK8dZ5TZgDpZAFJDlN3BSaRxKrb3oJ0g2rw6P0dyk7otMx4gfC1yCLo/s320/375861753_10160079621267582_2435918110827074076_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">But first we drove to Marseille airport, to the Alamo rental station and asked if we could swap the car. </span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSn26jz7fvnaq9EcZhT2E_X6CWS9TMLNPr4u3o9Wbr4DMjGXLR_8UEmzoj_2wGnfUZr686fOTzgbNrOB1Uiw8hVKH6CVbd7PqDWt9fnEeJiKzOhv2hqvWUfFmOGiFwvImh2bNJx4dUXF5ACTKm5kOY1i_YwrfPZOS4xPeIsy1h8A7zeP8svm2FMFCZjBU/s4272/P1120754.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSn26jz7fvnaq9EcZhT2E_X6CWS9TMLNPr4u3o9Wbr4DMjGXLR_8UEmzoj_2wGnfUZr686fOTzgbNrOB1Uiw8hVKH6CVbd7PqDWt9fnEeJiKzOhv2hqvWUfFmOGiFwvImh2bNJx4dUXF5ACTKm5kOY1i_YwrfPZOS4xPeIsy1h8A7zeP8svm2FMFCZjBU/s320/P1120754.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Alamo were great and swapped it for us a - very comfortable - Citroën.</span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We drove on the A9 through Montpellier and Narbonne to the Spanish town of L'Escala. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">At the beach in the main town I did a search for accommodation and found an apartment 'Apartments La Palmera'. as soon as I booked it I received a message that the apartment was ready. so we drove to the village of Sant Marti d'Empuries. This proved challenging as this village is located on top of a hill and is traffic free. After a while we located the apartment, also known as Villas Coll and the friendly owner who advised up where to park and showed us the apartment. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Both the hill top village and apartment were fantastic. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The apartment was clean, with a very good bed, fully equipped and had parking and a pool. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6XPkXKJd3r2Rz7c_9Y6lmFDbbRNM1GmVy7pcFOI5zrpDR_Ng2ORWK2N5ncIHcbX9r-ozxuX50WJ6yLHUeDNNC4tVLwkjYGMJ8ncZq3leHwpywk8Z28O623AhIG4eq0x555uY_jFy755awhWIIKcMvycAVtiEON-Ek8O2Z6QPBcrsQswTdsbscewli8Y/s4272/P1120758.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6XPkXKJd3r2Rz7c_9Y6lmFDbbRNM1GmVy7pcFOI5zrpDR_Ng2ORWK2N5ncIHcbX9r-ozxuX50WJ6yLHUeDNNC4tVLwkjYGMJ8ncZq3leHwpywk8Z28O623AhIG4eq0x555uY_jFy755awhWIIKcMvycAVtiEON-Ek8O2Z6QPBcrsQswTdsbscewli8Y/s320/P1120758.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apartments La Palmera in Sant Marti d'Empuries </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0H0ICY_Rsa0n0hs5YwUzGr-2mWonndshcHNjLPOV9RElIErhNeF-Dk4VoCVq7ldAZIrRtmcDp7PjbZ885mUnyhPyEo0e0GkPiSoo9EeoMgWs7EJFQ8G8JY_vrZOersotiHAgwZ-LnESXgFQrRHoUHeH4K1E8U-Pxp55AJgttsCZDPpQxlmluek-kmsbo/s4272/P1120760.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0H0ICY_Rsa0n0hs5YwUzGr-2mWonndshcHNjLPOV9RElIErhNeF-Dk4VoCVq7ldAZIrRtmcDp7PjbZ885mUnyhPyEo0e0GkPiSoo9EeoMgWs7EJFQ8G8JY_vrZOersotiHAgwZ-LnESXgFQrRHoUHeH4K1E8U-Pxp55AJgttsCZDPpQxlmluek-kmsbo/s320/P1120760.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beached near l'Escala, Spain</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBy75afScXdVFeMmMLTngebtT5Ke-0hPNpG_rLFcgwa_KmMyxWYYlMR4YHSzCAswFTFp8SLZVpgkuigyybwqhVlQv0rKzOnMFDbaw2bs_3uBBPSO0Mieeod7QpCiD-LjYvJjyRZEPq3eCiHLi98P8WKxkkKhk9my7nTuCViDGpNfWFoawl3xBOLEvUu4/s4272/P1120762.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiBy75afScXdVFeMmMLTngebtT5Ke-0hPNpG_rLFcgwa_KmMyxWYYlMR4YHSzCAswFTFp8SLZVpgkuigyybwqhVlQv0rKzOnMFDbaw2bs_3uBBPSO0Mieeod7QpCiD-LjYvJjyRZEPq3eCiHLi98P8WKxkkKhk9my7nTuCViDGpNfWFoawl3xBOLEvUu4/s320/P1120762.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJp4GXy_w7UKiTVPJSV7sLva4EKAfiLQKdYAdhtaZYy9dWbcTpsQzLxkrN1J9YhLoo3591-5LJryUrCLVjaZA6I6d2J606BMpFMDhOc7upTBDrN6BV4gWsIZj_mB0_Wmaj9PVp11DsPM-d7KmC4kT0eNdHYzoc_q6WcdDxgRtOTxbr-6ir_nnKkteZwbY/s4272/P1120767.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJp4GXy_w7UKiTVPJSV7sLva4EKAfiLQKdYAdhtaZYy9dWbcTpsQzLxkrN1J9YhLoo3591-5LJryUrCLVjaZA6I6d2J606BMpFMDhOc7upTBDrN6BV4gWsIZj_mB0_Wmaj9PVp11DsPM-d7KmC4kT0eNdHYzoc_q6WcdDxgRtOTxbr-6ir_nnKkteZwbY/s320/P1120767.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>There were four restaurants in the small village, the restaurants were busy day and night with day visitors. We ate at all four of them and they were all fabulous, but my favourite was La Terrassa d'Empuries. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tu-uqsC8L0eAE5v6OwHqxZRWodL_sLhrFh0_CN-kCP7FhZXMKbybsex1IL-wFRsEQFMIUP02tGmQkuVrwXRY0yHbNA42JcKWUuo8u3S0-ME2b0TSBPFLXxpfd9YRI-7ykt0Rr9hROZvyqBbnSzBRa4CTmNDLwnT7JzxtjLTX_ksFYp3pBRqOVTBHxrY/s850/376832057_10160081002197582_7193789133874698842_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="850" data-original-width="675" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0tu-uqsC8L0eAE5v6OwHqxZRWodL_sLhrFh0_CN-kCP7FhZXMKbybsex1IL-wFRsEQFMIUP02tGmQkuVrwXRY0yHbNA42JcKWUuo8u3S0-ME2b0TSBPFLXxpfd9YRI-7ykt0Rr9hROZvyqBbnSzBRa4CTmNDLwnT7JzxtjLTX_ksFYp3pBRqOVTBHxrY/s320/376832057_10160081002197582_7193789133874698842_n.jpg" width="254" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6ZJHJV1aWNdgVf5L7uSk3HRXkl8rbBsaDtuuE6WeqICrkvAQGNE0dqLV46Pf3sysC4YuNnFKq2f0LW-I__rxcbLIJC_ljjEu4bp_jrlVTOgAOee2k79qXTgh9w7iIA5_SZYhMUBXXXS5md4KWCSz9ae0nDS2W-Dt4XlHTm5XCL_qKMTMyZu9zxhSEt8/s1560/375952186_10160081007072582_8520837353134723288_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1560" data-original-width="1170" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL6ZJHJV1aWNdgVf5L7uSk3HRXkl8rbBsaDtuuE6WeqICrkvAQGNE0dqLV46Pf3sysC4YuNnFKq2f0LW-I__rxcbLIJC_ljjEu4bp_jrlVTOgAOee2k79qXTgh9w7iIA5_SZYhMUBXXXS5md4KWCSz9ae0nDS2W-Dt4XlHTm5XCL_qKMTMyZu9zxhSEt8/s320/375952186_10160081007072582_8520837353134723288_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">It was a very short walk to the beaches, Roman ruins, shops and the town of l'Escala. It was a perfect spot for fours days of relaxation. </span></div><div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-23738231190211650472023-10-24T18:22:00.005+01:002023-11-09T10:00:13.158+00:00Rugby World Cup, 2023, France. 8, 9 and 10th, September 2023. Marseille.<p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>8th September 2023. </u></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">I had thought that I would have time to enjoy breakfast on the sunny promenade of Juan-les- Pins before travelling to Marseilles. But, due to an unexpected visit to an emergency doctor in the morning this did not happen. It was well past lunchtime before we set off to Marseilles. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Again, the roads were very busy, the journey took over an hour longer than Google maps had estimated.</span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">As the accommodation I had booked did not have parking. I booked parking with One Park, and the parking was the Mercure Hotel in Vieux Port, (although we were not staying at that hotel). <br /></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>The car park <span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">was actually Indigo parking, centrally located and e</span></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">asy to find. There was </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222;">a designated part for the Mercure hotel parking. It was underground, monitored and very secure. <br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">At this point we were very glad to leave the BMW 4 series car. The seating position was far to low for us and we could barley walk! The car was also set to stay in the lane and kept pulling over when you didn't want it to. This car was not our favourite 😁<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">Our accommodation was in the Le Panier district. I had booked it over 2 years ago, and was grateful that it had not been cancelled - as had happened to a lot of rugby fans - and the price hiked up to double or triple what they are normally.</span></span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTPRlfvyI5SI-vylZF9Uo6nBpyoou9lgdnEP5JbEKyEDRvaMaAGtIjltebjB4G1mbbQN7gZHF2moWOTnhaKdB4k4ZNxXgi-mNctKNSq46KaDZMsl_xCKDfGHIWqDUw9j5Y_xSfwiMPorMfYMp4hkYH5t-qdmBXqBFSOB0nfpFYPOmZz6K7uuIql84eW0/s4272/P1120715.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuTPRlfvyI5SI-vylZF9Uo6nBpyoou9lgdnEP5JbEKyEDRvaMaAGtIjltebjB4G1mbbQN7gZHF2moWOTnhaKdB4k4ZNxXgi-mNctKNSq46KaDZMsl_xCKDfGHIWqDUw9j5Y_xSfwiMPorMfYMp4hkYH5t-qdmBXqBFSOB0nfpFYPOmZz6K7uuIql84eW0/s320/P1120715.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJysnykR40J5BWz1_cvuGkwiRR_ttrW4xS7ZvLB7oo19g20u1aChJWAp9wVoV9Ya-9s-05Kz2PNytheWC1yqfQITwfrTClo-muTj7m2Bq1J2JVsjHPmurPJT9jEv_aa_Z2T5ZQKhey35qc8JOWIhhLi4pXYlqJ6m-hdJrA9CcpBrpVSa4otAXPJz7AcUo/s4272/P1120716.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJysnykR40J5BWz1_cvuGkwiRR_ttrW4xS7ZvLB7oo19g20u1aChJWAp9wVoV9Ya-9s-05Kz2PNytheWC1yqfQITwfrTClo-muTj7m2Bq1J2JVsjHPmurPJT9jEv_aa_Z2T5ZQKhey35qc8JOWIhhLi4pXYlqJ6m-hdJrA9CcpBrpVSa4otAXPJz7AcUo/s320/P1120716.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><span style="background-color: white;">The apartment was Le Panier Enchante, located opposite the La Vieille Charite.</span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyPpXK4Bqm_vKF1nqS4vkXF0JbEaWW-UEOiVXQ1Jc6X00MdwTOFehdO5JKlgRxiCHDn8QuDer1p_JINuaAo3PaOnB4FxRHlzb5oyN3_IDMr-fTsv_pmtWySW7y33PbuctpA_2B0CTg-Hu9OZSwtlsVYZve-mwAhUNvYMXGmHMMO6MAEDLAibNLNtQGLw/s4272/P1120753.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyPpXK4Bqm_vKF1nqS4vkXF0JbEaWW-UEOiVXQ1Jc6X00MdwTOFehdO5JKlgRxiCHDn8QuDer1p_JINuaAo3PaOnB4FxRHlzb5oyN3_IDMr-fTsv_pmtWySW7y33PbuctpA_2B0CTg-Hu9OZSwtlsVYZve-mwAhUNvYMXGmHMMO6MAEDLAibNLNtQGLw/s320/P1120753.JPG" width="214" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;">I had looked on Google maps, knew it was a 15 minute walk from the car park, but had not factored in the steep inclines and multiple steps to get to the apartment.</span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="background-color: white;"></span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEB6-Y90PUiAX7HU3q5wkt9HwSWCXb1uX-Q0m2FgEbAkwlqWfwZoggpcSlpUrcM9_K7M7qnPrJT1G8NH72Ys4lwaXeCEDQ_PdKuvyOJ2v7d1LdZ2E_RzQCF578xpVcWYCm4nZlyjapUs4wMum9t6FsvBjYaTyLqb0FvmqiejHPivuU2RoS_t83yTaKUg/s4272/P1120729.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuEB6-Y90PUiAX7HU3q5wkt9HwSWCXb1uX-Q0m2FgEbAkwlqWfwZoggpcSlpUrcM9_K7M7qnPrJT1G8NH72Ys4lwaXeCEDQ_PdKuvyOJ2v7d1LdZ2E_RzQCF578xpVcWYCm4nZlyjapUs4wMum9t6FsvBjYaTyLqb0FvmqiejHPivuU2RoS_t83yTaKUg/s320/P1120729.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The steps of Marseille </td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #222222;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuUxjh7y_eLa5z8_xrBMmib5ToIf7KVeL814BX_6wpmg1lDMq3inyx0_Pwl3cssXXuCtwEW4ZXSmIObs84ibZ_q04KlvYrxsvavUuKv9z_2nzg6WoAwVop_jbombFPVTfxT4g8klt9HQggSUuIBdivQoYw7mM-mmcW1E3f2W9ySAlinOSd6umkNEBtq8/s4272/P1120726.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKuUxjh7y_eLa5z8_xrBMmib5ToIf7KVeL814BX_6wpmg1lDMq3inyx0_Pwl3cssXXuCtwEW4ZXSmIObs84ibZ_q04KlvYrxsvavUuKv9z_2nzg6WoAwVop_jbombFPVTfxT4g8klt9HQggSUuIBdivQoYw7mM-mmcW1E3f2W9ySAlinOSd6umkNEBtq8/s320/P1120726.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDiwSzaXjNRblxUYQTfIyWIQSy-3a3IOIY6eZQVVq2x9YQctEvdqXyIQhCgJAfNGIVShejnjEmJDdM37Lh91P2waiA6GcEb16vqcg3z91vpqCxCQkUukHSS0hKjtDHWV8mj6Tj6n9fy8SwXhC3Gv1xmTkNmCswRaO3VZAFajgT0hR2gQAg83Y0XLqWzo/s4272/P1120721.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDiwSzaXjNRblxUYQTfIyWIQSy-3a3IOIY6eZQVVq2x9YQctEvdqXyIQhCgJAfNGIVShejnjEmJDdM37Lh91P2waiA6GcEb16vqcg3z91vpqCxCQkUukHSS0hKjtDHWV8mj6Tj6n9fy8SwXhC3Gv1xmTkNmCswRaO3VZAFajgT0hR2gQAg83Y0XLqWzo/s320/P1120721.JPG" width="214" /></a></div></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: x-large;">Once the journey up all the steps was over, the apartment, hidden behind the scruffy door was perfect. Exactly as shown in the on line photos, clean and just what we needed for our three night stay. It had a small 'kitchen' area with fridge, and hot plate, a good shower with plenty of hot water. A large comfortable bed. </span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: x-large;">We just had time to have a quick shower, change and get off to Peron Restaurant for a booking at 19.30.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: x-large;">We were sat up stairs at Restaurant Peron, not on the deck that is shown in the photographs, but still had a stunning sea view. The food was wonderful, a real treat, the service was prompt and we had time to get back to the Vieux Port for the France v New Zealand opening match of the Rugby World Cup 2023</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: xx-large;">. </span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUDg-GQdvkxwJ55YK4LWS66lUZh0F0ig7FLJxhf1C80xOWwrYq8_pxepC91_o1hmwGsxb1I31YFIIjQ384LsqYpqFv1GCB9LHDimuaeN_xTgOoYT0f03S_kR2XHNuutmAWX49lY8EORXB9kexl4BQpN8fTKlhK7mrsi-ZWMGu6AL2uZbWeu0FJsCEZzM/s4032/IMG_4670.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaUDg-GQdvkxwJ55YK4LWS66lUZh0F0ig7FLJxhf1C80xOWwrYq8_pxepC91_o1hmwGsxb1I31YFIIjQ384LsqYpqFv1GCB9LHDimuaeN_xTgOoYT0f03S_kR2XHNuutmAWX49lY8EORXB9kexl4BQpN8fTKlhK7mrsi-ZWMGu6AL2uZbWeu0FJsCEZzM/s320/IMG_4670.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Bm7x08ubUbZZcWMOgSMUlTlUB2MAlXzw6WTC9jtHO9BpZItW52IT1Havio6F9HmGNXxjA84J56aWdvgpPUWrfZqcjJXJifGQSSUUDoRkFoGmTjAr7t2tEkGsr7LdeCgSdds4lOJJkHXcLJKKX54Gcbztid5uCfCItPlT7vny7qCW9Cz3pqX-oxyrrdc/s4032/IMG_4669.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4Bm7x08ubUbZZcWMOgSMUlTlUB2MAlXzw6WTC9jtHO9BpZItW52IT1Havio6F9HmGNXxjA84J56aWdvgpPUWrfZqcjJXJifGQSSUUDoRkFoGmTjAr7t2tEkGsr7LdeCgSdds4lOJJkHXcLJKKX54Gcbztid5uCfCItPlT7vny7qCW9Cz3pqX-oxyrrdc/s320/IMG_4669.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhyphenhypheni8MhyEnSYlek999FmDqD1I8oP9RId-R0flAc6kNjsaww-sbmlZuxfGOQcyo19gaiNpCJG2gG-ShHqv7z0qKoVeFDUqMC7zz1kA2hQwJl5nQNFvN8gSFP1H6naD45HRbm-hbtE81dJxCe7cQeNmF1Zn7hlvgSsqEX_Z_bcVfkIidn91-7qZZYsX10o/s4032/IMG_4668.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMhyphenhypheni8MhyEnSYlek999FmDqD1I8oP9RId-R0flAc6kNjsaww-sbmlZuxfGOQcyo19gaiNpCJG2gG-ShHqv7z0qKoVeFDUqMC7zz1kA2hQwJl5nQNFvN8gSFP1H6naD45HRbm-hbtE81dJxCe7cQeNmF1Zn7hlvgSsqEX_Z_bcVfkIidn91-7qZZYsX10o/s320/IMG_4668.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ewk14R1B0liVBOSvHRIxoUSr-eR5ZGmCcuj5XltRZTACCZm5jUqXCtgQqJteQxsm4w1gUgRohfUJKGSWGJmflRFqfzU514FrBiGo1amDSkCMZN4DPa88PoKGwy3rXraD03kdkYYZlcw60rlTmb_OIQD5FkFY84bQWH8aEWzWtChG-6kOcl8lusGDWGA/s4032/IMG_4663.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5ewk14R1B0liVBOSvHRIxoUSr-eR5ZGmCcuj5XltRZTACCZm5jUqXCtgQqJteQxsm4w1gUgRohfUJKGSWGJmflRFqfzU514FrBiGo1amDSkCMZN4DPa88PoKGwy3rXraD03kdkYYZlcw60rlTmb_OIQD5FkFY84bQWH8aEWzWtChG-6kOcl8lusGDWGA/s320/IMG_4663.JPG" width="240" /></a></div></span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">The bars in the Vieux Port were -predictably- full of rugby fans, as England, Scotland, Argentina and South Africa supporters were all starting to gather for tomorrows matches, so a lot of beer was consumed. </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHa4zI4womqMWALGEu6v8QlBZdG24ORY7pgQKX-QdtJAjGScGE2L6mP3M-8L9p7y-nn2QvQD0Cp7gkGJJW6CKpCtxCP633GQcVw2BxXY5GsvzkO_W5NhWRdwQc9w4p97Kb6pHrTDjW3PejEuorM3Yaoht8eK9N1I7O2gy_K5DP2WdYcw_ea9eKUQ-4rI/s4032/IMG_4683.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqHa4zI4womqMWALGEu6v8QlBZdG24ORY7pgQKX-QdtJAjGScGE2L6mP3M-8L9p7y-nn2QvQD0Cp7gkGJJW6CKpCtxCP633GQcVw2BxXY5GsvzkO_W5NhWRdwQc9w4p97Kb6pHrTDjW3PejEuorM3Yaoht8eK9N1I7O2gy_K5DP2WdYcw_ea9eKUQ-4rI/s320/IMG_4683.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv27_DjASazXesCfK399MitTjOlMKntwDjsxRS6Uiru2l3Ql7JIeIncm7UUw-Mc7YEWBQkEGHgXZRDUGm6w7uUgJkvLZX5iIFneGq7Rix3bTAtbQ-Rad81HE4hu9DJJGpTXFiyyeNACAjknkttzLm4HFtqQSYpM106e5RBDIOlJj7232x3_7B50u5lBg0/s4032/IMG_4680.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv27_DjASazXesCfK399MitTjOlMKntwDjsxRS6Uiru2l3Ql7JIeIncm7UUw-Mc7YEWBQkEGHgXZRDUGm6w7uUgJkvLZX5iIFneGq7Rix3bTAtbQ-Rad81HE4hu9DJJGpTXFiyyeNACAjknkttzLm4HFtqQSYpM106e5RBDIOlJj7232x3_7B50u5lBg0/s320/IMG_4680.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtXL0Sg1T4rIB8c7CPHXQzLPAyOrwMqluAfy1E1iJFM1kzxhQceS8Io_x5RF0LnLZCZ7KMCYLsJDStVEOajmUJ_mSqkVlhwJ-h2KxOY38yG58OkG6QFIXUV6VzkSrjgVfdavpIheZdGoCXiAr7xU9OGUdysthMMUktUR8u47Q6xXThFtGahayZQNUnvk/s4032/IMG_4679.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtXL0Sg1T4rIB8c7CPHXQzLPAyOrwMqluAfy1E1iJFM1kzxhQceS8Io_x5RF0LnLZCZ7KMCYLsJDStVEOajmUJ_mSqkVlhwJ-h2KxOY38yG58OkG6QFIXUV6VzkSrjgVfdavpIheZdGoCXiAr7xU9OGUdysthMMUktUR8u47Q6xXThFtGahayZQNUnvk/s320/IMG_4679.JPG" width="240" /></a></div></span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">We had a lot of steps to climb to get back to the apartment and the comfy bed. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><u>9th September 2023.</u></span></span></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">England v Argentina. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">We had a late start today, but once up, walked from Le Panier to the harbour area where a small fan zone had been set up. The fan zone was very poor compared to what was set up in 2007. Just a few rugby related activates, a couple of food stalls and bars. There was a big screen but it would not be showing any matches on the big screens. I hoped that the fan zone would improve for the quarter finals? </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFeI_3fNMdytaeT-HnanOyCsSVzdhJgLENS_NS4HyVZTFfyYA9znBTjyT0WHzakqJrjCj-ZGOme-mjXch6bteBwOeUsgMu-oKV0IyFKd-kNipF8KfKPYysQ2gHRJABU3ttO0KEVDFyviztR2p78gtcHDnOQMgbxQGiPEpQ34cXfXUzTpxG6udcbnxQL0/s4272/P1120746.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPFeI_3fNMdytaeT-HnanOyCsSVzdhJgLENS_NS4HyVZTFfyYA9znBTjyT0WHzakqJrjCj-ZGOme-mjXch6bteBwOeUsgMu-oKV0IyFKd-kNipF8KfKPYysQ2gHRJABU3ttO0KEVDFyviztR2p78gtcHDnOQMgbxQGiPEpQ34cXfXUzTpxG6udcbnxQL0/s320/P1120746.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MAzbZIdn4pynGWTn27z4256aD2AF4aSQE_unRHbPgYvj88NHRdyw7dsSNn15fp-y1hbuvSzk_w5Vz3KcZGfNR_Jvs2WfadolInwriXDxb8w1Vlp5Lkp3cVmUjlweAYQrP0wqd1ISnfIRs9BkAonO9z638TjACSQ7fmCjjQr6akNVshnHJ_e2pdGo-6Q/s4272/P1120741.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7MAzbZIdn4pynGWTn27z4256aD2AF4aSQE_unRHbPgYvj88NHRdyw7dsSNn15fp-y1hbuvSzk_w5Vz3KcZGfNR_Jvs2WfadolInwriXDxb8w1Vlp5Lkp3cVmUjlweAYQrP0wqd1ISnfIRs9BkAonO9z638TjACSQ7fmCjjQr6akNVshnHJ_e2pdGo-6Q/s320/P1120741.JPG" width="214" /></a></div></span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Its always hard to know when to eat on a match day, as the match was late in the evening we decided to have a late lunch and enjoyed a delicious meal at one of the many family owned restaurants in the winding alleys of Le Panier, I had scallops with polenta; I need to learn to make polenta like that; it was heaven! </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZkJd8xUOKgi69RqhtTSLGHOfptbMTcAM2d5WvsVx1O28Y35soEs8_sITFQ6K-8wUQeBovkNvWEmTLS0ysYY6AaQkasEs7JIVpWO1XfxkikU2u6Ry8vkhCHiAMKCp0gYc1jthyVeicKYCrmRIjneaF9cO6IJcjLmPapeu7xz0SlDKsm2rCru36FcLYSY/s4032/IMG_4695.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMZkJd8xUOKgi69RqhtTSLGHOfptbMTcAM2d5WvsVx1O28Y35soEs8_sITFQ6K-8wUQeBovkNvWEmTLS0ysYY6AaQkasEs7JIVpWO1XfxkikU2u6Ry8vkhCHiAMKCp0gYc1jthyVeicKYCrmRIjneaF9cO6IJcjLmPapeu7xz0SlDKsm2rCru36FcLYSY/s320/IMG_4695.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_FBRHLyaCeVwqQQ3WuOhKw2aamq8mspgYZzSk7JZQW6Y1WHhlTmlTzEbt75TWdXC4z5RtQtLRRA5bABzZtK-p2RIBVaKT5JxC4A6gfJ1AsFlCjjS2ZPeWGdeKs4K141N-8iYu20D-BjrCuajb-g4AaksyLToJdGoh7tkerl-kfiZDg0CxvoYAMA9HQA/s4032/IMG_4698.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK_FBRHLyaCeVwqQQ3WuOhKw2aamq8mspgYZzSk7JZQW6Y1WHhlTmlTzEbt75TWdXC4z5RtQtLRRA5bABzZtK-p2RIBVaKT5JxC4A6gfJ1AsFlCjjS2ZPeWGdeKs4K141N-8iYu20D-BjrCuajb-g4AaksyLToJdGoh7tkerl-kfiZDg0CxvoYAMA9HQA/s320/IMG_4698.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6eqmHOU4pWfHy0uVKXEqvAlfMJKcBxc85tscrsU8tvzybx-Th6I4bNW-_Y7HgwyTXQ6RSPhgB7d7hnjHz6iVs0zJGB6XqE-ijF72dU2UHAJgbuG2urwocohVgW_G7ifaip4YcoATbgXZFJahxaC__YrGr8NOtaijbKY3CpAyJrrwG_HYG2X7tEvtag0/s4032/IMG_4697.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj6eqmHOU4pWfHy0uVKXEqvAlfMJKcBxc85tscrsU8tvzybx-Th6I4bNW-_Y7HgwyTXQ6RSPhgB7d7hnjHz6iVs0zJGB6XqE-ijF72dU2UHAJgbuG2urwocohVgW_G7ifaip4YcoATbgXZFJahxaC__YrGr8NOtaijbKY3CpAyJrrwG_HYG2X7tEvtag0/s320/IMG_4697.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RwbsKzSYE4bQJu6XshraVMuxBcDaFzpRDyEv_ppZusJYGYG9E1CA6rL0ef8DCaLNrur78trgZgxfHTgNB0tvZo-n0zdHZl_2Ess-XUVZTV3OjXFEZdV3QTEkW99AFZ5TXoVMHQGrTRQ8N4yO3h19XF0Yoou09AeExGzRt1MuJRv-Nxuh6WNxAHtld3k/s4032/IMG_4696.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RwbsKzSYE4bQJu6XshraVMuxBcDaFzpRDyEv_ppZusJYGYG9E1CA6rL0ef8DCaLNrur78trgZgxfHTgNB0tvZo-n0zdHZl_2Ess-XUVZTV3OjXFEZdV3QTEkW99AFZ5TXoVMHQGrTRQ8N4yO3h19XF0Yoou09AeExGzRt1MuJRv-Nxuh6WNxAHtld3k/s320/IMG_4696.JPG" width="240" /></a></div></span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">We then walked to the Stad Velodrome via the Zoumai brew pub, where a group of England fans were meeting The final walk </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: x-large;">to the stadium was accompanied with plenty of Argentina fans enjoying the bars along the way, singing about the Malvinas. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzwH5kPAxzdRnR6Y_XXQS60xmcl9byz_fBGV7p31V0LzvMhXMDR4ezGCyptOyCMjBgsWdFW1YugrnolrjvvcQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></span></div><p></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Upon reaching the stadium we realised the entrance was via a steep staircase. Fans were already queuing on the stairs. I asked a volunteer if there was an alternate entrance, and was directed to the back of the stadium; but that entrance was locked. So we went back and started to slowly climb the stairs. At the top of the stairs, there were THREE entrance points. That was it, three entry gates. </span></span></p><p><a href="https://twitter.com/johnsmit123/status/1700758657112109276?s=12&t=8E_doQfJvrW9kTPWMRXefg&fbclid=IwAR32sr9Z1WR6LxxWKRfBR5uFR0J3zLjAJdHG18euRN7FKx3uFKX7XTa2D2Q">https://twitter.com/johnsmit123/status/1700758657112109276?s=12&t=8E_doQfJvrW9kTPWMRXefg&fbclid=IwAR32sr9Z1WR6LxxWKRfBR5uFR0J3zLjAJdHG18euRN7FKx3uFKX7XTa2D2Q</a><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbSWb7o3QxscWJ_68SRqUHXR7zk2OtKiObuhezo4g0MP3Qo-sJeWZgX0dGTtvY8pu-MCwNstWD8Bs6wVshO2w1N6Nm1sXskSRpz_QRTyAPHg6Ww3yCkOEtMiFkO3rHy3D20YsJu4EU33RlUNSvayjHl35ZX9nJzcG-IY3BMLdQtPqLw6nZhCuf5yBLE4/s4096/377095214_678677470862036_6237044971428843114_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="4096" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRbSWb7o3QxscWJ_68SRqUHXR7zk2OtKiObuhezo4g0MP3Qo-sJeWZgX0dGTtvY8pu-MCwNstWD8Bs6wVshO2w1N6Nm1sXskSRpz_QRTyAPHg6Ww3yCkOEtMiFkO3rHy3D20YsJu4EU33RlUNSvayjHl35ZX9nJzcG-IY3BMLdQtPqLw6nZhCuf5yBLE4/w640-h238/377095214_678677470862036_6237044971428843114_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: x-large;">We queued over an hour and a quarter on the stairs, and only just made it to our seats for kick off - a lot of other fans were not so lucky and missed the first half of the game. This situation was totally unexpectable, and the World Rugby are very lucky that people were very patient and well behaved; this could have been an absolute catastrophe!</span></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">There were hundreds of armed police just watching the chaos. The police were an irritation and not needed. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">The stadium was not full, it looked like a lot of the hospitality seats had not sold. The French seemed to be supporting Argentina and they were very confident that it would be a loss for England. It looked like that might be the case as with in the first 2 minutes of the game Tom Currey was sent off for a 'head collision', and the yellow card was upgraded to a red. This was a disappointing start and England down to 14 men for the duration of the game. Despite this set back, England played well and disrupted Argentina's game, ending in a 27 - 10 victory for England. </span></span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">We walked back into Marseilles and celebrated the min in the streets of the old port. The late night resulted in a late start on the <u>10th September 2023.</u></span></span></div><p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Today we were due at the stadium to watch South Africa v Scotland at 17.45, as we were so late getting up, and worried about getting into the stadium we set off to the stadium in plenty of time. </span></span></p><p><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">After the fiasco yesterday all the gates, front and back were open, so we did not have to que on the the steps and entry to the stadium was easy. There were a few stalls selling beer and sausages set up, but that was all. No wine. Having enjoyed the match we walked back into town just </span></span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-size: x-large;">in time to catch the Fiji v Wales game, we watched this in a very crowded and busy restaurant - L'Entrocote, and despite the restaurant being so busy the meal was good. Once again the streets of Le Panier were very quiet as we made our way back to the accommodation. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: xx-large;"> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkpWB9pgRBjnTwhK-_BCLz8rZMBeYnsbRV5ugOordAuPA4kpjGB1UDk26r7gdluzjWCpAcgBRFosDiUbWPgrHzve6cdyxPshsBlenkTwn_eF0lbLVh2ZO6ig-vQ1QB8LZt7s-8dtiJdZ88SErycwSXHg0Dtb1-1bXAL-q7dq5F6wGxGd16m9u8Mk69Cs/s4032/IMG_4693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkkpWB9pgRBjnTwhK-_BCLz8rZMBeYnsbRV5ugOordAuPA4kpjGB1UDk26r7gdluzjWCpAcgBRFosDiUbWPgrHzve6cdyxPshsBlenkTwn_eF0lbLVh2ZO6ig-vQ1QB8LZt7s-8dtiJdZ88SErycwSXHg0Dtb1-1bXAL-q7dq5F6wGxGd16m9u8Mk69Cs/s320/IMG_4693.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the Norman Foster Mirror Roof at the port, Marseille</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQ34_CDIWMXUrX0m2MHVISA1k_QrH7Wob4s7qu59gF802Ha-lHdZNtjMpwiJheJSbCJsn1tr2p5eAP93EfTFDn1FBADMibjWYNo9V1IROmg08BUZPmXssq47ibdG3L3nyHzFl4EkjFqxVuyLTI9FgizVTAhoBzhK6ZzlSdZRrPbwQjIs7dM9vpaoln8M/s4032/IMG_4692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbQ34_CDIWMXUrX0m2MHVISA1k_QrH7Wob4s7qu59gF802Ha-lHdZNtjMpwiJheJSbCJsn1tr2p5eAP93EfTFDn1FBADMibjWYNo9V1IROmg08BUZPmXssq47ibdG3L3nyHzFl4EkjFqxVuyLTI9FgizVTAhoBzhK6ZzlSdZRrPbwQjIs7dM9vpaoln8M/s320/IMG_4692.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-9217912404809351372023-10-01T13:33:00.008+01:002023-11-09T09:58:52.043+00:00Rugby World Cup 2023, France. Part one, Manchester to Nice, 7th September 2023. <p><span style="font-size: x-large;">7th September 2023.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Time for the Rugby World Cup 2023. France. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1gnLQCwpjx-R4_NKMFbLLegJLMSJOBfhCxlsC_ayGMurezUvm0XZd9jlZRhX5cy5NoopzZtKG5UFWaN_BUT_jkKhS2Pv5vdsjY0Y1eKGo-H9RIOSrtAVagpSEDzzDjgHJsZ7fSdj7jW6R-HozHWSdPiwR4GOa4x1Iwr_gEgUDlsDb7IqTw3typtAKIU/s4032/IMG_4648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Rugby World Cup 2023. France." border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg1gnLQCwpjx-R4_NKMFbLLegJLMSJOBfhCxlsC_ayGMurezUvm0XZd9jlZRhX5cy5NoopzZtKG5UFWaN_BUT_jkKhS2Pv5vdsjY0Y1eKGo-H9RIOSrtAVagpSEDzzDjgHJsZ7fSdj7jW6R-HozHWSdPiwR4GOa4x1Iwr_gEgUDlsDb7IqTw3typtAKIU/w240-h320/IMG_4648.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA027GK51CDnVRE5h61IhLyBrssX3rQF4XiTGa0FFj-nhXbfQUqKW-gfll5pz5poc5Lso6CXx2WSXU89JV8G49V-2-18KX-LB7ImVnl5JzcnR5asoxoQMIQtkgUdO-NoGsUyzlOltYbMbvhR_Tp6sUeLzZpWMEorYc2jDynyCyCF5FCips8dULl-BwR9Q/s4019/P1120710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4019" data-original-width="2687" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA027GK51CDnVRE5h61IhLyBrssX3rQF4XiTGa0FFj-nhXbfQUqKW-gfll5pz5poc5Lso6CXx2WSXU89JV8G49V-2-18KX-LB7ImVnl5JzcnR5asoxoQMIQtkgUdO-NoGsUyzlOltYbMbvhR_Tp6sUeLzZpWMEorYc2jDynyCyCF5FCips8dULl-BwR9Q/s320/P1120710.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">It doesn’t seem four years since the RWC was in Japan. As is the normal routine for this event, the planning started about 24 months ago. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Once the dates & venues were confirmed, registration for ticket sales began. The ticket sales were all on line and a very long and stressful process. The tickets were to be digital - very stressful as it means you have to have your phone with you, charged and able to receive data. I much prefer a solid, paper ticket! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Following England, the pool games would be in Marseille, Nice and two in Lille. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">So today we are setting off for the first pool game, England v Argentina in Marseille. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ryanair fly from Manchester to Marseille, but the flights didn’t fit in with the day we needed to travel so I booked with EasyJet; Manchester to Nice. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We got the train to Manchester airport and check in was fast, as was security and we had time for a good breakfast at ‘Giraffe’- I had a delicious Avocado on toast with egg and pomegranate. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLLLa9RvsZ2MZNphdCrVsWI0yjoZpC2AQnVrC4TVr-dVnO0sSCGuwxPCDvBX_9LUfsa5F0nV8vGXYPbE5gtl59EJciX-48KmlEtYHmY53qsSRylRfqJ6akDt7jYbQ2D5YTZNRfhJMBZ23p3tFSfi7209JwVxx4t5-O9SKIY8OWkbkFB23tw0b5368P4Q/s4032/IMG_4650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMLLLa9RvsZ2MZNphdCrVsWI0yjoZpC2AQnVrC4TVr-dVnO0sSCGuwxPCDvBX_9LUfsa5F0nV8vGXYPbE5gtl59EJciX-48KmlEtYHmY53qsSRylRfqJ6akDt7jYbQ2D5YTZNRfhJMBZ23p3tFSfi7209JwVxx4t5-O9SKIY8OWkbkFB23tw0b5368P4Q/s320/IMG_4650.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The flight was 40 minutes late departing, but the flight was deplaned and loaded promptly once it arrived. The weather was excellent, there was not a cloud in the sky for the whole journey so the view from my window seat was like looking at a map. Seeing the gardens of Versailles from the air was amazing. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">I thought EastJet were very good, as I had checked baggage I was allocated a seat, the leg room was sufficient for me and it was a good flight. Going through passport control and customs at Nice was quick and easy, and it was a short walk to the care hire depo. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibo49vvhSRSOfwLF8biNeg3Gxv5ygWWfwgojMpMO5qQ2UoFsAqIUIa_vfkwFTNZLHMd3326eG_hjrjAeZLPPFD1IYDlvLGjb5dmGe8EuDK5VdcRo1sHXMEGtzkb0a8cQm1nwm3yNHx0-GMU1_G-dMYgNpbWzSfAx8vRxoerW8v3Ax-W-xkjlZN1KirEFs/s4272/P1120709.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Nice France" border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibo49vvhSRSOfwLF8biNeg3Gxv5ygWWfwgojMpMO5qQ2UoFsAqIUIa_vfkwFTNZLHMd3326eG_hjrjAeZLPPFD1IYDlvLGjb5dmGe8EuDK5VdcRo1sHXMEGtzkb0a8cQm1nwm3yNHx0-GMU1_G-dMYgNpbWzSfAx8vRxoerW8v3Ax-W-xkjlZN1KirEFs/w400-h268/P1120709.JPG" title="Nice Airport, France" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">I booked a car with Alamo, as I knew we were going to be doing a lot of miles, I booked a mid range Nissan Quashqai type car. At Nice airport the Alamo rep advised that we had been but upgraded to a BMW 4 series.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Driving from Nice to the hotel in Juan -les- Pins, Antibes was a challenge. The roads very extremely busy and very congested. But after 2 hours we arrived at the hotel. </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAXmfwKj_I1WuF_Q8Z1xpY_nQrEEJRLcD_tsr76eSSBYcYwPFi_sEcOU07sk0V2PoCggNoBBr_30aPluxr3gVm4Yq4xHLZ9lfd6zwfp9o000BBrYdLyULiN-Hw_FacJ8xSAMhUpfN8LnkaOdXUiKoQlsrPHQt54_fBZoM6iM91CsWOCQm3rwSiXn92mk/s4272/P1120712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtAXmfwKj_I1WuF_Q8Z1xpY_nQrEEJRLcD_tsr76eSSBYcYwPFi_sEcOU07sk0V2PoCggNoBBr_30aPluxr3gVm4Yq4xHLZ9lfd6zwfp9o000BBrYdLyULiN-Hw_FacJ8xSAMhUpfN8LnkaOdXUiKoQlsrPHQt54_fBZoM6iM91CsWOCQm3rwSiXn92mk/w400-h268/P1120712.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Hotel Mimosas is set in gorgeous gardens, its rather old but it was good for one night and has free parking. It was a short walk to the promenade, where even at 20.00 people were still swimming in the sea and we ate at Esterel Plage Restaurant located on the beach. </span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvccK6SzJsZgxNDZaB5-2YlMarZ8vPyK-WtB3J6ttC2lW5DK-HgNxgsVOHNntxoPbSK062FyaokBJCIWMjVtOUhY9l8o8qL3CujECe6U3jmV_E1B8h8fbTJjFHxPzM08_aMA-HQRP7Jf_GQocRFKvXkQXMCxRa5A8Er87E2KomOPSFENOnIwkYJDFXN74/s4032/IMG_4652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvccK6SzJsZgxNDZaB5-2YlMarZ8vPyK-WtB3J6ttC2lW5DK-HgNxgsVOHNntxoPbSK062FyaokBJCIWMjVtOUhY9l8o8qL3CujECe6U3jmV_E1B8h8fbTJjFHxPzM08_aMA-HQRP7Jf_GQocRFKvXkQXMCxRa5A8Er87E2KomOPSFENOnIwkYJDFXN74/w400-h300/IMG_4652.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Our Rugby / Food and Wine tour had begun. </span></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMZHQ32vth4EEwPqUth3bcP61L7wUvH8qxQ52FVqqCSmrnP0RfzAGnpFmSReMobFqMJ-l3oOhTz-4ICqIAiK3O3-pnb0kq0tpE2UNIEPeDveQ2d_6K87X4gy8-11YRQ2Uq2IYFCGICjfUJ4efhqa57Aj73OGPQPDM4CrOmtNeIIApadMIHkJ9M5lnn20/s4032/IMG_4654.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiMZHQ32vth4EEwPqUth3bcP61L7wUvH8qxQ52FVqqCSmrnP0RfzAGnpFmSReMobFqMJ-l3oOhTz-4ICqIAiK3O3-pnb0kq0tpE2UNIEPeDveQ2d_6K87X4gy8-11YRQ2Uq2IYFCGICjfUJ4efhqa57Aj73OGPQPDM4CrOmtNeIIApadMIHkJ9M5lnn20/s320/IMG_4654.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-50910724919396006712023-03-25T18:12:00.014+00:002023-07-05T22:30:37.620+01:00Holland America Line, Rotterdam, Caribbean Cruise, Overall Thoughts / Impressions. <h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Holland America Line, Rotterdam, Caribbean Cruise. Final Thoughts and Overall impression. </span></h3><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">This was the first time I had travelled with Holland
America Line. Due to a tempting itinerary, I had booked a South Pacific cruise, but due to constant changes
to both the itinerary and ship I requested a cancelation and refund. I was
unable to cancel and get a refund but offered a change to booking, with certain stipulations regarding duration and other things. The only cruise that met the conditions was this one. So </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">I changed the booking to a 21 day Caribbean Cruise on HAL
Rotterdam.</span></div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The ship is new, the décor and the art work throughout the
ship is very good. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The main age group of passengers on the ship seemed to be elderly; we are
in our mid sixties and were some of the youngest on the ship! There were many electric
wheel chairs and scooters around.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> I did not like the smell of the ship, but
this did seem to improve on the second leg of the cruise. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">My biggest issue was that the ship was not stable, even in what
looked to me looked like calm seas – the English Channel on a good day- the
ship was <span style="line-height: 107%;">rocking</span> and rolling about, each sea day the ship rocked about. It
was so bad that people struggled to walk in a straight line and the water in
the back pool was spilling out all over the deck. As I have not been on HAL
before I don’t know if this is normal, but I have been on Celebrity, round Cape
Horn and never felt this amount of movement. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The size of the balcony cabin was small but adequate, the
storage area was good and the shower in the bathroom was large and the water
pressure good and always had hot water. Our cabin attendants were fantastic. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The layout of the 9<sup>th</sup> floor on the Ship was odd,
as there is a pool at the back, then the buffet area, then a pool, with retractable
roof at the front. So the buffet area is used as a thoroughfare. Also the
smoking area at the back is close to the doors so the smoke wafts through to
the buffet area. On the theme of smoking, smoking is allowed in the Casino,
there is a stair case down to the music walk on the third deck and the smoke
also wafts down into the music walk. I was very surprised that smoking was
allowed inside, especially on a new ship.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Both pool areas were very busy and the amount of sun beds
was inadequate. There were a lot of tables in both pool areas; the tables were
busy with people playing cards, games, sewing ect. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Whist the ‘Music Walk’ of BB King Blues Club, Rolling Stone
Rock Room and the two pianos was good, and provided evening entertainment, actual
activities and the entertainment team and cruise director were poor, we did not
see the cruise director and could not understand his announcements via the
tannoy. The Cruise Director did strange dancing in the BB Kings Blues Bar, dressed in her uniform and Stilettos each night- a very odd thing!</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Activities on sea days were Origami, flower arranging and colouring,
there were a couple of line dancing classes, no energetic dancing like Zumba,
Salsa or Aqua. No sports baced competitions, really very boring and apart from
enjoying the bands in the evening there was not much variety in activities. </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">FOOD. A lot of passengers were complaining about the food, this
I do not understand and think maybe they employ gourmet chefs at home? The food
was outstanding. The Lido Buffet is open from 06.30 for breakfast, 11.30 for
Lunch, 17.30 for dinner. It has many stations, the food is served to you, and
there is a salad bar, sushi, pasta made to order, roast meats counter, sweets,
breads, fabulous sandwiches, cold meats, fish….. the same food that is on the
menu in the formal dining room is also served in the Lido Market. The tables
are set with cutlery and the drinks service is fast. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReoE5dgrwt02puxMYmS78o0P1rUJ2AKZa7sf1QlCJpfDTX55YKejEOmvFET1In21kNUraqDlPaIYgYRsPBMOUsKtrciakip_N0cp0moscaWabJpKuZXBDOGfhbBGyptDNcPy1y99N8YeWf0ViqlZT92y2sdvDu4DMHJpKqUWTgyHQIR5lmobI3r5A/s4032/IMG_3577.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HAL Rotterdam Food" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiReoE5dgrwt02puxMYmS78o0P1rUJ2AKZa7sf1QlCJpfDTX55YKejEOmvFET1In21kNUraqDlPaIYgYRsPBMOUsKtrciakip_N0cp0moscaWabJpKuZXBDOGfhbBGyptDNcPy1y99N8YeWf0ViqlZT92y2sdvDu4DMHJpKqUWTgyHQIR5lmobI3r5A/w320-h240/IMG_3577.JPG" title="HAL Rotterdam Food" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HAL Rotterdam Food </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5o0dZ4qQGrF3g1Hm35Ty-u4-XfxRXhGTkkJid-51oNasUf5nQb8oOpSsR5GNK_u2wA5ARVxkw96nB2wk_8pGwMK9LIGgtCh03WMJV8hTuZNPDiQxKdqrfWlGBSCa_DI54Cv3Bd7e2bwFo-n-ddfhZS8RL4A2xQ-gLEIzWm2iMFScxvMZ4J0yzld2P/s4032/IMG_3578.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="HAL Rotterdam Food" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5o0dZ4qQGrF3g1Hm35Ty-u4-XfxRXhGTkkJid-51oNasUf5nQb8oOpSsR5GNK_u2wA5ARVxkw96nB2wk_8pGwMK9LIGgtCh03WMJV8hTuZNPDiQxKdqrfWlGBSCa_DI54Cv3Bd7e2bwFo-n-ddfhZS8RL4A2xQ-gLEIzWm2iMFScxvMZ4J0yzld2P/w320-h240/IMG_3578.JPG" title="HAL Rotterdam Food" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Uu4dX3OWEw-XwX2MbNPOM6c9PKCS5V-AGDJkXYVqVVsTCVTzNpU5IM81rRCUiLxd3mfo6Xx1X-ZITvnZcPCgbmAN3C9vy5ol5xHSx8psN3q19y0zVNfL6afshEuWLLfPvw_NeNSCDw6cRNHSd04D8lqGmHLiURTO7UBctBu7xzULR39QNwC6uBdj/s4032/IMG_3579.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0Uu4dX3OWEw-XwX2MbNPOM6c9PKCS5V-AGDJkXYVqVVsTCVTzNpU5IM81rRCUiLxd3mfo6Xx1X-ZITvnZcPCgbmAN3C9vy5ol5xHSx8psN3q19y0zVNfL6afshEuWLLfPvw_NeNSCDw6cRNHSd04D8lqGmHLiURTO7UBctBu7xzULR39QNwC6uBdj/s320/IMG_3579.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47T77bWmXF5ilmS3CG3QTQDadfY9A1ex3cCSF-mINFY5XwW7i-UH4CPH_YKBHr7uYhUN-MylHmXeWKJyXgZJWBgrJ_7huTZ0bDDawZ68ZG3mf9p5KpgIaTdfAQCJT5yMXf1CzK8l6miS4pbtBkBxybLuZXFpEVQ1bsrRdVupg9wP30VUyY2Lak_D9/s4032/IMG_3581.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi47T77bWmXF5ilmS3CG3QTQDadfY9A1ex3cCSF-mINFY5XwW7i-UH4CPH_YKBHr7uYhUN-MylHmXeWKJyXgZJWBgrJ_7huTZ0bDDawZ68ZG3mf9p5KpgIaTdfAQCJT5yMXf1CzK8l6miS4pbtBkBxybLuZXFpEVQ1bsrRdVupg9wP30VUyY2Lak_D9/s320/IMG_3581.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR3k-qoKCT8cAR0qJz3-YdRc6RQ4RNdu7JrdQ4tvbzY5accmrWM76A3HJ7JSk-fbq5wHQmje48QGibIr82Ptz4Dc9dkEbBJInBevycSxn20IFlIQaf51maXAkqfifETC4OqUhb082y4J8zoI4629t5VkQMhLPpEBSV3KXEitkK7zAj4WiGQ-kZ837/s4272/P1120503.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipR3k-qoKCT8cAR0qJz3-YdRc6RQ4RNdu7JrdQ4tvbzY5accmrWM76A3HJ7JSk-fbq5wHQmje48QGibIr82Ptz4Dc9dkEbBJInBevycSxn20IFlIQaf51maXAkqfifETC4OqUhb082y4J8zoI4629t5VkQMhLPpEBSV3KXEitkK7zAj4WiGQ-kZ837/s320/P1120503.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevErxRgZLtA2gLBTi3is5wJ-ZWWFvxNema20GPuGMmu0wq_no-YVh__ZomvBNbJvh04pNLNY-QhOHum591r1Hv0wEHx9fyq3KnZ9DQ4BrCS6-YWX0vxoeZZYRzKM5g5v_ydcXJXXdLw2f3rRt5jXq4UbPeOiX1Di6blfuaJW3D2v89EYHCqxLmgW0/s4272/P1120504.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HAL Rotterdam Food" border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjevErxRgZLtA2gLBTi3is5wJ-ZWWFvxNema20GPuGMmu0wq_no-YVh__ZomvBNbJvh04pNLNY-QhOHum591r1Hv0wEHx9fyq3KnZ9DQ4BrCS6-YWX0vxoeZZYRzKM5g5v_ydcXJXXdLw2f3rRt5jXq4UbPeOiX1Di6blfuaJW3D2v89EYHCqxLmgW0/w320-h214/P1120504.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HAL Rotterdam Food </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9d_Ddqtab-oN0dvQ9_1op5N_lDjTPP9Oy8FiUyTFnL4j5THde7LKSiZR7dWD6nUep5Hipf7vjNchtKTgdD7sc0LLorLfa6_Idg9-u6Lj8lXRfkE7cz8HYzah117ql0zdVwZW0r6pziCBIOWYX0mOFOjGWZbJAosOR58gKK8LFNKdyz6fLh4cNiIe/s4272/P1120505.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN9d_Ddqtab-oN0dvQ9_1op5N_lDjTPP9Oy8FiUyTFnL4j5THde7LKSiZR7dWD6nUep5Hipf7vjNchtKTgdD7sc0LLorLfa6_Idg9-u6Lj8lXRfkE7cz8HYzah117ql0zdVwZW0r6pziCBIOWYX0mOFOjGWZbJAosOR58gKK8LFNKdyz6fLh4cNiIe/s320/P1120505.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnmWgoN-_D27LkqDA5ubRZGl7g0A2i1l5fUpyb8IuuaJMx-ryBktsBKQS84-ezREx4vs0PFUwRUEZYOodQFJY4zPowzfctmXZNwKZ5dNmKQXvRTOLj7ID1X5NeeiFkYkxxkIZIi7WNCF3zPf-s5ij8xGlG_wi1yeVDpWBYT1qfbKEC9saf0DAOXuf/s4272/P1120506.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXnmWgoN-_D27LkqDA5ubRZGl7g0A2i1l5fUpyb8IuuaJMx-ryBktsBKQS84-ezREx4vs0PFUwRUEZYOodQFJY4zPowzfctmXZNwKZ5dNmKQXvRTOLj7ID1X5NeeiFkYkxxkIZIi7WNCF3zPf-s5ij8xGlG_wi1yeVDpWBYT1qfbKEC9saf0DAOXuf/s320/P1120506.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdxB4lwiTATskEvZcS7ZbE71aOQ8-mFqJbHvgbxJkfGD3hOXqBXuAby_8lFdyqsQkvEVzfj3obmDsrmFS5BTMAjq7L7r1VMt7pcp5tSjbjzGxAdgq_4AM6M9Pmpnrzp8HPXbfy7Wq_pZiI21-n2w8hrUTEUgcsMeHVxyg3el8X5R4C1h_r73_t4Vt/s4272/P1120507.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUdxB4lwiTATskEvZcS7ZbE71aOQ8-mFqJbHvgbxJkfGD3hOXqBXuAby_8lFdyqsQkvEVzfj3obmDsrmFS5BTMAjq7L7r1VMt7pcp5tSjbjzGxAdgq_4AM6M9Pmpnrzp8HPXbfy7Wq_pZiI21-n2w8hrUTEUgcsMeHVxyg3el8X5R4C1h_r73_t4Vt/s320/P1120507.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-keoI4UDeOU05npKnm5jL5Ra498pyd5KXQER8pBcmLoxt3HZSAFaPoU6AhRKO2Sj5Rafegd3zqW4R0hcprSH8_D86ktDfRqjPX-sx5Yf1h9RMw4tFSLmgDeVLd5MXehkqxLnAlI4fXfDvebWSQuFnbMqfdpCzcfhK6-Oca4fkblk8DgRbt2fBVLG/s4272/P1120513.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh-keoI4UDeOU05npKnm5jL5Ra498pyd5KXQER8pBcmLoxt3HZSAFaPoU6AhRKO2Sj5Rafegd3zqW4R0hcprSH8_D86ktDfRqjPX-sx5Yf1h9RMw4tFSLmgDeVLd5MXehkqxLnAlI4fXfDvebWSQuFnbMqfdpCzcfhK6-Oca4fkblk8DgRbt2fBVLG/s320/P1120513.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrLoeoA8IPN8sZtXCah9ju96TrtFQd0irKsqP_JHtbGiYuXF6XJqfUmdBFFcFkROvlIGF4_ZFycrG2xCpRYa6CrGNjOhG8PiW6WxfOjqmaKDE62ENqiJ6kyI3PFVHDttv_pbB57z1PQSZnY-UYuM8baGMgSuBPkrQsvZXehok3TNmYLh7ofz_xucU/s4272/P1120514.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKrLoeoA8IPN8sZtXCah9ju96TrtFQd0irKsqP_JHtbGiYuXF6XJqfUmdBFFcFkROvlIGF4_ZFycrG2xCpRYa6CrGNjOhG8PiW6WxfOjqmaKDE62ENqiJ6kyI3PFVHDttv_pbB57z1PQSZnY-UYuM8baGMgSuBPkrQsvZXehok3TNmYLh7ofz_xucU/s320/P1120514.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuHv1ZqlsEAJcBUZtkLM-V1qJBTq4G9JgWOhM1KzFvg1zN_uMXW8xk8l4azB3ZDHTofufpQLwqG0Wip78tMW4IsrTx_OmQYIjv1T_ja1s6mtiD7oisllp8phQb15247W8P62_wSrJfznyX5IjI0DUIGnyyZE_iqUWHmFQuh1685zZ8XU7q2HPYTR7/s4272/P1120515.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HAL Rotterdam Food" border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRuHv1ZqlsEAJcBUZtkLM-V1qJBTq4G9JgWOhM1KzFvg1zN_uMXW8xk8l4azB3ZDHTofufpQLwqG0Wip78tMW4IsrTx_OmQYIjv1T_ja1s6mtiD7oisllp8phQb15247W8P62_wSrJfznyX5IjI0DUIGnyyZE_iqUWHmFQuh1685zZ8XU7q2HPYTR7/w320-h214/P1120515.JPG" title="HAL Rotterdam Food" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HAL Rotterdam Food </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>The dining room is more formal and opening times vary
depending on if it’s a sea day, we ate in the dining room and found the food to
be very good, plenty of choice, always hot and drinks service good. As well as
this there is the New York Deli and Pizza for sandwiches, salads and Pizza made
to order from 11.30 till midnight, the Dive in for Burgers and hotdogs ( and
really crunchy chips) </span><span> </span><span>from 11.30 to
18.00. Movie night snacks such as Nachos / chicken wings on movies by the pool
nights. The Dutch Café have Dutch food from 06.30 to 22.00. As well as 24 hour
room service should you want it.</span><span> </span><span>Then
there are the speciality restaurants!</span></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The crew working in the restaurants, bars, cabins and
cleaning the ship are outstanding, hard working and very polite even when
dealing with some very obnoxious, entitled passengers – and they were a lot of
these type of people!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Although I enjoyed the food and music walk due to the
rocking and rolling movement of the ship, lack of (active) activities on sea
days and some extremely rude and entitled passengers onboard I would not go
with HAL again. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><pre class="_ngcontent-skg-34" style="color: #3c4043; font-family: "Roboto Mono", "Courier New", monospace; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 0.00714286em; line-height: 1.25rem; object-fit: contain; overflow-wrap: anywhere; text-wrap: wrap;">google.com, pub-8562372946408129, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0</pre><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-14276876814590591332023-03-25T17:59:00.006+00:002023-03-25T17:59:46.014+00:00 Holland America Line, Caribbean Cruise, 22nd February 2023, Oranjestad, Aruba. <h1 style="text-align: left;"> 22nd February 2023, Oranjestad, Aruba. </h1><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The ship had docked when we woke up, we were not in a rush as a tour was booked that left at 08.20.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The tour was a 4x4 trip to the Conchi Natural Pool in the Arikok National Park. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUw0HW4Os6teo8-O_xG7Shj3Kk3rBFCKjj2tQTIZ7THVtOEFcakm8mYyH7QSUM4VPdOOLxJYmCsHB6_FPKzxTtcZga5t5yUBtTaD0aoAX11rXz1fAC83aCuf_bOhLiEnv6mBlHcU7kxhnrcAFBFhbA9LQUS4nsn8cACLxQmXiiMiKKPxRaPonmUs1/s4032/IMG_3548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUw0HW4Os6teo8-O_xG7Shj3Kk3rBFCKjj2tQTIZ7THVtOEFcakm8mYyH7QSUM4VPdOOLxJYmCsHB6_FPKzxTtcZga5t5yUBtTaD0aoAX11rXz1fAC83aCuf_bOhLiEnv6mBlHcU7kxhnrcAFBFhbA9LQUS4nsn8cACLxQmXiiMiKKPxRaPonmUs1/s320/IMG_3548.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsjyQHAX2ekMaC5evQKdB2OnBZ88Q8lueeJgH2fHWIgSrYxdlflHIYvwzI9iuBDHTjRUFVuBp2h4Xv6cfa1CGpssbTzW9QK3yZjywlaD-E3yqJSM9b0_uTZOyZUur8wqoPQHXmeCCE2sARLes9Y-HRqAoxw3yLlS5ePO6mDkqDHraLF8rKdfCjTh-/s4032/IMG_3559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCsjyQHAX2ekMaC5evQKdB2OnBZ88Q8lueeJgH2fHWIgSrYxdlflHIYvwzI9iuBDHTjRUFVuBp2h4Xv6cfa1CGpssbTzW9QK3yZjywlaD-E3yqJSM9b0_uTZOyZUur8wqoPQHXmeCCE2sARLes9Y-HRqAoxw3yLlS5ePO6mDkqDHraLF8rKdfCjTh-/s320/IMG_3559.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1OgUxK_Cv88QTZrm8JDHAxZlChlb3d1ts_tg_ejjuWp43AVTlPVNz_PCQ5EbujBqriBYIvK13n5B8_pCND0-zYSikGwZ7X1OMFqAoDOGhqWwOggT4bCETJ9KJpGCFKtaQjKMlS9ezgVwt3RQEgCYdHu8FzGfrbI5Vcr5zmQi77gZXrOfDDbfEby6/s4032/IMG_3557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1OgUxK_Cv88QTZrm8JDHAxZlChlb3d1ts_tg_ejjuWp43AVTlPVNz_PCQ5EbujBqriBYIvK13n5B8_pCND0-zYSikGwZ7X1OMFqAoDOGhqWwOggT4bCETJ9KJpGCFKtaQjKMlS9ezgVwt3RQEgCYdHu8FzGfrbI5Vcr5zmQi77gZXrOfDDbfEby6/s320/IMG_3557.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">the ride was very fast and very bumpy. the natural pool was great fun, especially when large waves turned it into a natural jacuzzi. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Once back in Oranjestad we walked to Shoreline beach, as this beach is very close to the airport it has the same experience as St Maarten with out any crowds! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLQbM9gAgK9w8YU6kewX4gwNa9SH1WTL9cw2NpY6u5VzRPttwMxHtQLsRKINrrRwkGTT8tKoyA3IOITsfVdmpg8mdeZ_SLf1pkMrMXGo0L059T88mde2YE4oHZopZfpMbiDsJ9JGwRPK9lXFWDQupjeGfcavSxrsHYaES8t2cX_WxZKqQbprOeDUe/s4032/IMG_3568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyLQbM9gAgK9w8YU6kewX4gwNa9SH1WTL9cw2NpY6u5VzRPttwMxHtQLsRKINrrRwkGTT8tKoyA3IOITsfVdmpg8mdeZ_SLf1pkMrMXGo0L059T88mde2YE4oHZopZfpMbiDsJ9JGwRPK9lXFWDQupjeGfcavSxrsHYaES8t2cX_WxZKqQbprOeDUe/s320/IMG_3568.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPm3IvfHDkHIaHjz8vQoI7k5H5mEVaTECyJpvU8WITbZw37-jLX8y2TSPwDNeGL28UgKTBLTJR2Z8VwlY72q2w1AudWchDjZ543wYXq5Nj3bdO5FAqWFtG9IP7AzMKIseV8O1q9l1xt-tFhG7z0QDXf7VroLtA6Si-L92GhFPI2cA9EESAMhF7dTw/s4032/IMG_3567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPPm3IvfHDkHIaHjz8vQoI7k5H5mEVaTECyJpvU8WITbZw37-jLX8y2TSPwDNeGL28UgKTBLTJR2Z8VwlY72q2w1AudWchDjZ543wYXq5Nj3bdO5FAqWFtG9IP7AzMKIseV8O1q9l1xt-tFhG7z0QDXf7VroLtA6Si-L92GhFPI2cA9EESAMhF7dTw/s320/IMG_3567.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>We then walked back through the town, did a bit of shopping then all to soon it was time to leave. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The next two days were at sea as we were bound for Port Everglades and the end of our Caribbean exploration. </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-31912588704484763502023-03-25T17:45:00.005+00:002023-03-25T17:45:29.811+00:00Holland America Line, Rotterdam, Caribbean Cruise. 21 February 2023. Willemstad, Curacao. <h1 style="text-align: left;"> 21 February 2013. Willemstad, Curacao. </h1><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Arrival 07.00 - All Aboard 22.30.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Today we were hiring a car from Smart Wheels located in the cruise port. It was challenging getting off the ship as although we had arrived well before 07.00 we were not cleared to disembark until 08.00 and the ques were massive.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Smart Wheels was in the port and ready with the keys, no fuss, off we went. Today was the final day of Carnival due to the procession the roads would be closing from about 16.30 so we were glad to be off early. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">To navigate out of Willemstad we headed for the airport, then up the Atlantic side of the Island to Shete Boka National Park, a sea turtle sanctuary, but we didn't see any. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3aWcF3Sv9ImFdLy4bvgH6o1J467oIO4JsvNvWq8V4vuDpZLQC4IW4x11Tw9B3YnsdUgiby38PgrrO_4JsJxnOYY0njh_8RAThdTSvERGXZA8h6Kx2R30EQz9Kd1iUulXhszDY34jVVTros2NxWC-tvq7LozC5IuhcDJuRc0u97IljBOGr4dNGjVU/s4272/P1120449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY3aWcF3Sv9ImFdLy4bvgH6o1J467oIO4JsvNvWq8V4vuDpZLQC4IW4x11Tw9B3YnsdUgiby38PgrrO_4JsJxnOYY0njh_8RAThdTSvERGXZA8h6Kx2R30EQz9Kd1iUulXhszDY34jVVTros2NxWC-tvq7LozC5IuhcDJuRc0u97IljBOGr4dNGjVU/s320/P1120449.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: left;">Shete Boka National Park</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlg6CM3iSa4aGAgcgQ4-oovAsIcLYIWGMNk042d2vKVnXASrJJROheT9m5Ukuw6CvZyBazkh5BHH-osvQUpW9SpWICOw4RWwn-lRNwOn2fhR4JtQBUQDigXESVUw-ll45eKozyy2t_HXzqPoOuvGmfDVBqKaJAxHHI0PyMy7pyJFTmyPumJxY9jkBB/s4272/P1120455.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlg6CM3iSa4aGAgcgQ4-oovAsIcLYIWGMNk042d2vKVnXASrJJROheT9m5Ukuw6CvZyBazkh5BHH-osvQUpW9SpWICOw4RWwn-lRNwOn2fhR4JtQBUQDigXESVUw-ll45eKozyy2t_HXzqPoOuvGmfDVBqKaJAxHHI0PyMy7pyJFTmyPumJxY9jkBB/s320/P1120455.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Then visited the beaches and coves on the Western Side, or Westpunt, here we did see Turtles at Playa Jeremi. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqm3DV5xvjqRczgvYB887xkvuq7h4wCA9NHWB6bF3vsKl0ijQDFSmscHRulsZ7obvss2VIkgSgUtUWHWv686MLwRJBiVL_abtBqNBJ7K00n_FDI4huYitX7eB-wWVwDXB2Hpd9BJDPq3YnASwEdMb4lIBMXP_o5NdDZY2um_8WkuPbLNos6jrCX3H/s4272/P1120456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtqm3DV5xvjqRczgvYB887xkvuq7h4wCA9NHWB6bF3vsKl0ijQDFSmscHRulsZ7obvss2VIkgSgUtUWHWv686MLwRJBiVL_abtBqNBJ7K00n_FDI4huYitX7eB-wWVwDXB2Hpd9BJDPq3YnASwEdMb4lIBMXP_o5NdDZY2um_8WkuPbLNos6jrCX3H/s320/P1120456.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05yg12ZBSbQiUNG1GOF2Y_5z0dXp4VP2cKheHjRT50iBvAJY7G4-Nctai9X5Wj0y9v23IJriz2DY5ZdCGWi1Hd0oon7QYNMaKF0NSjYrnqBU3l2p7tKJT652L1j2tex8RfrnFYevmD37R9xmzncpKFyvNsB_nw8caJR2aqzyn32Pvsx80O8qeG_RR/s4272/P1120460.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi05yg12ZBSbQiUNG1GOF2Y_5z0dXp4VP2cKheHjRT50iBvAJY7G4-Nctai9X5Wj0y9v23IJriz2DY5ZdCGWi1Hd0oon7QYNMaKF0NSjYrnqBU3l2p7tKJT652L1j2tex8RfrnFYevmD37R9xmzncpKFyvNsB_nw8caJR2aqzyn32Pvsx80O8qeG_RR/s320/P1120460.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLkI5ARYXbkmwEIBYeIk5qM7BOC32fP-OiSCZcSljbsyXmKPx82a_ds5A85x1fBmh8GutOg1X0acVqXo_-w04MdGYZJ8VGGLLxQJURzmx28h7lVc_SMkVou4u8Qvo0qTHfLtATwKXRxl5Vsi5b6ke4bgxxGYxb-dhMe5vmxwBPoP2nr2R4TcgLE2b/s4272/P1120463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbLkI5ARYXbkmwEIBYeIk5qM7BOC32fP-OiSCZcSljbsyXmKPx82a_ds5A85x1fBmh8GutOg1X0acVqXo_-w04MdGYZJ8VGGLLxQJURzmx28h7lVc_SMkVou4u8Qvo0qTHfLtATwKXRxl5Vsi5b6ke4bgxxGYxb-dhMe5vmxwBPoP2nr2R4TcgLE2b/s320/P1120463.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjke7LAanIBp6Q3CngRED1MxYyvgxSkeZlKqcpkihNl3f9z5Tu1-aNvml3FR-Et7He_Wqw37uFUm1jCWNxXmquI-0VTR6RX2-pxgHGGZL1j-Bj_qgiCogd_wqxeDRyW6yXWNz6_fh6i6a82NDzdgVLzI-Ojltm4hXHICkX127aN24X-GnnqK0j_FHwM/s4272/P1120464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjke7LAanIBp6Q3CngRED1MxYyvgxSkeZlKqcpkihNl3f9z5Tu1-aNvml3FR-Et7He_Wqw37uFUm1jCWNxXmquI-0VTR6RX2-pxgHGGZL1j-Bj_qgiCogd_wqxeDRyW6yXWNz6_fh6i6a82NDzdgVLzI-Ojltm4hXHICkX127aN24X-GnnqK0j_FHwM/s320/P1120464.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Stopped and swam & snorkelled at a few coves, but as the rain was sweeping in and out we didn't sun bathe. We called at a plantation house but it was closed due to Carnival. </span></div><div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2snulA_CF3CgMcEdFLtFVc2Z3fOjmpy6-02ObHja_7LGfdJmH9RL7CPwHwozs2zhXp23ZL1YCYmuHEm-NXhbLEs8cR4ATr88-epy8Isw8177adnmjnOHEP7Bag1wcb2cqluWQR279I70n0vzgCQ2SE4TVo2w9nRtiPVmG5adtpvJSf_g9X2ppl7q/s4032/IMG_3507.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2snulA_CF3CgMcEdFLtFVc2Z3fOjmpy6-02ObHja_7LGfdJmH9RL7CPwHwozs2zhXp23ZL1YCYmuHEm-NXhbLEs8cR4ATr88-epy8Isw8177adnmjnOHEP7Bag1wcb2cqluWQR279I70n0vzgCQ2SE4TVo2w9nRtiPVmG5adtpvJSf_g9X2ppl7q/s320/IMG_3507.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOx-WxERPVF0hT8_b34ZQLcgvJ2OXTmjSTxqidZicXbueNAm_uIf8ZVdkQ2gOdoGbF4sNAfYyA9JT0zx3OOVPymfbX3Se37g2wQCOTtr6DI78sU2nUasEU9-V160U7ZfTVbAhV2SGAZWPbfhS4wAGdlpxHWNRMVqjECvvz1AvWh-eh9D__CWH0cmQj/s4272/P1120466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOx-WxERPVF0hT8_b34ZQLcgvJ2OXTmjSTxqidZicXbueNAm_uIf8ZVdkQ2gOdoGbF4sNAfYyA9JT0zx3OOVPymfbX3Se37g2wQCOTtr6DI78sU2nUasEU9-V160U7ZfTVbAhV2SGAZWPbfhS4wAGdlpxHWNRMVqjECvvz1AvWh-eh9D__CWH0cmQj/s320/P1120466.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We Stopped at the Flamingo area / sanctuary</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19Gf15Zcdv-6tepgK7rmIsB5ZGI0YroUFfPZ0wc6xFmMeI7U984_JnUwfVdZE0q80I7KNHw-4ofJrDT3mijW5KXcUjIqQyhbvySzfqrXJO-_AgSDjsg-PKz_blHjj41jOOceYtDpxlDdYL3JV8JMaOUOSr9zMdsPPVYZvwW3mdlpJJ-7Z1bI7lVNZ/s4032/IMG_3509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi19Gf15Zcdv-6tepgK7rmIsB5ZGI0YroUFfPZ0wc6xFmMeI7U984_JnUwfVdZE0q80I7KNHw-4ofJrDT3mijW5KXcUjIqQyhbvySzfqrXJO-_AgSDjsg-PKz_blHjj41jOOceYtDpxlDdYL3JV8JMaOUOSr9zMdsPPVYZvwW3mdlpJJ-7Z1bI7lVNZ/s320/IMG_3509.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbsBOD2bl9ZI12QZupeqn6ciP-NlKqMnWXCiO2kJ4K4r77iodj5_iEOWOsbgoX8KEJI5L-7jZIvPacKoe4Wkh1_VCeGkYYUVE3vIAyHCWRlQtab_hX6nKS6S-GDHMhlinOARjGEHiNGXKxNESgac51z9YBc0UQWGVcfeQy0sWQUugSQyJQGBHfPLr/s4272/P1120471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSbsBOD2bl9ZI12QZupeqn6ciP-NlKqMnWXCiO2kJ4K4r77iodj5_iEOWOsbgoX8KEJI5L-7jZIvPacKoe4Wkh1_VCeGkYYUVE3vIAyHCWRlQtab_hX6nKS6S-GDHMhlinOARjGEHiNGXKxNESgac51z9YBc0UQWGVcfeQy0sWQUugSQyJQGBHfPLr/w268-h400/P1120471.JPG" width="268" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> Then made our way back to the cruise port. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We had time to explore Willemstad, a really nice place and relax among the carnival crowds. We watched the Carnival procession on local TV as it approached Willemstad, but sadly the procession did not reach central Willemstad until just after 23.00 and that was when the ship set sail. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">But like Bonaire, Curacao had been a great stop and one i would consider visiting again. Now for Aruba to completer the A, B, C Islands. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrPt0AJBTj2wlICA4rxPrdwjooedKZD_vAmYJ-68X2DehnJdxpnDJv1U57U4pV6uF-xftLGjOwHQQMiu3Wfcb6HaIqplIMlgwGJX_DXak9104WIMUS1ast5B_GwE16qgAhZ39np5kK4_CDYhPxguX-Jk6q826WXhfgbihztxr6MwbsDHKpUKM2fvH/s4032/IMG_3512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvrPt0AJBTj2wlICA4rxPrdwjooedKZD_vAmYJ-68X2DehnJdxpnDJv1U57U4pV6uF-xftLGjOwHQQMiu3Wfcb6HaIqplIMlgwGJX_DXak9104WIMUS1ast5B_GwE16qgAhZ39np5kK4_CDYhPxguX-Jk6q826WXhfgbihztxr6MwbsDHKpUKM2fvH/s320/IMG_3512.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhku6R9lL9Ae9Y9Ul4rh5QwXKCCbntxx8nxr--elRmTvf2V7wbN5D0aCWo8AYQfkjbHs4m12BA9wppFLRmEUe7UhhP0PffHctYBxhgKKo_iLaD5FhYEi9bubHR8R7yfRBWtm_nzGzHh6VUIVGVaSQfMS8PKHOCNOwSiArmV8OexxEA_POSIr2W_Llkg/s4032/IMG_3514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-50126658836766619622023-03-25T17:16:00.003+00:002023-03-25T17:16:18.078+00:00Holland America Line. Rotterdam, Caribbean Cruise, 20th February 2023, Bonaire and Klein Bonaire. <h1 style="text-align: left;"> 19th February 2023, at sea & 20th February 2023, Kralendijk, Bonaire. </h1><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The sea day was the same as the other sea days had been, lots of Origami and Trivia. Quite repetitive and not very interesting. Due to the sun bed situation we mainly stayed on out balcony today, one positive was that the seas were very calm so so the ship seemed a bit more stable. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">I took time to look at the art work on the ship, it is very impressive. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOSBGfiThMjNLSvnHyQtOiMMj7nBOE6Cg5LRS14627vcG9r5mUHubVnIPSUY3O8lKSctrm8q_pGfAazdE97GjkGH5JR3leKWxV-ucKZKhLZ6ISxs20MjTzyZx-qcN6A-UOGAK7qDeJErGMZDJMOALEmIO9qd2aVcrs83Oo4seok4EXzQUJTQs-QZJ/s4272/P1120409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HAL Rotterdam Art" border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrOSBGfiThMjNLSvnHyQtOiMMj7nBOE6Cg5LRS14627vcG9r5mUHubVnIPSUY3O8lKSctrm8q_pGfAazdE97GjkGH5JR3leKWxV-ucKZKhLZ6ISxs20MjTzyZx-qcN6A-UOGAK7qDeJErGMZDJMOALEmIO9qd2aVcrs83Oo4seok4EXzQUJTQs-QZJ/w214-h320/P1120409.JPG" title="HAL Rotterdam Art" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HAL Rotterdam Art </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA86wqKb2d87p4JQH_Ur4HFhBh6OxFz61cPanfEZ5fOCNOHQJWG2qg8mjv_DOkHFbMSwuUx6Sb_HATLVwCYf0zVpPJBFogFvNP6V14O2h86qw7lU47zt8bmpsGugJzLp9R6OoSVUV4o_xZ_sAuNvgeRsZXrkYGZzFFCuRlA-3LqjkGDpAqe4eMuipw/s4272/P1120408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="HAL Rotterdam Art" border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA86wqKb2d87p4JQH_Ur4HFhBh6OxFz61cPanfEZ5fOCNOHQJWG2qg8mjv_DOkHFbMSwuUx6Sb_HATLVwCYf0zVpPJBFogFvNP6V14O2h86qw7lU47zt8bmpsGugJzLp9R6OoSVUV4o_xZ_sAuNvgeRsZXrkYGZzFFCuRlA-3LqjkGDpAqe4eMuipw/w214-h320/P1120408.JPG" title="HAL Rotterdam Art" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOPfVcyhE_-8QhZKdyPD_bVhVKh4NdW7kjVktjGSEGq10Aou1AaPuBRwOkihW1yuC4YHQ4r9X2oMRUFz2i6mopteS-VlkW8ibnUiBpd9-JXcGu6FMT8UcxpqpdyrEXaJ-Z55cvs6poYHYi31aASJICbpFev7qORh2B811ypSl_p4IrKYmhYv2NJ9X/s4272/P1120397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="HAL Rotterdam Art" border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOPfVcyhE_-8QhZKdyPD_bVhVKh4NdW7kjVktjGSEGq10Aou1AaPuBRwOkihW1yuC4YHQ4r9X2oMRUFz2i6mopteS-VlkW8ibnUiBpd9-JXcGu6FMT8UcxpqpdyrEXaJ-Z55cvs6poYHYi31aASJICbpFev7qORh2B811ypSl_p4IrKYmhYv2NJ9X/w214-h320/P1120397.JPG" title="HAL Rotterdam Art" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-55wGgVXQku-isw-tF8DFMyNXSRFKJxifI2SzwCQ_9KXvL9HB2FnYfV7lrGfElAS1t_zGCLgdAiv9So6Mzz4_v-NkBwJ711S3Nbr7ZyW7EOVXDJB4AxeKW17MYTYLUhICIQhMl0QNFMD7FOAMKaZrL4j3FNDLhKc-q3aMNDrcYGhztSqwcjQSr6S/s4272/P1120395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="HAL Rotterdam Art" border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq-55wGgVXQku-isw-tF8DFMyNXSRFKJxifI2SzwCQ_9KXvL9HB2FnYfV7lrGfElAS1t_zGCLgdAiv9So6Mzz4_v-NkBwJ711S3Nbr7ZyW7EOVXDJB4AxeKW17MYTYLUhICIQhMl0QNFMD7FOAMKaZrL4j3FNDLhKc-q3aMNDrcYGhztSqwcjQSr6S/w320-h214/P1120395.JPG" title="HAL Rotterdam Art" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aAaHKUtxu4krMmkoj6iLQYJJ0i7GgOicvhBnFBkWp80N1CXrmtT5x49NBlK0ZUQB0HJ15G7ta0KlMoetslwdbH7HZDBFcQeUQ4JHDUTXUsedbpWDQJ3WR31JBcGEyrbwIGX7P3ItAtAFszDnxgfjT09SKbZEET-917Ypm6xF-cjJtLarq0_wP7uJ/s4272/P1120393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="HAL Rotterdam Art" border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0aAaHKUtxu4krMmkoj6iLQYJJ0i7GgOicvhBnFBkWp80N1CXrmtT5x49NBlK0ZUQB0HJ15G7ta0KlMoetslwdbH7HZDBFcQeUQ4JHDUTXUsedbpWDQJ3WR31JBcGEyrbwIGX7P3ItAtAFszDnxgfjT09SKbZEET-917Ypm6xF-cjJtLarq0_wP7uJ/w320-h214/P1120393.JPG" title="HAL Rotterdam Art" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj38cKdv-b1DsJ96Cx2AtTy8Nvfw1lnXduPOwWRUFeZR3gFVJbpMKsN8eSQWtmaoqoxkUjfahHXzQikHCuBRVnn70XTD25kboPL8t8NVpwl6XOtAV1zqLDiJl9VJAL2zEK6A9xHkn_IhpCkBthTGEtrcmmrFfk1L9fnVoTzDwzD-c5MC3DxD2QITjl/s4272/P1120387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="HAL Rotterdam Art" border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj38cKdv-b1DsJ96Cx2AtTy8Nvfw1lnXduPOwWRUFeZR3gFVJbpMKsN8eSQWtmaoqoxkUjfahHXzQikHCuBRVnn70XTD25kboPL8t8NVpwl6XOtAV1zqLDiJl9VJAL2zEK6A9xHkn_IhpCkBthTGEtrcmmrFfk1L9fnVoTzDwzD-c5MC3DxD2QITjl/w214-h320/P1120387.JPG" title="HAL Rotterdam Art" width="214" /></a></div></span><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">20th February 2023. Kralendijk. Bonaire.</span></h1></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Arrival 08.00 - All Aboard 22.30. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Knowing we had a full day, I had booked a Water Taxi to Klein Bonaire for the morning, and E Scooters for the afternoon. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The ship was docked very near to the café where the Water Taxis go from, they go every hour, from 09.15. We were on the first one over to the Island. The journey took 45 minutes. We found a shady spot on the beach and snorkelled for the morning. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIGAR2MUN1c4Ebk2UvwWrkbLUdQtccGK0IWsIG73Rmg2k8zAKMxRAiCbFmARp3x9tLH-E_umLWr97RZfo8c2zcycAkkYdYTsVg5yNvXbNxGtw9Y3zHaYM7cFcu5XqS3YGYwovPeDFk-_osiVm0AOzPN3b9cP59JREZbedYHJEV5QfXh4XUeIQvZJ0/s4032/IMG_3486.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Water Taxi, Bonaire" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLIGAR2MUN1c4Ebk2UvwWrkbLUdQtccGK0IWsIG73Rmg2k8zAKMxRAiCbFmARp3x9tLH-E_umLWr97RZfo8c2zcycAkkYdYTsVg5yNvXbNxGtw9Y3zHaYM7cFcu5XqS3YGYwovPeDFk-_osiVm0AOzPN3b9cP59JREZbedYHJEV5QfXh4XUeIQvZJ0/w400-h300/IMG_3486.JPG" title="Water Taxi, Bonaire" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water Taxi, Bonaire </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2IRMW3yuc8UJLWlRfliIY_vfiin_OeRSDTZBYLll91Bi69N_8mOqbxrGDeVJ3QKrADgRSvU613u7rDrv58pTujNoFM6B7KwFatN6qlx_H5U4cDRCQgZLcHCW0vQp_5f08Vd8A-xxZpTt5VEaFlB4ZdbRnMPvxUWe2rIZrbwnY2czSDs4jv-fCW6u/s4032/IMG_3480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Water Taxi, Bonaire" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2IRMW3yuc8UJLWlRfliIY_vfiin_OeRSDTZBYLll91Bi69N_8mOqbxrGDeVJ3QKrADgRSvU613u7rDrv58pTujNoFM6B7KwFatN6qlx_H5U4cDRCQgZLcHCW0vQp_5f08Vd8A-xxZpTt5VEaFlB4ZdbRnMPvxUWe2rIZrbwnY2czSDs4jv-fCW6u/w300-h400/IMG_3480.JPG" title="Water Taxi, Bonaire" width="300" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwWU3phengXSJHijcDKWrcjtaKBpslii5ZMMxcJRSYVplCUbD743AiZkwEpWNQUcMqs3Dhe0id_j77Su3YkPIFvemIwZoLcGI85a3CA6Ma6AcV6wj847TX1KC6S6687k1CKGk1hiIRaOfMy0iwOPVxHB_U1-1fr5VlIabN4-iS8S9AjGPCu-UeMRqf/s4032/IMG_3474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwWU3phengXSJHijcDKWrcjtaKBpslii5ZMMxcJRSYVplCUbD743AiZkwEpWNQUcMqs3Dhe0id_j77Su3YkPIFvemIwZoLcGI85a3CA6Ma6AcV6wj847TX1KC6S6687k1CKGk1hiIRaOfMy0iwOPVxHB_U1-1fr5VlIabN4-iS8S9AjGPCu-UeMRqf/s320/IMG_3474.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Klein Bonaire </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_F-421OyWS1MkbLQpExHeXci5B_uRyfdv6Q5y4HQUy-BFDwb8ed8FWGVCa5HpDkJIm5e6oQHTTbv6AbW3tdg092WY6ao_yCRMUn2RaiZsFKrDs94rU--qXjFi5hGpQ8QiYn7r_E42FudKxXoEYujq_OvOeSvDsSK0q-wmymZs3WIIuBLxWe9EiV8w/s4032/IMG_3477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_F-421OyWS1MkbLQpExHeXci5B_uRyfdv6Q5y4HQUy-BFDwb8ed8FWGVCa5HpDkJIm5e6oQHTTbv6AbW3tdg092WY6ao_yCRMUn2RaiZsFKrDs94rU--qXjFi5hGpQ8QiYn7r_E42FudKxXoEYujq_OvOeSvDsSK0q-wmymZs3WIIuBLxWe9EiV8w/s320/IMG_3477.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Klein Bonaire </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">The snorkelling on Klein Bonaire was the best we saw in the Caribbean, it was wonderful. We got the 13.45 water Taxi back and picked up the scooters. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Green Bikes Bonaire is one street from the port. The scooters are electric.</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LQSYCIXJu4Kygd3Jq7V392lE7SSm2QQig27pl_pQKYXWCQ3U4H0dl4hYIkUdcE-Zr5Mna1ssMu2ZRHMuCNrYM8ISS38jzbUr7WbSUlVOPaFh3rGPyppnVOVTtFX2zE8SdqRAr50r0U2fI8ZDg02bbD959yJIi0vwZRssIJyKBm4jiPvBwlvbFz9_/s4272/P1120430.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Green Bikes Bonaire" border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2LQSYCIXJu4Kygd3Jq7V392lE7SSm2QQig27pl_pQKYXWCQ3U4H0dl4hYIkUdcE-Zr5Mna1ssMu2ZRHMuCNrYM8ISS38jzbUr7WbSUlVOPaFh3rGPyppnVOVTtFX2zE8SdqRAr50r0U2fI8ZDg02bbD959yJIi0vwZRssIJyKBm4jiPvBwlvbFz9_/w320-h214/P1120430.JPG" title="Green Bikes Bonaire" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Green Bikes Bonaire </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">The roads in Bonaire were busy and in poor condition. But we rode past the salt flats, saw flamingos, saw lots of people SCUBA diving off the beach and got to the Slave Huts. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkj5PigFFm2uyiV9AxhlnGxW5fY9CBvPAhSrgpTeOTPQXHRZGah5r8SvHnKxsNQqNEjZ1wosXL1m7v_ls2D9Mp1TFLqbirMCZ_TuC9h8UA_0Vt403j28sOzBPyg0iu9fMXNyz-r73PMmg9yey6YOqUhmi5gwgekwSS9gU1nJbYkq4d8hTqW1eI9J1Y/s4032/IMG_3490.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkj5PigFFm2uyiV9AxhlnGxW5fY9CBvPAhSrgpTeOTPQXHRZGah5r8SvHnKxsNQqNEjZ1wosXL1m7v_ls2D9Mp1TFLqbirMCZ_TuC9h8UA_0Vt403j28sOzBPyg0iu9fMXNyz-r73PMmg9yey6YOqUhmi5gwgekwSS9gU1nJbYkq4d8hTqW1eI9J1Y/s320/IMG_3490.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9FPUVM0y0K3khetQi1BbQq1IUvtcEOBcTYYb_sRJVCmAWbCJq6cgD_b7w6uceVdhybkGk80rUsJ9s1bBAtxcJTMaChP6GyOYho--C67shCfhc-UreH3WrJKEvU_3jLAyiHOGnylSwveBCzt6MtWZu4oPhGSF5e3KuXWP25sxtuQkdjdyiTKrRVTi/s4032/IMG_3492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho9FPUVM0y0K3khetQi1BbQq1IUvtcEOBcTYYb_sRJVCmAWbCJq6cgD_b7w6uceVdhybkGk80rUsJ9s1bBAtxcJTMaChP6GyOYho--C67shCfhc-UreH3WrJKEvU_3jLAyiHOGnylSwveBCzt6MtWZu4oPhGSF5e3KuXWP25sxtuQkdjdyiTKrRVTi/w400-h300/IMG_3492.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigsQ1jN3-5OSXMmfFcH15d4EZZGjN23A65tIyt_83ADiEzwhwCaAoIGKDIp5jEtXI8hTHO3Zd83SxcdLnTt8uTz09QPcgN2pVR3K87wEpTMAO8piUh361uoa-5G61EuJHEZjpHZGyYMdvH61jNO64mMbGH8D95Os0gL137LPMi-mGR0GDSbc8304Q/s4032/IMG_3497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhigsQ1jN3-5OSXMmfFcH15d4EZZGjN23A65tIyt_83ADiEzwhwCaAoIGKDIp5jEtXI8hTHO3Zd83SxcdLnTt8uTz09QPcgN2pVR3K87wEpTMAO8piUh361uoa-5G61EuJHEZjpHZGyYMdvH61jNO64mMbGH8D95Os0gL137LPMi-mGR0GDSbc8304Q/s320/IMG_3497.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Then we enjoyed sundowners at two local bars and enjoyed strolling around the town of Kralendijk, before getting back on the ship just before sailing time. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">It had been a great day and I loved Bonaire, very laid back, clean, friendly and defiantly worth a longer visit. </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-28096182277394375292023-03-25T16:45:00.002+00:002023-03-25T17:16:55.999+00:00Holland America Line, Rotterdam, Caribbean Cruise, 18th February 2023, Amber Cove, Dominican republic. Damajagua Waterfalls. <h1 style="text-align: left;"> February 18th 2023. Amber Cove, Dominican Republic. </h1><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Amber Cove is another purpose built cruise port, I had struggled to find out about independent tours here. I wanted to visit the Damajagua waterfalls, there are 27 waterfalls to jump down. But struggling to find out how we would get to the waterfalls I booked a ships tour that was to 7 waterfalls. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">A coach took us the short journey to the waterfalls, were the guide told us that due to a lack of rain only 7 waterfalls were open and no jumping was allowed. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We were given hats, life jackets and water shoes then walked up to the first waterfall, and proceeded to slide down the 7 waterfalls and swim in the canyon. It was good fun. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK79STOqVnRJcp3c2wbAY9IUtd80LSkVTAztocCu8rljbjn5cF03EalOsHAdS0EEmHXyjKmyCBiW46xruNLnhVLusfC9C9XR_7VcR3AY2_O2mLVQlo-QQiiVq1oJ9ZCkeRwHPN2ckGjQlQm8DRd_s1h1DqBW3LFFQXwdd8aVqQgAt6y59rw-koL0bu/s2048/333657829_921081695962291_1414893297083552223_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK79STOqVnRJcp3c2wbAY9IUtd80LSkVTAztocCu8rljbjn5cF03EalOsHAdS0EEmHXyjKmyCBiW46xruNLnhVLusfC9C9XR_7VcR3AY2_O2mLVQlo-QQiiVq1oJ9ZCkeRwHPN2ckGjQlQm8DRd_s1h1DqBW3LFFQXwdd8aVqQgAt6y59rw-koL0bu/s320/333657829_921081695962291_1414893297083552223_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Damajagua Waterfalls</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPauUcKpB2r4tA0W1vhRc4gRdzTNFUultUicTMQcmaFnzkL7RYdERilxJtGrpzZn_cVyt9n5eo016t9FUOa1I3R8YU0Rx86gevTY-f6g_2CNogwAcwgHkcIXfcXcwrlYJvEuHJrX_BDovXJNf9I24oN4spZT1dO95G9GQHdLBHkrwczhhFqz8Vf-P/s2048/333796124_1865030813872720_2161414930943512489_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1368" data-original-width="2048" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoPauUcKpB2r4tA0W1vhRc4gRdzTNFUultUicTMQcmaFnzkL7RYdERilxJtGrpzZn_cVyt9n5eo016t9FUOa1I3R8YU0Rx86gevTY-f6g_2CNogwAcwgHkcIXfcXcwrlYJvEuHJrX_BDovXJNf9I24oN4spZT1dO95G9GQHdLBHkrwczhhFqz8Vf-P/s320/333796124_1865030813872720_2161414930943512489_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Back at Amber Cove we just relaxed by the pool, there is no beach at this cruise port. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdbUYRPw_rYIk5hQPYwjJ6Ewc4eUJxrNwBbREQGc6_Jznsnkh1VjWKsLRKdGEK2jjmbzWyhbEIlappS_GNq3HX2ck6SHPIBq7jB6HQ5g73sxSebaIXjST6j6zBsSUIzIsNsvqEpv_TUtJQwM5dHt8rAuppnL_B_GaltzkVSiQxXNRJQQwHQjahPr-/s4272/P1120376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLdbUYRPw_rYIk5hQPYwjJ6Ewc4eUJxrNwBbREQGc6_Jznsnkh1VjWKsLRKdGEK2jjmbzWyhbEIlappS_GNq3HX2ck6SHPIBq7jB6HQ5g73sxSebaIXjST6j6zBsSUIzIsNsvqEpv_TUtJQwM5dHt8rAuppnL_B_GaltzkVSiQxXNRJQQwHQjahPr-/s320/P1120376.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeXH8VtFVETikYc2z-dZUa5yyiGMJ7i0itvyR5xbz7XDG04DL8B7NS7DGerk7abydAefq6h6HgTR4FJip9MS4ituBw67aVHczZ1EI9sksaxwdjgMCnkmzJZawtPOImeklFKck2wUM53SJ_MM9eAQr4s-E2DlNeDosypBkkAA_JYrKchzqHBA4B7Pq4/s4272/P1120377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; 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text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNXdM9q5PpNImMf1Wv-agrBeep_Hgci2wZGdGI9w3sLzi5lBCHwv2O8YCDgc1Skhi95YgzhEtIRfyk06_GBQfehc4w14Ut8tgMhPu6xNQ-RBTUcZxjNYnbl_A9hRWCl2LGPVSBIjkbf7i7mmZOCR2zI0GnJha6_BSjSSJJtrsBHGK9PV8sqfSaiHL/s4272/P1120386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFNXdM9q5PpNImMf1Wv-agrBeep_Hgci2wZGdGI9w3sLzi5lBCHwv2O8YCDgc1Skhi95YgzhEtIRfyk06_GBQfehc4w14Ut8tgMhPu6xNQ-RBTUcZxjNYnbl_A9hRWCl2LGPVSBIjkbf7i7mmZOCR2zI0GnJha6_BSjSSJJtrsBHGK9PV8sqfSaiHL/s320/P1120386.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">We went to the 21.30 show The Knights of Music, a British trio singing the songs of British Knights - or Sirs i.e Sir Tom Jones, Sir Paul McCartney, it was a good show, also both bands were good tonight in the BB Kings and The Rolling Stone Rock. </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-45653855710913320612023-03-24T19:52:00.007+00:002023-03-24T19:52:43.233+00:00Holland America Line, Rotterdam, Caribbean Cruise. 17th February 2023. Grand Turk. <h1 style="text-align: left;"> February 17th 2023. Grand Turk. </h1><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We were due to dock at 10.00 and it was 10.30 when we could get off. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">I had booked a golf cart with GDT, he was located outside the cruise port gates. The golf cart was petrol driven. Along with people hiring out mopeds, Quads and more golf carts. You did not need to book ahead. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2oBt3qH0po-7-WicJUbX4Mh50MQLvOYPl_kmZ13MUtiCp_7Z2vriAnhYSRjOUOVO7dFbqDLRu4-jDacE4abCn8tmhOnJhl0bwYpGLmFpt1IDlXDEC7SpoM-YbXg8COZH670beorU2nuTPdDrfeanlOnGLKGju33l9ZNlOQErO_cVGK2mwStQtp44/s4272/P1120359.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Golf Cart on Grand Turk" border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL2oBt3qH0po-7-WicJUbX4Mh50MQLvOYPl_kmZ13MUtiCp_7Z2vriAnhYSRjOUOVO7dFbqDLRu4-jDacE4abCn8tmhOnJhl0bwYpGLmFpt1IDlXDEC7SpoM-YbXg8COZH670beorU2nuTPdDrfeanlOnGLKGju33l9ZNlOQErO_cVGK2mwStQtp44/w320-h214/P1120359.JPG" title="Golf Cart on Grand Turk" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Golf Cart on Grand Turk </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Grand Turk is a small Island, just 7 miles long and 1.5 miles wide, so the golf cart is perfect for exploring the Island. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBhjveOLKwuPlsya6SHm4ZlDp1x64ndG2nMZxbGN5GBkwe4XiNqVYMqNPnQbLZQvgKlZA3iFh4gPuY0Ll9r5g3RsBM3t5L4RYC_Kvgf_uFqY-ufgjMOBhVEJujJmMEv3cB7OOE9LUMT5va5HFr6y0_YfasSreTxyTTww5zVjmzZSbjQff6-vvu0bf/s3537/IMG_0870.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Map of Grand Turk" border="0" data-original-height="3537" data-original-width="1959" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJBhjveOLKwuPlsya6SHm4ZlDp1x64ndG2nMZxbGN5GBkwe4XiNqVYMqNPnQbLZQvgKlZA3iFh4gPuY0Ll9r5g3RsBM3t5L4RYC_Kvgf_uFqY-ufgjMOBhVEJujJmMEv3cB7OOE9LUMT5va5HFr6y0_YfasSreTxyTTww5zVjmzZSbjQff6-vvu0bf/w354-h640/IMG_0870.JPG" title="Map of Grand Turk" width="354" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of Grand Turk </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNLzolAZw1vLbEZOdKymHZ1-BuFVhWO7A39VUN7tcMI6hrwQjgUSfev6JBPFXiaw6nuO-9NbR4LI95Ix_2Zxp6MXKytuoPTXalp_8VtgLzowp___HnaayIg6NQyCfKnP63m0slUAwg7kBcxJDs5WNAGMfOtrwOvnIGmev2WMp6onaATibtrhN6ucU/s3150/IMG_0871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3150" data-original-width="2865" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJNLzolAZw1vLbEZOdKymHZ1-BuFVhWO7A39VUN7tcMI6hrwQjgUSfev6JBPFXiaw6nuO-9NbR4LI95Ix_2Zxp6MXKytuoPTXalp_8VtgLzowp___HnaayIg6NQyCfKnP63m0slUAwg7kBcxJDs5WNAGMfOtrwOvnIGmev2WMp6onaATibtrhN6ucU/s320/IMG_0871.JPG" width="291" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Turk </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">GDT were a good company to rent from as within minutes we were shown the golf cart workings and given a map and the keys. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We went to the top of the Island, where the lighthouse is located, there were a lot of information board explaining the history of the Island, its salt and the lighthouse. The reefs that had claimed many ships could be seen. It was a beautiful spot and well worth the visit. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUbAU28aW8fJEpSQchtFAcwyoKzu-iRMze2hMmthJztT3NCwx7aZD7SDTO7VDeCpfdLM48uZ8HdBR-tRI8orFa1i8u7kbbvII4gyJICnmWgl_tmyI8flo2jWgyFjaWfgTLU0gxHf1mfeAw6MGNb10mFj4syEoy8xsqSjrTcalkoZyMUsO5Voy_k6I/s4032/IMG_3428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuUbAU28aW8fJEpSQchtFAcwyoKzu-iRMze2hMmthJztT3NCwx7aZD7SDTO7VDeCpfdLM48uZ8HdBR-tRI8orFa1i8u7kbbvII4gyJICnmWgl_tmyI8flo2jWgyFjaWfgTLU0gxHf1mfeAw6MGNb10mFj4syEoy8xsqSjrTcalkoZyMUsO5Voy_k6I/s320/IMG_3428.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Turk Lighthouse </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPO2vCqvB_V72HyMdVgCE5qEgTeg01gA_CnUj8ZkpqOPBaOqPGUzvOF_fJVAOhAr8NmugjoLAENQ7FOLcevvC2cJWSjrqrgztNMWgDDFUGShoTma-_DUMbn5uFKPicFCmY43dnVhFvQXqJfJRLhwnmgbF3CC76oelpNs-7FSeu5ic51zDS6R2FlkBj/s4272/P1120346.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPO2vCqvB_V72HyMdVgCE5qEgTeg01gA_CnUj8ZkpqOPBaOqPGUzvOF_fJVAOhAr8NmugjoLAENQ7FOLcevvC2cJWSjrqrgztNMWgDDFUGShoTma-_DUMbn5uFKPicFCmY43dnVhFvQXqJfJRLhwnmgbF3CC76oelpNs-7FSeu5ic51zDS6R2FlkBj/s320/P1120346.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Turk Lighthouse </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRqM_OVsE8BrQRB4dGCF5ttNUQIC3FZUhEkhL14-AfI47dmziU--CCByoUmklIJf3pXj746TKsFweCJyHZJWHYKa36yjqNyPN6cW8wCGGUgVH77xbzukZSS8zxRWu8dfOAP8_fv71V0g2tTGpiG2ThxENjTqLVikMzjMD3bcZOTe-QTZgP12hdSG2/s4272/P1120349.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYRqM_OVsE8BrQRB4dGCF5ttNUQIC3FZUhEkhL14-AfI47dmziU--CCByoUmklIJf3pXj746TKsFweCJyHZJWHYKa36yjqNyPN6cW8wCGGUgVH77xbzukZSS8zxRWu8dfOAP8_fv71V0g2tTGpiG2ThxENjTqLVikMzjMD3bcZOTe-QTZgP12hdSG2/s320/P1120349.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Turk </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Donkeys are seen all over the Island, but especially by the lighthouse as a man is selling carrots in the car park. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58xlzNFFmFuqRBdCNe2YFZGSZsil1grr-_leBuBRHl3yozLFWYUTlYWIe9x_AvFYbnAaTpuX2zZQeqQy8bD5JBeusv9bjLZdqrKmar12reZa1ds55oZVZSdP4_8eK87be1iTeChDN1L1TFkKQ5RaI3_rw5JHtzKMPA0yWB0eZNqFwoyqG5jLo371c/s4272/P1120355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj58xlzNFFmFuqRBdCNe2YFZGSZsil1grr-_leBuBRHl3yozLFWYUTlYWIe9x_AvFYbnAaTpuX2zZQeqQy8bD5JBeusv9bjLZdqrKmar12reZa1ds55oZVZSdP4_8eK87be1iTeChDN1L1TFkKQ5RaI3_rw5JHtzKMPA0yWB0eZNqFwoyqG5jLo371c/s320/P1120355.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxQwbzIzMjvGEpbP3iinwV_aaBcDJBt7aPrmgLDbKaBJsYhItdbbPJXAcJ0vliuhlKTHZrP-YXZbGXyi0kHBmQS55Od4Wb8sxnE2GNKzHGKPmzedPHM9yoBleqEbNHAOndKqBngYCcNHj7mzLGd_mYzOLnKWpsu6XJ4StzQrGm7twCWTT166cOPz-/s4272/P1120356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxQwbzIzMjvGEpbP3iinwV_aaBcDJBt7aPrmgLDbKaBJsYhItdbbPJXAcJ0vliuhlKTHZrP-YXZbGXyi0kHBmQS55Od4Wb8sxnE2GNKzHGKPmzedPHM9yoBleqEbNHAOndKqBngYCcNHj7mzLGd_mYzOLnKWpsu6XJ4StzQrGm7twCWTT166cOPz-/s320/P1120356.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-large;">We made our was to Corktree beach, Pillory Beach and finally Governors beach. All gorgeous clean beaches with crystal clear water. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtBF5JLKrmAzHbaMyc57CNFkGN6wVO1znB_q_OwPPfVdeiMz3xu0TuZgpwW5-3YeSejsHH7fVVJFr2eS8EtYlrped6ETEqkY2QbOUBN2YHK-u-CwtiPIr9c5UUUX-GPKXbEUnOYxE0hdn73vasQQ-3gqpQq3Pu6Jfxi3NlR9ArX2JjRnAk3Iycz9r/s4032/IMG_3433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNtBF5JLKrmAzHbaMyc57CNFkGN6wVO1znB_q_OwPPfVdeiMz3xu0TuZgpwW5-3YeSejsHH7fVVJFr2eS8EtYlrped6ETEqkY2QbOUBN2YHK-u-CwtiPIr9c5UUUX-GPKXbEUnOYxE0hdn73vasQQ-3gqpQq3Pu6Jfxi3NlR9ArX2JjRnAk3Iycz9r/s320/IMG_3433.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Turk</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisq76wJVk-VrJmX5A88fkJReOzFntp0OoDhJTfu4RK5to5i7OLDO1pkTOPnhUpJR1XOOPZEz_ExbXNxMs5rHe23eRrNekhE_3IqfTBOqRH-dwHAO_03WxN07mcqIvi5DE-vFWFR5dJIxOLk0HjFzkrYNLb0vPo3pDTNtJKueekqdXNy1cjpYU4JcIh/s4032/IMG_3434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisq76wJVk-VrJmX5A88fkJReOzFntp0OoDhJTfu4RK5to5i7OLDO1pkTOPnhUpJR1XOOPZEz_ExbXNxMs5rHe23eRrNekhE_3IqfTBOqRH-dwHAO_03WxN07mcqIvi5DE-vFWFR5dJIxOLk0HjFzkrYNLb0vPo3pDTNtJKueekqdXNy1cjpYU4JcIh/s320/IMG_3434.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Turk</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrD-76ufbqnK9ii_1TUITgIMOKZMmAynERsb7rY5iDSLjQpHPzvnZmnmIthubyftjcpWZ1s60RT-vXdgwcDy_nBtJnPnYM0eoadJfTFXjefULcg3uHSt5mwcMMkwaBcnYaKpViPQjJwosKcMu6_yUCM3U8WnIdUGIPPshtrHMC-RohE-Y9XvwvqtWR/s4032/IMG_3436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrD-76ufbqnK9ii_1TUITgIMOKZMmAynERsb7rY5iDSLjQpHPzvnZmnmIthubyftjcpWZ1s60RT-vXdgwcDy_nBtJnPnYM0eoadJfTFXjefULcg3uHSt5mwcMMkwaBcnYaKpViPQjJwosKcMu6_yUCM3U8WnIdUGIPPshtrHMC-RohE-Y9XvwvqtWR/s320/IMG_3436.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Turk</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6yTdr_ZOXu30HXWCifMCpqThH76AV3LXagIiPlJDuaVZz0X8EhpyPkau2UbaANt0wgmPRdpJrwXCaORqvAs-plMKilBcXkLMekTnq17XQMheGyBr_EOEvcXtVX8JZxJ6hFWFjPVTiOWf8s4y2O6Bn137JTGHVcrTNscvTuHucb_Vrd3upW_WvfFr/s4032/IMG_3446.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF6yTdr_ZOXu30HXWCifMCpqThH76AV3LXagIiPlJDuaVZz0X8EhpyPkau2UbaANt0wgmPRdpJrwXCaORqvAs-plMKilBcXkLMekTnq17XQMheGyBr_EOEvcXtVX8JZxJ6hFWFjPVTiOWf8s4y2O6Bn137JTGHVcrTNscvTuHucb_Vrd3upW_WvfFr/s320/IMG_3446.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Turk</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvKwNLJYl6YqmP1fhBUyHJwXn4KJf_lFIMWCMa-RgZ-5xAahSokjFxX_AArLPmNIIuDh992_UOsdeHhjsnOv-F2ZlfOLs2tUQzlv_J7HIPKuH8DcNePtzHq9LjmbbL9KLCvlVBwMxEtUPw3TrKVtjNwV9Dde1ZzFrhusQ5yJmTcqcxIZt5ril4FPB/s4032/IMG_3451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDvKwNLJYl6YqmP1fhBUyHJwXn4KJf_lFIMWCMa-RgZ-5xAahSokjFxX_AArLPmNIIuDh992_UOsdeHhjsnOv-F2ZlfOLs2tUQzlv_J7HIPKuH8DcNePtzHq9LjmbbL9KLCvlVBwMxEtUPw3TrKVtjNwV9Dde1ZzFrhusQ5yJmTcqcxIZt5ril4FPB/s320/IMG_3451.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grand Turk</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Explored the small town of Cockburn, then drove out to the salt flats and White Sands Beach. Filled the golf cart up with petrol and gave it back. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The purpose built cruise port has a beach, flow rider, Margaritaville, shops and other attractions so you could spend the day there if you wanted to. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Z_VW-uG3Zr72ETwuYQmLHjg77u3eURFptLWDitMvrIVpWtjMi5yG9928mBrA6vKZ_IRn0qBWdz2ld3XSYVS1R4U1dreUywb_m8smzJ2jp-70MaRGn-FkFTLWjAo_KdsHbwRco1cXHlDC_NSbV9ub--3gOQkjh_hHKWFQK_dolRI-kUqPzu4KZ3Ny/s4032/IMG_3459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Z_VW-uG3Zr72ETwuYQmLHjg77u3eURFptLWDitMvrIVpWtjMi5yG9928mBrA6vKZ_IRn0qBWdz2ld3XSYVS1R4U1dreUywb_m8smzJ2jp-70MaRGn-FkFTLWjAo_KdsHbwRco1cXHlDC_NSbV9ub--3gOQkjh_hHKWFQK_dolRI-kUqPzu4KZ3Ny/s320/IMG_3459.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0chijt5j4p-73ZWMq9_13Ys0p0KlLnVjEiIWd6yV2bazpuFk41OG7VqNh5_VPTZkOurGzGZJ4_Agklnkld92xPrdBK2yb4IbM8VWFHhfFBzwqzSa6hnESzxDEa0iQ3FL-zhqQELlajpgeQ3g7nFo4wGasHaXJkB7mC9oCZtl2w7LylfH28sahqFAF/s4032/IMG_3461.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0chijt5j4p-73ZWMq9_13Ys0p0KlLnVjEiIWd6yV2bazpuFk41OG7VqNh5_VPTZkOurGzGZJ4_Agklnkld92xPrdBK2yb4IbM8VWFHhfFBzwqzSa6hnESzxDEa0iQ3FL-zhqQELlajpgeQ3g7nFo4wGasHaXJkB7mC9oCZtl2w7LylfH28sahqFAF/s320/IMG_3461.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8gcoEBdhmw_KrQ_XfoSJE3cWZ-tB3J6mfeGqdaVrYgL-KDRyRLjA9zk5gW3oSeDfrEqhpNlemclyBY4ahZnj3A8o-lVnjxXPNceTfxdD5bgAC-Vqm7lA2K6sud334eLwPqrw5LUe7enK9IJVrhsG-Y7EVuKULD0Lud9moQZmJwkpd25pEgXPP0KO/s4272/P1120370.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG8gcoEBdhmw_KrQ_XfoSJE3cWZ-tB3J6mfeGqdaVrYgL-KDRyRLjA9zk5gW3oSeDfrEqhpNlemclyBY4ahZnj3A8o-lVnjxXPNceTfxdD5bgAC-Vqm7lA2K6sud334eLwPqrw5LUe7enK9IJVrhsG-Y7EVuKULD0Lud9moQZmJwkpd25pEgXPP0KO/s320/P1120370.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxwcn02M3qMWmUKbN8M55Zs7hPNxV5JDUfALL-C8tXjc12CyB4o73Bl2InvT9h8SZ6rLbOa2Xnq-__sVvgxq9RYe6XOasyWlj21KIxv1xyLR2hZyD0L7sQQyx1lhXAARHhCP22UVBPIqw3ko0joeOYqBnOzWQryTMX3jxm0p8QghabOpCLuErcnOp/s4032/IMG_3463.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZxwcn02M3qMWmUKbN8M55Zs7hPNxV5JDUfALL-C8tXjc12CyB4o73Bl2InvT9h8SZ6rLbOa2Xnq-__sVvgxq9RYe6XOasyWlj21KIxv1xyLR2hZyD0L7sQQyx1lhXAARHhCP22UVBPIqw3ko0joeOYqBnOzWQryTMX3jxm0p8QghabOpCLuErcnOp/s320/IMG_3463.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Back on the ship at 16.30, dinner in the main dining room, a few drinks then bed. It had been a great day. Really enjoyed Grand Turk and glad we got out and explored the island. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoAt1MRujVXwIgzGP-ja-C1IQ2pqeqiTEA0eGxNhuh1FFQW-QNx2ZKstcFcheY6aaWRAdRnOgx2e1Nl-HANjxbQennil7VdH3rg61asH6nEBVySDbc6qS3uBvKiPcUCe_mQv309O6coF1Fge4xTGKUHY5avi5HlHVM-27puLR2BFfc7nqTlyOkoSI/s3832/IMG_0872.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HAL Rotterdam Daily Program" border="0" data-original-height="3832" data-original-width="1877" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoAt1MRujVXwIgzGP-ja-C1IQ2pqeqiTEA0eGxNhuh1FFQW-QNx2ZKstcFcheY6aaWRAdRnOgx2e1Nl-HANjxbQennil7VdH3rg61asH6nEBVySDbc6qS3uBvKiPcUCe_mQv309O6coF1Fge4xTGKUHY5avi5HlHVM-27puLR2BFfc7nqTlyOkoSI/w196-h400/IMG_0872.JPG" title="HAL Rotterdam Daily Program" width="196" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HAL Rotterdam Daily Program </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnfW5yuTcQfSuIqvQI3qG_eBwm7uocstpSHH_XHG7Ej9dF-s7XJ_Y5GvCDUQsVa7_oP2ZV3UU1kQxa6PWitUV94ygCOD9X7aTPFFIkDtG1M-FukawP9LrI7xzVdAYHqQly6zz7llUqi01sQrWhwBqagreTw74JaiNxX7zEwkzNhSqXVbTKMGDnSqZ/s2866/IMG_0873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HAL Rotterdam Daily Program" border="0" data-original-height="2866" data-original-width="2846" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnfW5yuTcQfSuIqvQI3qG_eBwm7uocstpSHH_XHG7Ej9dF-s7XJ_Y5GvCDUQsVa7_oP2ZV3UU1kQxa6PWitUV94ygCOD9X7aTPFFIkDtG1M-FukawP9LrI7xzVdAYHqQly6zz7llUqi01sQrWhwBqagreTw74JaiNxX7zEwkzNhSqXVbTKMGDnSqZ/w398-h400/IMG_0873.JPG" title="HAL Rotterdam Daily Program" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HAL Rotterdam Daily Program <br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-31170976229309237632023-03-23T17:52:00.002+00:002023-03-24T08:29:23.740+00:00Holland America Line, Rotterdam, Caribbean Cruise. 15th & 16th February 2023. Miami, Half Moon Cay. <h1 style="text-align: left;"> February 15th 2023. Fort Lauderdale.</h1><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">This morning we were back in Port Everglades, Fort Lauderdale. For us this was the start of our second cruise as we were not getting off and staying in the same cabin.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">I booked a ships tour called Miami City Highlights. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">This is what the tour is described as ; </span></div><div><p align="left" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: NeutraText-book; font-feature-settings: "lnum"; letter-spacing: 0.02rem; line-height: 1.875rem;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Enjoy the magic of <span style="font-weight: bolder;">Miami</span> on this fascinating city highlights tour.</span></p><p align="left" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: NeutraText-book; font-feature-settings: "lnum"; letter-spacing: 0.02rem; line-height: 1.875rem;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Cross the<span style="font-weight: bolder;"> McArthur Causeway</span> with a view of the cruise terminal, as your guide points out homes of the rich and famous along the route.</span></p><p align="left" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: NeutraText-book; font-feature-settings: "lnum"; letter-spacing: 0.02rem; line-height: 1.875rem;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Don't miss the<span style="font-weight: bolder;"> South Beach</span> <span style="font-weight: bolder;">Art Deco district </span>-- an iconic Miami landmark -- and a stop for photos at the Versace Mansion. Your guide points out many details that lend the South Beach area its singular character.</span></p><p align="left" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: NeutraText-book; font-feature-settings: "lnum"; letter-spacing: 0.02rem; line-height: 1.875rem;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Watch for the <span style="font-weight: bolder;">Wynwood Walls</span> -- a vast array of one-of-a-kind street art.</span></p><p align="left" dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; font-family: NeutraText-book; font-feature-settings: "lnum"; letter-spacing: 0.02rem; line-height: 1.875rem;"><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">No trip to Miami is complete without a stop in <span style="font-weight: bolder;">Little Havana</span>, with its rich Cuban vibe, food and music. You'll have time on your own here to purchase a snack (at your own expense) or browse in the stores. Yes, Cuban cigars are sold here!</span></p></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Well! This tour is NOT as described, and it was a massive disappointment and not recommended. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We crawled through traffic, it took ages to get to the first stop. South Beach for 15 minutes. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjF6127eWzHNccRVCaXFIgCZzTDiQw_UKItPJTiI6_if3uVcCLnxr07AHIrjdPhDjXSvMFN4JO5hVGD8ng5TLINRoWyZVPOojA9bWQqoHs-XP26JrbjRUsS1QKmLEflJBZsx5MBrLeV2DOUPVcjJ69SfjeYtEuS2twVUIol2T8ZnYEgKESm5vEpNGL/s4032/IMG_3395.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjF6127eWzHNccRVCaXFIgCZzTDiQw_UKItPJTiI6_if3uVcCLnxr07AHIrjdPhDjXSvMFN4JO5hVGD8ng5TLINRoWyZVPOojA9bWQqoHs-XP26JrbjRUsS1QKmLEflJBZsx5MBrLeV2DOUPVcjJ69SfjeYtEuS2twVUIol2T8ZnYEgKESm5vEpNGL/s320/IMG_3395.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Then went to little Havana.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPvjnMKXxUo3lnREzc02DudNdVI1qwWUBRKPctZig7kQUuD8hHnHXCbqgb2VQsEiFdcwiFfGVGbie-JqTUTc18UuwRYQ0gUX7DW-e9XPpsvYXw1tZsF5k1-PSQHhO1W_Q6rnDyxjw6_eG3PsoWTk8ch1QF0fhrKiBsYczHzv7IJ2EP3Y1bqmn_0-v/s4032/IMG_3400.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTPvjnMKXxUo3lnREzc02DudNdVI1qwWUBRKPctZig7kQUuD8hHnHXCbqgb2VQsEiFdcwiFfGVGbie-JqTUTc18UuwRYQ0gUX7DW-e9XPpsvYXw1tZsF5k1-PSQHhO1W_Q6rnDyxjw6_eG3PsoWTk8ch1QF0fhrKiBsYczHzv7IJ2EP3Y1bqmn_0-v/s320/IMG_3400.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mXFo5XlrGMchgEiqNnfeq1fYPVJrWfAoLXWv_svofduFV4qO-PVKeGzu-40HWjyrymktFvm9kHf1JjG4RwfN6tAMD-1U5KVaMpeSr4JQI-8Z9VKfXG5RT98TLBnfzy_Bc21NGkf9hS8ESBoNjIrXWpXKhG9ZDhrS-WGCmsmxixIRCiex3pHlMwae/s4032/IMG_3402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6mXFo5XlrGMchgEiqNnfeq1fYPVJrWfAoLXWv_svofduFV4qO-PVKeGzu-40HWjyrymktFvm9kHf1JjG4RwfN6tAMD-1U5KVaMpeSr4JQI-8Z9VKfXG5RT98TLBnfzy_Bc21NGkf9hS8ESBoNjIrXWpXKhG9ZDhrS-WGCmsmxixIRCiex3pHlMwae/s320/IMG_3402.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULeY-6hSQ8fLUp4ZQXsvZiX17U7FDaZfs3hNE1TZVwCQQm8oeOOwxSUgFPLKa8UjiOmsvj_is6chLuprzplPyjoO4jjn3ftSoOl2LBuDb2WreqGPCf3FmP8BGyZlPXzQ3ZTDh01ki_z6xWbm3eXpMRVZSueyISmag7tpdwZmkNE6pVILbNeWLpzCO/s4032/IMG_3408.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULeY-6hSQ8fLUp4ZQXsvZiX17U7FDaZfs3hNE1TZVwCQQm8oeOOwxSUgFPLKa8UjiOmsvj_is6chLuprzplPyjoO4jjn3ftSoOl2LBuDb2WreqGPCf3FmP8BGyZlPXzQ3ZTDh01ki_z6xWbm3eXpMRVZSueyISmag7tpdwZmkNE6pVILbNeWLpzCO/s320/IMG_3408.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipXjWbAUweyWRLrBqD2Vsev1ZLng7U_QscM5H6Xc9qqhwC_KI9iJ8AbBz7yQ-w-hiM2PvTL56sZAW3D6BvMXq11DdgbzRNemssY6gURNPRpsLYNdG3MNVjYihJF2Z6Co-m44l-4kh8lhjxQEvDqqy14R_uzS2cmDsoKklsEtXhr4XD39_IxrqXeJt/s4032/IMG_3403.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhipXjWbAUweyWRLrBqD2Vsev1ZLng7U_QscM5H6Xc9qqhwC_KI9iJ8AbBz7yQ-w-hiM2PvTL56sZAW3D6BvMXq11DdgbzRNemssY6gURNPRpsLYNdG3MNVjYihJF2Z6Co-m44l-4kh8lhjxQEvDqqy14R_uzS2cmDsoKklsEtXhr4XD39_IxrqXeJt/s320/IMG_3403.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Then to Miami airport and to Fort Lauderdale airport, to drop people off! that wasn't in the description. It was a waste of time and money. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Back on the ship, this time we left on time at 15.00 and there was a full sail away party with games and prizes. it was very different from the first sail away. It was good to leave Port Everglades in day light sailing once again to Half Moon Cay. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZirCoiyHerTWjLe8FFROnj5xsrfwKvgdBAxFmkr92P2RlJi908YmmqdK-5zaHRL2U5z-zYihd_FcSCn2fhTudaYhPSZo2LPYSS6zn0pkLzifmVID1zinp06LhZYna_d-P1ChbejbUt95v45epsGSfNQUs2H9elVy6FXKfih-ollaJjfOTlwYcqKk/s4032/IMG_3409.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHZirCoiyHerTWjLe8FFROnj5xsrfwKvgdBAxFmkr92P2RlJi908YmmqdK-5zaHRL2U5z-zYihd_FcSCn2fhTudaYhPSZo2LPYSS6zn0pkLzifmVID1zinp06LhZYna_d-P1ChbejbUt95v45epsGSfNQUs2H9elVy6FXKfih-ollaJjfOTlwYcqKk/s320/IMG_3409.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Half Moon Cay, Bahamas. </span></h1></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">16th February 2023.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Tendering ashore same as before, this time we walked around as much of the Island as you can, going to the Plantation ruins before enjoying lunch. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrTVLYZ5FFmpwMTPrwrQYWswT5tQXamu1oEqvMCczTm8rmFBgsLwlPHgcpMnlaC0P6NeTglN48ip1cat9aWrZ1Hw55qvZaJZBWsEKX536y0ISCQvoRUhhYpB1U-hOwvfhlCs8iTlG9JwlZeIgYp-07O4sLxQX464gU1zg2PY8ZrhUgkAOnz69oC83/s4032/IMG_3411.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Map of Half Moon Cay" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsrTVLYZ5FFmpwMTPrwrQYWswT5tQXamu1oEqvMCczTm8rmFBgsLwlPHgcpMnlaC0P6NeTglN48ip1cat9aWrZ1Hw55qvZaJZBWsEKX536y0ISCQvoRUhhYpB1U-hOwvfhlCs8iTlG9JwlZeIgYp-07O4sLxQX464gU1zg2PY8ZrhUgkAOnz69oC83/w480-h640/IMG_3411.JPG" title="Map of Half Moon Cay" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of Half Moon Cay </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto4WhXYRSS5BIf2fUoqaJDdasrgcuiHtOTIreWZsnx9vq95xV4YAZ3Ot7xYqRkXsv7hq3vuDb6rU5gu8IVcRn1a-NcVn85SvOCawqQrgfv09COyW5zwcvLtJasE4u9srVcg3h0Rqachdwqk9caT3BAe7ObELNsUXDBDZiy63GpoLjcW2pzKWYalsN/s4032/IMG_3414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgto4WhXYRSS5BIf2fUoqaJDdasrgcuiHtOTIreWZsnx9vq95xV4YAZ3Ot7xYqRkXsv7hq3vuDb6rU5gu8IVcRn1a-NcVn85SvOCawqQrgfv09COyW5zwcvLtJasE4u9srVcg3h0Rqachdwqk9caT3BAe7ObELNsUXDBDZiy63GpoLjcW2pzKWYalsN/s320/IMG_3414.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBldK1ae2HsZrJ7aW2iCrvKTsvOkIaJnu_N-nG0Ve0mtfBYmArsM6hSDDT7S_3ldZotoenOpKCt10sE2HfruBLCGWLnRbWDl5uiWCe9IByCzdcNDYLAWYyWBDn-RQRHr_v8MO4TAESqbayPDTpjhx91NyaX6O9hTBED08Ym1ecMu4d9_4eeYzMm16/s4032/IMG_3416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHBldK1ae2HsZrJ7aW2iCrvKTsvOkIaJnu_N-nG0Ve0mtfBYmArsM6hSDDT7S_3ldZotoenOpKCt10sE2HfruBLCGWLnRbWDl5uiWCe9IByCzdcNDYLAWYyWBDn-RQRHr_v8MO4TAESqbayPDTpjhx91NyaX6O9hTBED08Ym1ecMu4d9_4eeYzMm16/s320/IMG_3416.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UHAOiyLL8u46I-0iusayFLDDaHnBmuGWbjeNiV-puGIJPk_43U2LiS3-1mpkFaf4SWqFbrBJBONgJ3SLBeqfQbYpWrMaotmpDPduxivgQvlJhcFNZdUA1PW0wtNG7sQgTisMCMc7jPSl3CsXS31sKbCoI5I6sqJhwG3Mi5hM_It4asSZ6hd2HfQa/s4032/IMG_3415.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3UHAOiyLL8u46I-0iusayFLDDaHnBmuGWbjeNiV-puGIJPk_43U2LiS3-1mpkFaf4SWqFbrBJBONgJ3SLBeqfQbYpWrMaotmpDPduxivgQvlJhcFNZdUA1PW0wtNG7sQgTisMCMc7jPSl3CsXS31sKbCoI5I6sqJhwG3Mi5hM_It4asSZ6hd2HfQa/s320/IMG_3415.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>A Carnival ship joined us today, but there were still plenty of sun beds and space on the long beach. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">For dinner tonight we were going to The Pinnacle Grill, steak and seafood restaurant. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We were greeted and seated very quickly, I ordered the signature dish, cadies clothesline bacon. When it came it was tasteless, not worth all the hype. I had the lamb chops and my partner had a steak. Neither of us were impressed with the food, it was tasteless. I don't know why people rave on about this restaurant the Main Dining Room and Lido are better. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The new band was playing in the BB Kings tonight, they had not been together long and were nervous but really good, we enjoyed them. <br /> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-61117257051520445102023-03-23T17:09:00.010+00:002023-03-23T17:53:58.791+00:00Holland America Line, Rotterdam. Caribbean Cruise. 14th February 2023. Half Moon Cay. <h1 style="text-align: left;"> 14th February 2023. Half Moon Cay. Bahamas. </h1><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Half Moon Cay is HALs private Island in the Bahamas. There is not a cruise dock so you have to get the Tender. Unlike Celebrity HAL did not use the life boats as tenders, but sent large vessels from the Island. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPTMWRtT4I_u9GPCa1JcyKxdKiW0Wak0LsRQnH8yBspBbE9ruM0mQpIfdr1lquMz0aWMwoM9XbIJTN3C-JQ0M9PYEqlN3ucLzFrQmb9elZjFL_Fw7FQXCdyg76NnwOrS6NeJMYmO8aYLPr0oTAQbVfWIvFluNSGD6xsxztYM-w3d2_FFytRqd3G_c/s4032/IMG_3377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Half Moon Cay" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuPTMWRtT4I_u9GPCa1JcyKxdKiW0Wak0LsRQnH8yBspBbE9ruM0mQpIfdr1lquMz0aWMwoM9XbIJTN3C-JQ0M9PYEqlN3ucLzFrQmb9elZjFL_Fw7FQXCdyg76NnwOrS6NeJMYmO8aYLPr0oTAQbVfWIvFluNSGD6xsxztYM-w3d2_FFytRqd3G_c/w320-h240/IMG_3377.JPG" title="Half Moon Cay" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half Moon Cay</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8OkttgZonDoGz3aHJ3dc_ToNOWEE_OvLIb_MH7OUdh5GqYel86X9Tro44rx7mOE4ADSnnNiZiOXfsedHSIb-zq_c1qf-DC0_5hs1pU6wic94XiHMAbpRPi86PaB0nSfitXL7Hh34bg-FdOja38pQkcq06mTR_-UCDCuKMZsKJN6V81HzazHcTSwF/s960/IMG_3379.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Half Moon Cay" border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="960" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp8OkttgZonDoGz3aHJ3dc_ToNOWEE_OvLIb_MH7OUdh5GqYel86X9Tro44rx7mOE4ADSnnNiZiOXfsedHSIb-zq_c1qf-DC0_5hs1pU6wic94XiHMAbpRPi86PaB0nSfitXL7Hh34bg-FdOja38pQkcq06mTR_-UCDCuKMZsKJN6V81HzazHcTSwF/w320-h214/IMG_3379.JPG" title="Half Moon Cay" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half Moon Cay</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;">Arrival was 08.00 and last tender 14.30.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We walked along the beach and found a shady spot under the trees, and settled down to read our books. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Island is pristine, the water clean, but snorkelling off the beach is none existent, the coral is destroyed. Some of the cabanas looked a bit shabby, and there were only a few. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OWGHVHmZP8f2dWLdAijDlCKdL6XmEvcK99TXQlkMOLVlcBcmaOBeTZKKQqjwGSdgTfh6sjJ4KAaJ9c4IiSaaOZeUc62vCSNm9bx30Zyl1HWB-JvR1dNBJTLq9RyeCvTRX9lP5IZUd01cyEvGYev5E18JV2uO0KQYMp0ZCIOySQgbEK-UXcYw_qGQ/s960/IMG_3381.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="641" data-original-width="960" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8OWGHVHmZP8f2dWLdAijDlCKdL6XmEvcK99TXQlkMOLVlcBcmaOBeTZKKQqjwGSdgTfh6sjJ4KAaJ9c4IiSaaOZeUc62vCSNm9bx30Zyl1HWB-JvR1dNBJTLq9RyeCvTRX9lP5IZUd01cyEvGYev5E18JV2uO0KQYMp0ZCIOySQgbEK-UXcYw_qGQ/s320/IMG_3381.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half Moon Cay</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kZEaBfM-4m6x9nFvg7zKWAvEoYEr6UAc4E4CH67DmEXs004ebOrl2j2Bn5O9YI7ibI4OMp_ZSob68raNBJRsuS8QRfMY9UrK_Wy25dG5LIdis-q3jvWns8tZJymZ-EuTVv6cry4yu6OBswf00fzvUGN9cgHIkg0glVRIh7gGHpfYLqOVVPq6pPdZ/s4272/P1120304.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2kZEaBfM-4m6x9nFvg7zKWAvEoYEr6UAc4E4CH67DmEXs004ebOrl2j2Bn5O9YI7ibI4OMp_ZSob68raNBJRsuS8QRfMY9UrK_Wy25dG5LIdis-q3jvWns8tZJymZ-EuTVv6cry4yu6OBswf00fzvUGN9cgHIkg0glVRIh7gGHpfYLqOVVPq6pPdZ/s320/P1120304.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half Moon Cay</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNSdjyij-cWiCnVtbWVulE6aOFO68YMgb905zKN9sVBumfevj-x0G6pzTYDz-5xj_1A7oB6kf38hoO97BhJM1_gcIN5u3vW_LYKnskOWbKm4G-q3KgWWvSl8HlNCNRhDFArm4UX7p1FEF1_T0kGUqqaeTQH6nD82YFswTKuWolKOOmv9vUw5xxQSg/s4272/P1120311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipNSdjyij-cWiCnVtbWVulE6aOFO68YMgb905zKN9sVBumfevj-x0G6pzTYDz-5xj_1A7oB6kf38hoO97BhJM1_gcIN5u3vW_LYKnskOWbKm4G-q3KgWWvSl8HlNCNRhDFArm4UX7p1FEF1_T0kGUqqaeTQH6nD82YFswTKuWolKOOmv9vUw5xxQSg/s320/P1120311.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half Moon Cay</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnJgk5G05ZhxE2cX22PS8TM9rUIbyXGwDh6rPoCx-7hVoWqaRX3zEvlh20yMAzB7kwiZ8sCAvaNB99ztm0C75SJY8n4T8stD4Uxt-6tt80rB3BheQMXcIvGXEg_aLrg9Jwh28Hcc_2pBgqcTkFcfSQF_0HJj3yvgVKsrvhMNsJvv8FDcIlzei7UxO/s4272/P1120302.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMnJgk5G05ZhxE2cX22PS8TM9rUIbyXGwDh6rPoCx-7hVoWqaRX3zEvlh20yMAzB7kwiZ8sCAvaNB99ztm0C75SJY8n4T8stD4Uxt-6tt80rB3BheQMXcIvGXEg_aLrg9Jwh28Hcc_2pBgqcTkFcfSQF_0HJj3yvgVKsrvhMNsJvv8FDcIlzei7UxO/s320/P1120302.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Half Moon Cay</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;">An Island BBQ lunch was provided from 11.00 to 13.00. It was a fantastic display of food, meats, salads, breads, fruit, ice cream, cakes, soft drinks were also provided.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"> I though it was outstanding, and far better than I was expecting. The crew work so hard bringing everything from the ship. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTu3P2AREqqkBvUhRc3VSPgwDfnKMqmb6_W-Gb_GNoEI32JKg03S9HSRcOc0ZQMokUMubzG5_No7EX7g9gA8zQYSNPyH4YrbhSzxQyKbF3UuJCAj1o6OlOCLkfYq8aXzEbDDpkK-XfDe-2xrQsrW_E5yq_VHSp64CHZ2Yh9AzfJ6cfCZq-uKvIsI7j/s4272/P1120322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTu3P2AREqqkBvUhRc3VSPgwDfnKMqmb6_W-Gb_GNoEI32JKg03S9HSRcOc0ZQMokUMubzG5_No7EX7g9gA8zQYSNPyH4YrbhSzxQyKbF3UuJCAj1o6OlOCLkfYq8aXzEbDDpkK-XfDe-2xrQsrW_E5yq_VHSp64CHZ2Yh9AzfJ6cfCZq-uKvIsI7j/s320/P1120322.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatRmEjSH0FpcHvGZQ3i4D0u-KWtWtRiS_qW2I-FzyKQ6v13ZjlfavI9WZ0snYqF8vvoQkjFfqq7wLMyQQHO3PViVOcDvwEB-GPwg7f8W397-q8XBu4cblZxkuc-jqKCZaMmdfoi1S528F9qyuIr_NymxL9sJPbkkaYBFHnpJrYSEJ_V4t2wISARG7/s4272/P1120321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgatRmEjSH0FpcHvGZQ3i4D0u-KWtWtRiS_qW2I-FzyKQ6v13ZjlfavI9WZ0snYqF8vvoQkjFfqq7wLMyQQHO3PViVOcDvwEB-GPwg7f8W397-q8XBu4cblZxkuc-jqKCZaMmdfoi1S528F9qyuIr_NymxL9sJPbkkaYBFHnpJrYSEJ_V4t2wISARG7/s320/P1120321.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9S7DUBObxipdbHnpqKCKrkZllp38HIwcBw7hRvzSSLOmxf0nA0y1gI_7A5Jq34I51Q_P_oh8e8CJthkeX1zhAXkcUnepTXYY1ap6GAmAga964TkHex0PAgViZceXiQPWfBj5rlXps1MkCWWP942cTWgRZ8vSXt60d_5Ao3C8w29f7tGXFzSWqxNs/s4272/P1120319.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HAL Island BBQ" border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP9S7DUBObxipdbHnpqKCKrkZllp38HIwcBw7hRvzSSLOmxf0nA0y1gI_7A5Jq34I51Q_P_oh8e8CJthkeX1zhAXkcUnepTXYY1ap6GAmAga964TkHex0PAgViZceXiQPWfBj5rlXps1MkCWWP942cTWgRZ8vSXt60d_5Ao3C8w29f7tGXFzSWqxNs/w400-h268/P1120319.JPG" title="HAL Island BBQ" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HAL Island BBQ</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYi1Uiv-G9Viah59AJbFV3kwC_JJ_EqDgo0XJM-EnpGOwudHmwSIH6ASrI0ZOEPdikOFmokAO-i0l2FcjCavt97R9G3_oAwHZNM--tybbR22iU3vTyphxbQKM3yANqmSmc5N-wf2PlnRad0WoFC-0NblAQGsULOqy3_W-EnKeqiHkE1EnDQhQwxhv/s4272/P1120318.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HAL Island BBQ" border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglYi1Uiv-G9Viah59AJbFV3kwC_JJ_EqDgo0XJM-EnpGOwudHmwSIH6ASrI0ZOEPdikOFmokAO-i0l2FcjCavt97R9G3_oAwHZNM--tybbR22iU3vTyphxbQKM3yANqmSmc5N-wf2PlnRad0WoFC-0NblAQGsULOqy3_W-EnKeqiHkE1EnDQhQwxhv/w400-h268/P1120318.JPG" title="HAL Island BBQ" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HAL Island BBQ</td></tr></tbody></table>I enjoyed the island and looked forward to our next visit on February the 16th. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Back on the ship, despite it being Valentines day, the ship was not decorated, just a nice cake in the Lido Buffet. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaTSU4jpdx2w9VEjoR5WS9PSKjo4jZrs_E3BaGO7nEBMcKFsCKODIfX6k3EtDtgPNYpGJ4ekyTrYbB8Z8GDjaOwlOpRWrRDejKL_GOjEkvPKbV2wVnwsfoWi027XWCKDhMR2npBJQ_Sf2QKzBGziXtTH58ezw8lZYYtE8XN-bZiSzTdAEqV7OY19E/s4032/IMG_3383.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUaTSU4jpdx2w9VEjoR5WS9PSKjo4jZrs_E3BaGO7nEBMcKFsCKODIfX6k3EtDtgPNYpGJ4ekyTrYbB8Z8GDjaOwlOpRWrRDejKL_GOjEkvPKbV2wVnwsfoWi027XWCKDhMR2npBJQ_Sf2QKzBGziXtTH58ezw8lZYYtE8XN-bZiSzTdAEqV7OY19E/s320/IMG_3383.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">We ate in the buffet tonight as we had decided to go to watch the film; Ticket to Paradise by the pool. One of HALs 'Movies by the Pool Nights'. Popcorn is served and the New York Dali serves film night snacks, like chicken wings and nachos. Its a nice idea. </span></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-56500620869309544392023-03-23T16:43:00.008+00:002023-03-23T17:53:25.300+00:00Holland America Line, Rotterdam, Caribbean Cruise. 12 & 13th Feburary 2023. USVI and Sea Day. <h1 style="text-align: left;"> 12th February 2023, Charlotte Amalie, St Thomas. Virgin islands, U.S. </h1><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Today was the first cruise ship excursion I had booked. It was the Introduction to SCUBA diving, but as I woke up with sinus pain and ear ache I was unsure what to do. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The meeting point was on the quay at 08.30, it was a small group and we waited a while for two people who did not show up. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The catamaran was docked just next to the ship, once aboard we set off to Buck Island Cove. On the way the dive master went through the safety briefing. He spoke about ruptured ear drums if you were unable to equalise the water pressure. So I decided to snorkel, diving down to equalised the pressure in my ears, unfortunately I was unable to do this, so decided to just snorkel. I saw fish and coral I have not seen before and a Turtle. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">My husband did the dive over the shipwreck and enjoyed it, the tuition was very good. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We returned to the ship at 13.00. I felt it was a good excursion. We had time to go to our cabin and get washed, have a bit of lunch then walk into the town of Charlotte Amalie. As it was a Sunday most of the attractions were closed- but lots of jewellery shops were open, there were loads of them! </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The diving and getting out on the Catamaran was a good choice. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpIy2CmFzqix89ne0GJcc5-QwXZ4eAqv-7tOksF_yu6mDwtc-PD8G3SE3hL_e5ucSSJLiBQoTzSbmvxVX1qCzIP8PlFm8GYpiwebUMnQPhQWIJGw1yIb8wAa61OqxIg_jLvrYZDpr2GxepR6wYe6tA7lYmtDZ4jv08bdyXL1zER3AQiuF_vvvqkJG/s4032/IMG_3376.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBpIy2CmFzqix89ne0GJcc5-QwXZ4eAqv-7tOksF_yu6mDwtc-PD8G3SE3hL_e5ucSSJLiBQoTzSbmvxVX1qCzIP8PlFm8GYpiwebUMnQPhQWIJGw1yIb8wAa61OqxIg_jLvrYZDpr2GxepR6wYe6tA7lYmtDZ4jv08bdyXL1zER3AQiuF_vvvqkJG/s320/IMG_3376.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US Virgin Islands. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq6LhWAlXJYcOpDnBv1wUjlmnMznFOhg6dosMm0NkzC-BGU0hKY8BovZPsY66--8pWrLegtdVWHWpaWRYXFxeMmBPIx_Ezz_jG_gG3MPjFUpkPJ5vW4CibYKl011Va7PEIUcEw1w0yidN6jUQAdlNr-3iVJ5tLFOdWLrIYWGOjLvJMdBtr2xcLxaz/s4272/P1120296.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFq6LhWAlXJYcOpDnBv1wUjlmnMznFOhg6dosMm0NkzC-BGU0hKY8BovZPsY66--8pWrLegtdVWHWpaWRYXFxeMmBPIx_Ezz_jG_gG3MPjFUpkPJ5vW4CibYKl011Va7PEIUcEw1w0yidN6jUQAdlNr-3iVJ5tLFOdWLrIYWGOjLvJMdBtr2xcLxaz/s320/P1120296.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">We were back on board for 16.30 and the ship left soon after that, tomorrow was a sea day, but it was still a casual night tonight. We went to the BB Kings and the band announced that these were their last few nights as they were leaving in Miami. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">13th February 2023. Sea Day. </span></h1><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The sea days on the Rotterdam were quite difficult. Firstly - there is not sufficient, usable deck space for all the passengers aboard. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The uncovered pool is small and located at the rear of the ship, this area has shade but there are tables in the shady parts, but people use them to play cards and other games and don't move all day. The sunbeds, in the sun are 'booked' with towels even though no one uses them all day! <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqk3NhPsBsbvwi85DHuqjPAqb_SS3nODt2xyuFF5pVDVJtFgaO0dNYDGfM7GQ4-8BvItauLVT8mbdtejKCNoHUa7W7pna41syC47QeBIESvBdZPEzA0xfQVO_bwxXC-VKI3SHD9HL-FCe0h4QbInhRN9HUlgRkZIMJfRmUQT0LbohTxk452cyAO1r/s4032/IMG_3261.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rear pool on HAL Rotterdam" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYqk3NhPsBsbvwi85DHuqjPAqb_SS3nODt2xyuFF5pVDVJtFgaO0dNYDGfM7GQ4-8BvItauLVT8mbdtejKCNoHUa7W7pna41syC47QeBIESvBdZPEzA0xfQVO_bwxXC-VKI3SHD9HL-FCe0h4QbInhRN9HUlgRkZIMJfRmUQT0LbohTxk452cyAO1r/w400-h300/IMG_3261.JPG" title="Rear pool on HAL Rotterdam" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rear pool on HAL Rotterdam. </td></tr></tbody></table>The indoor pool, with a retractable roof, is a lovely space, but again not enough sun beds, and people hog them for the day. The tables can not be use for eating as people play cards, sew, knit, read books at them for the full day. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DqFHTrCHt2f919rxYMIRKcJ9oxJGVG63q91h70Pp9kDw-AahpYoa5xFVAlDQPWjiuCcd3T-E1t6OoOhnsu-cgklwBWWWzQUt-xmpEYeFqij4PN65WASZtG3hzxIpxcOsYXIIVraI7d-bMP4pU8_msrqz67Yr1U4sn7I7CVOXEVZC2rOfHUMZJeRR/s4032/IMG_3589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pool on HAL Rotterdam" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9DqFHTrCHt2f919rxYMIRKcJ9oxJGVG63q91h70Pp9kDw-AahpYoa5xFVAlDQPWjiuCcd3T-E1t6OoOhnsu-cgklwBWWWzQUt-xmpEYeFqij4PN65WASZtG3hzxIpxcOsYXIIVraI7d-bMP4pU8_msrqz67Yr1U4sn7I7CVOXEVZC2rOfHUMZJeRR/w400-h300/IMG_3589.JPG" title="Pool on HAL Rotterdam" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pool on HAL Rotterdam, at dinner time. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">The entertainment team do not do activities that move the crowd around as on other cruise lines. The activities on board are very poor, unless you are into Origami or Flower arranging. No exercises in the pool or Zumba type dancing activities.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">On sea days afternoon tea is served in the main dining room, it was a small portion but quite sufficient, but a lot of seasoned HAL passengers were moaning about the size of the afternoon tea. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQ_5lbhNkL93CAag0ckkDieWlVLEMY1MyBk7ZfC1Qd4CwoFiwxN2xACc0xTbM7DZ4_KaTLOr8PVBhrjPoVmGGNFEr2cOqLQep1IOOaagn70fg8DoAK9gT0LLuHDHomjuDfsQRPDpjWa-kTccU48ExlQ_1AWnLMseN0gXmcwsWs4Ofcr2ZtcAEMEUm/s4272/P1120508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="HAL Rotterdam Afternoon tea" border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUQ_5lbhNkL93CAag0ckkDieWlVLEMY1MyBk7ZfC1Qd4CwoFiwxN2xACc0xTbM7DZ4_KaTLOr8PVBhrjPoVmGGNFEr2cOqLQep1IOOaagn70fg8DoAK9gT0LLuHDHomjuDfsQRPDpjWa-kTccU48ExlQ_1AWnLMseN0gXmcwsWs4Ofcr2ZtcAEMEUm/w214-h320/P1120508.JPG" title="HAL Rotterdam Afternoon tea" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HAL Afternoon Tea </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: xx-large;">But for me the biggest problem was that as soon as the ship was in open water the rocking and rolling around started. The ship is extremely unstable. </span><span style="font-size: xx-large;">So for me Sea days on the Rotterdam were days in my cabin, I was glad I had booked a balcony. </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-20105921988389083492023-03-21T16:28:00.008+00:002023-03-23T17:52:53.352+00:00Holland America Line, Rotterdam, Caribbean Cruise, Basseterre, St Kitts. 11 February 2023. <h1 style="text-align: left;"> 11 February 2023. Basseterre, Saint Kitts (and Nevis). </h1><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Arrival was 08.00, the ship arrived on time and we were cleared to get off at 08.30 - (do you see a theme?) and as sailing time was 17.00, or all aboard at 16.30 we had a bit longer to explore.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">I had booked an ATV, or Quad rental with Sunny Blue Rentals. The owner was waiting for us just past the port gates and took us to the office. The paperwork was done quickly and we were shown the Quad. It was far better than the one we had in St Maarten. Larger, so seated two adult easily. Newer, so made less noise and had storage under the seats. Sunny Blue gave us a map, and telephone numbers in case we needed them and off we went. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShfi9pByELBdGW3I8LNicXaiOfv80WjqUki1NoOa3Mz3h9C29u0yIJHxeXbw9KbsnNouCKk2vz2z1CTtXnFvbzbPOcchfqcTJp3SeJ_skN7I3t4H-hJ2nN4oLsrVPH3zpSrkw4Ey_kO3shOuOpzdLfwHYFPOFt-fAQQN7v7CjmZXhT9OgKgYqw4yJ/s4272/P1120263.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiShfi9pByELBdGW3I8LNicXaiOfv80WjqUki1NoOa3Mz3h9C29u0yIJHxeXbw9KbsnNouCKk2vz2z1CTtXnFvbzbPOcchfqcTJp3SeJ_skN7I3t4H-hJ2nN4oLsrVPH3zpSrkw4Ey_kO3shOuOpzdLfwHYFPOFt-fAQQN7v7CjmZXhT9OgKgYqw4yJ/s320/P1120263.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2npsQAHdVqqUqwg3Qd8buKnLR6oJntakd02a5fG9mepvhjElUmgRsTaH1HDosjQA_rWhrPlMgS9iYlBI91DldJxZDKaiudkC0MOvNoCkHbK8RExkG6_YJN90nnV5F_w-nA5i68PAiQarxENt3oVy1xc0kKqGegQYX-sR0TfMxVX-LkbmNDiusZ1_N/s4272/P1120276.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2npsQAHdVqqUqwg3Qd8buKnLR6oJntakd02a5fG9mepvhjElUmgRsTaH1HDosjQA_rWhrPlMgS9iYlBI91DldJxZDKaiudkC0MOvNoCkHbK8RExkG6_YJN90nnV5F_w-nA5i68PAiQarxENt3oVy1xc0kKqGegQYX-sR0TfMxVX-LkbmNDiusZ1_N/s320/P1120276.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLzVMcUEofFXCK5-TC6tvKhqSuSn5GlesYJmJPysfEqFUPsPXdBd2vh4qGCTyVJO_l09Ur_dmy45SmhuSvVa3Vi3k4p5WMWSN7LvZLDHa-c7p3iJSG6VHmDL7Kta6b54iU5ODYxgADnE7HTLb6OEKmMNE2jwiKDECpZEl_IAz8fJ5Eppflt4RAxt-/s4272/P1120283.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMLzVMcUEofFXCK5-TC6tvKhqSuSn5GlesYJmJPysfEqFUPsPXdBd2vh4qGCTyVJO_l09Ur_dmy45SmhuSvVa3Vi3k4p5WMWSN7LvZLDHa-c7p3iJSG6VHmDL7Kta6b54iU5ODYxgADnE7HTLb6OEKmMNE2jwiKDECpZEl_IAz8fJ5Eppflt4RAxt-/s320/P1120283.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3vZLCuuQ80bFYXIcaYpHhUr4cIqvqV0F7sproRIz50-1rksFa-hmGLtapF8Omp_gok5S6QhrstmLQUXCNdiJXXJ5SX3bAi9zP9dqHKm8-GLouRJ387zbiwRE8-dz6QucmliHVbIubagTB4bRzKk_GWAhZaQIIVmL1JDm0u0ZMEh-mHAFX8Nwow6r/s4272/P1120284.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3vZLCuuQ80bFYXIcaYpHhUr4cIqvqV0F7sproRIz50-1rksFa-hmGLtapF8Omp_gok5S6QhrstmLQUXCNdiJXXJ5SX3bAi9zP9dqHKm8-GLouRJ387zbiwRE8-dz6QucmliHVbIubagTB4bRzKk_GWAhZaQIIVmL1JDm0u0ZMEh-mHAFX8Nwow6r/s320/P1120284.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">First stop was the Brimstone Hill Fortress, it opens at 09.30 and they were just unlocking the gates as we arrived. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The fortress is large and was build between 1690 and 1790, its high on a hill so the views are great, as we were so early and beat the crowds we had plenty of time to explore the buildings. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqFnTiYSUmNjE1qBiwJB4eTi6pqfG2N72ah8-h2qdEJOtxFhJCFkgQnH_xAB0SjEzgZJerbKqnZeLHmBjwFyzx22U62pdeYOWZFMSSrz2-FqtHQwcS7dlAh2PFdjaPtsWBr1faD0AP8U4MsdNTg0ull_CVBZse4UJTGF491SYdY9HpQYb9O4f4Bgm/s4032/IMG_3354.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img alt="Brimstone Hill Fortress" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglqFnTiYSUmNjE1qBiwJB4eTi6pqfG2N72ah8-h2qdEJOtxFhJCFkgQnH_xAB0SjEzgZJerbKqnZeLHmBjwFyzx22U62pdeYOWZFMSSrz2-FqtHQwcS7dlAh2PFdjaPtsWBr1faD0AP8U4MsdNTg0ull_CVBZse4UJTGF491SYdY9HpQYb9O4f4Bgm/w320-h240/IMG_3354.JPG" title="Brimstone Hill Fortress" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium; text-align: left;">Brimstone Hill Fortress</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZ4FXLJwnhnGpdd-dJxXaC3iLCs6cT-f56GhmelrmYWbXUVfRVdlr3LzGYatzWKImNhVegYMet9fmeTLCSrrCWlNB5cz-sxYeXPwrOqu16XJtpJ4zttWMNMbQUSNR7sWTrXQPFhBFsFSv9XoYYkhUFKGZ0CCe8DFCvs-VcjCw73NcjoApKS2F-zWx/s4032/IMG_3355.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKZ4FXLJwnhnGpdd-dJxXaC3iLCs6cT-f56GhmelrmYWbXUVfRVdlr3LzGYatzWKImNhVegYMet9fmeTLCSrrCWlNB5cz-sxYeXPwrOqu16XJtpJ4zttWMNMbQUSNR7sWTrXQPFhBFsFSv9XoYYkhUFKGZ0CCe8DFCvs-VcjCw73NcjoApKS2F-zWx/s320/IMG_3355.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Brimstone Hill Fortress</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlIHj_oWbcDCRqE6jwFf9hYfCU0BgloBdrCvPmHgqDtpijE0zLOgJkhIEw9rss_l1v6aJ6nRN9pIv9TecXns8osbWXjaF5LOfp1G8y8Z31yDAq5JdkFf5EpzAbzAGwrks9PvNOJBROoZ_OzwoDf-A7xLxBeBOGvvmw4UsL86aCX3UfeGDKs_I0Mmf/s4032/IMG_3356.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKlIHj_oWbcDCRqE6jwFf9hYfCU0BgloBdrCvPmHgqDtpijE0zLOgJkhIEw9rss_l1v6aJ6nRN9pIv9TecXns8osbWXjaF5LOfp1G8y8Z31yDAq5JdkFf5EpzAbzAGwrks9PvNOJBROoZ_OzwoDf-A7xLxBeBOGvvmw4UsL86aCX3UfeGDKs_I0Mmf/s320/IMG_3356.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Brimstone Hill Fortress</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuR7vjBxV8r-5b5qPQPDrIL2_G3oxPrfR8pF1SNrNewko1Z1huVUfKt02YLdEWIb_UpnSFWG0nHV0hFeUr0DeB6Q57FZ5VxZpzar7s-m4v67rl0Q5XMroAT1i0ezaFesFgO5PDsf0lmh2pqVh-XvgGPT395Ka8aiCbz5OT2Uwsil4x_wzU7664Lua/s4032/IMG_3360.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtuR7vjBxV8r-5b5qPQPDrIL2_G3oxPrfR8pF1SNrNewko1Z1huVUfKt02YLdEWIb_UpnSFWG0nHV0hFeUr0DeB6Q57FZ5VxZpzar7s-m4v67rl0Q5XMroAT1i0ezaFesFgO5PDsf0lmh2pqVh-XvgGPT395Ka8aiCbz5OT2Uwsil4x_wzU7664Lua/s320/IMG_3360.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Brimstone Hill Fortress</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzX5dKybV7MGor6CspjGwUv5tvxoPiXoxuS0tjeH-FpD0al1PnEQ7NEwc8MPz8Y3fKyguwlqocbQyvB5O3BwOjCF5l-PGu1uQm5DCecbhh1hzxeOkxIj4AV2Mfg3ar5rVaWDGxcQuhhYKFD-7CX1F_Uh41-OQMtkPQw7f6y_IZtjGY2WjdxNVmlUD/s4032/IMG_3361.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlzX5dKybV7MGor6CspjGwUv5tvxoPiXoxuS0tjeH-FpD0al1PnEQ7NEwc8MPz8Y3fKyguwlqocbQyvB5O3BwOjCF5l-PGu1uQm5DCecbhh1hzxeOkxIj4AV2Mfg3ar5rVaWDGxcQuhhYKFD-7CX1F_Uh41-OQMtkPQw7f6y_IZtjGY2WjdxNVmlUD/s320/IMG_3361.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Brimstone Hill Fortress</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEyf01GLOvfKYnxfi2sXjruKoXyYoePYba6FJ9WSlYGojO8HudQEqymcq3E_az-jEOpmyT3CFnhZoYbuhSIekMGYQowjrMvxzqPgEcQhREijMnufJK8M_0IQ7coLibNMnB3I5bU_9lJ152sH6BP087H_JldkzLHku8St8GVH5wf87KQXHuKN0EMk0/s4032/IMG_3362.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLEyf01GLOvfKYnxfi2sXjruKoXyYoePYba6FJ9WSlYGojO8HudQEqymcq3E_az-jEOpmyT3CFnhZoYbuhSIekMGYQowjrMvxzqPgEcQhREijMnufJK8M_0IQ7coLibNMnB3I5bU_9lJ152sH6BP087H_JldkzLHku8St8GVH5wf87KQXHuKN0EMk0/s320/IMG_3362.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Brimstone Hill Fortress</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAA-KooRLAXaVq24G4PAcYD4xIC_in1p35_frGP-FrlE3GezJitsWGR1EJBmBbDwNd8EL4i4MKgZa0cvh8LDXd4e0-Sybk0wSabFarKpoeHgy3XNPjQ0JVYXbLyvIyHQIscMjquDEgj8P-seJo198Wunps0XZWwtSNBn-qZGcIVm-9uaGl2pOjwJSv/s4032/IMG_3363.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAA-KooRLAXaVq24G4PAcYD4xIC_in1p35_frGP-FrlE3GezJitsWGR1EJBmBbDwNd8EL4i4MKgZa0cvh8LDXd4e0-Sybk0wSabFarKpoeHgy3XNPjQ0JVYXbLyvIyHQIscMjquDEgj8P-seJo198Wunps0XZWwtSNBn-qZGcIVm-9uaGl2pOjwJSv/s320/IMG_3363.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Brimstone Hill Fortress</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDA7nVa_L5sYiCdgsmAUZSmayxaBS7W5Qq5eTm5mO41C00TQwRyDxmmBekTYaCiRauzCJkd857LGOBeuBD-bJZ1uGc4oS5LFyo24PT9yaL-qsQVq4GV72A1v4pdyTlL-Cx-o8iZvM6F6ZDL7RNSjf4YqpSYMb4PmQ__X9V3RBdsc2mXacdw_g7RaVR/s4032/IMG_3365.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Brimstone Hill Fortress" border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDA7nVa_L5sYiCdgsmAUZSmayxaBS7W5Qq5eTm5mO41C00TQwRyDxmmBekTYaCiRauzCJkd857LGOBeuBD-bJZ1uGc4oS5LFyo24PT9yaL-qsQVq4GV72A1v4pdyTlL-Cx-o8iZvM6F6ZDL7RNSjf4YqpSYMb4PmQ__X9V3RBdsc2mXacdw_g7RaVR/w320-h240/IMG_3365.JPG" title="Brimstone Hill Fortress" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Brimstone Hill Fortress</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">The fortress was a worthwhile visit and as we were early we were able to take out time and read all the interesting history of the fort and its occupants. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Back on the quad we headed for the town of St Pauls. At Fig Tree Bay we started to cross the narrow gauge railway lines that are part of the St Kitts Scenic Railway. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The St Kitts Scenic Railway is a tourist attraction that takes three hours to make the 30 mile circumnavigation of the island. It was used in the 1920s to transport sugar cane. Although we crossed the tracks many times we did not see the train. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We stopped at Beaumont Park hoping to call into Arthurs Bar and Restaurant for something to eat, but nothing was open. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglko8SKVEmp0GUCBuKuBgmKmaKwnLv5XwTcDxU3O1llKKHaEWIe5inuEBRwFcr1BIgaIKn8xBRC_wmqvOzZCHZxohTpmgJnYyFZDXi9PavJaKIn09MeEJTXAb8303vzjWBW3zyUSVj7dH9d2w1JBrgp998_m3gAyZrTEfS0mYK4g4l9Yy9rdWi5SHj/s4272/P1120275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglko8SKVEmp0GUCBuKuBgmKmaKwnLv5XwTcDxU3O1llKKHaEWIe5inuEBRwFcr1BIgaIKn8xBRC_wmqvOzZCHZxohTpmgJnYyFZDXi9PavJaKIn09MeEJTXAb8303vzjWBW3zyUSVj7dH9d2w1JBrgp998_m3gAyZrTEfS0mYK4g4l9Yy9rdWi5SHj/s320/P1120275.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Kitts </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Then on to Black Rocks, again the wild and windy Atlantic side. Then past the airport and down to Half Moon Bay, were we had lunch. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">On the Southeast Peninsula the Timothy Hill Overlook was busy due to the view of the islands you have from this high point. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_OIRTm7HFfbHIORZpIOHyfOFD1Z7JLQm-jKYBeNMe7iKRZquC8sz3e-mpyyc6a3Gq0O_x-LzFq_Ekuc58hoLxXnrV55mA-pl4tomz2Km4h1d5ErC9SMv3FwonxJRIeho5k0j_SxnLl80dWuiCUHrqgiMt1vxNh9yJs3elx4aAxhMQkB0xQ9X9WAF/s4272/P1120278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_OIRTm7HFfbHIORZpIOHyfOFD1Z7JLQm-jKYBeNMe7iKRZquC8sz3e-mpyyc6a3Gq0O_x-LzFq_Ekuc58hoLxXnrV55mA-pl4tomz2Km4h1d5ErC9SMv3FwonxJRIeho5k0j_SxnLl80dWuiCUHrqgiMt1vxNh9yJs3elx4aAxhMQkB0xQ9X9WAF/s320/P1120278.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaB_ZVRPVsOGUSZYZjEJj3JFb4zMKiEDm15Zf37SIOwzf_2iIgb_6yFikLxpJSsk8753WkW9py3hYsJC191Uk40oPUnfEGw3O2ftTrzA-VU8lyCwhIfRXDZ_jH96R7wjaB7YsTaBKGUHzfSYNiZzTE30OM92bTiYuaP0E0ljFvh8_lJL9Tw-h648et/s4272/P1120279.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaB_ZVRPVsOGUSZYZjEJj3JFb4zMKiEDm15Zf37SIOwzf_2iIgb_6yFikLxpJSsk8753WkW9py3hYsJC191Uk40oPUnfEGw3O2ftTrzA-VU8lyCwhIfRXDZ_jH96R7wjaB7YsTaBKGUHzfSYNiZzTE30OM92bTiYuaP0E0ljFvh8_lJL9Tw-h648et/s320/P1120279.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">We then spent a bit of time on the calm and warm Turtle beach , Cockleshell Bay and Banana Beach. </span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Returning the quad was just as fast as the pick up had been. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We still had time to walk around Basseterre with its 'Circus' in the centre of town, park and phone boxes. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rXPuExrOZ8Ntm1fn7_lKTTzYAcqPei3h9Iw1fOhN4hPVWvFWyjXypCD231HZz4xkB6sfeAJUMqqmEWIOJ3dun1eKVN-x7YfVgJnNZqOrFhUD9x3zWi9eDmbfgk-F-CQi21xPwyyBqJarcERDgs0yH7CPJEW_9xrHgwVNIwhvaDSyTqH5geom7yqk/s4272/P1120293.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4rXPuExrOZ8Ntm1fn7_lKTTzYAcqPei3h9Iw1fOhN4hPVWvFWyjXypCD231HZz4xkB6sfeAJUMqqmEWIOJ3dun1eKVN-x7YfVgJnNZqOrFhUD9x3zWi9eDmbfgk-F-CQi21xPwyyBqJarcERDgs0yH7CPJEW_9xrHgwVNIwhvaDSyTqH5geom7yqk/s320/P1120293.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBqNWyoMN5-lmMcjlSLWw6ep5ACHhcReC70YR2IuJm8SjnaYlloewQUayZbvGiXDJnkyAaHaYlGH8VFzgIFgl38gInfPYazAnP-gJVqLx_iStvtyNAB4gEJg_fqqXgpMMI4BNLqDGQrwQEPnAQgS_W9I2jGAdnx0Gk3rkNqeWy6TNdHfF1QyqnQn9/s4272/P1120288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisBqNWyoMN5-lmMcjlSLWw6ep5ACHhcReC70YR2IuJm8SjnaYlloewQUayZbvGiXDJnkyAaHaYlGH8VFzgIFgl38gInfPYazAnP-gJVqLx_iStvtyNAB4gEJg_fqqXgpMMI4BNLqDGQrwQEPnAQgS_W9I2jGAdnx0Gk3rkNqeWy6TNdHfF1QyqnQn9/s320/P1120288.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke_4XnarGLIdkzYomSTFdtzhtHAsgVeoofcrDkzLEFSYrKemtLQX94CRlDy185-iaL3EFV5vhd7DgBoBLgJd7ROZbBX9XdABfY-yVP-bUZ8zbd96H1i54r7-4nCh425h_6od9XdjI_UHTa0ibfmro4sPntuFAqhuocSMiCVZf05oUsl9FqEo5dGjb/s4272/P1120285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhke_4XnarGLIdkzYomSTFdtzhtHAsgVeoofcrDkzLEFSYrKemtLQX94CRlDy185-iaL3EFV5vhd7DgBoBLgJd7ROZbBX9XdABfY-yVP-bUZ8zbd96H1i54r7-4nCh425h_6od9XdjI_UHTa0ibfmro4sPntuFAqhuocSMiCVZf05oUsl9FqEo5dGjb/s320/P1120285.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxK_wd96STU2zLrWj1fB27EpJ-2DF_M-cHClqUPtAW2FzCr7iGM_0PJdXiaUDob_7JPUSC_OACWfyzPBrAufzudvQpcT1zhzh60FqPf0--uOayvG2zyRH6IqaVXgRUNWqyED4zS4A8o5gY5VvlVjb4SKH02QxFpMI_lPUHtpRMM7vlLz4ZKa7gTnh/s4272/P1120290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUxK_wd96STU2zLrWj1fB27EpJ-2DF_M-cHClqUPtAW2FzCr7iGM_0PJdXiaUDob_7JPUSC_OACWfyzPBrAufzudvQpcT1zhzh60FqPf0--uOayvG2zyRH6IqaVXgRUNWqyED4zS4A8o5gY5VvlVjb4SKH02QxFpMI_lPUHtpRMM7vlLz4ZKa7gTnh/s320/P1120290.JPG" width="214" /></a></div>All aboard time was 16.30, we both really enjoyed St Kitts and were glad we had had the opportunity to visit it. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDaP_EuEIdAFvoO3JOoveAnljOGFXLo39Vej4ct5EW2gxde1xKaGVF7NZErXjmAT8lSxWW-_Gdqgipj9LUZclplR-ivNlOtTh2yVaGqDo9HIA3_moh-wxufqL4zRtQXl0pAxyQMaScVKlxniHjYEzj5QC0PRj47TGkJGRJ4F6kpylqk8miM_OVy9y/s4032/IMG_0865.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Map Of St Kitts" border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkDaP_EuEIdAFvoO3JOoveAnljOGFXLo39Vej4ct5EW2gxde1xKaGVF7NZErXjmAT8lSxWW-_Gdqgipj9LUZclplR-ivNlOtTh2yVaGqDo9HIA3_moh-wxufqL4zRtQXl0pAxyQMaScVKlxniHjYEzj5QC0PRj47TGkJGRJ4F6kpylqk8miM_OVy9y/w480-h640/IMG_0865.JPG" title="Map Of St Kitts" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map Of St Kitts </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: xx-large;">Back on board we had time to sun bathe before getting ready for our Dutch inspired meal in the dining room as tonight was the 'Orange Party' - or HALs Dutch themed party. The menu had Dutch food on it and Orange drinks were served at the bars. Some guests went all out and dressed from head to foot in Orange. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznhPIDteKuXQlE_I7HRAjTLsc4JSUoqSqqh3uThYPD9vDaGr28w4-ndMT27mUjqdx5x4_-mWm6DTzIn8UfK0Ql8eZ_-nDnrZRK96lvIqcxu0SJjLz4UaPowA0O1hqK5Dv8BlOHQMp8s7pyocp06jXrICr-OlrsNCGZT5J3UVhhSIUhcFejY67OVSG/s3860/IMG_0866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Holland America Line Daily Program" border="0" data-original-height="3860" data-original-width="2007" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhznhPIDteKuXQlE_I7HRAjTLsc4JSUoqSqqh3uThYPD9vDaGr28w4-ndMT27mUjqdx5x4_-mWm6DTzIn8UfK0Ql8eZ_-nDnrZRK96lvIqcxu0SJjLz4UaPowA0O1hqK5Dv8BlOHQMp8s7pyocp06jXrICr-OlrsNCGZT5J3UVhhSIUhcFejY67OVSG/w208-h400/IMG_0866.JPG" title="Holland America Line Daily Program" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America Line Daily Program</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeT19TIrUG8SObV_1k45NsSvm_zJtppHrYYmuMZf50xClj0wOkXpZN2TDPGIIdBP7_PiGHEZ7WyeGMgXO8-NnLU9XDbbg9066yqCruKv9DbnbvViN52oaiCDcN21QioartIAW7RfCeyMnh7k772ucsqSkzyGmf9SpB_P_2097LKo9Mq7QRc7cT9TbT/s2554/IMG_0867.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Holland America Line Daily Program" border="0" data-original-height="2476" data-original-width="2554" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeT19TIrUG8SObV_1k45NsSvm_zJtppHrYYmuMZf50xClj0wOkXpZN2TDPGIIdBP7_PiGHEZ7WyeGMgXO8-NnLU9XDbbg9066yqCruKv9DbnbvViN52oaiCDcN21QioartIAW7RfCeyMnh7k772ucsqSkzyGmf9SpB_P_2097LKo9Mq7QRc7cT9TbT/w640-h620/IMG_0867.JPG" title="Holland America Line Daily Program" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America Line Daily Program</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-31561559608485516822023-03-19T18:58:00.005+00:002023-03-19T19:00:41.676+00:00Holland America Line, Rotterdam, Caribbean Cruise. Fort-De-France, Martinique. 10th February 2023<p> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">10th </span>February 2023. Fort-De-France. Martinique.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijS8JwPCORR42YNbYXoZ9NetENicaVJ58gNtcNeG9c6qq2pm1i4CmTuUaVMCIkkiWlUQAaSX0BPxH4VoUtQa1fRvmgGYh1hGRS3gtK4fE3kRu9WThxRN89ToWhbsbh9piGLDlbcvT4zl9eNnQVM3evsj1-43jqtSI91_8ZH9cO3hURvjZpbOkv9mmr/s4272/P1120230.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijS8JwPCORR42YNbYXoZ9NetENicaVJ58gNtcNeG9c6qq2pm1i4CmTuUaVMCIkkiWlUQAaSX0BPxH4VoUtQa1fRvmgGYh1hGRS3gtK4fE3kRu9WThxRN89ToWhbsbh9piGLDlbcvT4zl9eNnQVM3evsj1-43jqtSI91_8ZH9cO3hURvjZpbOkv9mmr/s320/P1120230.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martinique Cruise Terminal</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">The daily programme shows 07.00 to 15.30. But we arrived at 08.00. We were hiring a car from Europcar and had to pick it up at the airport, with a plan to drive to the South beaches. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Walking down the pier into the town, </span>everything<span style="font-family: inherit;"> was very quiet, even the taxi drivers were not out and about yet. We go the taxi from the main taxi rank by the bus terminal. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The taxis were very new', clean and regulated with meters and card machines. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">As we drove out of the town, on a six lane highway, with designated lanes for taxis and buses. It became apparent that the roads in Martinique were very modern and very busy. It looked like we were in a busy European resort. After the experience in Barbados we decided that we would not be hiring the car. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">At the Europcar desk, the very helpful assistant was ready, all the paperwork done and keys to the car ready to go- very </span>different<span style="font-family: inherit;"> from Voyager rent a car. She understood why we had changed our minds about the rental, stating that as it was a Friday the roads would get even busier later in the afternoon. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The airport looked new, it was very modern. There were a lot of modern buses around but we got another taxi back to Fort-De-France. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">On the pier we got a map of a walking tour around the town and set off to do it. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The town was easy to negotiate, the market was open and busy, the stalls selling spices, rum, Vanilla, vegetables and tourist stuff.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9vzEVkB5pE72j1xrvj4wfEZP7dfjmSqbV5KrKc0k7gIj4EXlOekD8-4hr-WI9xr1Lf9j6_zScqT3BDPqoowetS6IIvyohn9oq1-ws355GvzULqlffko65nxYEEXe7SNDplI6CBVJ9YbkXDZ8kr5F7gIuJdgVLHhNynXbSC6LuMCP-pQc0lZ78g1r/s4272/P1120235.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA9vzEVkB5pE72j1xrvj4wfEZP7dfjmSqbV5KrKc0k7gIj4EXlOekD8-4hr-WI9xr1Lf9j6_zScqT3BDPqoowetS6IIvyohn9oq1-ws355GvzULqlffko65nxYEEXe7SNDplI6CBVJ9YbkXDZ8kr5F7gIuJdgVLHhNynXbSC6LuMCP-pQc0lZ78g1r/s320/P1120235.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martinique </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdlzZQOyeqvKgJliDeX1Rc-pKv_ygeIJVZgjxfP4tf56r5eDjXPpwciMIznpGk3gO0TEZy4lBaw8qt9XKxAOjMw2k2RpUw-hnObZLf5HdSqPixhEI1hz24D1eF9oHLrXWpH8wwEMi-eQaX3CRyDCkx3UEn6h_W0NDTYpohYEjWKoUg_vGo1cx1u5_/s4272/P1120236.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdlzZQOyeqvKgJliDeX1Rc-pKv_ygeIJVZgjxfP4tf56r5eDjXPpwciMIznpGk3gO0TEZy4lBaw8qt9XKxAOjMw2k2RpUw-hnObZLf5HdSqPixhEI1hz24D1eF9oHLrXWpH8wwEMi-eQaX3CRyDCkx3UEn6h_W0NDTYpohYEjWKoUg_vGo1cx1u5_/s320/P1120236.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxobx15M2Z6LENngIETwkNHS2ECcp6NEfCWfsTTMbCBS_CWAaXlXibu7hawqhmBILw4UBEYucEVNW26LaNUUWWrN51eFaCQHxI0eCH_7RxaPExU3VyJOjVSV0vLCV0R-lzVwJ5RaMIGT-mIv2PsBiCEK0t9CYTiVTGDLp_ht7nkxA62yd-bBHVGS5w/s4272/P1120237.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxobx15M2Z6LENngIETwkNHS2ECcp6NEfCWfsTTMbCBS_CWAaXlXibu7hawqhmBILw4UBEYucEVNW26LaNUUWWrN51eFaCQHxI0eCH_7RxaPExU3VyJOjVSV0vLCV0R-lzVwJ5RaMIGT-mIv2PsBiCEK0t9CYTiVTGDLp_ht7nkxA62yd-bBHVGS5w/s320/P1120237.JPG" width="214" /></a></div> </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">We visited the Cathedral, and opposite this a shopping centre. Government house, the colonial </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">pavilion</span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;">, the Theatre and the wonderful Schcelcher Library. Walked to the park, past the fish marked that was closed. The Cemetery was like a small Recollect. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC62gq35cGwOIMV3OQkjVL0KWujVhR5d5J7gGmBbAYDBTuEP9lWRG4BPD1a8r56Jgn2Xuv7yBf_9qLL4y5RfuntKCwlxGCH2T-R6e0gucwqVGImGB_ld_SorW6Y9DjEZPmmWczzHYXMOLx0aH2fYbPKm7EzQS6xfWbCyd9GySz_7EbI2HSa2Ep5Rwv/s4032/IMG_3344.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC62gq35cGwOIMV3OQkjVL0KWujVhR5d5J7gGmBbAYDBTuEP9lWRG4BPD1a8r56Jgn2Xuv7yBf_9qLL4y5RfuntKCwlxGCH2T-R6e0gucwqVGImGB_ld_SorW6Y9DjEZPmmWczzHYXMOLx0aH2fYbPKm7EzQS6xfWbCyd9GySz_7EbI2HSa2Ep5Rwv/s320/IMG_3344.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIMVBD8OmdQaioZx2JhHN_CiSUF08AQT1oImgYzJPpE5Dd5jUJ1WiPPNLIP7VVN-r38wJUvKyKzGDazWPL-vWe6JEgjEjxjXtGcrYjRp7Cmuw4Hrw3cSKJsDFLmHjSzy0y6-aKNkWiRS3aYB6QXeyVuJY5usWehqGrAduie-_Oy7hop8obHZg00Iy/s4032/IMG_3347.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZIMVBD8OmdQaioZx2JhHN_CiSUF08AQT1oImgYzJPpE5Dd5jUJ1WiPPNLIP7VVN-r38wJUvKyKzGDazWPL-vWe6JEgjEjxjXtGcrYjRp7Cmuw4Hrw3cSKJsDFLmHjSzy0y6-aKNkWiRS3aYB6QXeyVuJY5usWehqGrAduie-_Oy7hop8obHZg00Iy/s320/IMG_3347.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJh6bFQX6WEv1qfiEyRxMGfGkDhusRzU3QODCVSn0RLD4JsRQSCSWwQ3VMaamlF50CR4ugSPeD-y8oThQJ_SeF7pGfnC7nvquqAAWjOGunFPKuG8SvZRt8Jwc2DtPI-QFLEWVNahuJw2ufuShq63lpqtJMsCN-_yz_qtDBZlCLrzSDLh9b6t04Mqs6/s4032/IMG_3349.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJh6bFQX6WEv1qfiEyRxMGfGkDhusRzU3QODCVSn0RLD4JsRQSCSWwQ3VMaamlF50CR4ugSPeD-y8oThQJ_SeF7pGfnC7nvquqAAWjOGunFPKuG8SvZRt8Jwc2DtPI-QFLEWVNahuJw2ufuShq63lpqtJMsCN-_yz_qtDBZlCLrzSDLh9b6t04Mqs6/s320/IMG_3349.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXimNlYFmTHHnYoxOcuotr1ShrvKd--jXU_Q2tW266eapS0Am6dD4d3xthHlN6m2ZMOgCY7O5vghjOPbKY1BSxyUpJ5i0bNTmwJuZh08dlwsFr7HSKTjdc3cxvUCkiMYf-j_vl6z2qsjdbA5q3pF1XaNfa-AkEtSv0tE6VPZl9TTXvz-dpapSk3xM/s4272/P1120238.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXimNlYFmTHHnYoxOcuotr1ShrvKd--jXU_Q2tW266eapS0Am6dD4d3xthHlN6m2ZMOgCY7O5vghjOPbKY1BSxyUpJ5i0bNTmwJuZh08dlwsFr7HSKTjdc3cxvUCkiMYf-j_vl6z2qsjdbA5q3pF1XaNfa-AkEtSv0tE6VPZl9TTXvz-dpapSk3xM/s320/P1120238.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZi4_XlT9H_XbeJPqlMnpySU6U9jbdv01eOdJiyk0m7RumCWzlB1FrDS-TUTaMAXk6jVhz0AS2NsonxPj-mSCnXmLtticBE4hXk4ZXBiscAJkKtBgS5yzM_LdtW5gnous4UOak-22UamFMwfSP4VtMSmjMaWeblXEZbcHGOkal-XJp-tGPYvWbKbJn/s4272/P1120239.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZi4_XlT9H_XbeJPqlMnpySU6U9jbdv01eOdJiyk0m7RumCWzlB1FrDS-TUTaMAXk6jVhz0AS2NsonxPj-mSCnXmLtticBE4hXk4ZXBiscAJkKtBgS5yzM_LdtW5gnous4UOak-22UamFMwfSP4VtMSmjMaWeblXEZbcHGOkal-XJp-tGPYvWbKbJn/s320/P1120239.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7LWSh_HM87CeHn4WjuE9h-Qh_p7or_2BvK5v0wdUvc9f4n-tu4yEN3ofx_TDYrRhS76JTXA93CssygdideLQ5hmxJlAULYObCm8de4a8Q-Ex2SJOXk-dWi-nVpZg4BE9otDYkE1b6vkcY9VD6ymQGxTOurf0aRFsFLQo8xjez6LumcyRyS7zXbCk/s4272/P1120240.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji7LWSh_HM87CeHn4WjuE9h-Qh_p7or_2BvK5v0wdUvc9f4n-tu4yEN3ofx_TDYrRhS76JTXA93CssygdideLQ5hmxJlAULYObCm8de4a8Q-Ex2SJOXk-dWi-nVpZg4BE9otDYkE1b6vkcY9VD6ymQGxTOurf0aRFsFLQo8xjez6LumcyRyS7zXbCk/s320/P1120240.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Children were in the park practicing for the carnival, it was a shame we would miss the celebrations. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlU3Z-vwmaR2wWDKd2CRjvezzqepY6R8kui35JMmsTy87MIR1dCyyH_SIroMPg80Ki1bIrDWrVdJ7flUncnicWJd-0ETjdjV2I1JnfdyDAF2mjiu2es1BcJz4dz27ozGMtlI1ugb5slpRh4yAVZEDWKcLm545sCFtFRvJwu09OHr74eEL7CLZ4Wsg/s4272/P1120245.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNlU3Z-vwmaR2wWDKd2CRjvezzqepY6R8kui35JMmsTy87MIR1dCyyH_SIroMPg80Ki1bIrDWrVdJ7flUncnicWJd-0ETjdjV2I1JnfdyDAF2mjiu2es1BcJz4dz27ozGMtlI1ugb5slpRh4yAVZEDWKcLm545sCFtFRvJwu09OHr74eEL7CLZ4Wsg/s320/P1120245.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVSt9nM1KDw4v8NADJ3MWkr81zulUGMizmB1OqLJsc88xgZik3yaCnFyudafBDx3sn_5ZYukbbDFT0ghGZHzTofpF53Qq6QK2fiajG9mx4zFgQLIqymKu4qyCIifBNp4wl69ZDvnCSnLrPAVcVyYd5pqJ9aumlAptPo4dFS8l_xjVWeYdX4UpfEu5/s4272/P1120249.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDVSt9nM1KDw4v8NADJ3MWkr81zulUGMizmB1OqLJsc88xgZik3yaCnFyudafBDx3sn_5ZYukbbDFT0ghGZHzTofpF53Qq6QK2fiajG9mx4zFgQLIqymKu4qyCIifBNp4wl69ZDvnCSnLrPAVcVyYd5pqJ9aumlAptPo4dFS8l_xjVWeYdX4UpfEu5/s320/P1120249.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviwhBGpfXjuLfeIvyyrFbEz6TMVvclcylpP2v_u7ptk4WS4z0OafZQNXk-QSOXNfxH40e_DvNJLT-AGP9xL2pixIGoIsIBQG8A13MyHqox4xSsb-PHhmQLgteE2deeCnvdaEtble4zT7NZdofevKag-kW78Tq0BfQhXtQuJwNxfOsaOkI-eSyw-A9/s4272/P1120250.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhviwhBGpfXjuLfeIvyyrFbEz6TMVvclcylpP2v_u7ptk4WS4z0OafZQNXk-QSOXNfxH40e_DvNJLT-AGP9xL2pixIGoIsIBQG8A13MyHqox4xSsb-PHhmQLgteE2deeCnvdaEtble4zT7NZdofevKag-kW78Tq0BfQhXtQuJwNxfOsaOkI-eSyw-A9/s320/P1120250.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1N6c56tPohhcRFtHztxiKj5B8HwQUzn7jnz6LFicHExbhGCdMoXNm2WemPNPuZXrH1_Pcxt_KODTXGE5G62LL7wMEhGAPHm3BTJVh11hxGW8D1uqUxFC_DKnaciTcq3Z0z_IJb9GeFBX3MRysHPLZgaggX23FniXksRKdcJLSEcXml0Et8Eas20by/s4272/P1120251.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1N6c56tPohhcRFtHztxiKj5B8HwQUzn7jnz6LFicHExbhGCdMoXNm2WemPNPuZXrH1_Pcxt_KODTXGE5G62LL7wMEhGAPHm3BTJVh11hxGW8D1uqUxFC_DKnaciTcq3Z0z_IJb9GeFBX3MRysHPLZgaggX23FniXksRKdcJLSEcXml0Et8Eas20by/s320/P1120251.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Sadly the Empress Josephine statue was not on its plinth. The Saint Louise Fort </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">dominates</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> this part of town. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3O76KViTGen74X39z2B7ZdzBrURSFesBGgFj5gTQ4791qkylAJrgyaUzV-KVn101J3jl4dBVK87ouxFNX5KsxZnzVL9X52crFLJpmJr3y7yFkJjYX149b-qT_anb6Yx-QzS5KguNfEwmZjbhR1APx67hsHXKyWzQ9IX05B2h3CtaK6O1vep4HlT-/s4272/P1120253.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL3O76KViTGen74X39z2B7ZdzBrURSFesBGgFj5gTQ4791qkylAJrgyaUzV-KVn101J3jl4dBVK87ouxFNX5KsxZnzVL9X52crFLJpmJr3y7yFkJjYX149b-qT_anb6Yx-QzS5KguNfEwmZjbhR1APx67hsHXKyWzQ9IX05B2h3CtaK6O1vep4HlT-/s320/P1120253.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_OlHPpyOLfxpm4sBp2lUI0YnD9TxmPXo_g0xStxZFLvxcf8047uAvH29_NTJybKiuiCVFx870_oiSnxGJW9y9uA4Wh9L1ie3_niNVutgrMEhIaSjXA91Zcdv91At17zm76YWWm_Dh2yq8toB4WderA_-fLmY4Q39hgic-atVXG9-7xWsv7Ui5k07/s4272/P1120254.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP_OlHPpyOLfxpm4sBp2lUI0YnD9TxmPXo_g0xStxZFLvxcf8047uAvH29_NTJybKiuiCVFx870_oiSnxGJW9y9uA4Wh9L1ie3_niNVutgrMEhIaSjXA91Zcdv91At17zm76YWWm_Dh2yq8toB4WderA_-fLmY4Q39hgic-atVXG9-7xWsv7Ui5k07/s320/P1120254.JPG" width="214" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3K60SBzHOL4yGvpvw_bEm4HI6HJyBa2iIzVcGHv65EuPBLNdxo9j0wf9FVoagPtyTRyfvh4Dof5Q11kvM83ZMQ5wVwUdmIPuEjS-lIbp0f7bBPAD-WZ71SWAPfsjsiaiEDB5bjA7Q1loHbu9YXWMwLxBqPGH3XYm2VrrkFBI_EA2e9eQFtP69w8B/s4272/P1120257.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP3K60SBzHOL4yGvpvw_bEm4HI6HJyBa2iIzVcGHv65EuPBLNdxo9j0wf9FVoagPtyTRyfvh4Dof5Q11kvM83ZMQ5wVwUdmIPuEjS-lIbp0f7bBPAD-WZ71SWAPfsjsiaiEDB5bjA7Q1loHbu9YXWMwLxBqPGH3XYm2VrrkFBI_EA2e9eQFtP69w8B/s320/P1120257.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggan5g3_Bp0TRtQ6h8tRdpKGGbBAfOR2ivdJ45EX7BzzWCiyyYOeVNGXlc0hNdHHHNN4dDEMwx_clIcrb2N0lT2mPhExUR5srv4FGkUusqQorRMPdOxoRAcHjkoY5W4B90kp9_Q6MOOcORCoRUm7O8JvI7iGyNtCL7Ac6duvsEzuxCex-uKcV-5oJp/s4272/P1120255.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggan5g3_Bp0TRtQ6h8tRdpKGGbBAfOR2ivdJ45EX7BzzWCiyyYOeVNGXlc0hNdHHHNN4dDEMwx_clIcrb2N0lT2mPhExUR5srv4FGkUusqQorRMPdOxoRAcHjkoY5W4B90kp9_Q6MOOcORCoRUm7O8JvI7iGyNtCL7Ac6duvsEzuxCex-uKcV-5oJp/s320/P1120255.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTb7bjq9EQwCUIpS32ktlz9iFEzaYFP49jNuJCLTLhaVSpqjRvRXj3bWXUDXUO6_AjeqOePMKzTgIn3lH0Amt1rKJKghxWLQpFMZHdii_ERRI0zjiudyuOR9Lkqs8iLLhoHmWS2wzFRFNEsUH1DylWszMoKvbUAMmC1ieqO0TCKkgcs4wSzmXsQuY2/s4272/P1120231.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTb7bjq9EQwCUIpS32ktlz9iFEzaYFP49jNuJCLTLhaVSpqjRvRXj3bWXUDXUO6_AjeqOePMKzTgIn3lH0Amt1rKJKghxWLQpFMZHdii_ERRI0zjiudyuOR9Lkqs8iLLhoHmWS2wzFRFNEsUH1DylWszMoKvbUAMmC1ieqO0TCKkgcs4wSzmXsQuY2/s320/P1120231.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48X2BA9Scr2_zLlTfw6SOGZmHSU_OH_SLEcqO8fr42ezLCJGavXoXrN3Dm3iwWqIdySu7d1hVu7GFK7mP86OjKDCeqdpYfbQQXSyUmzZHgML29X97KWNlprsPsNmBxx6gcBJzzIQ090A7uVL7VuCoUabsBymVOGcaCLeNNAnHdpGIaOUJjFfiCSyy/s4272/P1120230.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48X2BA9Scr2_zLlTfw6SOGZmHSU_OH_SLEcqO8fr42ezLCJGavXoXrN3Dm3iwWqIdySu7d1hVu7GFK7mP86OjKDCeqdpYfbQQXSyUmzZHgML29X97KWNlprsPsNmBxx6gcBJzzIQ090A7uVL7VuCoUabsBymVOGcaCLeNNAnHdpGIaOUJjFfiCSyy/s320/P1120230.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I really liked Fort-De-France and the bit of Martinique we saw. It was lively and very French. The local people were friendly and very helpful. <br /> Back on the ship it was time for a Mud Slide.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj091aBsuEqwwB7i6DMh0abftp_IfaNHZZbuOoBANCsTqi5DxZr8s8W8drAhOwZfuPVhOuTT45PayUMdvFNdFyt_tAd1COHhmmL1ceiBh4so7MRVMlFAdFonfOUsrAyaEagdF6EMyuCOH33GB4PDaeHxNYLYAIM09HIxP58UmZ2ttIgIqX023NE6wWU/s4032/IMG_3279.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj091aBsuEqwwB7i6DMh0abftp_IfaNHZZbuOoBANCsTqi5DxZr8s8W8drAhOwZfuPVhOuTT45PayUMdvFNdFyt_tAd1COHhmmL1ceiBh4so7MRVMlFAdFonfOUsrAyaEagdF6EMyuCOH33GB4PDaeHxNYLYAIM09HIxP58UmZ2ttIgIqX023NE6wWU/s320/IMG_3279.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America Line Rotterdam Cocktails </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Ship sailed past the town of Saint- Pierre, and Mount Pelee, with commentary about the volcanic 1902. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Then it was dinner in the main dining room and the music walk. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-45968999118952275672023-03-17T18:21:00.003+00:002023-03-19T18:59:18.509+00:00Holland America Line, Rotterdam. Caribbean Cruise. Bridgetown. Barbados. 9th February 2023. <h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> 9th February 2023. Barbados. </span></h3><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Due to dock in Bridgetown Barbados at 08.00 today. We were cleared to get off the ship at 08.00. This port is very large and busy, so a shuttle bus takes you to the main port buildings. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">I had rented a car from Voyager Barbados (Cruise Depot). The office was Listed as being in The Art Hub, James Fort Building, Hincks Street. it took us about 1/2 an hour to walk to the office from the port.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">I had received a very prompt service from Voyager via email, they had requested 2 forms be filed in and copies of drivers licence sent as you have to have a Barbados drivers licence issued, I had emails all the documentation months ago. We arrived at the office at 08.30. We sat an waited whilst the receptionist filled in forms, answered the phone, answered the door, advised people about scooter rental, she was a very busy lady, her co workers were not so busy! We waited, and waited and waited. Eventually at 09.15 the paperwork was done and we drove the car out of the depot at 09.30. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The car was a small automatic, fairly new and in good condition. we headed on good roads towards the airport. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtbygU1CdzUSTk4ulcPkoWY-bxpaxS11cc2L6-KTh43gTYDxStaLkgy3VePAoxzI-wTBt6rIzwCUZVE8OJjcxwXcFaIvFcJH-u2cwsFxdFy_TdF0WAlGIifbZv_jbg3lcO0DXZVy4g42J_Hfu97m3YVNUVCOI-cmpqAI9XCfDnV8fogYKhp9jmXtr/s4272/P1120229.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtbygU1CdzUSTk4ulcPkoWY-bxpaxS11cc2L6-KTh43gTYDxStaLkgy3VePAoxzI-wTBt6rIzwCUZVE8OJjcxwXcFaIvFcJH-u2cwsFxdFy_TdF0WAlGIifbZv_jbg3lcO0DXZVy4g42J_Hfu97m3YVNUVCOI-cmpqAI9XCfDnV8fogYKhp9jmXtr/s320/P1120229.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Port of Bridgetown, Barbados entrance</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SNR_CAwv5T0fGaB-qf93c6b6grh3BU4yEapJFRjmYYsdcNzW7XdUWBPsfiZBXlU7YarFQ_zy7buIAIKCAHIAhctSxYXppQp3omZDN8DOlO7Tk8lE1O8NYxj3HsTwyWO95LZsQvbPW4odijkAo8je8I_nDH2sx52IESyHg8MR-9_DvLitFlf7-5s7/s4272/P1120225.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8SNR_CAwv5T0fGaB-qf93c6b6grh3BU4yEapJFRjmYYsdcNzW7XdUWBPsfiZBXlU7YarFQ_zy7buIAIKCAHIAhctSxYXppQp3omZDN8DOlO7Tk8lE1O8NYxj3HsTwyWO95LZsQvbPW4odijkAo8je8I_nDH2sx52IESyHg8MR-9_DvLitFlf7-5s7/s320/P1120225.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Voyager Car Rental Car</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;">We drove to Crane Bay and walked down to the beach. </span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGcawAxRrDB80eO06KDUg4x6dtaaq31jsdj9qtcJfrKgcwVrE0zVgI3ygrEo-r0GSrgk8XmbiX8RE0LXhMXQJrPSZBTTF0kyjr6UgQoNP4HaLUmAmv23phKV22yZVNlsuz7AkuIgOJczXdRSZId_DUzRqEgETw2IUDBDrodqGiGeWPcESjp5b498F/s4272/P1120226.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGcawAxRrDB80eO06KDUg4x6dtaaq31jsdj9qtcJfrKgcwVrE0zVgI3ygrEo-r0GSrgk8XmbiX8RE0LXhMXQJrPSZBTTF0kyjr6UgQoNP4HaLUmAmv23phKV22yZVNlsuz7AkuIgOJczXdRSZId_DUzRqEgETw2IUDBDrodqGiGeWPcESjp5b498F/s320/P1120226.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beach Barbados </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5HKklAtyuX3x334iXyiD-4uwzyXdcCL0jcAWri_jmdx1k3_Es5KoNhLo2dl8H9KcbE1JOhvbZgJyIbsFyCs6yGLUoFhRwh0L55dViFX93hiQ_ATDSe_dvBTDQclerA0XFF7nTgqaj9OfDYJtLjTzQ41iCxMVUPW4BMOD7JGvmy2AUeDGQjGljE6p/s4272/P1120227.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz5HKklAtyuX3x334iXyiD-4uwzyXdcCL0jcAWri_jmdx1k3_Es5KoNhLo2dl8H9KcbE1JOhvbZgJyIbsFyCs6yGLUoFhRwh0L55dViFX93hiQ_ATDSe_dvBTDQclerA0XFF7nTgqaj9OfDYJtLjTzQ41iCxMVUPW4BMOD7JGvmy2AUeDGQjGljE6p/s320/P1120227.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">Beach in Barbados </span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;">Once past the airport the roads and road signs deteriorated. We spent a lot of time getting lost and going the opposite way to what we wanted. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">It took us hours to get to Bathsheba Beach and eat our lunch. This is on the wild Atlantic coast and a lot of the houses looked like holiday accommodation. Just past Bathsheba, on the Emily Bourne Highway major road works were taking place, now we crawled along for miles. When we got to the road junction in Belleplain we gave up on driving to the North Point of the island and crossed the Island to the Folkestone Marine Reserve. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We did a bit of snorkelling, but it was not very good, most of the coral was dead. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZEubS1QU89SGMgVFjZ7XQIf8dCNSqlhI0avzLohw3jLz3uOLj_c8wdu_Emk2BU6t3hxktXusc1xfUK7MEaKCu1SRqouO1QxBhuVZT3xobk-KYzxLML-i7jmPJHxiYewTuJI3aK78s1gb1EBx-ar53qtdG-VYhXpd7lQa1mQpSEz0Cr8vZz67tTzz/s4272/P1120228.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_ZEubS1QU89SGMgVFjZ7XQIf8dCNSqlhI0avzLohw3jLz3uOLj_c8wdu_Emk2BU6t3hxktXusc1xfUK7MEaKCu1SRqouO1QxBhuVZT3xobk-KYzxLML-i7jmPJHxiYewTuJI3aK78s1gb1EBx-ar53qtdG-VYhXpd7lQa1mQpSEz0Cr8vZz67tTzz/s320/P1120228.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Folkestone Marine Reserve, Barbados</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJHf_TDl6Fdfh_wGIMi73OuGAOnEJzemoy-rJE1D-LdLIvApKqtIr_eu6SyQ8Ln4jzJIjD_p4O7mwtvVVTFgU1TPB5qmzq_IEeE2mV_KUkWe8rY180VywfmXiEA7aRJhgavs0nelRyiXuZPbFid1mI1yjR-6U3euiFZnvxtrbj65-U3TVTVk4huBy/s4032/IMG_0858.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqJHf_TDl6Fdfh_wGIMi73OuGAOnEJzemoy-rJE1D-LdLIvApKqtIr_eu6SyQ8Ln4jzJIjD_p4O7mwtvVVTFgU1TPB5qmzq_IEeE2mV_KUkWe8rY180VywfmXiEA7aRJhgavs0nelRyiXuZPbFid1mI1yjR-6U3euiFZnvxtrbj65-U3TVTVk4huBy/w300-h400/IMG_0858.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Map of Barbados</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">At about 14.30, we thought we would take the car back and have a look around Bridgetown. We did not factor in that it was the same time the schools closed. The drive back to Bridetown was extremely slow, due to school buses, traffic and road works. We got back to the office of Voyager car rental at 16.00. </span><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">At Voyager the receptionist checked the car back in, and asked us how our day was. We said we spent most of it lost and in road works. She then said that </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">as our experience was typical,</span><span style="font-size: xx-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">she does not advised cruise ship passengers, who just have one day on the Island to rent a car, it is better to get a Taxi to take you around the island. 🙄😂</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn24oQ18jqp6pnOKO8nRTp6Sc7WnMcHAEBmvaMNiHy0mtNzc4eC9YHG3_2wMjlJywK7oF_zgy57XFQq-5kJSkpr0bl30SWV41OBE6m6gCd2Qd9KQu9k2MI7aTzWPRzDOGfYEFHIFjoBen38TnLbQ76hhG-CtEzw4ydakFwr_wBbaTXubNlmvzZIdcM/s4032/bb.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn24oQ18jqp6pnOKO8nRTp6Sc7WnMcHAEBmvaMNiHy0mtNzc4eC9YHG3_2wMjlJywK7oF_zgy57XFQq-5kJSkpr0bl30SWV41OBE6m6gCd2Qd9KQu9k2MI7aTzWPRzDOGfYEFHIFjoBen38TnLbQ76hhG-CtEzw4ydakFwr_wBbaTXubNlmvzZIdcM/w300-h400/bb.JPG" width="300" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoy3Lqg7qWHQM-R6e9U4QNNdvYDbLqZEKyqN-Nkxr32pIv6g0v8ZCgJajzXtXiju65tn5PL2RcEYQuvQl3QKagPW_iXq3F5QXT5NVhMMTJ4NXVvNUIwAIpyPf_IsuwZLo0mqtvDsiV6j-kl_tU1yM4P4yLUB3MZc-syG99EZkw22P7XL7dK2DElAH/s2907/IMG_0860.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2907" data-original-width="2904" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJoy3Lqg7qWHQM-R6e9U4QNNdvYDbLqZEKyqN-Nkxr32pIv6g0v8ZCgJajzXtXiju65tn5PL2RcEYQuvQl3QKagPW_iXq3F5QXT5NVhMMTJ4NXVvNUIwAIpyPf_IsuwZLo0mqtvDsiV6j-kl_tU1yM4P4yLUB3MZc-syG99EZkw22P7XL7dK2DElAH/w400-h400/IMG_0860.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Back on the ship, I went straight to the Sea View Bar and ordered a Rum Punch as we had not had the chance to enjoy one in Barbados, and sat in the hot tub. Then it was time for a shower and get ready for a meal in one of the Speciality Restaurants'; Tamarind. </span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Tamarind is Pan- Asian Cuisine, it is located above the back pool area. </span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUcLr3sJ7fNKQIGUKL_n4tzXj1Jdueufm75lmdtP53b3ttn8TJ7TfMgG5SRHND4Qv7X01wcVwm03C0tN5QKCdF7nO4RYCgrnaWhVFONo-nLEXoYfAvLwvx_Qf5vaanVE8Ww1D0QmpICBa_pjMqIq5IMMz0_xp-lg6eSfGJMHJn1p_rLwXkGxsyL2j/s4032/IMG_3584.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNUcLr3sJ7fNKQIGUKL_n4tzXj1Jdueufm75lmdtP53b3ttn8TJ7TfMgG5SRHND4Qv7X01wcVwm03C0tN5QKCdF7nO4RYCgrnaWhVFONo-nLEXoYfAvLwvx_Qf5vaanVE8Ww1D0QmpICBa_pjMqIq5IMMz0_xp-lg6eSfGJMHJn1p_rLwXkGxsyL2j/s320/IMG_3584.JPG" width="240" /></a></div></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The inside décor was very authentic, the bar area sever Asian inspired cocktails such as the Wasabi Cocktail I had, it is :</span></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Silver Sake</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">Lychee liqueur</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">sour mix</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">agave syrup</span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;">orange juice</span></span></li></ul><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Served in a Martine glass with a Lychee stuffed with Wasabi paste. </span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We shared starters of Satay Sampler, Lollipops, Scallops and salad. </span><span style="font-size: xx-large;">Then I had crispy duck and couldn't</span><span style="font-size: xx-large;"> manage a pudding. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The meal in Tamarind was outstanding and made up for the dreadful day we had had!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">My advise when in Barbados on a cruise stop, walk to the nearest beach and spend the day there, or hire a taxi driver to take you around the island if you want to explore. Do not drive yourself as we basically wasted a day lost in the sugar cane. And on the ship, eat in Tamarind every night 😂</span></div><div><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-29561826352658343292023-03-15T20:25:00.009+00:002023-03-15T20:31:18.507+00:00Holland America Line, Rotterdam, Caribbean Cruise, Castries, St Lucía. 8th Feb 2013. <h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> 8th Feb 2023. St Lucia. Israel Water Taxi. </span></h1><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We were due to dock in Castries, St Lucia at 08.00 today. I got the breakfast order correct today so tea, Danish pastries and fruit was delivered to the cabin at 07.00. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU1LN566jn-9KU4lMJDVwGqeNxY7BYjQuQ4h2AA2JnaNdpRvcUbyHVDqxKovwOFKxxyt7gJAwqft87vb-ngwRwLj-d4a4zhqGt-RQHj5AvRZ7XTKourpA1CLqIWlN90pqyHtTuMU-pbGD5b-DXYEa9WCTWwCKRG8hMaafm6bbHZF2MH_7ecS7WCS3/s4272/P1120194.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Holland America Line, Rotterdam at Castries, St Lucia." border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBU1LN566jn-9KU4lMJDVwGqeNxY7BYjQuQ4h2AA2JnaNdpRvcUbyHVDqxKovwOFKxxyt7gJAwqft87vb-ngwRwLj-d4a4zhqGt-RQHj5AvRZ7XTKourpA1CLqIWlN90pqyHtTuMU-pbGD5b-DXYEa9WCTWwCKRG8hMaafm6bbHZF2MH_7ecS7WCS3/w320-h214/P1120194.JPG" title="Holland America Line, Rotterdam at Castries, St Lucia." width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America Line, Rotterdam at Castries, St Lucia. </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;">We were cleared to get off the ship at 08.30, but we did not have to rush as I had arranged to hire a boat for the day with Israel Water Taxi and they were picking us up from the end of the cruise pier, but not in the cruise pier. To get to the pick up we had to walk through the cruise port shops, onto the main road, turn left and take a short walk into a wooden market selling touristy stuff. At the back of the market was a dock and Titus and Commie were waiting with an orange speed type boat to greet us.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">I had read that St Lucia was hilly and driving was not advised as the roads were narrow and winding, so decided on a day out on the water. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Titus asked us what we wanted to do and see, We wanted to snorkel, not go on land to the mud baths, but other than that we didn't really know so just went with his suggestions.</span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJS7NSTgL8yqeRyeoypm4mR1myNjM6V9E90F17yshvXBR7q1FNWfW5OySAU6VnHjc6vzTt3KQu5zRg6a1aA2KR_Oi5y29wQeLSW8_uQzarlfcs9zms74gnvTXCTDx-eOAqh1NlFRUvAi4W1_4YTr1DVsu6ybHjEgdxgz69Ml7kkMKAsZRTS_wr0J1/s3959/IMG_0852.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3959" data-original-width="2550" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxJS7NSTgL8yqeRyeoypm4mR1myNjM6V9E90F17yshvXBR7q1FNWfW5OySAU6VnHjc6vzTt3KQu5zRg6a1aA2KR_Oi5y29wQeLSW8_uQzarlfcs9zms74gnvTXCTDx-eOAqh1NlFRUvAi4W1_4YTr1DVsu6ybHjEgdxgz69Ml7kkMKAsZRTS_wr0J1/w258-h400/IMG_0852.JPG" width="258" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St Lucia map <br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Leaving Castries bay we turned left, stopping first at the Sea Arch, </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgVkvuNcCAlPKlnjzxzpv-wN8GjanFFJMnKTnFZaVGrkRLwlcjpRu-anrT5i5SrKl4Ifk3kzwlWtn713EdCV52u89K9mbnLNLjiV2NhSoqWW1kTqQnEGIs_e4MqHKlru-dkmg2I4ZX9lT5VwPFIfp7iDuS59QhTAnGd1I5uXQKeM1yUzUo9jukjpi/s4032/IMG_3286.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjgVkvuNcCAlPKlnjzxzpv-wN8GjanFFJMnKTnFZaVGrkRLwlcjpRu-anrT5i5SrKl4Ifk3kzwlWtn713EdCV52u89K9mbnLNLjiV2NhSoqWW1kTqQnEGIs_e4MqHKlru-dkmg2I4ZX9lT5VwPFIfp7iDuS59QhTAnGd1I5uXQKeM1yUzUo9jukjpi/s320/IMG_3286.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Where some locals just happened to be jumping off, into the sea, for tips of course. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73Tu25LuqwrcXhqMHyw11kOGUPDJwEcceyG3UbRHU2M91vncKCsTQFYJ6RVHHVQuUPyPO5oyp8EUuWVfWoN00qps5mIR_rs-ys7UwI0ZejZfmrF_k_nx4TkeVfufskBV_ZBD1o-2fssSsMFsajQmqApe4yuVr1YLsNVvdB5cPasYBP5NENAWJZYLN/s1920/IMG_3292_Moment.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh73Tu25LuqwrcXhqMHyw11kOGUPDJwEcceyG3UbRHU2M91vncKCsTQFYJ6RVHHVQuUPyPO5oyp8EUuWVfWoN00qps5mIR_rs-ys7UwI0ZejZfmrF_k_nx4TkeVfufskBV_ZBD1o-2fssSsMFsajQmqApe4yuVr1YLsNVvdB5cPasYBP5NENAWJZYLN/w225-h400/IMG_3292_Moment.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYE5upBwMq3eIjOYKYmw3BUlHau_q1VDZp0W0lv-VDquQKIiUMMIhbynDs31PwjO-ZM14wWreyiluua3CZN6F3ltFEckkkuJL0jgq68IZJnB1ah-of7U_ULZcr4TdKd-mdJX1oSjrOj7IyhtReEF7ippIoDK0JxIsN-wyqa0eC_FrIaMg8oO40ygO/s1920/IMG_3292_Moment(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="1080" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFYE5upBwMq3eIjOYKYmw3BUlHau_q1VDZp0W0lv-VDquQKIiUMMIhbynDs31PwjO-ZM14wWreyiluua3CZN6F3ltFEckkkuJL0jgq68IZJnB1ah-of7U_ULZcr4TdKd-mdJX1oSjrOj7IyhtReEF7ippIoDK0JxIsN-wyqa0eC_FrIaMg8oO40ygO/w225-h400/IMG_3292_Moment(2).jpg" width="225" /></a></div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">then on to Marigot Bay, where the rich and famous live. </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4dQo4mIRZqnJDVm724kZk-k1j84zNYPdMqAECXWcrga2cDnwx7oMFOn57YxqHEGevwdUzHA9dURFjXfEKY-Ny62k8d-sc8pps3m7ESDs9t5gr735JpJNDF5Qh7KJnqQST9pdtDH1MhzR6FEb5RCqSqKL8BxPR9nJUP782oVxdoWXHnlcr1gqG7CT/s4032/IMG_3301.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC4dQo4mIRZqnJDVm724kZk-k1j84zNYPdMqAECXWcrga2cDnwx7oMFOn57YxqHEGevwdUzHA9dURFjXfEKY-Ny62k8d-sc8pps3m7ESDs9t5gr735JpJNDF5Qh7KJnqQST9pdtDH1MhzR6FEb5RCqSqKL8BxPR9nJUP782oVxdoWXHnlcr1gqG7CT/s320/IMG_3301.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Ance Chastanet Beach was our first snorkelling stop, with the Jade Mountain resort looking down on us. The snorkelling was surprisingly good. I saw corals and fish I have not seen before.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We pulled into Soufriere bay and Titus ordered a lunch of chicken, beans and rice for the price of US$ 20.00 each - no change given back from a US$ 50.00 note - so I took that as the tips for the day!<br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoUoUf0WHRb1w5ICOxczQrMKdYK9JxKrUfaF-q2BcvCdRYKWZgZAHTP3zdOjl7PRuTWGoep5fV5Hte7mIY387fnvwof8SwVYnq9i3yBBNS6TGPKjFOoIDkv1I714CDoYyCM-jw52wOpauPvdcWXAXIBXdlILkl8UkDHKpdAfj5IBzEIRrgUzjzcQl/s4272/P1120199.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRoUoUf0WHRb1w5ICOxczQrMKdYK9JxKrUfaF-q2BcvCdRYKWZgZAHTP3zdOjl7PRuTWGoep5fV5Hte7mIY387fnvwof8SwVYnq9i3yBBNS6TGPKjFOoIDkv1I714CDoYyCM-jw52wOpauPvdcWXAXIBXdlILkl8UkDHKpdAfj5IBzEIRrgUzjzcQl/s320/P1120199.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KZ4ZFJ_WIa95zUKjlAe3zMxbuJeNsCuAcDOF84PMgVlmnE_GDtL6_Kh99586uXuMwrNpLgZV_t9OIXDT8EnLMSq0TtNR4fkDn5mnNjNE8BQTeTC6D-DcS_f3ietpUXt57CBzJkHUtm9E3GbAY1ByN6TzLuFVLRRC6v3oChhGUb-lQZ-mKGl65PAv/s4272/P1120198.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-KZ4ZFJ_WIa95zUKjlAe3zMxbuJeNsCuAcDOF84PMgVlmnE_GDtL6_Kh99586uXuMwrNpLgZV_t9OIXDT8EnLMSq0TtNR4fkDn5mnNjNE8BQTeTC6D-DcS_f3ietpUXt57CBzJkHUtm9E3GbAY1ByN6TzLuFVLRRC6v3oChhGUb-lQZ-mKGl65PAv/s320/P1120198.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">It was cloudy now and the rain was intermittent. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We went to Sugar Beach to eat the lunch, swim and snorkel some more.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We took a close up look at the Pictons.</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSB5TJnvvznTerBYnVHOWe8Q_kmuqF1ysKD4ESZxG0cJ1zuJOp3PKiABukjnKf43AGvMnR49YAp9DGyCIoSC8jiGzzszD1PfpgNMx2IvAtkozwYppmmaocVpQz3GiukW-upFaquF3G5yukOVeLAElUAeJKlJJa_Va5eRqdpOzgdEaelKxsT0RXOJzz/s4032/IMG_3310.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSB5TJnvvznTerBYnVHOWe8Q_kmuqF1ysKD4ESZxG0cJ1zuJOp3PKiABukjnKf43AGvMnR49YAp9DGyCIoSC8jiGzzszD1PfpgNMx2IvAtkozwYppmmaocVpQz3GiukW-upFaquF3G5yukOVeLAElUAeJKlJJa_Va5eRqdpOzgdEaelKxsT0RXOJzz/s320/IMG_3310.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoVp5qiJPkXDOWEqhxFDAC7OcVbAYXN6qgI5U26I1drXyv6ELrrfzM6kztzMisgT_MS7LoMw33-IQJcwsqiLDph1bH4vaJ7XtanHIm8iNxczmRwKHA5UIKk0YGZauvRNl7es8LOT4V1spNbYuN_GqmA2Djxs_Lt0s0Vy0p-A_t8lJwVca9J-F3vYj/s4032/IMG_3311.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIoVp5qiJPkXDOWEqhxFDAC7OcVbAYXN6qgI5U26I1drXyv6ELrrfzM6kztzMisgT_MS7LoMw33-IQJcwsqiLDph1bH4vaJ7XtanHIm8iNxczmRwKHA5UIKk0YGZauvRNl7es8LOT4V1spNbYuN_GqmA2Djxs_Lt0s0Vy0p-A_t8lJwVca9J-F3vYj/s320/IMG_3311.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Then it was a fast ride back to Castries and we were back on the ship by 15.00. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">All aboard was 15.30, and we left soon after that to sail past the Pictons, the weather had improved and seeing them from a different angle on deck 3.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMJN6ouA7bYdladG4HWLWi5pz2iOA6kL5hIpbMkBzofiReBISYVwZjhVPUukm2kSqtUBMuAkKj9_xgwDuhxoI1sEP1iXezKAVfUYX49CMiky-U7yBfduW4A0LsW_ZESHts2HHKZuKc4ykfRJ7uMe4wU1Yygf2cPb_dYxsC1waK70f5FVwntuNIJBn/s4272/P1120206.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQMJN6ouA7bYdladG4HWLWi5pz2iOA6kL5hIpbMkBzofiReBISYVwZjhVPUukm2kSqtUBMuAkKj9_xgwDuhxoI1sEP1iXezKAVfUYX49CMiky-U7yBfduW4A0LsW_ZESHts2HHKZuKc4ykfRJ7uMe4wU1Yygf2cPb_dYxsC1waK70f5FVwntuNIJBn/s320/P1120206.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpkPr_7Al201RhR8ne6biBL9K_cYmvE--5x9T6n8bk_uZT_dvHhap9Seto98ekRsd14iWX_KziVJ1XUcjT3tSbzzpegaA9JwgWo1Kjv2Ux14dBx9sXotu3LNGK1Dg7Hs7S1HlhY76-ce43POqdw6Sjh5lO2rCxARd4miL5w1yeP8y4Tm5aaooqAgD/s4272/P1120215.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhpkPr_7Al201RhR8ne6biBL9K_cYmvE--5x9T6n8bk_uZT_dvHhap9Seto98ekRsd14iWX_KziVJ1XUcjT3tSbzzpegaA9JwgWo1Kjv2Ux14dBx9sXotu3LNGK1Dg7Hs7S1HlhY76-ce43POqdw6Sjh5lO2rCxARd4miL5w1yeP8y4Tm5aaooqAgD/s320/P1120215.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpf2Lo_qTd8R1BhCa7iKQzkxjBJvr1cdVLUmb_bJGiRnDPyz5TCCSiYUMxlHtWJnHpsMH39jAdTaTKubiP-Glw_Tvv0-EOJkzTh2fpFNx7L4HiyYWtMY-cKGP3-k3RzRL09fllWdgg9fhBJfxyWhyzlF0lV6iCvZMWyOrSQmNZwasTxGikmXwpsHE/s4272/P1120221.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpf2Lo_qTd8R1BhCa7iKQzkxjBJvr1cdVLUmb_bJGiRnDPyz5TCCSiYUMxlHtWJnHpsMH39jAdTaTKubiP-Glw_Tvv0-EOJkzTh2fpFNx7L4HiyYWtMY-cKGP3-k3RzRL09fllWdgg9fhBJfxyWhyzlF0lV6iCvZMWyOrSQmNZwasTxGikmXwpsHE/s320/P1120221.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Pictons, St Lucia</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Things were a bit rushed and manic in the dining room tonight, there did not seem to be sufficient staff. But the food was good, </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">For evening entertainment we swapped between BB Kings and the Rolling Stone Rock Room. The band in BB Kings were very good. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrb1qbwAgTW_2Z8oDkftbiGfyZbstw022iF6gMSZx6AeEWu357nnAm4kMBKLg_D2SYE2kyqgpZ7AXG2fRFUPs8YnbWjbNdgS27RqiZn8uUtzGNr-bnIxurVxz0JWn_Dj57Va3fMC3fUQnPXNcVLKN-ni1AeYpVWH5AGP1njOwjIDKTTUwVhsLk0FIo/s3750/IMG_0853.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Holland America Line. Rotterdam. Daily Program" border="0" data-original-height="3750" data-original-width="1843" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrb1qbwAgTW_2Z8oDkftbiGfyZbstw022iF6gMSZx6AeEWu357nnAm4kMBKLg_D2SYE2kyqgpZ7AXG2fRFUPs8YnbWjbNdgS27RqiZn8uUtzGNr-bnIxurVxz0JWn_Dj57Va3fMC3fUQnPXNcVLKN-ni1AeYpVWH5AGP1njOwjIDKTTUwVhsLk0FIo/w314-h640/IMG_0853.JPG" title="Holland America Line. Rotterdam. Daily Program" width="314" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America Line. Rotterdam. Daily Program </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRw-XcjZz5k7KuLMhUgOFga075swUE4uTUS1kpF-LUEm_beKF_Nj3fB_gcv-HieIKq3BPqeX__Mqnc0Xmrkd9-Crqxbl-055Re6Km3kVR2bi8kbH4h1O09rK_GSHmxwpmG3d7-PcwxSiBC0SIe8tNjtSG2mOnUEE1lgAK__T78m-rYXQgEofgmLRQW/s3024/IMG_0854.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Holland America Line. Rotterdam. Daily Program" border="0" data-original-height="2972" data-original-width="3024" height="628" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRw-XcjZz5k7KuLMhUgOFga075swUE4uTUS1kpF-LUEm_beKF_Nj3fB_gcv-HieIKq3BPqeX__Mqnc0Xmrkd9-Crqxbl-055Re6Km3kVR2bi8kbH4h1O09rK_GSHmxwpmG3d7-PcwxSiBC0SIe8tNjtSG2mOnUEE1lgAK__T78m-rYXQgEofgmLRQW/w640-h628/IMG_0854.JPG" title="Holland America Line. Rotterdam. Daily Program" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America Line. Rotterdam. Daily Program </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-60694810642721634702023-03-13T18:06:00.005+00:002023-03-13T18:06:59.873+00:00Holland America Line, Rotterdam, Caribbean Cruise, Saint Maarten. 7th Feb 2023. <h1 style="text-align: left;">Holland America Line, Rotterdam, Caribbean Cruise, Saint Maarten. 7th Feb 2023. </h1><p> <span style="font-size: x-large;">I was very organised and order breakfast as room service for 06.00. But! not as organised as I though as I forgot to put the room number on the order 🤣🤣. So we went to the buffet for breakfast. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The ship slid into the dock in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten at 08.15 and we were allowed off the ship at 08.30. The ship was due to leave at 16.00, but all aboard time was shown at 15.30; this was to be the pattern for the duration of the cruise. Late getting into port and early leaving 🙄😣. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">I had booked a self hire of an ATV with ATV Island. The instructions were to go through the cruise port gates and we would be met by a member of the ATV team. this was exactly what happened and we were taken to the depot, a very short way from the port and within 15 minutes we had our ATV, helmets and a map. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">There were lots of Taxi drivers and tour companies at the port if you wanted to be independent and not use the cruise tours. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR19Ds76VEJPrsa6T8GlmghImc7CUzFgR6I2SFek8-b-Pihns8Afbd_647EaPA249-MGPBLFqGxNZACiE0R8AmDt-WryYQCgrg77CGhBTk5XAR3pNZzfjFaJuu2kSzkmjx2pgex7W21hyD-qHrW3x-CxtbRATmOD4dc3I2f2yVGd8fQHYApYDnOu0s/s3264/IMG_20230313_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2488" data-original-width="3264" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR19Ds76VEJPrsa6T8GlmghImc7CUzFgR6I2SFek8-b-Pihns8Afbd_647EaPA249-MGPBLFqGxNZACiE0R8AmDt-WryYQCgrg77CGhBTk5XAR3pNZzfjFaJuu2kSzkmjx2pgex7W21hyD-qHrW3x-CxtbRATmOD4dc3I2f2yVGd8fQHYApYDnOu0s/w640-h488/IMG_20230313_0001.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ATV Island Map. Sint Maarten. </td></tr></tbody></table>I think this ATV, or Quad Bike, was really for one passenger. But we squashed on it! we also were given a few Bungy cords to secure our stuff on to the bike. </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMJ2vERmFC7Ck9Y9-RtRxF_oLmTUZySqIqea2Nl8VpNpRz4wmaDZw_ChwpCuwsQfUfUNB-1KSX7QxfYicjO_o6pjSwm73RyieAf6-TR8re5PRydN0oyDbFAHTxBtY9Gk2filkI2E3-rxiWzqjDLfulnuEJOFASe4UEHhIh639tFzUG8FQ-lSdBxE0/s4032/IMG_3264.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMJ2vERmFC7Ck9Y9-RtRxF_oLmTUZySqIqea2Nl8VpNpRz4wmaDZw_ChwpCuwsQfUfUNB-1KSX7QxfYicjO_o6pjSwm73RyieAf6-TR8re5PRydN0oyDbFAHTxBtY9Gk2filkI2E3-rxiWzqjDLfulnuEJOFASe4UEHhIh639tFzUG8FQ-lSdBxE0/s320/IMG_3264.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy70hCcf816eeqCNV7nnB4sn-b5h2WS54EVTni8ADvJsYqjHSe055UNy5J02_IzB2BHoeYl38uTorPEoJKawt7sGUUSf1zM8IYo2TZD0b0mNGVymtM6GaVNDNw77zky-FQEX52mRqQOZME1jhsQyjuo01SSGmttSROJvAqoATovYvElgV3FHaYaXwM/s4032/IMG_3266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy70hCcf816eeqCNV7nnB4sn-b5h2WS54EVTni8ADvJsYqjHSe055UNy5J02_IzB2BHoeYl38uTorPEoJKawt7sGUUSf1zM8IYo2TZD0b0mNGVymtM6GaVNDNw77zky-FQEX52mRqQOZME1jhsQyjuo01SSGmttSROJvAqoATovYvElgV3FHaYaXwM/s320/IMG_3266.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ATV Island Quad Bike </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">We set off up the left hand side of the Island, crossing into the quieter French side. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyUzrEvTrQCGynf7UqybgHOBmDfzFa3tzlcZMcNz3mtdrD_jspuZSeMF8GIyoJCx8CxWLmEBkU0yPGtWIh4O8eeNVVjrDWo4aDZ29sXT7Iy8bQnaKTlkP9ddXw4NZ8IsedaFhFedEgnmRzqcC4gHuP4hNQQEuPgq_BeoCGBgtuxZE7CTLhyTetOKw/s4032/IMG_3268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGyUzrEvTrQCGynf7UqybgHOBmDfzFa3tzlcZMcNz3mtdrD_jspuZSeMF8GIyoJCx8CxWLmEBkU0yPGtWIh4O8eeNVVjrDWo4aDZ29sXT7Iy8bQnaKTlkP9ddXw4NZ8IsedaFhFedEgnmRzqcC4gHuP4hNQQEuPgq_BeoCGBgtuxZE7CTLhyTetOKw/s320/IMG_3268.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCe3l18xVctpJX1btiJRSKUz9dtU-SYAHflD1LzCYdQDsUpgzYuWu73j0m9iVZ_sADu6MYqRDpf63j2VqzH3VPlCcb2YPf1i0xkzHGhRsaTJGY1slx7rXIU5Z5RJ5hbwyd0-9x7EpvgvQ_VAPnxkpXDXIVlB-GcDaVN8A8LTEtu-BnoJZch4Y1tOLZ/s4272/P1120182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCe3l18xVctpJX1btiJRSKUz9dtU-SYAHflD1LzCYdQDsUpgzYuWu73j0m9iVZ_sADu6MYqRDpf63j2VqzH3VPlCcb2YPf1i0xkzHGhRsaTJGY1slx7rXIU5Z5RJ5hbwyd0-9x7EpvgvQ_VAPnxkpXDXIVlB-GcDaVN8A8LTEtu-BnoJZch4Y1tOLZ/s320/P1120182.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Stopped at Friars Bay and Friar Beach for our lunch and a swim. Then headed back to the Dutch side of the island to some thing I have wanted to witness for ages. The beach at Maho Bay, where the aircraft come into land at Juliana Airport. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Well! this is the fantasy picture: </span></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_JUk0GQ0GaERZiMY-_PdvVvJiW_TK9t3BTdCBORvrzVvYRlSZldEhOPSyJYX6DQV0l8Fi_efNxAjuRG4jtkcrhYI5M7OLwc-oZnrMLDY_tr-VfYS98IeBsgdubNy-DFvrqT864oMBBEeqIp2SwjVwcyNET0eRlo9fEjvLFnv65tCsitL0ERnrQtw/s274/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="184" data-original-width="274" height="269" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_JUk0GQ0GaERZiMY-_PdvVvJiW_TK9t3BTdCBORvrzVvYRlSZldEhOPSyJYX6DQV0l8Fi_efNxAjuRG4jtkcrhYI5M7OLwc-oZnrMLDY_tr-VfYS98IeBsgdubNy-DFvrqT864oMBBEeqIp2SwjVwcyNET0eRlo9fEjvLFnv65tCsitL0ERnrQtw/w400-h269/images.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not my photo, this is from the Islands tourist board. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">And this is what I saw; </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpz0pe3RX7EX9CkkMtmNyvaf9HV9Uz0sVsUMLXfqscHQUqizdZF08ihpvTMeJBScN9eeBSfWnUqG8NsS0JAvIg1uc2Im6MgnhWqD0pGuTKNFdej-T5Kvl-PgpsRo7TVSrxe1Fb3MEdwFiAlMFRIriki2lXaGKrSpnnMpwT_nAZTVQIKOKa4NxXmyGn/w640-h428/P1120185.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Maarten beach. </td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: xx-large;">Absolutely over touristy, people packed on the beach and in the bars to get 'the photo'. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLatrP-SfYcz4TmE1khCl-M_jn_8GId6m8TT5RGYz-GoflfbYi718Y9CDL0T_E9LBdOZExIYPi-l_a9cpO82VJAf2ATNc2P5ZeW9m_0sWU1VtugrDXKePhHhUlJrCTuR7Hn-Fnp5gIcojOIsvN6W1sWo7j8jjVKzBS5-c_eBsUkow-5Hd3oQihSOd/s4272/P1120187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="429" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuLatrP-SfYcz4TmE1khCl-M_jn_8GId6m8TT5RGYz-GoflfbYi718Y9CDL0T_E9LBdOZExIYPi-l_a9cpO82VJAf2ATNc2P5ZeW9m_0sWU1VtugrDXKePhHhUlJrCTuR7Hn-Fnp5gIcojOIsvN6W1sWo7j8jjVKzBS5-c_eBsUkow-5Hd3oQihSOd/w640-h429/P1120187.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">I was very disappointed, but, this is the 'Facebook or Insta' effect. </span><span style="font-size: xx-large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9npW8xLVPxvA_7lsedz-N4TTZoLURQhtnky3DaeLgN9LGkC2FDqkPiEAO_0uFfZQ-r-nAMHj0A0yPNsmbzfodi_Qv2M1A0iX6JtSxQIzzhSazqeSTuFOdsd8clH9FdepphhRslQDNIBK1f-j5R44HI9kTiDzNsUUDSZ8g3LOW6dHKEDqrqD_R3dN/s4272/P1120188.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9npW8xLVPxvA_7lsedz-N4TTZoLURQhtnky3DaeLgN9LGkC2FDqkPiEAO_0uFfZQ-r-nAMHj0A0yPNsmbzfodi_Qv2M1A0iX6JtSxQIzzhSazqeSTuFOdsd8clH9FdepphhRslQDNIBK1f-j5R44HI9kTiDzNsUUDSZ8g3LOW6dHKEDqrqD_R3dN/s320/P1120188.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Despite my disappointment about the beach / aircraft, our ride on the AVT around St Maarten / St. Martin was a good day out and we enjoyed ourselves. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKCneAVDiMlbgl_dVxiynLaI6VWVFKoK1OYDcsbV5GjSnrkR1MSimneBYy981gmc8jl2xt5hLOYzFe9p54CFke7I_Bc94UnlXQk7x1uq6fQgIuazBecBPqalZMY9SxKG1Ppg1Juf0ap3V9R94BEuRr_wtj_AdMtdqdNsM4koYUFoGw7PrUtQlRb0z/s4272/P1120190.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUKCneAVDiMlbgl_dVxiynLaI6VWVFKoK1OYDcsbV5GjSnrkR1MSimneBYy981gmc8jl2xt5hLOYzFe9p54CFke7I_Bc94UnlXQk7x1uq6fQgIuazBecBPqalZMY9SxKG1Ppg1Juf0ap3V9R94BEuRr_wtj_AdMtdqdNsM4koYUFoGw7PrUtQlRb0z/s320/P1120190.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Returning the bike at 15.00 we were back on the ship by 15.20.</span><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9q6zJXqeb0SwziSnB3jmsTJEou_v8Gt4DhGpGUzoCQ1qFz4LZ9Tyt-dWqogF3Y1_dcs5TvturwexQen-C_3sXmHkzqVR2e7o7KekhMZdvJ5OWtkqcFocgFP9TtXdLPWrKEAqn0NVfPzkryJP1G0wG5xgsFM_wzgRzm87K5Blk3PktXjOLRgEim_s/s4272/P1120590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ9q6zJXqeb0SwziSnB3jmsTJEou_v8Gt4DhGpGUzoCQ1qFz4LZ9Tyt-dWqogF3Y1_dcs5TvturwexQen-C_3sXmHkzqVR2e7o7KekhMZdvJ5OWtkqcFocgFP9TtXdLPWrKEAqn0NVfPzkryJP1G0wG5xgsFM_wzgRzm87K5Blk3PktXjOLRgEim_s/w428-h640/P1120590.JPG" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America Line, Rotterdam Daily Program </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOIIndzuG2Pq_REn1Wz-QPnUIShSk3ZxJo7j-0x2hZU02_yi11u2pAKdohoKxT61DzuIWQYlw_hVB3036hlexFb_HtIaVOpkb0YdVkR18CDAy9euAzgbYenqu9gP4Uht56HSYOFezM_e9G-64tJDindCiXsB2lPctbAvgZHwCov1w4NbOQeTTfLFw/s2991/P1120591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2716" data-original-width="2991" height="582" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYOIIndzuG2Pq_REn1Wz-QPnUIShSk3ZxJo7j-0x2hZU02_yi11u2pAKdohoKxT61DzuIWQYlw_hVB3036hlexFb_HtIaVOpkb0YdVkR18CDAy9euAzgbYenqu9gP4Uht56HSYOFezM_e9G-64tJDindCiXsB2lPctbAvgZHwCov1w4NbOQeTTfLFw/w640-h582/P1120591.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">Back on the ship we had time for a swim and request an Aperol Spritz - but they had run out. Day Four and run out?! then asked for a rose prosecco - ' Sorry we have Run Out', Ok, how about a sparkling water...No, none on board. There was also a problem as there were no drinks menus, they had run out and were being printed. But, I discoverd a new drink, a Mud Slide, they had that. </span><p></p><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Following the step one dance company show of Humanity, we were ready to retire for the night. St Lucía tomorrow. </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-14111787964307802932023-03-13T17:20:00.001+00:002023-03-13T17:20:16.767+00:00Holland America Line. Rotterdam. Caribbean Cruise. 4th/ 5th & 6th February 2023. Sea Days. <p> <span style="font-size: x-large;">4th / 5th / 6th Feb 2023. </span></p><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">4th Feb 2023. Embarkation at Port Everglades. </span></h1><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Its raining! of course it is! we are very good at taking our English weather with us on our travels! </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We had a quick walk in the rain to the Publix supermarket for a few things we had forgot to pack, had a smoothie for breakfast - I think it was mainly ice- the packed ready to go to the port. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We were going on a 21 day Caribbean cruise, on the new Holland America ship, The Rotterdam. As I am not the best sailor we had booked a mid ship balcony cabin, and had the HAL 'Have it All' package of drinks, Wi-Fi, three speciality restaurants and cruise credit of US$ 300 pp for excursions. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Holland America had allocated our boarding time to be 11.20. Checking out of the Hyatt, we got an Uber. But as we got closer to Port Everglades it became clear our Uber driver did not want to go into the port. I ignored his requests that we get out at the port gates and he reluctantly took us to terminal 19. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The port was busy and three Holland America Ships were moored, as well as two Celebrity ships, a Princess and Wonder of the Seas. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The embarkation process was almost self check in, all done on i-pads. You had to find your cabin yourself and the keys to your cabin were on the door. It was quite impersonal and no welcome glass of champagne given. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The first thing I noticed was that I did not like the smell of the ship, I can not describe the smell but it was unpleasant and I didn't like it. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We were on deck six, or The Mozart Deck in room 6048. The décor in the cabin was modern, beiges and muted tones. It was quite small, the bed was slightly larger than a UK double. The cabin had good storage. The bathroom was very well designed, with a large shower with glass door. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">As usual the whole ship was open so we started at the top and worked our way down, getting our bearings. We had lunch in the buffet, it was busy but the food was good, I opted for a salad and sushi. I liked that it was not self service. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Dutch Café was a big disappointment, tea was not served in tea pots or inster-grammable delft patterned mugs, but in tall glass cups. this was the one and only time we used the Dutch Café. </span></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>We were due to leave at 15.00, but did not depart until</span><span> after 18.00 so there was no 'sail away' party. </span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Our allocated dinner time was 19.30 and we found our allotted table in the main dining room. The options were a bit limited and my mozzarella salad and grilled chicken was not the best choice as it was tasteless. The wine and service were OK. </span><span style="font-size: xx-large;">Feeling a little deflated I went to the 'Music Walk', and enjoyed the BB Kings Blues band. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hbqKvXIA-du2oJIBNlzKPC6AVw7pAOyO8toj5xaMOBLi1CVePkQZTnu81Rhq2ob1VxRAzgYxVMD-kmqvNP3dCUgvOM1YliElceCZ0qlzSvuhRIervLNmxLiIhqZKcBTeQwA5k1g4gMjVktXmDRriGNEFCBxn_KJmoB5IxgEtJUMuJ4JoJSkx_s62/s4032/IMG_3384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-hbqKvXIA-du2oJIBNlzKPC6AVw7pAOyO8toj5xaMOBLi1CVePkQZTnu81Rhq2ob1VxRAzgYxVMD-kmqvNP3dCUgvOM1YliElceCZ0qlzSvuhRIervLNmxLiIhqZKcBTeQwA5k1g4gMjVktXmDRriGNEFCBxn_KJmoB5IxgEtJUMuJ4JoJSkx_s62/s320/IMG_3384.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America line, Rotterdam. BB KINGS </td></tr></tbody></table></span></p><p><span style="font-size: xx-large;">However walking back to our cabin was a challenge as the ship appeared to me rocking and rolling, you really could not walk in a straight line. I did not know if the seas were really choppy and rough, or if this was just normal for this ship, but it was not what I had expected for a Caribbean cruise. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1AUpdN-bzhbUEnP8oh1rmsYevZbpBd5T4bhXDgSVyNvf036KQEhes48hps2sRyrP607PfHrx77rYRT_ue5ISPu32d5IUgATxvj7KKOpbnz9EAG8SG8k7Q4SpAxrB0OAeCoXNxJjCchazYRIYLOKK3zvpgdN8WzPKmDR4oXEAT-UP-lukP9RaS2tA/s3416/HAL%20day%201.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Holland America Line Rotterdam" border="0" data-original-height="3416" data-original-width="1704" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1AUpdN-bzhbUEnP8oh1rmsYevZbpBd5T4bhXDgSVyNvf036KQEhes48hps2sRyrP607PfHrx77rYRT_ue5ISPu32d5IUgATxvj7KKOpbnz9EAG8SG8k7Q4SpAxrB0OAeCoXNxJjCchazYRIYLOKK3zvpgdN8WzPKmDR4oXEAT-UP-lukP9RaS2tA/w320-h640/HAL%20day%201.jpg" title="Daily program" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America line, Rotterdam, Daily Program 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc92k1efwCf0U591hfXs-USBh98ReXX6MXXbu5Rvmf4giU8kDOBDFHjtHt68ILW4LcqAGqWkAthKAVzlD-n7xgEoUQkGiJqXcP4GHSldng_rw01Yczrj32Y7TzE9RCiQGFcKSspvIvCwdu3zBR4vy9Ret8B_AmXUhVmCCY4ANBJKtRJKiF43tyOY2t/s3400/HAL%20day%201a.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Holland America Line Rotterdam" border="0" data-original-height="3400" data-original-width="1704" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc92k1efwCf0U591hfXs-USBh98ReXX6MXXbu5Rvmf4giU8kDOBDFHjtHt68ILW4LcqAGqWkAthKAVzlD-n7xgEoUQkGiJqXcP4GHSldng_rw01Yczrj32Y7TzE9RCiQGFcKSspvIvCwdu3zBR4vy9Ret8B_AmXUhVmCCY4ANBJKtRJKiF43tyOY2t/w320-h640/HAL%20day%201a.jpg" title="Daily Program" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America line, Rotterdam, Daily Program 2023<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztBezzm8oueTpaNs8pyCgjZ2JYmUXdh4PXUjPPPoAtgzq_tZ_LkZyMtFnoFRNwTgL2QZJaP-BC6tZA97IlIBRCF3vUfqPxGorQf8BSUWAeGvWlVnuOoyIb0d6p3eWfi0e_9bXQFvKtqw-oUoL91Os_dPiY5lYxrof9YZBPvGMQAksRC0n07F16XAN/s3396/HAL%20day%201b.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Holland America Line Rotterdam" border="0" data-original-height="3396" data-original-width="1704" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiztBezzm8oueTpaNs8pyCgjZ2JYmUXdh4PXUjPPPoAtgzq_tZ_LkZyMtFnoFRNwTgL2QZJaP-BC6tZA97IlIBRCF3vUfqPxGorQf8BSUWAeGvWlVnuOoyIb0d6p3eWfi0e_9bXQFvKtqw-oUoL91Os_dPiY5lYxrof9YZBPvGMQAksRC0n07F16XAN/w322-h640/HAL%20day%201b.jpg" title="Daily program" width="322" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America line, Rotterdam, Daily Program 2023<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">5th Feb 2023, Sea Day. </span></h1><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">A day to relax at sea. But, as the ship is rocking and rolling about really badly relaxing was difficult. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">I went up to the abs class on deck 9 at 07.00, but by the time I finished I felt really sea sick due to the motion of the ship, and due to the movement of the ship slipping across the gym floor didn't help! So back in the cabin I got back into bed. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">This is a new ship, I did not expect it to be so unstable, looking out at the sea it was not really rough or choppy, the swell looked like the English Channel on a good day and I began to question if the stabilisers were working? It was quite windy, so maybe the ship is not stable in the wind? </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpphNEb1exytMpF7c2Exfix1KooaLkrV8jPnscURG-1tX9L7pmtxSNQL1siveY5ac9c6JWTyzaTkBmKqzf-4EZzBGN7oi4kgygEa48JU0qxFwFrpumsHRD7LhETlkSYY5JyROfIp5uwwDWR5BI6IPXUh3vlxAQwH7NccVtfxu4Yo2w2JUOaQMsU7k/s4272/P1120586.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrpphNEb1exytMpF7c2Exfix1KooaLkrV8jPnscURG-1tX9L7pmtxSNQL1siveY5ac9c6JWTyzaTkBmKqzf-4EZzBGN7oi4kgygEa48JU0qxFwFrpumsHRD7LhETlkSYY5JyROfIp5uwwDWR5BI6IPXUh3vlxAQwH7NccVtfxu4Yo2w2JUOaQMsU7k/w429-h640/P1120586.JPG" width="429" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jHGU1iaplL2L3Vv19EEitwyXRNxHldWGe32nCDvdaqDoBkx51QBB5dyxh8MDhqcOoKeAFvowh7f2ZKuiGJa0YxIPBcGteq2y68IX8r1S9d0hXpUn6kKuLS8_GEc8M8PzNiK_lBCTMYFDqaDyPgPRTe26h9rdZ1kGWc3mrAS9eGf2muYMpgdk8tzh/s3388/day%202a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3388" data-original-width="1724" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9jHGU1iaplL2L3Vv19EEitwyXRNxHldWGe32nCDvdaqDoBkx51QBB5dyxh8MDhqcOoKeAFvowh7f2ZKuiGJa0YxIPBcGteq2y68IX8r1S9d0hXpUn6kKuLS8_GEc8M8PzNiK_lBCTMYFDqaDyPgPRTe26h9rdZ1kGWc3mrAS9eGf2muYMpgdk8tzh/w326-h640/day%202a.jpg" width="326" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America line, Rotterdam, Daily Program 2023<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>Holland America line, Rotterdam, Daily Program 2023<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJHITQ9-VqZ3UukBLcUE0Np2yT25EBmOpYcIqRmtIwXChLC7n3HTNty2Kd_TunrX17FVJiZzlLJwD_i4wK1v-fzrjK9_CsZdZ_SRYIN35Ry3oU8NZmHXjH1-bnPZm8kkRY34nz_fLyv5bu1pgeiEF3E2XMuBs9nL_US4679anqyLxok08XjWqPxhz/s4272/P1120587.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglJHITQ9-VqZ3UukBLcUE0Np2yT25EBmOpYcIqRmtIwXChLC7n3HTNty2Kd_TunrX17FVJiZzlLJwD_i4wK1v-fzrjK9_CsZdZ_SRYIN35Ry3oU8NZmHXjH1-bnPZm8kkRY34nz_fLyv5bu1pgeiEF3E2XMuBs9nL_US4679anqyLxok08XjWqPxhz/w428-h640/P1120587.JPG" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America line, Rotterdam, Daily Program 2023<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">As it was 'Gala Night' tonight, I hoped I would feel better by the evening? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">later in the day the ship seemed more stable, even though the seas looked the same, it stopped rocking about so much, maybe the Captain put the stabilisers on? </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Gala dinner was very nice and it had specials on the celebrate the 150th Anniversary of the line.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We are both in our mid 60s, and it was very apparent that we were some of the youngest passengers on this ship. It certainly has an older passengers demographic. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhe8YFkVb14HvMY0xi18R94LLNmyFZQXyiisvqlztTwKvfmx10YBH0QWRBhG5Ydk1QJN3D5p86HG2nFgN9fEiJIJ-2dNlSNkygTUYCdSNAOJyadF2fplGcx7YQlMx7mzmwSUXG6oUSMOb93nE8txQvvHTRR0z4ZlIQOkw4u93h3JSn6VywtE67zsB/s4032/IMG_3469.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGhe8YFkVb14HvMY0xi18R94LLNmyFZQXyiisvqlztTwKvfmx10YBH0QWRBhG5Ydk1QJN3D5p86HG2nFgN9fEiJIJ-2dNlSNkygTUYCdSNAOJyadF2fplGcx7YQlMx7mzmwSUXG6oUSMOb93nE8txQvvHTRR0z4ZlIQOkw4u93h3JSn6VywtE67zsB/s320/IMG_3469.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Traffic in the main dining room. Holland America line, Rotterdam, 2023</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></div><h1 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">6th Feb 2023, Sea Day. </span></h1><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The ship has stopped moving around so much, thank goodness. We manager to find a sun louger on the top of the back pool deck and read our books. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The daily activities are poor, unless your into flower arranging or Origami?</span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Dinner in the main dining room was again very good and an English group provided the evening entertainment in the theatre area. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We are exited to see land tomorrow. We should be in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten for 08.00. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78BNXC5lWltt5kHOI0uFGGc4u2GyUOrGxtUjMe0NnxlCR_PK_KBh7wrQJijzWWGEomDmlJon0LGXPBw9ex0qfgGjW8Nb30TnWMW5aoiNubmgq_Tzut-o1_wuzlAqLQhjpNStQFzOly1aGC9mhQrirNMJtQsSPV1ZsxqenrJ5dc_ICRHtCgCUwX0Qk/s4272/P1120588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg78BNXC5lWltt5kHOI0uFGGc4u2GyUOrGxtUjMe0NnxlCR_PK_KBh7wrQJijzWWGEomDmlJon0LGXPBw9ex0qfgGjW8Nb30TnWMW5aoiNubmgq_Tzut-o1_wuzlAqLQhjpNStQFzOly1aGC9mhQrirNMJtQsSPV1ZsxqenrJ5dc_ICRHtCgCUwX0Qk/w428-h640/P1120588.JPG" width="428" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America line, Rotterdam, Daily Program 2023<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjZqplhAV6QPXrTNzvwB0BUTcxIh4_jJVbD8ZXugrlDoSEO0RtwDNkbwpqh81aOq4uW2mNV6Qkgm_egtonj4GnlAfdQ1nPLBNVOQfZG_ouUpigPS_crx4Q3vunh-fUkt_jp-bIXS_y4QXoG-q1CrUYrZdhq1SYHeSTTQpsWkShINRTF2humqRn8iO/s3010/P1120589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2809" data-original-width="3010" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHjZqplhAV6QPXrTNzvwB0BUTcxIh4_jJVbD8ZXugrlDoSEO0RtwDNkbwpqh81aOq4uW2mNV6Qkgm_egtonj4GnlAfdQ1nPLBNVOQfZG_ouUpigPS_crx4Q3vunh-fUkt_jp-bIXS_y4QXoG-q1CrUYrZdhq1SYHeSTTQpsWkShINRTF2humqRn8iO/w640-h598/P1120589.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holland America line, Rotterdam, Daily Program 2023<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><br /></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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</script></div>.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11579478647866884860noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-435807495647998918.post-37737332806296920492023-03-09T18:06:00.015+00:002023-03-13T15:22:11.831+00:00Exploring Fort Lauderdale, USA. Segway Tour and Water Taxi. February 2023. <p><span style="font-size: x-large;"> 2nd February 2023.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">After a hair raising Uber ride from Miami Airport, it was late when we arrived at our hotel, the Hyatt Centric Fort Lauderdale. Check in was fast and we were allocated at room that looked onto the pool. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2I6A8IgEPfKdJiwzf_XvU3ENvAB0azUk4AhWUCnq30M6qCm9Wox9xPJOeil79h1oyyXHAvQ3QAv4TmncCYdUS3qLHp47NKiaB_IKcFS8rrIuexnCm08pOpLv-HlRTe6z1lPH_RkMGs0S002j4IC21_EMkDqVJvuA_UxfQyu7UDbYZxtFDNe5sL-Jl/s2048/326178773_506036971673508_5406976115553286515_n.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2I6A8IgEPfKdJiwzf_XvU3ENvAB0azUk4AhWUCnq30M6qCm9Wox9xPJOeil79h1oyyXHAvQ3QAv4TmncCYdUS3qLHp47NKiaB_IKcFS8rrIuexnCm08pOpLv-HlRTe6z1lPH_RkMGs0S002j4IC21_EMkDqVJvuA_UxfQyu7UDbYZxtFDNe5sL-Jl/s320/326178773_506036971673508_5406976115553286515_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pool at Hyatt Centric Fort Lauderdale </td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">The room was very nice, it was clean, large, with a big comfortable bed and had plenty of storage space for our suitcases. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">We walked down Las Olas Boulevard and stopped at Cuba Libre for a margarita and ordered some Empanadas, they were so good; better than any food we had experienced when we went to Cuba. It was a great place, nicely decorated to look like you were outside when you were in the main restaurant. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZlgCsienkRcaJgaQUXeOWQMivDvaqFadaF9xmcJkVLT9insLVR73zFYjd_6Zg1tSm0sBlaLO2ygzOokjnu5FyQ7dratgpivipSHm9GzUqZEJy3rMbpGzqEBtZAZTI5oBap5vEe3QByVOjEGwT-Olv2m8EKlDq855UqeMvxot3ZI7Q3LYFwpLi35z/s1024/CubaLibreFL_0154-scaled.webp" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDZlgCsienkRcaJgaQUXeOWQMivDvaqFadaF9xmcJkVLT9insLVR73zFYjd_6Zg1tSm0sBlaLO2ygzOokjnu5FyQ7dratgpivipSHm9GzUqZEJy3rMbpGzqEBtZAZTI5oBap5vEe3QByVOjEGwT-Olv2m8EKlDq855UqeMvxot3ZI7Q3LYFwpLi35z/s320/CubaLibreFL_0154-scaled.webp" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not my photo, from Fort Lauderdale tourist site</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span>This part of Las Olas Blvd was lively with lots of restaurants</span><span> and bars, I was happy we were in walking distance of it. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">After a good sleep in the comfy bed it was good to wake up to sunny sky's. the pool looked good but we had an early start with a 09.00 Fort Lauderdale Segway tour. However, there was a message from the company asking if we could change to a 12.30 tour as there was staff sickness. It did disrupt my plans for the day, but we did change to this time. So I did a quick dash to Starbucks for a cup of English tea with cold milk - they did a good job of this at this Starbucks. then it was off to explore Fort Lauderdale. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: x-large;">Firstly we walked down Las Olas Blvd along the riverside as far as we could then along the road to the beach. It was a lovely walk. Checked out the gorgeous beach and I got a hat from one of the beach side shops. </span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KuzyO5_19NkmzOHCwhZwBojN63R2JOh7G1OUnWy-7Kq9SR_eVoCOK8VkbOmPaoKadDteLjXVcDuY-po7dYtR1Qv1Hd6R22u_nzbm5cXsbU4aF_ZB2yc98n5qgSMj2oMMbwqe6mrxdl0Ps1T0OwAlQAhRiMk8-LVAcoPpLlepCIGv0Q-df1a9YM2j/s4032/IMG_3218.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1KuzyO5_19NkmzOHCwhZwBojN63R2JOh7G1OUnWy-7Kq9SR_eVoCOK8VkbOmPaoKadDteLjXVcDuY-po7dYtR1Qv1Hd6R22u_nzbm5cXsbU4aF_ZB2yc98n5qgSMj2oMMbwqe6mrxdl0Ps1T0OwAlQAhRiMk8-LVAcoPpLlepCIGv0Q-df1a9YM2j/s320/IMG_3218.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Lauderdale </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjxdILJDppOqvVbn5Zp3IRfG4Arv4NjrfKx0iX8S_YAlAy8ZUZ5DUlqcnm-QczKbyxGV3iZiakMuqE8nMhVPWZ0Z2qPv4Q7mx7YEBVsuSUoivTPnkR0LuDz--f-HwTkGSbZkDfqI_s-GFn1TVs381NLKObZv3373hhf_ieAGP4k26osL4ZRWuIvv9/s4272/P1120168.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhjxdILJDppOqvVbn5Zp3IRfG4Arv4NjrfKx0iX8S_YAlAy8ZUZ5DUlqcnm-QczKbyxGV3iZiakMuqE8nMhVPWZ0Z2qPv4Q7mx7YEBVsuSUoivTPnkR0LuDz--f-HwTkGSbZkDfqI_s-GFn1TVs381NLKObZv3373hhf_ieAGP4k26osL4ZRWuIvv9/s320/P1120168.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Lauderdale </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWO06POioRoZ5I4Abh0bldbtW9Lmc6_sjky29tdtYROrPh87maTG7kwXl8DJAEAeqKVI05hqZiJ-CInjBS26tEYGPqq1voC3KQ5BCHoig-fYtY-7ouEKRWvvC0YtFL0VhXlJIpOdC_fkNiqEL_8UaIG06HTPVgWyKpHeUK73JJkxIdMO97poRglzW/s4272/P1120169.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwWO06POioRoZ5I4Abh0bldbtW9Lmc6_sjky29tdtYROrPh87maTG7kwXl8DJAEAeqKVI05hqZiJ-CInjBS26tEYGPqq1voC3KQ5BCHoig-fYtY-7ouEKRWvvC0YtFL0VhXlJIpOdC_fkNiqEL_8UaIG06HTPVgWyKpHeUK73JJkxIdMO97poRglzW/s320/P1120169.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Lauderdale </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: xx-large;">Then we boarded the Water Taxi at stop 6, this cost $35 for the day ticket, valid from 10.00 to 22.00. The Taxi came and we headed to Port Everglades. The commentary on the taxi was good and informative. Seeing the mega yachts and houses of the rich. The water taxi takes about 3 and a half hours to do the full circuit but as we had to get to the Segway tour, we got off at stop 1- Las Olas. </span><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTwNuafZC_87ZfPDz6BZ1DYkFvVjUnOH2odcXlIQJaQbjDM4X5bSjCuRHQTUuq6l2JmvvPtheuRWOE0egbVRNvi3FuOlhBv1MktPkWCIlNJPf8WI8YFATTQO5dNYVL5vvX0076gQmmqTbZeb2WfJ6Y8kdaLfAiy5fVkGlaOWWeMpJJqYE8mRXGZ_W/s1753/001.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1753" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkTwNuafZC_87ZfPDz6BZ1DYkFvVjUnOH2odcXlIQJaQbjDM4X5bSjCuRHQTUuq6l2JmvvPtheuRWOE0egbVRNvi3FuOlhBv1MktPkWCIlNJPf8WI8YFATTQO5dNYVL5vvX0076gQmmqTbZeb2WfJ6Y8kdaLfAiy5fVkGlaOWWeMpJJqYE8mRXGZ_W/w400-h291/001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water Taxi Fort Lauderdale </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1LJ-dvaV-8ness_IyJJjr_OY-CS9ZzZkDXM2DBovUxD8cs1JZaX-ijhyLT2BVslA7Ds4GG77Id6Kxi5dFbXq6uWaQz6XQo90dMWEkj2JWa2aWBBhFwGxTiFLyP19JSzxRWJ6j306A0ORYcL9SMmi9Qj5OLKEilqN6hGC2Rzm8ikZ-mdqYsY8QPyJ/s1753/002.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1275" data-original-width="1753" height="291" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw1LJ-dvaV-8ness_IyJJjr_OY-CS9ZzZkDXM2DBovUxD8cs1JZaX-ijhyLT2BVslA7Ds4GG77Id6Kxi5dFbXq6uWaQz6XQo90dMWEkj2JWa2aWBBhFwGxTiFLyP19JSzxRWJ6j306A0ORYcL9SMmi9Qj5OLKEilqN6hGC2Rzm8ikZ-mdqYsY8QPyJ/w400-h291/002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Water Taxi Fort Lauderdale </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;">We walked to the meeting place for Segway Fort Lauderdale , by the historic buildings in Fort Lauderdale. </span><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVaD9hH-eoIJ1wNm63jcFvIinWg8r4GizyaKfaNB4SWrEwdtim2dWXwd0IsOgE_6GtIT3eST-KsBqoUcPCgjQBIzJMDgKr824Ge34Uw8uXIAQ4CA0GceLwPv0iNj-KdWfHZ_-a-M099NBSTyzL2ciyX8EtgAZGCV3ekuZZ4K_2Ey48VTCschf0uUz/s4272/P1120175.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVaD9hH-eoIJ1wNm63jcFvIinWg8r4GizyaKfaNB4SWrEwdtim2dWXwd0IsOgE_6GtIT3eST-KsBqoUcPCgjQBIzJMDgKr824Ge34Uw8uXIAQ4CA0GceLwPv0iNj-KdWfHZ_-a-M099NBSTyzL2ciyX8EtgAZGCV3ekuZZ4K_2Ey48VTCschf0uUz/s320/P1120175.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Lauderdale Segway meeting place </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYTuyU0_c6aRqqe3r3Ld3cg4cXiTh3uXlY7dcT133-j-e1ZeStA4FyXsan_LUoRAoguP1p4m_yEEzK3KZymEIt3ZrwCuQlp-T4ACcHKY_i78nC8iEnN3vGty9rbTxZzV_imIbzqX0yqVfmsFx8VU34_ZLy6XKTerb-Ha7iFRrWGma5EFKdpvVFO_p/s4272/P1120174.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2856" data-original-width="4272" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYTuyU0_c6aRqqe3r3Ld3cg4cXiTh3uXlY7dcT133-j-e1ZeStA4FyXsan_LUoRAoguP1p4m_yEEzK3KZymEIt3ZrwCuQlp-T4ACcHKY_i78nC8iEnN3vGty9rbTxZzV_imIbzqX0yqVfmsFx8VU34_ZLy6XKTerb-Ha7iFRrWGma5EFKdpvVFO_p/s320/P1120174.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Lauderdale Segway </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sgeORumbWUolxRBX7fnJ3Z_IfbO38zQNIdI8n2mbmtlaieC87jWBwN0DMiLsnIFw1O-x0EbItIRBALBrcdD6fWKzo7wckmXk8d2SfinxXJHyJg5vVg6b2CNwpxbAn4DV54KmwKI5uWuJw8mMPXnw4W3n5LR4Y1dSYxH9YrLYUl2Mi9LQP03CGGOE/s4032/IMG_3237.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sgeORumbWUolxRBX7fnJ3Z_IfbO38zQNIdI8n2mbmtlaieC87jWBwN0DMiLsnIFw1O-x0EbItIRBALBrcdD6fWKzo7wckmXk8d2SfinxXJHyJg5vVg6b2CNwpxbAn4DV54KmwKI5uWuJw8mMPXnw4W3n5LR4Y1dSYxH9YrLYUl2Mi9LQP03CGGOE/s320/IMG_3237.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Lauderdale Segway </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrknsx4e-HBn3g6ue9P_k1KsVdqh1IyI78F8iq50BJxUR5MHyY8YgN-Xkb97MvI0ik7MDcV1mfS0nbzG7U6-PKYGUkV3gEHPAcvPqFTRsqmuZIjF-imyBYHiEgXYOxu6IYjdz_u3grGgNDBM1aGZ4RQuhufEv4dT4IXhmDE-rIqcTgzuKAN9dBl0lu/s4032/IMG_3246.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrknsx4e-HBn3g6ue9P_k1KsVdqh1IyI78F8iq50BJxUR5MHyY8YgN-Xkb97MvI0ik7MDcV1mfS0nbzG7U6-PKYGUkV3gEHPAcvPqFTRsqmuZIjF-imyBYHiEgXYOxu6IYjdz_u3grGgNDBM1aGZ4RQuhufEv4dT4IXhmDE-rIqcTgzuKAN9dBl0lu/s320/IMG_3246.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Lauderdale Segway finishing point </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxhAZiWC8t6BIu3-t9o5G4jirDHNWEn_ApGzROv4SlzyW2pH3N6hY6ruh7ULp4nykavPQMStAySspYkYI2y53llYa8P59x0CJLJvb6xcpSUxxv47MTqjhiBKkPIR2_djqMN9G8_hniM-d2Wt7tam-kCHkDZMSO08MCopxdmxrWtBfdg8PTBWP1DTP/s4272/P1120177.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4272" data-original-width="2856" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTxhAZiWC8t6BIu3-t9o5G4jirDHNWEn_ApGzROv4SlzyW2pH3N6hY6ruh7ULp4nykavPQMStAySspYkYI2y53llYa8P59x0CJLJvb6xcpSUxxv47MTqjhiBKkPIR2_djqMN9G8_hniM-d2Wt7tam-kCHkDZMSO08MCopxdmxrWtBfdg8PTBWP1DTP/s320/P1120177.JPG" width="214" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Lauderdale </td></tr></tbody></table><div><p><span style="font-size: xx-large;">Our group was quite large, a family of four from Texas. A group of six adults and us two oldies. So 12 in all. each of us received instruction</span><span style="font-size: xx-large;"> on how to drive the Segway, this did take a lot of time. </span></p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">The Segway. </span></h2><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">It is easy to stand on it, and you almost work it with the pressure from your feet. It took me about 15 minutes to feel confident and start going fast. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">The tour was fun, as we went around the back of the houses we had seen from the river, so got a different perspective on the city. Riding the Segway for two hours actually makes your feet and ankles sore, so although I really enjoyed it I was ready to finish the tour when it was time. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB42ir6_iGksKtX3s6YlDa5XYMlFYsNjXCtUWDjGiqZtaIiSugB2I2VYY2G076f_PTLWm4jmYmiYgKShi2TGKgfm4Q52oJQrPFz2G6WHOZG7BrcstdI7rlhIPJB3zetyB0ICnl4Mxlq1RyFqJEb4k5HxRifXjeYZd-RjwS-9yqysx6pNW-2buE8w4M/s4032/IMG_3239.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB42ir6_iGksKtX3s6YlDa5XYMlFYsNjXCtUWDjGiqZtaIiSugB2I2VYY2G076f_PTLWm4jmYmiYgKShi2TGKgfm4Q52oJQrPFz2G6WHOZG7BrcstdI7rlhIPJB3zetyB0ICnl4Mxlq1RyFqJEb4k5HxRifXjeYZd-RjwS-9yqysx6pNW-2buE8w4M/s320/IMG_3239.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fort Lauderdale Segway </td></tr></tbody></table>We then walked back along Las Olas, looking in the nice shops and spending money! Then got the water taxi again this time up river to stop 10 and back. By the time we got back to the beach area, it was dark, cold and raining. we saw a bus, the number 11, and for $1 road all the way back up to the hotel. </span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCx3CgMZEoPh2Sf02UzRfBiVIC4WTfJc9hjtakq1r6MnhdjpR2p-Ct6EubHUca9q7IOV833qnAMsAVtb2uEfeAnf9UpmN5ZfzNITjAlxZMJnLKS2bZdtXDf16mZuBscK32437BpmsAkbRdytY1rB2VzXU55dWlY4OcZLYoTC2mE8hAY6hYCqqqTw4B/s4032/IMG_3248.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCx3CgMZEoPh2Sf02UzRfBiVIC4WTfJc9hjtakq1r6MnhdjpR2p-Ct6EubHUca9q7IOV833qnAMsAVtb2uEfeAnf9UpmN5ZfzNITjAlxZMJnLKS2bZdtXDf16mZuBscK32437BpmsAkbRdytY1rB2VzXU55dWlY4OcZLYoTC2mE8hAY6hYCqqqTw4B/s320/IMG_3248.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Hat from Fort Lauderdale </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: x-large;">Following a quick change, we went to the Boathouse for dinner, I had a spicy margarita, crab cakes and a burger. my partner tucked into a massive salad and pasta with chicken. Both meals were very nice.</span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyjwbUOESSjFpZZJ4XFqq0Rj6KBVioxiLYu0TSNngQYHd2ZPZ2irVzyXvcYTqeUHgyaE_BC9uRjo873OIuviQ61gMEWkG4wsSNZP_asZOFhxi3SEQMVUdCulzjx0IwShbZ71JdZrosr1B3ItAYTC1F5s383BEIzpMSzNIpGqkDJH11CUNusjhncYK/s4032/IMG_3254.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimyjwbUOESSjFpZZJ4XFqq0Rj6KBVioxiLYu0TSNngQYHd2ZPZ2irVzyXvcYTqeUHgyaE_BC9uRjo873OIuviQ61gMEWkG4wsSNZP_asZOFhxi3SEQMVUdCulzjx0IwShbZ71JdZrosr1B3ItAYTC1F5s383BEIzpMSzNIpGqkDJH11CUNusjhncYK/s320/IMG_3254.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riverside Fort Lauderdale </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMz1YkJ8pbZpgqIOWZ8UgIGBLlv-0rUE8FkQije6SMiJHTEg4qbvAxCKKq80vtdvgrPsNCBOzPVyNJafn6sCe3IXSUvGVrdmZY22BapScQINL7nwDOczaqz13pstxc3a3C7QYIyhmfQpL1D3K38dgxm5nE6lL0AjCsDYL6MTgYRkLRLBK1bdLPLdr/s4032/IMG_3251.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMz1YkJ8pbZpgqIOWZ8UgIGBLlv-0rUE8FkQije6SMiJHTEg4qbvAxCKKq80vtdvgrPsNCBOzPVyNJafn6sCe3IXSUvGVrdmZY22BapScQINL7nwDOczaqz13pstxc3a3C7QYIyhmfQpL1D3K38dgxm5nE6lL0AjCsDYL6MTgYRkLRLBK1bdLPLdr/s320/IMG_3251.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riverside Fort Lauderdale</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjTYw-ELmGH5vUHsQMAAOGNA69NhVNq1b3kFB72Sp3M-SA0IvUJMuNuo2DKUNoC-aNHUcEOV0smM6RGC7Dl5dsfncDNk7GcbV6f-1qMhai_leCgcdTmtqSWvoKSNdhfvAXOwT-AtWTVLeRgCpkEqT72aHBrnfpH79y9H6bd1nWDWbhO45Y7G7ro5l/s728/BoatHouseAtTheRiverside7.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="728" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtjTYw-ELmGH5vUHsQMAAOGNA69NhVNq1b3kFB72Sp3M-SA0IvUJMuNuo2DKUNoC-aNHUcEOV0smM6RGC7Dl5dsfncDNk7GcbV6f-1qMhai_leCgcdTmtqSWvoKSNdhfvAXOwT-AtWTVLeRgCpkEqT72aHBrnfpH79y9H6bd1nWDWbhO45Y7G7ro5l/s320/BoatHouseAtTheRiverside7.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Riverside Fort Lauderdale - not my photo - tourist board </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9RhPW5nvGAAJnqRFr2FX2-9fKMMwYILeFe5qhkgi7zoXnPOFHkMFVZPFSqSiVoEhODpCDz46Znv5Aiht-hthzg-qL-7twTV6ja_RXv762Cv58wAz_P5iK_YtLvQpu2vPvpboRLkuWP1Bknjcs19FuLyFnzsY7Mb8c_RPQMBsT1UjWLFopIHIjxPQ/s4032/IMG_3253.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV9RhPW5nvGAAJnqRFr2FX2-9fKMMwYILeFe5qhkgi7zoXnPOFHkMFVZPFSqSiVoEhODpCDz46Znv5Aiht-hthzg-qL-7twTV6ja_RXv762Cv58wAz_P5iK_YtLvQpu2vPvpboRLkuWP1Bknjcs19FuLyFnzsY7Mb8c_RPQMBsT1UjWLFopIHIjxPQ/s320/IMG_3253.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Boathouse cocktail @ Riverside Fort Lauderdale</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">It had been a thoroughly enjoyable day, and even with the change of time for the Segway tour I had done everything I wanted to do. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">We loved Fort Lauderdale and we would be happy to stay there again. </span></div></div></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><script type="text/javascript">
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