HeinBloed Blog from VENTURA 2018 to Northern Spain/Western France

[HeinBloed]

 

Starting the blog with the blog of the voyage on VENTURA 2018. Though with a pre-cruise, which took us via Hook of Holland towards Harwich. An excellent occasion to reactivate old contacts: "Do you remember then...".

 

Who might be only interested in the ship, need to be patient for "another week" in the blog. It is worth to wait: from my point of view, the best price-value-ratio, which you could get on the market.

 

And England is much nicer than some might expect to have a wonderful pre-cruise. Our way took us to the Lake District in Northern England.

 

 

https://heinbloed-minis.blogspot.com/2018/10/tagday-0a-auf-dem-weg-zuron-way-to.html

 

From Harwich, we were heading via Cambridge to Birmingham - the second largest city in England. And now the home of good friends we knew as NCL-crew-members and they were always worth to stop and to meet them.

 

 

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The next lap took us to Liverpool on the roots of the Beatles: once in a lifetime in the barber shop which is mentioned in the lyrics of the song "Penny Lane". It was so special.

 

Debs was an excellent tour guide and took us closer on the trace of Strawberry Fields, Eleanor Rigby, Father McKenzie. A great city, which should be called more frequently by cruise ships.

 

We reached the Lake District finally. Here a unique, beautiful landscape was expecting us.

 

 

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[HeinBloed]

With the help of Tess, we made acquaintance with many beautiful sides of the Lake District.

 

 

https://heinbloed-minis.blogspot.com/2018/10/tagday-0d-auf-dem-weg-zuron-way-to.html

 

 

One reason which made me taking to the Lake District to see: Beatrice Potter and Peter Rabbit.

 

 

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We had to head towards the Southcoast. The way took us via Leeds. Here, we met our former cruise-fellows from our MSC MUSICA 2007-voyage.

 

Apart of the Lake District, Peak District counts to one of the most beautiful areas in England. So we had to see it.

 

 

https://heinbloed-minis.blogspot.com/2018/10/tagday-0f-auf-dem-weg-zuron-way-to.html

 

In the morning I could make it after ten years to thank my former co-worker from our UK-Sheffield-Office for providing me with paper catalogs (also from P&O) and having breakfast together.

 

Today we needed to reach the Southcoast because three ships were setting sail out of Southampton. A short lunch break in Oxford that I would not miss the set sail.

 

 

https://heinbloed-minis.blogspot.com/2018/10/tagday-0g-auf-dem-weg-zuron-way-to.html

[HeinBloed]

Finally arriving on VENTURA. Back again after ten years. A lot has changed. We had the VENTURA in excellent memories.

 

On BRITANNIA 2016 they ruined my 50th birthday. And on ARTEMIS 2010 a volcano ash cloud appeared.

 

Seven nights towards Northern Spain and Western France were waiting for us. And somehow we had a lot of luck with the crew - it could only become better than on BRITANNIA and ARTEMIS.

 

 

https://heinbloed-minis.blogspot.com/2018/10/tagday-1-auf-deron-ventura-in.html

 

The first of two days at sea. Time to look around on the ship in peace and to enjoy: Tea-Time and "Walk like a Man", which we watched recently on QUEEN MARY 2.

 

We enjoyed our great cabin which we indulged ourselves as we had to rebook and did not like to pay the cancellation fee and preferred to made additional revenue. Our cabin stewardess Rochelle was part of the inventory and took care of us.

 

 

https://heinbloed-minis.blogspot.com/2018/10/seetagday-at-sea-2-auf-deron-ventura.html

 

The first port was already canceled: La Coruna was replaced by Gijon. We really would love to meet our former tour guide, we knew from our tour to Santiago de Compostela on KONINGSDAM 2016: David.

 

So we had to go to Gijon and good reasons to see the capital of Asturia: Oviedo - popular because of the movie by Woody Allen "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" with Rebecca Hall, Scarlett Johansson, and Javier Bardem.

 

Elvira took us to the film sets from them and showed us the reason why Oviedo is charming to seduce women.

 

 

https://heinbloed-minis.blogspot.com/2018/10/tagday-3-auf-deron-ventura-in-gijon.html

 

Bilbao is for me one of the most attractive cities in Europe, which took us closer by Segway/Ninebos by Victor and later in the Guggenheim Museum by Ana.

 

Pintxos were also good reasons to come back again to Bilbao.

 

And finally a chance to take great pictures of the ship and to enjoy the balcony.

 

One more time with "Walk like a Man" Part 2 with the singing and dancing real nurses.

 

Due to missing capacity in the main dining room, we went to The Glasshouse with the best steak, I had for a while and an outstanding service by Karabi.

 

 

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[HeinBloed]

We were heading to the French Atlantic coast to La Rochelle: arriving with the lowest expectations and so nicely surprised.

 

Just the lunch with Bar André was worth to go ashore. Such yummy mussels.

 

A medical emergency took us back late in the night.

 

The signature alternative dining venue onboard is The Epicurean, where some of the dishes were celebrated by preparation at the table. It was a lovely service, we got here.

 

 

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After three consecutive port calls, it was time again for a day at sea.

 

No need again to have a Pan-Asian experiment. And finally back with good friends in the Main Dining Room thanks to Dannah, Joe, and Tyson.

 

 

https://heinbloed-minis.blogspot.com/2018/10/seetagday-at-sea-6-auf-deron-ventura.html

 

The last shore trip took us to Cherbourg. A port of the ancient days when immigrants went to the new world by ship. You can still feel it.

 

With Pascal, we went to the Saire-Valley. A grand tour which ended in the rain and so in a restaurant of the fisherman.

 

I was happy to get a chance for a personal meeting with Hotel General Manager Sharma Daljit, and I could tell him that this time I had the luck that I must not follow the protocol because two Guest Service Representatives took care of my issues: Sandra and Savita.

 

 

https://heinbloed-minis.blogspot.com/2018/10/tagday-7-auf-deron-ventura-in-cherbourg.html

 

Unfortunately, it was again time to say goodbye from a wonderful crew of VENTURA. 2020 we would be back.

 

We were continuing to the Isle of Wight on the trace of "Victoria and Abdul" to Osborne House.

 

Overnight we got back to France by a channel ferry.

 

 

https://heinbloed-minis.blogspot.com/2018/10/tagday-8-auf-deron-ventura-in.html

 

We used the cold day to drive along the D-Day-Landing-Beaches in Normany and to be prepared for our next voyage on MARCO POLO 2019 and do some researches.

 

In Paris, it was time to say goodbye to Sigi, whom we would see again soon.

 

An exciting voyage ashore in England and the cruise on VENTURA to Spain and France come here to the end.

 

But the biggest surprise was waiting at home: Original Mozart balls (NOT Mozart's balls!!!) of the pastry shop Fürst from Salzburg - thanks to a great cruiser: Annette!

 

 

https://heinbloed-minis.blogspot.com/2018/10/tagday-9-nach-derafter-ventura-in.html