Canal archive

Love the head line. We’re going to have to do the Bordeaux cruise again just as an excuse to see the Luminaire in what used to be the U-boat pens. This is some of what was left in 2016.

Thank you I can see it could be useful. I’m not surprised you had problems doing the Camino I’ve done short bits years ago and underfoot was not exactly easy going.

This may seem a strange question but as we’re on the subject of active cruising - does one really have to be taught to use walking poles. I’d like to know because the fitness instructor on board was teaching a group on our last cruise with Scenic and I forgot to ask on board.

Take a look at Scenic, similarity’s between them and AMA three groups for excursions, bikes etc. I started off some years ago very much on the active list but I’m also a bit of a photographer so gradually worked my way to the gently paced group, now needed for my health as well. Don’t knock the longer bus rides, look where you could end up, maybe climbing the highest sand dune in Europe, an amazing paddle in the Ardeche, walking out to Pont du Hoc and surrounding area. Sometimes the best experiences aren’t on your doorstep. We took a very active friend to Salisbury once a beautiful city with an equally beautiful Cathedral she couldn’t see where her exercise was coming from until we had her climbing the spire okay not a mountain but those steps are something else and how many people can say they’ve climbed the highest cathedral spire in the U.K.

As far as I can tell virtually non, these are huge rivers the land area required above at the sides or below would be prohibitive. Some of the challenge is not necessarily the amount of water as the type of ground it flows over, rocks the cost won’t work and as the rivers are used so much for trade the stoppages would make it even less cost effective. The old canal boatmen in the U.K. had a way of putting it - the bottoms coming up to meet the top - just add the rural accent. The locks control the flow to a certain extent but cannot work miracles.

Go to www.France-hotel-guide.com and ask it when to visit mont saint michel. It shows when it’s busy when it’s not it’s really quite interesting and may be of help. Interesting place well worth visiting but you do need time to really appreciate it.

Very interesting I’m sure you reported this to Glen Moroney.

Pontac was your room ready? Did you ask your Butler for a light snack in your cabin?

Bethwte I have never sailed on Viking but have done quite a few river cruises. First of all search the information at the beginning of these River Cruise forums, lots of interesting stuff. Although you will find that non of the river cruise companies can give you a definitive time for mooring up or departure. The ships have to adhere to the directions of the person who is the ‘local moorings officer’. So timings will be around and about but could also be way off it depends on so many factors. I’m sure many Viking aficionados will try to help you out with more information.

Regardless do keep in touch with the ship, reception is fine they’ll know what’s going on. Do enjoy yourselves it’s a wonderful cruise.

Alaskabound enjoy, raise a glass for us looking forward to our river cruises.

You do realise it could be between 2.45 to 3.45 hours journey there and back depending on the roads traveled on.

Yes it’s the boiler that goes, they cost so much to keep in tip top condition it can become prohibitive to keep any steam engine working.

One year we had a guy who insisted on wearing the ‘grottiest’ pair of shorts you’ve ever seen to dinner every evening, despite requests for him to conform from quite a few on board including his wife. We’re sure it was because of a request then in the small print to be shall we say a bit tidier for dinner. Eventually everyone including his wife refused to sit with him, the restaurant manager asked him if he would prefer a table to himself. So he sat in solitude every evening for the rest of the cruise! The rest of the trip he joined in with everyone with no problem. As my mum used to say ‘there’s non so queer as folk’.

DougK on our first cruise with Scenic our departure from Budapest was in the evening so it doubled up as the superbly presented city but our second time when we ended it was an add on and only a year before the tragedy. I think they have restarted them I seem to remember reading it somewhere.

Whatever anyone says if you want to dress up especially if you’re celebrating something special then go for it, it’s your holiday and your celebration. Enjoy!

I suspect they will leave the safety briefing until the next day. If you look at the info tagged above look at the Scenic contact details the email and phone for your ship should be there so you can contact them to let them know what you’re doing. My daughter and son in law snagged some standing room tickets last time they were in Budapest and really enjoyed it.

There isn’t usually a welcome reception on the first night but you will miss cruising through Budapest during the evening a part of your cruise not to be missed it’s a highlight of the cruise. There will also be an introductory port talk also really not to be missed. Unless the event at the Opera is during the afternoon you could potentially miss the boat. Our first cruise was Budapest to Nuremberg we got the bug and then husband decided it was too short a cruise so several years later we did Amsterdam to Budapest. We’re soon off on our ninth Scenic cruise.

Scenic have do have age clauses, under 18 must be accompanied by an adult and under 12s at the companies discretion.

We’ve gained a squirrel but it’s a grey whos building a drey in a tree at the end of the garden but the Magpies are trying to take it over as a nest and one of our neighbours cats, when the weather is okay sits on a dilapidated shed hoping to catch something. Stealing from the bird feeder.

We’ve actually had about a generous sprinkle of snow now turning to sleet and rain we needed it as it’s been the driest start to a year that I can remember.

I suppose initially not knowing anything else we took both of our daughters from a fairly (under 10) young age to restaurants of all degrees including starred. They’ve dined in some of the best London establishments and loved it. The point is on a jaunt out on a Scout service team event we’re booked into a fairly up market restaurant as a special treat (these are kids from all walks of life) something is obviously not right - step forward my beautiful youngest daughter - she sorted it no problem, I’m held down out of the way. Youngsters learn and retain their experiences and I believe grow to be well rounded individuals.

Ohhh anticipation is a **************. Fingers and toes crossed for you!

Loch Ness on our return Urguhart castle around the headland on the port side. No sign of Nessie but the hole in the cloud makes the square patch of sunlight.

When my husband first learnt, as he referred to it as Restaurant German we were at a a large exhibition when one of his German colleagues suddenly realised that DH could maybe understand them. His colleague explained to me in really very good English, which he kept apologising for, that they would now have to be very careful what they said. They seemed a little worried at first, not used to the tables being turned. We still hear from them occasionally.