morbihan

I saw it. The scones that I had on QE were the worst that I have ever eaten. I like my own recipe best but not eating carbs at the moment . .😁😁😁😁. Shortage of flour here also but the boulangerie is open so I don't know why really. The French aren't a cake eating country. Fancy stuff on a Sunday yes but they are happy with a yogurt on a daily basis. They could be making crepes.

Cake. I love cake. A lot.

I haven't all the details but it looks as if things are going to be open here from 11th May. Not bars and restaurants.

I have become a sloth so will need to force myself to move out of the house and actually do something. Ooh. Spending money😁😁

It is not a question of spying on you it is to make sure that you are obeying lockdown rules and not travelling to areas where you shouldn't be. People must stay at home. No going on jaunts, second homes etc., France is not the only country doing this. The UK police were stopping cars with the 'wrong' number plates for the area and sending them away. France also has a history of the identity card so the French are used to having 'papers'. Now, after Brexit, I have my Carte de Sejour. It is just like that here. As for the war, no I was born just after. France was an occupied country and it was the Germans who needed to see papers so you had to have them. Even in a small place like this we have the Gestapo House. It was a long time ago.

HH you are quite correct...I printed out the forms for my neighbours and popped them in their letter boxes. This was the second form variation. More details requested. They must have realised people hadn't printers as a phone version came out.

Morning. We have a form that I downloaded and printed out. Now available on a phone! We have to fill in name, date of birth, place of birth and address here. Then there are five boxes that you can tick..going to work, going for essential shopping, medical appointment or treatment, caring for elderly or ill people and the daily one hour walk within one kilometre of home. I walk to the shop so kill two birds with one stone. I live in a small town of 2500 so the police are not very present but in Paris they are out and about checking up. At the start, like many other countries, second home owners thought that they would come to Brittany and isolate. Walk on the beach etc.. That soon stopped after the first fines. 35€ that first day but went to 135€ I think. I haven't been keeping track but millions of euros have been paid. Something like 70,000 fines in one day! Very civilised. No stock piling of foods. Everyone keeping a safe distance. Masks are not compulsory. Hopefully it will start to ease after May 11th. People infected numbers seem to be dropping but Italy was like that and then back up they went. So did Spain. Numbers of deaths in Brittany went up but ill people from the more heavily touched regions were transferred here because we had the beds so a bit of a false reading. 

Day 40 tomorrow for me. I go out once a week to the supermarket where there are no shortages. Well, flour was in short supply for a couple of weeks but I saw some the other day. I filled in my going out forms today and went for a blood test. It is very quiet here. The first couple of days people walked by and there were cars about but everyone seems to be at home isolating. I am teaching myself to crochet. My diy has ground to a halt as supplies are unavailable. I just potter and faff, becoming an expert in both.

I was due to come back to the UK next week but doesn't look likely. Not to worry. France has closed everything apart from supermarkets, chemists and petrol stations..same as in Spain. Take care everyone.

Yes indeed. Southampton , New York, Southampton!

I did get off in St.Petersburg twice!

Slaps wrist.

I am still here. Just hanging on until the last to see if Snowy is speaking to you! Very enjoyable trip. I like the look of Cuba. I am going with Cunard in 2020 but looking to fit a Hurtigruten roundtrip in before. This year I am land based in Italy.

Is it tidal Norris? The houses won't flood?

Happy Birthday! The key at last😂

Yes. Forgot about the test. It was done straight away if I remember rightly.

As for taking the bottles aboard, as you know I or rather we, used to be backward and forward across the Channel all the time and our supplier gave us certificates for the equipment in case any of the ferry companies asked. 

My husband needed to use oxygen. At that stage he wasn't too bad so we managed with an oxygen convertor/generator and a few bottles. In fact, I think that he had just been prescribed so the intake was very low. How soon I have forgotten all the technical terms!

I told Cunard and everything went very smoothly. He was not on oxygen when we booked the cruise. They gave me the name of the company they used to supply oxygen, the name of whom I can't remember. I didn't need them in the end. We had the convertor.

We later went on a Celebrity cruise and took it all with us again. Obviously, I drove to the port with the equipment and had spares in the boot for the return journey. Just in case.

Lost track now! What was it you needed to know?😁 Yes people use oxygen. Yes it is quite common. Yes Cunard have dealt with this before.

We got upgraded!!! Big disabled cabin!

Drat it. Why did I think that you sailed  on the 25th?

Eighteen pages to read! 

Well, all done. Will go back later and read more thoroughly and watch the rest of the videos.

Nice to see you both looking so well. 

Fab. Thanks for that.

Thank you. It has been a hard couple of years.

Feeling more myself now though.

I can recommend Venice. Trouble is it is so beautiful in my eyes that I don't really want to go anywhere else! Because I am such an early riser I have the place practically to myself. The best time!

I am still reading along.  I do love Italy. We went to Rome but only for a few days before going on a cruise. Next year I am going to Venice again as my late husband and I loved it there. Now, even though I can fly, I am going on the train as usual but during the day. I haven't decided yet if to do the journey in a day or break it and stop in Turin.

Then there is the thought of driving there and visiting the Cinque Terre region but what would I do with the car in Venice? I am going to have to get organised! 

You really seem to have a problem.

Did you read what I posted at all?

At all times I stated that the corkscrew was in my bag and not my luggage. I was stopped and it was taken away.

I also mentioned that it had been bought in Venice just days before embarkation so wasn't packed in our suitcase which went straight onboard.

Read the posts  before you make comments and accuse people of giving false information.

Just out of interest, has the craze for flavoured or 'special' artisanal gin here in the UK arrived in the USA/Foreign Parts or is it over?

I have fallen for rhubarb gin. It is the most wonderful stuff!

Shame it is not rhubarb season but next spring I will make a dozen bottles. It is that good! Have used frozen and it works as well. I am trying not to make too much as I will drink it😀😀 it is a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Having a sip now which is why I can't spell artisanal. artisinal artisanel. Whatever.

You just have time to make it for Christmas!

Just to mention that I expect if you have it in your suitcase it will no doubt get onboard.

It was just perhaps a new thing that day. After their experience with me they maybe decided the queue wasn't worth it. 

We did, of course, have a drinks package anyway. Now I take champagne as you don't need a corkscrew.

I am not in France at the moment or I would post a photo. If I could!

We were at the flat and the one there broke. I bought a perfectly normal everyday opener from the hardware shop in Venice. Bright green so I could find it again. Just an opener that you screw into the bottle then lift the arms to release the cork. Bog standard.

We went to start our cruise and I thought that the inspectors meant that I had a wine bottle in my bag which I strongly denied. I had to empty all my bag on the desk and they pounced on it. I never decided if it was because I was going to drill a hole in the bottom of the ship or skewer the captain.

I am trying to remember the year. 2015? Venice then around the Med and back to Civitavechia. Then we went back to Venice for another fortnight. Wasn't having another renter nicking my corkscrew which is why I took it in the first place😁.

As it is, it is a poignant reminder of happier days.

As for the knitting needles I always mention mine when taking the cross channel ferry.

Not at all. I was there.

I had a corkscrew in my bag and it was confiscated.

If it was in a suitcase not a bag, it might have got on but as I explained it was just in my bag after leaving our flat. It was not alone on the Naughty Table when we left either.

Don't take on a corkscrew. Dangerous weapon!

Once again I apologize to all the folk behind me in Venice! I thought they meant I had a bottle of wine in my bag. Completely misunderstood. I had bought it as the one in our rented flat had broken and I am mean.

I picked it up from the Naughty Table on leaving holding up the people running to catch the train to Rome.

Oh how they laughed.

We bought wine in the duty free shop in Kusadasi between security and the ship. Allowed to keep it which we didn't expect.

Have to agree about the Martini Bar. Scrum.

We used to go down to the Passport Bar about 17.00 for a cocktail before dinner. Early dinner! Afterwards we would go to Cafe Bacio for one of their special coffee's and go back to sit on our balcony watching the wake.

Other bars were visited during the day but we like to stick with one really.

I tried a few. People close to us in the dining room had been to a cocktail party and appletini's or something were mentioned .  .  . rocket fuel. The barmen knew us and watched my face 😁😁. Passport Bar it was. I had a waiter there who made my cosmo's just right every evening. Went into a little room and came out with nectar. Wouldn't let the barman make them. Very nice bunch of people.

The one I had in the Martini Bar was left on the bar after a sip. 

Could just fancy a Mudslide!

I have just caught up. Enjoying your trip very much.

Good one! 

Camels would make great support animals as well as being useful for haulage😂