Friday 28th – Saturday 29th June 2019 Our overnight ferry from Toulon, originally scheduled to depart at 21:00, was delayed by several hours. We had hoped for a picturesque departure at sunset but it was already dark when we finally boarded at close to 23:00. The concierge proudly informed us that our cabin had a window but it was not until the morning we realised we were right at the stern with views over the wake. Unfortunately, this also meant that we were above the engine room. Although we were safely tucked up in bed and dozing by the time all the cars, motorhomes and lorries had been loaded and the ship was ready to depart we were wide awake as soon as the captain and pilot revved up the engines to manoeuvre their way out of port. Everything in the cabin – the doors, the prefabricated shower and toilet unit, the aforementioned window, the bed and the metal ladder for the optional extra berth – seemed to rattle, shake or squeak in a discordant cacophony. Fortunately, as we braced ourselves for a sleepless night on board we must have reached open sea; the side thrusters were turned off […]
Monthly Archives: June 2019
Wednesday 26 June 2019 Ironically, having revelled in the fact that we no longer need to go away during the school holidays and can therefore avoid higher prices, other people’s fractious children and the hottest months of the year, our trip to Corsica and Sardinia saw us heading for Paris in a positive heatwave. Temperatures in Paris hit 34 degrees on the day we arrived, schools have closed, national exams have been cancelled and vehicles are being restricted in the capital to combat pollution. As we arrived at our four star Holiday Inn, close to the Gare de Lyon [which features a picturesque and elegant clock tower] . . . . . . the neon sign on the building next door flashed the immortal words “Sex Shop”. Matilda felt she was stepping back in time to the period before retirement and before she had issued her minimum star requirement for hotels when Robert habitually booked those closest to the station for convenience. Curiously, the areas around the main line stations all across Europe seem to feature establishments which offer this service. Having checked in and applied sun protection we walked to Notre Dame to pay our respects to this iconic […]
Saturday 24th – Monday 25th May 2019 Saturday dawned overcast and damp and we heard that flights to and from St Mary’s were cancelled because of the weather conditions so our decision to hire the boat the day before was vindicated. We took the ferry back to St Mary’s: Matilda had identified a few items she was considering buying and we took a short walk round the town, although the views and Star Castle were shrouded in mist. When we returned to Tresco Jaime and Ruth went to collect bicycles to use the following day and took an exploratory ride. Following massages to relieve accumulated back, neck and shoulder tension on Sunday morning, while Jaime and Ruth took to their bikes, Robert and Matilda opted to walk round the island, taking in both King Charles’ Castle and Cromwell’s Castle . . . . . . as well as spectacular views across the sandy bays . . . and beaches. . . . . . and the Tresco Abbey Gardens where the walkers reunited with the cyclists for refreshments. They say you can’t go back but we have thoroughly enjoyed returning to Tresco . . . . . . and hope […]
Friday 24th May 2019 The weather forecast meant that Friday was the best day to hire a boat from Hut 62 on Bryher. Our boat was delivered to the jetty in front of Bay House and we were given life jackets, a chart, a basic first aid kit and a training session. Because the tidal range makes such a difference to the water level between the various islands, on a few days each year the water is actually low enough for people to walk between Tresco and Bryher and Robert has done this in the past. We were therefore advised to take a small one-man dinghy with us, allowing one of us to drop the others, then take the boat into deeper water to moor and return to shore in the dinghy, so that the boat did not become beached. As we crossed towards Bryher to collect the dinghy, a helicopter flew overhead. To help to manage the tidal range we were also advised to go to the farthest point we wished to visit and then return as the tide was going out. We planned to finish our day trip on Bryher where we could spend a few hours while […]