Canal archive

He may have but he also stood in the general election to try to become a member of parliament many times. He had a so called group - Screaming Lord Such and the Savages. Its on YouTube.

We are off to Paris beginning of July DH has worked it so it’s straight off the Eurostar at the Gare du Nord onto the transport and straight to the Scenic Gem, what no shops!

Sorry to but in but the best for cake and coffee is Restaurant Sacha for wonderful Viennese coffee and Sachertorte it may be a bit like sitting in a restaurant in St Marks Square, you know it’s going to be expensive but you only do it once so savour and enjoy.

If you’re only staying one night check out the Ibis hotels they’re not pretentious, clean and straightforward. Don’t go to the Louvre you’ll get lost for the day, yes it’s a must but when you got more time. Try for a tour I know it’s sounds gouache but you will at least see many of the sights of this special city. To get into the flavour of the city walk up at least part of the Champs-Elysees towards the Arc de Triumph (driving around there is bordering on horrific especially on a scooter). Go to Montmartre if you can have lunch or a drink on the pavement and visit the Sacre- Coeur. Parisians are not the most patient of French but enjoy because your next day you’ll be wiped out, don’t forget jet lag. Have a great cruise and enjoy one of the world’s fascinating city’s.

Scenic don’t give you cash for lunch but either provide it or you can request a picnic, we’ve do it and it’s excellent.

We’ve got you all beat as ours actually exist, you must have seen or heard of them. The best one who sad to say never actually got elected was ‘Screaming Lord Such’ but he did head up an actual political party. Some would say Boris but I have a sneaking regard for him as at least no one could beat his enthusiasm.

Well it is Switzerland.

DH reminded me we went through the same thing again two years later, return to the States enfamalie (no regrets there) again first thing to purchase - hairdryer, this one we donated to our last motel, the staff said it would be useful as they didn’t supply them and it was the most forgotten item. You couldn’t do that now, too many regulations on electrical appliances.

I once negotiated with the attendant in the first, ladies convenience I went into, she had a dish that she used for her tips so we agreed and I swapped her change for my notes and she got a larger tip. I hadn’t even thought about change as you don’t need cash on Scenic. Although I believe at least one cruise company pays for you to use these facilities.

All these different voltages sockets & plugs I knew there was a reason, slightly increased sales. You nudged my memory on our first US trip plus daughters we had to buy a hairdryer, three girls long hair pool every day (every motel had to have a pool) DH being folicaly challenged wasn’t worried, we gave the hairdryer to the very accommodating pool guy at our last hotel.

Or of course from the other way and start at Amsterdam or a slightly smaller city Nuremberg.

Yes I suppose we are so used to Dyson products we just accept them. Their development facility is really not that far from us and James D is quite often stirring things up especially when he is still pushing for expansion in the Bath area.

Quaint and boutique are expressions I steer well clear of when choosing hotels, oh and ‘your home away from home’. If I’m only staying a day or two on route I’d choose one of the big companies you know you’ll get a good okay maybe basic product, clean and comfortable. It’s can get just a bit spooky rocking up to a crumbling old Manor House straight out of Agatha Christi last thing at night! We stayed the night in the Ibis in St Omar France what a surprise Centre of town as good if not better that a lot of your so called nearly high end offerings.

Scenic have nothing in their small print apart from all ships i.e. cabins have hairdryers and are 220v. email Uniworld and ask there are only two answers!

CPT I’ve lost count of the many miles I’ve navigated around the USA using that little map you get from the car hire company. Way before GPS of course and enjoyed every minute well almost.

Notamermaid Luxembourg has the money to invest we went there on an excursion with Scenic you can smell the money! Interesting place an airport with virtually no passengers, it’s for cargo as a tax dodge. Every high end store you can think of and when we were there a few years ago the EU were shmoosing the Egyptian President police cars racing everywhere regardless of any other humans in the way. Not impressed.

Okay what’s that going to cost me just to try, not forgetting the travel expenses!

Note to self, yes must mark used - remember.

We have in our archive a 1760 book it’s a treatise on how to build a canal translated from the French the plates at the back are completely Heath Robinson so will try to scan as if you see anything similar along the rivers of Europe, you’ll know, yes design has changed but you can usually tell where the original idea originated from. Archimedes invented the screw we have few on display that are now about 200 years old but modern ones working in exactly the same way are still in use. What a brain that man had!

I notice that SijFa is a Dutch company which explains why they may have taken up the idea, they, the Dutch, are very keen on inclusivity. The Milenial idea was doomed from the start it looked like it was instigated by someone straight out of uni to begin with, I mean Millennial not U and the marketing or coloured pencil brigade at Uniworld got sucked in.

Crikey can’t get my years correct this time 2020 not 1 we were in Bass Lake California one of my most favourite places in the world and the weather was superb, just right today evidently it’s snowing.

We toured a cider farm sat on the contraption being towed by the tractor whilst we were inside tasting their excellent product it started to rain this I spied through the window, nor a sight you see often. On Scenic Gem 2014

Thanks steamboats I forgot that bit of the route.

Evidently it snowed in LA this past week as well. We were there this time of year in 2021 and it was very warm.

Haven’t got the brain in tune properly yet but first impression - what an ugly bow!