Canal archive

Gin is definitely not my tipple makes me really dour but Scotch I’m happy to taste for as long as it’s available. On one memorable evening (which shows we didn’t lose it) we drunk the ship out of Lagavulin not everyone appreciates it but it was certainly a smooth drop. At one time The Scenic bar always had a cocktail of the day which of course had to be tasted it would have been rude to not to!

Now Porto is a small compact interesting city not a bustle in sight. Salamanca is similar! Some of these small European cities are really quaint no fuss no bother wonderful eatery’s and bars and occupants who actually have time to stop and chat. Or go out to the countryside to the local villages it’s well worth it. I really don’t do big cities now but at heart I’m a Londoner born and bred I remember full well following my mum through the inner city at first really scary but I soon got used to it as our capitol city is really an amalgamation of small villages and towns.

We Eurostared it for our South of France cruise that was London to Lyon and return but I’m not to sure if they still offer this service. What may be of interest to Mrs P would be to have your luggage couriered it has to go a bit before and arrives back after you do and of course you to pay but it’s absolutely brilliant no cases to lug around they arrived on time really good service this was for our Seine cruise.

Pontac I tried to find an emogie that was - laughing, crying, tearing its hair out and sticking its tongue out at the same time but failed, so my advice - should you wish to take it - keep on whatever hair you have left and do what us Brits always attempt to do - chin up and carry on, think a certain wonderful suite of films!

Not a surprise, Evergreen as a brand is better known in Australia so consolidating across the continents seems rather good business sense to me, but what do I know.

Excellent cafe/bar opposite the square across from the school depending on the time of year for some reason the patron really enjoys practicing his English, interesting guy.

Search on line for a make you fancy then check their website for stockists I’m pretty sure a reputable company would not recommend a dud. You could even email them re their suppliers. Good luck.

I know with Apple if you have an IPad and an IPhone if you take a photograph with one it will automatically also appear on the others photo cache, well it does on mine, I love that spooky arrangement. If you have a camera which uses memory cards there is a piece of kit to transfer the card contents to an iPad. I’m most probably teaching my grandmother to suck eggs here but I don’t like using my iPad to take photographs but it is useful to check them more closely.

All fairies are special but water fairies even more so.

Well thought out Daisi.

Ooops!

Now we’re really getting into the other world especially about the ‘fey’. The fairy like and you know what they say about fairies at the bottom of the garden near especially the river!

This is what would concern me!

Thank you CDNPolar I’m pretty sure with just a few quirks you’ve summed up all river cruise companies. So the huge question is what makes each of them sooooooo different? In various peoples eyes? Is it our individual expectations, or what? Let’s throw out the question what do you think?

Now when 555 was first mentioned 666 was my first thought then I got lost in the music realm, not really ‘in tune’ with that period of music but recognised the expression as to poetry and for example it was a Ley that Blondel is supposed to have sung outside the walls of Durnstein Castle because silly me all troubadours sung a Lay! But still the Lorelie at mile marker 555 spooky.

Our very first cruise with Scenic who are an Australian company was that 7 day one and being real newbies we didn’t realise there were longer trips, well this trip got my DH hooked and we’ve never done a short one again. Although don’t forget it’s only a short hope across the Channel for us and not a flight around the world, if we find ourselves with a week to play with it’s so much easier. Our first trip got nicknamed by the majority on board as the Commonwealth Cruise, Aussies, Newzealanders, Canadians and Brits., plus one couple from Japan who we made honorary members for the cruise.

That sounds like a hack not a glitch. Recently two river cruise companies have been hacked I should check with Avalon if I were you.

I’m never afraid to try something new but if your happy with it I completely agree.

Chalon is a pretty little town Avignon not to be missed even if it’s just to sing the song. Yes definitely go to the Carmague The Coypu was in the wildlife park along with loads of other animals and birds, not to be missed. The picture above Van Goughs room in the sanatorium Arles. The picture above is the Camargue locals riding through town ensuring their right to do so, not Arles.

Wow 50 years old is a grand old age for lock gates. Notamermaid a place to add to your visit list if you haven’t been before, also for any textile buff the Textile Museum at Bolbec we went on our Seine trip. The most superb Jacquard looms with original patterns used in the grand chateaux of France and the rest of Europe. If required they can still be used to replace fabrics. An absolutely fascinating place.

Getting brain in gear maybe I should have said Only No Credit!

ONC On board Credit. I’m coming to the conclusion that something is not so good as it was at the heart of Scenic since Covid.

Everyone raves about the Victorian engineers and forgets the incredible Georgians, e.g. no canal system in England without them and we know that many of their ideas were assisted by Europeans. I have a 1765 book in our archive it is ‘A treatise on how to build a canal’ translated from the French the plates at the back are I’m sure where Heath Robinson got his ideas from. No heavy digging equipment but loads of available man power.

That’s the night for you to wear all that fancy stuff you packed ‘just in case’ well at least you can say ‘it wasn’t wasted’.

Those singing birds are beautiful but becoming extremely sought after and costly.