Photoblog

This a summary of the Silversea cruise on Silver Cloud from Lisbon to Southampton:

Santiago de Compostela:

Parador at Santiago de Compostela:

Church in Northern Spain near Gijon:

A cow:

Lake near Gijon:

Scary mountain scenery - these were the white-knuckle roads:

Guggenheim at Bilbao:

A traditional food shop in Bilbao:

Sailing into Bordeaux:

Church in Bordeaux:

Silver Cloud in Bordeaux:

Message from Rosie:

Diva ready for formal dinner:

St Malo

Silver Cloud's grounded tender:

Parachutist model from St Marie eglise:

Stained glass window from St Marie eglise:

Breakfast pastries from Lisbon:

What’s happened to La Terraza?

La Terraza is the Italian-style restaurant on Silver Cloud. They take bookings and TSH and Diva like the peaceful atmosphere in there for the first and last nights of a cruise – it’s become a custom. But on the penultimate night it was full of large noisy groups, the tables were too close together and it was impossible to carry on a normal conversation. So the last night booking has been cancelled and the ear of the head maître d’ bent.

Today’s trip was to St Marie Eglise and Utah Beach, both important to the part the US played in the Normandy landings of 1944. But the British contribution was suitably included, unlike on the ship where the (Welsh) cruise director has used the phrase ‘here in the US’, implying that he thinks Silver Cloud is US soil. Last night, the entertainment was ‘The British invasion’, meaning the way British pop music has become so popular in the US. But we are in France right now, so he’s a bit confused.

TSH and Diva want to come back to Normandy and spend a bit more time looking at the monuments and museums concerning very recent history. But it would be good if it was warmer and less windy.