RachelG

Santiago de Compostela pics

St James path

Not sure why everything is underlined on the last post. Very strange.

September 30, 2023–La Coruna, Spain We had a nice sleep with the ship gently rocking. Waking up, it was kind of hazy outside. Tamps again in the low 80s. The haze quickly burned off, and it was a bright sunny day again. We have been to La Coruna before, years ago. My memory is of glass encased cafes, sort of like terrariums for humans, as it rains here a lot. We sailed into the harbor, again past a huge MSC ship, and were soon docked pretty much downtown, easy to walk if not going on an excursion. Our plan for the day was to do an excursion which involved hiking 4 miles of the St James trail, the famous pilgrimage path to Santiago de Compostela. This hike is one I have wanted to do for many years, so I figured the 6 mile portion would give us a little taste of it. We were 45 minutes late getting off the ship as all the tours were delayed. We drove through beautiful hilly forest to the beginning of our hike. Our guide told us it was impossible to get lost, just follow the markers, so we set off. The first part really was well marked, pretty flat and paved in places. There were lots of pilgrims, so we just followed the herd. There was a sign that said to turn right, so we did. We hiked quite a ways then realized there were only a few others on this trail, just the 10 of us in our group. We turned around and tracked back to the sign. Turns out, there were two trails going right, and we had taken the wrong one. We hiked on, now on the edge of a road Into a town. Lots of pilgrims were there, so we kept going, until we again realized no one else was around. This time, I could ask for help as there were shops around. We soon got back on the right trail and hiked through beautiful forest. Along the way, a cute little dog decided to join us. We eventually turned up at the bar where our guide was waiting. The little dog tried to get on the bus with us. We drove to Santiago de Compostela, but had very little time due to our late start, just enough to see the outside of the cathedral and get a snack. Disappointing. We drove back to port. I felt like a pillar of salt, so took a nice shower. We met up with friends in the Meridian Lounge then went to dinner in Compass Rose. They had a fresh local fish, a type of sea bream, on the menu which was outstanding. George ordered a ribeye, but I could tell as soon as it came to the table that it was not properly trimmed. And as a result, was very tough. He sent it back and got a filet which was perfect. The show tonight was Martin Kaye doing an Elton John tribute, and it was really good, particularly when he had his dad come up and play the piano. Very touching. Clocks go back an hour tonight, for whatever reason. I thought we were done with that.

Basque countryside

The bridge

Hiking to the lighthouse

September 29,2023–Bilbao, Spain We slept well again, and when I awoke, sun was shining brightly under the curtain. I was cooler than yesterday, with the high to be around 80. I could see some hazy mountains in the distance. We were a little late getting into port, a proper cruise port, beside a huge MSC ship. Our excursion today was to hike to the Gorlitz lighthouse. We boarded the bus. The guide, Joseph, was excellent, knowing when to talk and when to stay quiet. We drove past some huge mansions, then through beautiful countryside to a trailhead beside a beach. The trail was paved though a bit steep in places. We took off hiking though the fields. There were lots of nice looking cattle grazing. When we got higher, there was a sheer cliff to the ocean on one side. It was a great hike. Part two was to experience the Vizcaya bridge which was built in the late 1800’s by a student of the man who designed the Eiffel Tower. So lots of steel beams. There are two levels. The top, 160 ft above the river, is pedestrian. The lower, 30 ft, above the water , is a gondola which carries cars and pedestrians. We got todo both. It was a great view. The upper part is a little daunting as it is VERY high. Going back to the ship, we asked the bus driver to drop us off at the marina where there are restaurants. We found one and tucked into a huge tapas lunch. Fresh tomatoes, green peppers roasted, good bread, mussels, shrimp, cheese, octopus, and dessert of very different thick ice cream and a chocolate lava cake. Totally delicious. We walked back to the ship, arriving just in time for trivia, again coming in 3rd place. You would think that after all that eating at lunch, we couldn’t possibly have room for dinner. And you would be wrong. We had Prime 7 reservations. I decided to go light and had a salad and shrimp which were quite good, followed by berries. George had salad and a steak which he says is one of the better steaks he has eaten on the ship. I went to the show which was the 2nd performance by Foggy Flax who is an impressionist. He is a really talented singer as well. I regret not seeing the first show as he was excellent.

Fort Medoc

The moving bridge—only 12 inches to spare

We are onboard now. I should have brought more warm weather clothing. I didn’t bring a single pair of shorts. The past couple of days have been quite warm. Of course, that could change.

September 28, 2023–Bordeaux, France Another quiet night (since we aren’t moving), and a great sleep. The weather for today was forecasted to be same as yesterday, sunny with highs in the mid 80’s which is just about perfect as far as I am concerned. Our excursion for the morning was to the wine museum which is new since we last visited Bordeaux. We set off and drove around a for an hour, apparently wasting time until the museum opened . Very annoying. Just start the tour an hour later. But the museum, which really isn’t a museum, but rather an interactive experience, was great. We loved it. Could have easily spent more time there. But our excursion for the afternoon was to start at 1 pm. So we had 20 minutes between. We were off for Fort Medoc and Chateau Lagesson . The fort was really interesting. It was started by King Louis 14. It was to defend the entrance to the estuary. Not much remains but George and I hiked all around . We found a fruit orchard with fresh pears. And had a snack. Then on to the château where they produce very nice red wine. We had a grape tasting which was really nice, tasting the different grapes right off the vine. Back to the ship took forever due to a huge traffic jam. We eventually arrived and joined forgap and hubby in time for the sailout. There is a bridge in Bordeaux which rises and lowers as needed for ships. So it rose for us, and with only inches to spare. Very impressive. Dinner in CR was great as ever, then the show, Bohemian something, was really good.

Interesting sign

Bordeaux cathedral

St. Emilion

The wine estate

846, and yes, the problem seems solved for now. We will see when the ship sails again and is on rougher seas.

Going there today.

Correct and yes, same wine estate

September 27, 2023–Bordeaux, France We had a perfectly calm night sailing, and I slept like a rock with the alarm clock waking me up, a rare occurrence. It was still dark, but we were pulling up to the pier in Bordeaux which is right in the middle of town. We had been here before about 17 years ago, but it looked much as I remembered when the sun rose with a riverside trail and joggers and bicyclists passing just outside the ship. The forecast for the day was to be clear with a high in the upper 80s. Our excursion for the morning was to St Emilion. We boarded the bus and drove through the city, across a very high bridge over the Gayonne River, and through lush countryside with grape vineyards on both sides. Shortly we arrived at a family run chateau where we were greeted by an American lady who is married to one of the sons of the owner. She gave a great tour of the property and had lots of useful information, particularly about the science of wine production, which I found very interesting. Then came the tasting, which involved two of the most spectacularly bad wines George and I have ever tasted. We were pretty disappointed, as we usually buy a couple of bottles when we visit a vineyard. We moved on the short distance to the town of St Emilion by bus. George and I had been there before as well, and it didn’t appear to have changed much. Steep and narrow cobblestone streets with wine shops and restaurants all around, plus some great views. We walked all over and settled on a wine shop offering tastings. And found absolutely delicious wines. George spent a small fortune and is having a case shipped back to home. Back to the ship, we ate lunch by the pool. I had a hamburger minus the bun, and it actually was pretty good, better than I have previously had on Regent. George had a hot dog, pizza and salad, all which he said were good except his hot dog needed more spicy mustard. For the afternoon, I did a walking tour of Bordeaux while George worked. The guide was the same as we had had in the morning, and she was very good. She knew when to talk and when to shut up. She walked at a good pace, and she would walk and talk at the same time. We saw the cathedral, the law school, the criminal court, city hall, the stock exchange, as well as a bunch of squares, cafes and shops. Most of downtown is pedestrian, so it was easy to walk safely as long as you paid attention and avoided the electric trams. I made it back to the ship just in time for trivia, and we came in 3rd. What British actress starred in the West End production of “Cabaret”? I don’t think any team got it right. We had dinner scheduled in Pacific Rim. This is a place I always over order. Tinoght would be no different. We had potstickers, spring rolls, soup. I ordered the lobster tempura which was great. George had some pork ribs. We were stuffed. Entertainment was a local traditional dance company. It was what I would expect.

September 26, 2023–at sea en route to Bordeaux We have a very rocky night. The seas were really rolling. With that and the time change, we were the only guests in La veranda at 8 am. Others began to straggle in, but it was really empty for breakfast. We had a leisurely morning, just catching up on emails, reading the paper, etc. there was a lecture and a future cruise presentation, as well as a cooking class. We just goofed off. The weather was partly cloudy, in the mid 60s with a bit of wind, and seas were still moving a bit. Fortunately we are not prone to seasickness. Those who are might have had a problem. We had a sea day lunch in Chartreuse with our friends. On seadays, they open up Chartreuse and Prime 7 for lunch. The menu is different than the dinner menu. Highly recommend. Our friends had gotten little sleep because they were awakened by a loud persistent noice in their suite about 3:30 am. It would not stop all night. Engineers and maintenance people were trying to figure out the source and were tearing out the ceiling while we ate lunch. After lunch, the sun had come out, and the seas and wind had calmed. It was perfect for one of my favorite activities onboard, walking on the walking track outside. The track on Splendor is probably my favorite on any ship. It is purpose built with a good walking surface and no obstructions, nice and wide. . I walked for about an hour while George went for a massage which he pronounced was the worst he had ever had. The lady put no effort in at all, even when he told her to use more pressure. He has complained. Trivia was a bust. Questions were really difficult, and there were no medical questions. So we did poorly. Tonight was the captain’s welcome. We had dinner and a special birthday celebration for one of our friends in Compass Rose. I would say they did a great job considering we were a table of 12. George’s lobster was perfectly cooked.

Ship from our hike

September 25,2023–St Peter Port, Guernsey, UK The ship did a bit of rocking and bouncing through the night as we cruised toward Guernsey. Nothing bad, just enough to know you are on a boat. My iPhone did some weird time zone shifting and woke me up at 6:30 am, except it was really only 5:30 am. But I was up for the day, and also now had to listen to George complain about me waking him up too early. We had a leisurely breakfast in La Veranda, seeing as we had all that extra time. Our friend Helen turned up. Her iPhone had done the same thing as mine. I was somewhat vindicated. Our excursion for the morning was pepper pot ramble. It was a hike. First we took the tender to the pier. It was really windy, and the tender was moving quite a lot. I was happy to have lots of experience getting into zodiacs. This was still challenging, but doable. A lot of people had difficulties. We boarded a vintage bus which was manufactured in 1954 and drove through nice neighborhoods to a spot near the coast. We began hiking, first to a “pepper pot” which was one of a series of lookouts used back in the 1700 and 1800s when the French kept trying to invade. The views along the coast were quite beautiful, very lush green vegetation on cliffs. It sort of reminded me of Hawaii. The temperature was supposed to be in the 60s, but it was definitely warmer. The hike was pretty steep at times, but there were steps on the steepest parts. The guide got annoyed with George as he was getting too far ahead. Eventually we ended up at a cemetery where over 100 German soldiers from WWII are buried. Guernsey was occupied by the Germans in WWII. There weren’t any major battles there, but a lot of the soldiers committed suicide because they feared being sent to the Russian front. We hiked on to an old battery on the coast with some old cannons and newer installations from WWII, then on down to a big swimming pool complex built in the ocean where our hike ended. George and I had lunch reservations at a restaurant in town, the Fat Rascal. The food was ok,but the best part was a blueberry crepe brûlée which was one of the best I have ever tasted. We shopped for awhile, buying cute expensive outfits for the grand babies, then took the tender back to the ship. Trivia was at 4:30, and our team came in 3rd,missing only 2 questions. There was an early evening lecture about various musicians, such as Billy Joel, Paul McCartney, Carole King, by a guy named Bob Ray. It was pretty interesting. He has interviewed all these people, and I found his interview with Paul McCarney particularly fascinating. We went to Sette Mare for dinner, which was excellent. I have a hard time not over eating in this restaurant as everything just looks so good, and tonight was no exception. The appetizers fill you up, but who can resist more pasta and a main, then dessert, because the tiramisu is outstanding. I tried to eat reasonably, but it is difficult. George and I finally met forgap and husband on the elevator of all places. We will have to actually get together again soon. The entertainment tonight was a magician. We were tired and actually do lose an hour tonight, so decided to give it a miss. As soon as we were tucking into bed, the seas really started moving.

Picking grapes in Southampton

Sky museum. Sorry about the upside down flying. Don’t know how to fix it