D&N

If anyone needs inspiration for some shopping in Monaco tomorrow; how about a nice bottle of wine from the 'Supermarché Casino' at the port? 🤣🤣 No guarantee that the illustrated bottle of Petrus is still available, but the 2011 compares well with the 1996 offered by Cunard and would represent a significant saving. We'll be buying our picnic wine there, but from a fridge without a lock on it! Even though our loyalty card would give us €300 off the displayed price.

On the Riviera we've seen high temperatures with hardly any wind the last two days. By early afternoon it's been a case of closing shutters, windows and curtains and using the aircon. The cats are much happier when we get the temperature down from 32C to 25C or 26C. We made a special trip to the Carrefour to stock up on their Whiskas offer and brought our weekly trip to the local hypermarket forward so part of the morning was spent in air conditioned shops. The biggest issue with heatwaves here is if the overnight temperature doesn't drop. It's been over 27C the last couple of nights, but thankfully that's supposed to come down a little in time for QM2's arrival at Villefranche on Thursday.

@bluemarble Assuming nothing stops us going I will do. It's only a bit over a half hour on train for us. There seems to be a webcam at https://www.vision-environnement.com/livecams/webcam.php?webcam=villefranche-sur-mer that you have probably found already. It scrolls through various shots, but the last few days when I've looked there have been no ships anchored in the "Rade". It takes a shot at the marina gate where it is located as well and I thought perhaps you could catch us posing there, but we don't plan to spend too long standing there so it's unlikely you'll catch that screen shot! 🤣 @Petulia Sorry, but it's just a local day out for us. Fresh pizza and cake from the counters outside the Casino Supermarket at Port Hercule and a nice bottle of wine from their chiller cabinet. Jump on a bus to the gardens on the castle rock and spend a few quiet hours munching and sipping overlooking the port before catching a train home.

I hope to get a photo of Queen Mary 2 for the sunrise thread as she approaches Villefrance-sur-Mer on Thursday 21st July. Not sure how good it will be as she'll be about 8 miles from our window. There's not much point in going to the seafront as that would only cut the distance to 7.25 miles and I'd lose 15 metres or more elevation. I think we'll catch a train to Villefrance-sur-Mer later in the morning and get some closer photos and selfies with her, then go on to Monaco for a cheap al fresco lunch.

Some branches of Lloyds Pharmacy and Boots (same group as Walgreens) offer in store testing by online booked appointment. Depending on what you plan to do between UK arrival and embarkation you could have an online test posted to a UK address that is not your permanent address such as your hotel or other accomodation. Randox Health sent kits to our Southampton hotel at end of May as a backup in case we had problems with our primary arrangements. You would need to confirm that the hotel was prepared to receive and store the package for you. Most of the UK online suppliers are unlikely to mail tests to you in the US.

@GTJ As you requested, I've made a comment on the MTA feedback system, suggesting that integrating NYC Ferry into the OMNY system would have made our travels even simpler. I added that this would benefit regular commuters as well as tourists. I had previously read some criticism of the subsidy involved in the ferry system. One would expect a water based transit system requiring a fleet of new vessels and pier infrastructure and their ongoing maintenance to require high subsidy. Although the alternatives to increase capacity on East River crossings could have involved new bridges or tunnels. Both would involve massive capital investment and take many years to complete, if space exists for them. I'm not arguing for or against either, it's up to administrations and those who vote them in to decide what subsidy levels are acceptable. From the point of view of positive benefit to New Yorkers, the Rockaway route was extremely popular with day trippers on Independence Day. We thought at one point we wouldn't get on the boat since the lines of folk carrying picnic and beach equipment were so long! Perhaps an expensive luxury considering the service needs to be paid for year round, but I wouldn't underestimate the benefits of having infrastructure that generates such obvious enjoyment for thousands.

I missed this one a few days ago. 9th July 1998, sunset over Lions Gate Bridge, Vancouver. Taken from the wonderful Cannery Restaurant, which I understand had to close when they tightened up on port security.

Think you're in Villefranche-sur-Mer on 21st. Currently forecast to be one of our hottest days with strong sun and 26C from early morning, 34C feeling nearer 40C in afternoon. Probably best not to try and do too much if outdoors. If you're on port side of ship about 30 mins before dropping anchor you could give us a wave. 👋

I'm sure nobody would be bored with anything you thought might interest others! In particular you might get the chance to contribute to the Sunrise (Sunset) thread from new places. 🌅

I have a small but robust UK->EU adapter, but I also have 2 standard UK shaver adapters, like these: https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41Fwczhv-9L._AC_SL1098_.jpg They come with a 1 amp fuse as standard that are smaller than most UK capsule fuses. But I have obtained 3 amp fuses of the same size. Provided you are using 2 pin EU or US plugs, and of course that the article is suitable for 230v, they work quite well. Having said that, you may find US sockets in public areas. Here's a photo of the Golden Lion Bar. There appears to be a pair of US outlets to the left of the wall phone. https://widgety-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/2021/10/14/06/30/50/84134930-bb05-41fd-a6ac-b734c8a5cc27/Cunard Line QV Golden Lion Pub.jpg

Red Hook on the South Brooklyn Route. You can see the ferry pontoon in the dock with gangway leading to access road near the terminal entrance and the canopy to left with white blocks in front is where folk queue. If you are capable of getting your luggage aboard the ferry at the boarding jetty, you should have no problem at Red Hook. This should be a link to the current timetable for that route. https://images.ferry.nyc/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/22235744/Web-Scheds-Template_5-23_SBv2.pdf?_ga=2.256678923.1014499596.1657573659-753858623.1657381906

We think 'NYC Ferry' are great. I'd been looking at them from 2018 when we first booked our TAs, and realised that in 2017/2018 they received a fleet of brand new purpose built vessels. We used South Brooklyn route from Red Hook to Wall Street and return on our 5th June day in New York. Then on 4th July, on a separate visit, after a walk around Central Park, continued walking to East 90th Street Pier, boarding the Astoria route to zig-zag down East River to Wall Street. Transferring on same tickets to Rockaway route to Rockaway and with fresh tickets returned about 20 mins later. Nearly 3 and half hours of river cruising in an air conditioned cabin for $5.50 each! Being a public holiday and very hot, the queues/lines for the Rockaway boats were long but everyone got on with plenty of seats still available.

Thank you. There's not much in the photo to suggest where it was! 😂 It was good. We saw everything we wanted to and the flights were better that expected. But if we go to New York again it will be a repeat of our 5th June visit minus the washing line!

I intended to post this yesterday but forgot due to jet lag. Sunrise on the port wing, 7th July 2022. Delta 028, Registration: N836MH, at map coordinates 50.973, -19.673

Happy 4th! From 34th at FDR.

Under the Verrazano Bridge just now from "Forget Me Not". A wee bit smaller than Queen Mary 2 but pretty fast.

We were on a British Airways Concorde yesterday. At the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum. It didn't move very far and we had to listen to a young aviation geek rythme off all the things we already knew about her. But it's the nearest we'll get to the experience.

In answer to the topic heading of "Why Cunard"; To date we have chosen cruises primarily for the destination. Alaska; considered various and chose Princess (pre Carnival). Panama Transit; a too good to be true deal came up on P&O Arcadia. Transatlantic Crossing on an ocean liner, I don't recall there being a choice! Ideally I would avoid P&O in future as the food offering was far too British for our taste, but wouldn't rule them out completely. We may return to Alaska in future and the QE itineraries offered in recent years would suit us. If I really felt like prising myself away from home to travel on a ship for the sake of it, the only candidate would be Queen Mary 2 in Britannia Club, round trip. Avoiding any exposure to Midtown Manhattan where we are just now. Or as I like to call it: Blackpool on steroids!

One description given, and I can't remember where, suggested a shirt with a collar was adequate on smart attire nights. I watched one vlogger suggest that the polo shirt they were wearing met that criteria!

Not that it makes things any better, but Cunard are not the only travel company to duplicate the check in process. Delta flying from Nice to JFK let us check in with hand luggage only and answer all the Covid questions and declarations about passports residency etc. Then issued boarding passes, which should have seen us having a final passport check at gate. However security rejected our boarding passes and sent us back to check in where they verified everything again and issued card boarding passes and added stickers to our passports. We were finally allowed to go through security after that.

Didn't get the clearest of photos this afternoon at the Statue of Liberty. The air wasn't very clear. Unlike the morning of 5th June when I got some crystal clear pics of the statue from deck 13. Here's the best one I took. From a tourism point of view, we enjoyed a USTA Tennis Centre tour late this morning then straight to Battery Park for ferry to the statue. We slapped sunscreen on before joining lines to board boat. It was very hot in the sun but I think we've avoided any sunburn. Very jealous of anyone who can get an Illy Americano from Sir Samuels. I've not found anywhere making them in the 'slow pour' fashion here so far. Hope everyone enjoys their crossing.

@rafinmd Hope you don't mind a few photos. Just today. May have a couple later when I transfer from the zoom camera. Just 2 daft folk at The Statue of Liberty trying to photobomb the Queen Mary 2's portraits! And Bon Voyage!

No but hope to get some photos

Quite late for a sunrise but buildings are so tall it takes a while. This morning over 19 W45th Street, Midtown Manhattan.

One thing to note about the wine list I photographed on Queen Mary 2 and wines by the glass within the wine package was that due to logistics problems many of the wines that should have been available to those on the drinks package were not available at all or in selected restaurants or lounges. We believe that between, bottled water, Illy coffees, teas aperitifs and wine we benefited by several hundred $$. Even taking account of the 3 quality bottles of red that we ordered at a 20% discount. Our sommelier and several waiters that we dealt with in our regular dance and lounge venues noted our cabin number and our cards were not requested again. We encountered very considerate waiters who either served or offered 250ml servings in place of 150ml servings. While this gesture was appreciated we thanked them, but explained that if we were served 150ml glasses we had more control over our overall daily alcohol consumption. We calculated that we benefited from the package with 6 drinks per day and often had 8.