Canal archive

In the 1800’s the Kennet & Avon Canal was closed for two weeks each year for annual maintenance so nothings new. I’m just glad they can find 300 employees to do the work. No maintenance no river cruising!

I don’t think it matters how high or low the abv is as long as it suites your palette. I’m amazed at how the world’s winemakers have in their various ways educated us and changed their product so that these days it’s not necessarily that difficult to choose an acceptable wine. I’m no expert but I know what I like as in I’m glad the French are again producing some really acceptable Malbacs. Think back to the 60’s and 70’s and Blue Nun! I’m pretty sure it was nearly 100% water, believe it or not we were served it last year at a function in and it wasn’t a bad drop and no I was not wearing a mini skirt and kinky boots.

Then you are well within your rights to point this out in no uncertain manner, first as hopefully the staff have been informed about your preferences and secondly your dietary requirements. There is no way this kind of thing should happen as I know this is your choice but say you had an intolerance to any meat that could cause real health problems what then. We’ve had a few really awful cases in the U.K. over the past few years leading to death so any food provider should absolutely aware of choices and intolerances. Sorry rant for the day I’m lucky I don’t seem to have any at the moment but taking Girl Guides to camp meant it was a live subject all the time we were away.

I’ve encountered meat and fish on the same plate basically all over the world. In the U.K. the colloquial expression is ‘surf & turf’. If it were me and had your preferences I would have gently reminded the servers of my preferences because as it was it does seem to have caused a real blot on your enjoyment of your cruise, such a pity.

We did this train journey with Scenic a few years ago during a very very hot summer and a local holiday, I’ve never seen so many naked people in one day it seemed as if the total area was populated by naturists. Along the river not on the train I thought I should add!

When we arrived for our Seine cruise on the Eurostar last year we had been put on the earlier train the Scenic greeter was at the station and phoned for the car so that we didn’t have to wait. Due to the traffic after dropping us off he had to do an immediate about turn to meet the next train. I don’t mind the Paris traffic if I’m sat in a very comfy Merc.

Beautiful but sooooooo cold we are just getting wetter and wetter mind you with some amazing rainbows.

Email the ship a little closer to the time and I expect you will get a different answer, full contact details should be with your travel details, or the list at the top of the River Cruising that this chat is on. The personal touch will also help I think. Although I do agree that some of the companies ideas over the time since Covid do seem to be just a little weird and not up to their standard pre Covid. Good luck.

I wish I’d taken a photograph of my (now long gone and sadly missed) Border Collie trying to sneak into my suitcase, he knew he wouldn’t fit but still kept trying just in case.

Scenic now has re-usable bottles (black) so now our Mini’s have black for DH as his Countryman is Black and black for mine as a contrast as my Countryman is white. Okay yes there is a story there. I got my Mini first, could not get DH out of the driving seat so insisted he got his own. So yes he’s got most of the bells and whistles but mines got far more poke!

I have a couple of friends actually returning ex-pats who have to jump through hoops to receive USA earned company pensions. It seems strange as evidently before covid, no problem.

So learn to play Rugby and your fine! 😆

Someone who didn’t think to thoroughly test it before it went live!

Absolutely agree!

Tell once he’s had it/them done be sure to keep up with the exercises it’s worth it, far more than you’d think. Have a great cruise.

1of4 a little off piste although I wish I was with you. Tell your DH that it was on a Scenic cruise that a group of four Australians finally persuaded me to bite the bullet and get my knees done. Had the second one done the year before Covid hit so plenty of time to recover and I’ve never looked back. The absolute joy of no pain is indescribable and it wasn’t until someone asked ‘and how’s the pain now’ that, that moment happened ‘what pain!’. Have a great cruise sounds really interesting.

Strangely enough age Captain wise has been an interesting anomaly on a few of our cruises not necessarily the Danube but think father & son on the Bordeaux cruise father far more experience but son far more qualified and not over only his father, to the extent he returned from holiday to navigate through the Napoleon bridge. Two captains on our last Seine cruise being tested for extra maritime qualifications so that a pilot was not required to navigate into Honfluer harbour, we had a party in the evening as both had passed with flying colours but one was a year to young so had to wait to show off his achievements. Reading between the lines I’m pretty sure many of the cruise ships upper maritime crews are ex barge captains vastly experienced (thank goodness) but not necessarily having the fullest paper qualifications. Watching these guys work is in some cases really interesting and yes many of them are Eastern European, the father and son were English but had lived and worked on the European mainland for many, many years, the Seine pair were very French, ohh La La!

Notamermaid as far as I know the person in the wheelhouse nominated as in charge is - per se ‘the captain’ and should have a certain basic qualification. Many of the European River Captains are Eastern European and are absolutely brilliant. We had one who actually challenged the cost of working through a lock, (big discussion with some of the passengers!) Mind you on this cruise many of the passengers got on really well with the crew. Okay some years ago now but an interesting scenario.

CDNPolar yes I agree, waiting to hear more as they seem to be agreeing with a wider demographic.

Wow it’s a bit spooky luckily we missed it this time, last dusting my beautiful white mini became almost Khaki.

Thank you Notamermaid, it’s super to see that the tradition of recording the person in control of a vessel be it he/she, second mate or not is accorded the title of Captain and that this one had the training and foresight to carry out the correct procedure. Not like some in the past. Hopefully not to much damage human on inanimate occurred.

I’ve noticed recently that brand loyalty does not seem these days to have any relevance. A marketing ploy that seems have ceased to exist.

If your doing a Normandy cruise this year look out for this https://news.sky.com/story/d-day-fallen-remembered-with-1475-silhouette-statues-for-80th-anniversary-13103203 Something our Guides & Scouts have been heavily involved in.

My DH worked for a German company and was asked if he would try to learn German, ever the marketing man, he did, one to one and eventually over the telephone always with the same tutor. He thoroughly enjoyed it and the first exhibition (which shock horror I went to ostensibly to aid with looking after customers wives) he went to after a time his German colleagues realised he could and did understand and speak at least some German. They were horrified why, well we will leave that to them, but they tried and tried to work out which part of Germany his tutor came from! Well I told him you stories about speaking and the area the different dialects come from so he told me the answer, his tutor was English and had first learnt German backpacking around Germany she then tidied it up at college, work that one out.

I just happen to be a very proud born and bred Londoner who has for years lived outside of the metropolis, now for over 20 years in the beautiful county of the White Horses. I also know mainland Scotland quite well and I agree Eurostar is a bit off the beaten track for you. A friend who lived in your part of the world who didn’t fly for whatever reason used to - overnight train - to London then Eurostar she really enjoyed it.