MARTINIGUE 7th APRIL (Opera 2nd April)

[czechmate]

TMom I will certainly have a look at your post and see if it is possible to make suggestions.

Have a great time whenever you travel.

[czechmate]

Hi all. Have just returned from a fabulous weekend in Prague. The snow the ice the minus temperatures made it a "Winter Wonderland"!

Now we are dreaming and longing for the sun and the warmth. Just a few weeks away.

 

There was an e-mail waiting for me from Sylvaine at Madinina Tours with whom I have been dealing and she stresses again that the tours have to be carefully arranged because of local traffic conditions.

Taking all into accout I believe we should opt for a shorter 4+ hour tour.

Without the provision of lunch. The tour suggested to give us the essence of the island is :

 

Drive through a residential district of Fort-de-France with colonial style mansions to Sacred Heart Basilica (similar to Sacre Couer Basilica and Montmarte in Paris. Visit at Balata the superb man made tropical gardens located on Le Trace Road. Drive through the rain forest with mountain streams to Morne Rouge and Saint Pierre. Visit the ruins of the old town destroyed by earthquake and the "famous" theatre. Srive south along the Caribbean Coasr Road and visit Carbet where Christopher Columbus, according to tradition, landed in 1502. Vists the fishing village of Bellfontaine as well as driving through the more modern towns of Case-Pilote and Schoelcher before returning to Opera.

This tour will include the waterfall mentioned by Henri with a pool at the bottom should anyone wish to swim. The waterfall is about 15 metres high and the amount of water varies according to rainfall.

Price is 34 Euros.

Carol and Vic, Carol and Mike, G and C, are we still all interested?

 

Henri - will you and Marian join us?

Joan will you and Neville join us?

 

Sure hope so folks. 12 could be a nice sized group.

Let me know a.s.a.p. l get it booked and confirmed.

Sylvaine is away from 10th to 20th March representing Martinique at a trade fair in Paris.

 

If you want to read more about any of the towns, villages, etc visit http://www.martinique.org or http://www.touristmartinique.com

 

Out of interest - Sylvaine also wrote that 4 people could hire a taxi and do their own thing completely. Price for 4 hours Euro 160. Price for 8 hours Euro 275.

If I have this right - we are in port only 9 hours from 8.00 a.m. to 5 p.m.

[henri]

Aye, aye, Barry,

allready missed you :p

glad you had a very nice weekend in Prague. It also on our 'list' to visit sometimes:confused:.

Tour on Martinique looks attractive, also the time,from about 09:00 till 13:00/13:30 looks fine. Seems to be one of the most compleet and beautifull tours of Martinique. I will 'consult' Marian a.s.a.p. (I'm on work now), so let you know soon.

Henri.

[love to cruz]

Czechmate:

The new itinerary sounds lovely, so count us in. I am sure my husband will love the extra time I will have to do some shopping. Again thank you.

[czechmate]

Although I now feel your husband will regard me as Public Enemy No. 1 :-)

I am sure though he is well aware you are worth every $.

I could be very naughty and suggest it might be cheaper for him to hire the private taxi for 8 hours and drive and drive!! :-). See I told you your "angel"

had "horns". :-)

 

 

Henri - I do hope Marian will give approval. It seems so much to be the tour that you read about in National Geographic.

[henri]

Cher ami's (et Barry en particulier),

 

you can count us in. This will be another wonderfull tour:D.

 

Thanks for the service !! Merci beaucoup.

 

Bonjour et salut !!

 

Henri.

[robynp]

Hi Barry,

 

As my original preference was the shorter tour, I'd also like to join you all - if there's room for me?

 

I'm into my final few days of 'work' this week, then a week off pre-trip. :D

 

24 sleeps to 'Opera'

12 sleeps until I leave Australia :eek:

[Joan of Oz]

Hi Barry

 

As discussed by email - we would like to be included in the Martinique 4 hour tour and look forward to meeting the "Opera Gang" at the GTG on the 2 April - unfortunately as previously advised we cannot make it on the 1 April GTG.

 

We leave "Down Under" on the 27th April - Not long now!

 

Thankyou again for all your effort.

 

Joan & Neville

[czechmate]

Pleased to hear that Henri/Marian, Robyn and Joan/Neville are joining us.

 

Robyn -always make room for you.

 

With Carol and Vic and Carol and Mike plus us that makes 11.

Perhaps Varadero (G and C) will still want to join us. Hope so.

 

It is all starting to become reality now rather than a far off dream!

[robynp]

Hi Barry

 

As discussed by email - we would like to be included in the Martinique 4 hour tour and look forward to meeting the "Opera Gang" at the GTG on the 2 April - unfortunately as previously advised we cannot make it on the 1 April GTG.

 

We leave "Down Under" on the 27th April - Not long now!

 

Thankyou again for all your effort.

 

Joan & Neville

 

Joan & Neville - hope you are leaving Oz on 27 March not April! :eek: Looking forward to meeting you on 2 April at Il Patio. :D

 

Best wishes for safe travelling to the USA...see you aboard!

[robynp]

Pleased to hear that Henri/Marian, Robyn and Joan/Neville are joining us.

 

Robyn -always make room for you.

 

With Carol and Vic and Carol and Mike plus us that makes 11.

Perhaps Varadero (G and C) will still want to join us. Hope so.

 

It is all starting to become reality now rather than a far off dream!

 

Thanks "Angel" for including me on the tour! Looking forward to it!

 

"Sparkling Gem" ;)

[czechmate]

Have just had an e-mail from Varadero and they are joining us.

 

That makes 13. For the superstitious the guide and driver makes 15!!

 

Have now confirmed all with Sylvaine at the tour office.

[henri]

Cher Ami's,

 

here are two nice sites. In Francaise, but with good zoomable islandmaps.

 

http://www.ot-fortdefrance.fr/pages/sommaire.html

http://martiniquetourism.com/article/frontpage/1/

 

And pretty pictures. Fort de France seems a bit like the Riviera !! so.....that's funny.:cool:

 

Bonjour, Henri.

[czechmate]

Just thank all that will soon be ours! Well for a few hours anyway!!

 

Tot siens - Barry

 

With Rhona and Ken and Robyn on the way - the countdown has really begun!!

[Benitad]

Totsiens ... ahhh, now that brings back memories.

 

Barry, you're not excited about this at all, are you? I am living this trip vicariously through you all, you do realize?! Good job in keeping us updated.

Reminds me of the line we repeated constantly on our cruise:

 

"I wonder what the poor people are doing?!"

[czechmate]

Benita - I am a bit like you pre cruise - blase, laid back. complacent :-)

Believe that and you will believe anything!

 

It would be so great if you were able to join us - boy would we "rock the boat" !! Think our little group of 30 are going to do that anyway!

You can be sure that we will think of you everyday and drink to your good health! Now that should make you feel heaps better :-)

[henri]

Aye, Aye, Barry,

I see that non of the girls are save with you around, isn't it !!!!!!:eek:

You charmeur with all this beautifull girls, but that is vive le differance et jeu de vivre !!

And, indeed, tot ziens.;)

Henri.

[Benitad]

Aww ...Henri ... I promise you, you would not be safe either! If you have one cell of flirt in you ... we girls would track you down like the dog you are? ;)

 

I truly wish I could join you all for this wonderful transatlantic ... but, perhaps next year.

In the meantime, tell everyone hello that I mentioned on the cruise:

 

Benny and Christophe, the L'Approdo waiters,

Sylvester and Bapoo, the Il Patio waiters from Mauritius

Florin, the Le Piscine/Byblos waiter with the sweetest smile on the boat.

Carmine, the first engineer who was kind enough to socialise with us

Pasquale, the assistant maitre d' at Il patio and La Caravelle.

I Wayan on deck 9

and Barbara on Deck 10.

 

Betty the housekeeping manager, who was sweet in our upgrades

 

We had a marvelous time. And we'll do it again next year!

[czechmate]

Benita - when we all pass on your good wishes to those on your list - they will be every bit as disappointed as are we that you and "les girls" are not there in person.

 

Henri! I am always a gentleman and treat a lady like a lady wishes to be treated! :-)

[henri]

Just one cell of flirt ???.....

 

Slegs vir Benita : jy siet uit as pragtig meissie in jou gala klere !! :D

 

(I hope the grammar is (a bit) right :confused:)

 

Henri.

[love to cruz]

Good morning everyone:

I am very inpressed with all the unabashed flirts on our sailing. I can hardly wait to see everyone in action after they have had a drink or two (or three). Maybe I will learn something from you all.

We have had four vacancies in our rental property back to back. We took the opportunity to totally rehab them, but we are exhausted from all the physical labor we are not used to doing. :eek: We will work right up through the 30th, then it is a deck chair and good book for me on the 3rd.

We can hardly wait to meet all you exciting new friends.:rolleyes:

Vic & Carol

[czechmate]

Hi Vic and Carol................. good to hear from you once more.

Sounds like you had a hard time and still plenty of work ahead.

 

You must get some rest in!

Remember first party at Goosbys 1st April, 2nd party at Il Patio 2nd April, 3rd party ............. ad infinitum!!!!

 

Barry

[love to cruz]

Good morning to our "Angel":

Are you wearing your halo (horns??) and wings to the g.t.g? Will you have your name, mean Angel, on your name tag so we know who you are, but then the halo will give you away anyway.:rolleyes: Yes, a glass of wine and such well travelled company is getting more exciting by the day, we can hardly wait. Only nine days to go until we all finally meet.

[czechmate]

Carol - you will know me without horns or halo!! I will be the one tripping over his tail!!

That glass of wine sounds ggggooooooooooodddd :-)