Le Havre, France to the Switzerland Border

Le Havre lies at the mouth of the River Seine and is the gateway to Paris and northern France. We travelled through the countryside up the coast to the beautiful little seaside townships of Etretat and FeCamp. Breathtaking cliffs grace the coastline and it is easy to understand why so many famous artists came to this area to paint their interpretations of this magnificent scenery. One such famous artist who frequented this area was Claude Monet a young native of Le Havre.

FeCamp is the largest cod fishing port in France and is famous for its magnificent Abbey, which has been restored and rebuilt several times. FeCamp Abbey is also the home of the world famous Benedictine liquer.

There is a world of history here in Europe compared to our relatively short history in Australia of just over 200 years. The Normans from Scandanavia first raided the northern coast, then decided to stay as settlers. Norman French was a strong influence on the formation of the English language, which I guess would explain why we have many words that look similar to the French version.

William the Conqueror set out from Normandy to invade England in 1066. Normandy was also the site of the D Day invasion of Hitler's Europe in 1944. Visitors today would never know that Normandy took more physical damage during World War II than any other region, as the cities have all been restored and rebuilt.

We travelled the coast to Dieppe where surprisingly we found a Ivoirier - a Craftsman who carves pieces of art from ivory - it was different to hear his side of the story as opposed to thinking about the poor animals being mercilessly killed and butchered for their ivory tusks.

In the afternoon we left Dieppe and headed south for the little village of Ferrieres Haut Clocher where we spent the next three days with Vincent, Stephanie, Pierre and Adele, the French family we met in Egypt just last year. Vincent is a part owner in a Vineyard and we were welcomed with the tastiest wines I have had for some time. Over the next few evenings we tried Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Red wine, Cider and the spirit of Calvados. The most amazing thing for me was that I did not have one headache from drinking the wine - which was very welcomed.

Vincent drew up itineraries for us to follow each day - set us up with maps and off we would go. With Vincent's guidance we visited great places that we would not otherwise have known to visit. La Bouille on the Seine is a very quaint little village where Pat was able to have a leather belt made while he waited. We visited the beautiful abbey of St Martin de Bosherville before heading into the city of Rouen.

Rouen is truly an amazing medieval city to visit and is the city where St Joan of Arc was burned at the stake in the Old Market Place. We walked the city area for several hours checking out the many medieval streets and visited many sites including: The Church of Saint Joan of Arc, the Church of Saint Maclou and the Atrium of St Maclou which was a hospice where lepers went to die. We visited the Gothic Notre Dame Cathedral which was commenced in the 12th century on the foundations of a 4th century basilica and an 11th century Romanesque edifice. We also saw the beautiful Great Clock of Rouen which was fully restored in 2006.

We drove along the banks of the River Seine which winds its way through the picturesque countryside and then headed up into the hills to visit a beautiful place called Les Andeleys. Monet's Garden in Giverny is also a beautiful place but unfortunately it rained the whole time we were there so we did not get to do the full tour of the gardens - we had to settle for the short tour.

The city of Honfleur is a gorgeous city in Normandy where we visited the striking old timber Church of Saint Catherine, which has two parallel naves and a vaulted roof. A visit to Normandy would not be complete without a visit to the amazing Bayeux Tapestry. It depicts the history of William, Duke of Normandy's conquest of England in 1066 on an almost 70 metre length of linen cloth. This 11th century production depicts more than 600 embroidered people, 200 horses, about 40 ships and hundreds of animals and mythological figures. It was made at a time when most people could not read or write - so it tells the story in pictures - in embroidery.

As we travelled along the Normandy coast we visited the many locations of the D Day Landing Beaches, including Sword, Juno, Gold and Omaha. It was here at these landing beaches on June 6th 1944 that the courage and sacrifice of war servicemen and women brought freedom back to the European continent. It is a very thought provoking trip and particularly the visit to the American War Cemetery where over 10,000 servicemen are buried.

Further along the coast of Normandy is the magnificent Abbey of Mount St Michael which is a marvel of medieval architecture. All the rooms related to monastic life and are stacked one on top of the other around the top of what was once a rock. According to the legend, after the appearance of the Archangel Saint Michael, the monastery grew - the construction was carried out from the 10th to the 15th centuries on several floors around the Abbey - truly an amazing place to visit. The spire of the Abbey crowned with a statue of the archangel reaches skyward from atop the Abbey and can be seen in the countryside for miles. We checked into La Vieille Auberge Hotel right inside the fortress and really enjoyed our visit - our room had a balcony with views out across the bay. The tide was amazing to watch - incidentally, twice a month during the spring tides, the flood tide registers the biggest tides in Europe.

We travelled from the City of Blois in the magnificent Loire Valley onto Chambord Chateau - the biggest chateau from the Renaissance time. The Chambord Estate is the largest enclosed park throughout the world with an area of 5,440 hectares and its size is equivalent to the inner city of Paris. Francois 1st chose Chambord in order to satisfy his passion for hunting. We toured the gardens and checked out the furnished apartments, the panoramic views from the roof terraces and the outstanding double revolution staircase, a range of tapestries and works of art from the Renaissance.

We crossed the River Loire at La Charite sur Loire and headed for The Domaine Du Puits De Compostelle the home of Emmanuel - Vincent's close friend and owner of the Vineyard from where the beautiful wines we had been partaking of, had come. Emmanuel showed us around and we sat down to try some more wines - of course we bought some bottles for the trip!

About 40 klms north of the Vineyard here in the Burgandy area of France is the beautiful little village of Vezelay. We walked up the narrow winding street of the village to the Basilica of Saint Madeleine - at the time Benediction was underway - the singing and the sound of the organ was glorious. Vezelay has become one of the most important holy places of the Christian world and a departure point for the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

This particular evening in the Burgandy area we stayed in a little village Arnay Le Duc - the full French menu and wine list in the restaurant was amazing. We sat down to a candlelight dinner, complete with fresh flowers on the table. Our meal was amazing - truly French and truly traditional - right down to the waitresses in traditional French folk costume. Tonight for dinner Pat chose Escargots while I settled for the Beef Bourgogne to be in keeping with the atmosphere!

We visited the city of Beaune famous for its undergound wine caves and the Hospice de Beaune Hotel Dieu. These buildings built in 1443 have been perfectly preserved from the Middle Ages and were built by the Duke of Burgundy. In the wake of the 100 year war Beaune was suffering from poverty and famine. Three quarters of the town's inhabitants had no supplies so with a plan to redeem the situation, The Duke and his wife, Guigone de Salins decided to found a Hospice for the poor. They endowed it with an annual income from a saltworks and with its own resources from the vineyards went ahead and engaged a large number of artists in its decoration. The Hotel Dieu, or Hospital with its gothic facades is today considered a jewel of medieval architecture. The multicoloured roof tiles are thought to have originated in central Europe - from whichever angle they are viewed they take on yet another pattern - truly wonderful.

What an interesting place. From the Middle Ages to the 20th century countless sick were taken in and cared for in several of the large rooms by the Sisters of the Hospices de Beaune. The Hotel Dieu rapidly gained a great reputation amongst the poor, nobles and middle class alike. It was subsequently enlarged with donations from the latter and embellished with new rooms and works of art, thus becoming a true "Palace for the Poor".

We drove around the grape growing areas north of Beaune in this beautiful Loue Valley, to the old Citadel city of Ornans. Just inside the border we stayed at the little village of La Vrine at La Ferme Hotel where we had the pleasure of meeting the friendliest Hotelier on the planet! Thank you Nadine for all your help and for a great visit!

Banjul, The Gambia to Le Havre, France

One evening after dinner onboard The Beautiful White Lady (as our Captain calls his ship) we headed to the Tahitian Lounge for a 50's and 60's night of music and dancing. It was a fun night with Brenda and Darrell being chosen as finalists in a Twisting Competition - once that dance floor was under Darrell's feet it was hard to get him off! They were in a dance-off with 5 other couples - they all won a bottle of Champagne for their great efforts - while we were all kept wonderfully entertained - it was a hoot!

Banjul, The Gambia - The Gambia flourished as a trans-Saharan trade route for ivory, gold and slaves until the 16th century. The Gambia was made famous in the 1970's as the birthplace of Kunta Kinte, the main character of the saga series Roots. Banjul, the capital, is situated on an island and is located near the mouth of the Gambia River. James Island was used to hold slaves for several weeks before they were shipped to other West African ports to be sold - it's dungeon still remains intact. Thankfully the slave trade was officially abolished in 1807, although it took several years after that date for it to be completely wiped out.

We set off on foot heading to the Albert Market, but due to being harrassed by too many young Africans we returned to the ship and took the bus to and from the Market. The market was a very busy place - full of batiks, wood carvings, fabrics and silver jewellery. I stopped to chat with some of the locals - one lovely young man told me he lives on The Smiling Coast and that when he speaks with visitors he must be Soft like a banana and not Hard like a coconut!

Dakar, Senegal - Senegal's history has been turbulent - contact with the West destroyed the coastal kingdoms of West Africa as English, French and Dutch adventurers vied for control of the slave trade in the 16th century. Control of Senegal passed to the French, who made Dakar the centre of their West African colonial empire.

We have been given lots of information to be very aware of our personal safety, items and money when we visit these West African ports, so prior to going ashore, we remove all items of jewellery and leave them behind in our cabin safe. In Dakar we booked a taxi for two hours and headed off to see the highlights of this major centre, the westernmost point and most strategic trading city for the west coast of Africa. Our taxi driver, a large robust man took us to the 1906 Presidential Palace and to the new impressive Milennium Door Monument built atop a mountain, where we climbed the 200 steps to the monument and enjoyed the views out over the city.

We took the ferry to Ile de Goree, a small island lying just off the coast of Dakar, which was the site of one of the first French settlements in Africa and a slave trade centre from the early 19th century. This is an island with a very tragic past - we were told that 20 million Africans were held as slaves here before being sent to other ports only to be then sold and shipped off across the Atlantic to the Americas - of that 20 million, 6 million died on the island. We visited the Maison des Esclaves (Slave House) with its famous doorway which is held today as an important monument to the inhumanity of the slave trade. We toured the various rooms where slaves were held and saw the horrific shackles and implements that were used on the slaves.

Back onboard ship, after a brisk walk from the ferry terminal, we were treated to a fantastic show The Senegal Folkloric Show by the National Ballet Linguere of Senegal. The sounds of their native drums and the rythm of the dancers is truly amazing - Africans seem to have a wild style of rythm and an ability to move their bodies like no other!

Mindelo, Cape Verde Islands - the Cape Verde Islands lie off the North African coast. The natural harbour is actually a volcanic crater, where the sea has eroded away the wall of the crater on one side, thus offering vessels calm sheltered waters in a strategic location in the Atlantic. In the early 20th century, the harbour became a coal port and shipping increased to approximately 2,000 ships per year. In 1952 the coal camps were eliminated as vessels switched from steam to diesel. In 1885 Mindelo became the home to the switching station for the first Trans-Atlantic telegraph cable.

By 1912, Mindelo had become one of the most important cable stations in the world. A major problem the residents of these islands face is the lack of water. We were also told that hurricanes are born here in this area and from here they move towards the eastern coastline of the Americas.

We walked into town and checked out the markets and town squares before stopping off in the Irish Pub for some cold drinks. The population here is a lighter colour mix between the Africans and the Portugese who first settled in the Cape Verde Islands in the 1600's. The people were very nice and it was a refreshing change to be able to walk around and feel quite safe.

Meanwhile back on board that evening, we had a special dinner planned to celebrate (in advance) Brenda & Darrell's 40th Wedding Anniversary. We headed up to the Sterling Steak House where we had the most fantastic evening, with exquisite meals and drinks. We had booked a table for four and we had no less than four waiters and a waitress looking after us for the entire evening.

Santa Cruz, Teneriffe, Spain - Tenerife is the largest island of the seven islands of the Canaries. The landscape here is dotted with volcanic cones and areas of geothermal activity. Mt Teide is an extinct volcano 12,200 feet above sea level and is the highest peak in Spanish territory. The Canary Islands are part African, part Spanish and a lot of Atlantic - they are not either one but take on elements from each - the people are not black like the Africans, however they are taller than the Spanish.

Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the island's capital where we hired a taxi and set off with Miguel to see some sights of Teneriffe. He took us uphill through some narrow winding streets to visit The Balcony House which was once the home of a wealthy family and built as the name implies, with many balconies. Locally made produce, wines, materials and traditional costumes were all displayed throughout the house. San Cristobal de la Laguna is a World Heritage Site and is the second largest city on the island. Another beautiful city, Puerto de la Cruz, has been the premier seaside resort here since the 19th century, with beautiful bays, swimming pools and lagoons along the waterfront.

Funchal, Madeira, Portugal - Madeira is an absolutely beautiful place, probably high up there on the list of places we would like to come back to visit. Funchal the capital is named after the fennel that once flowered here in profusion. The Archipelago was discovered in 1419 by Portuguese explorers venturing south in the Atlantic. Madeira lies an equal distance from Lisbon on the Portuguese mainland and from the African coast. The early settlers grew sugar cane which still continues today - it also produces excellent wines and of course the world famous Madeira Cake. Madeira's mild climate and lush valleys also make it a winter haven for European Aristocrats.

Once again our taxi driver was named Miguel and he took us to see some amazing places. We followed the winding, narrow streets uphill to visit Our Lady of Monte Church, home to the island's patron saint. From here we went over to the Monte sled ride, where we climbed into hand made wicker baskets to experience the island's thrilling "Snowless Sled Ride". We were taken on a two kilometre slide downhill - steered and guided by two traditionally dressed men the whole way down - it was a real buzz - the most amazing thing was that when we arrived at the bottom they had our photographs, which were taken just as we left on the slide, already printed and mounted in a great frame to keep as our souvenir .... hmmmm technology!

The Madeira Botanical Gardens which were established in 1960 are truly beautiful and include a bird aviary with many tropical and exotic birds. We visited the picturesque little fishing village of Camara de Lobos and then headed up to Cabo Girao for views from the world's second highest sea cliff - a 1,500 foot drop to the waves below - the City actually has plans at the moment to build a glass bottom deck out over the cliff edge!

We cruised out of Madeira in the early evening and followed the spectacular coastline for as far as possible and then headed back toward Africa, to our next stop, Casablanca.

Casablanca, Morocco - the location of the famous movie Casablanca with Humphrey Bogart and the song which includes these words: Just remember this, a kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh - the world will always welcome lovers as time goes by! I particularly love that song as it used to be part of my Dad's repertoire! Casablanca (Spanish for white house) is Morocco's largest city and chief port.

Twelve of us got together and hired a 15 seater bus, a driver and an English speaking guide for the whole day. As we so often say, it is certainly a small world - Kay (an Aussie) organised this trip - as it turns out she is a first cousin to our next door neighbour at Dingo Beach! The Four Ambassadors from Dingo Beach spent a great day out with Kay & Fred from the Sunshine Coast; Victor & Molly from Hong Kong; Marion & Allan from Bermuda and Dora & Horst from Germany.

We travelled to Rabat, the Capital of Morocco, a city of tree lined boulevards, beautiful parks and gardens. We checked out Chellah, the site of Roman ruins and an 11th century necropolis overgrown with palms, figs and hibiscus - where every tree in sight came complete with large nests - all full of birds. A visit to the Mausoleum of Mohammed V is a must, as is a walk in the old quarter - the Kasbah. In the Kasbah they are very proud to let us know that there are Muslims, Jews and Christians all living peacifully side by side - the Muslim homes have a symbol of a Hand at their front entrance while the Jewish homes have the Star of David. The Kasbah was very interesting, with narrow passageways heading every which way past homes predominantly painted white with blue trims. Our guide, Indie, told us that a home in the Kasbah would have sold very cheaply about 12 years ago but now people they are paying up to $500,000 for them. The previous King of Morocco died 12 years ago, but it sounds as if the country has progressed very well since the King's son, who is now 43 years of age, has taken over power. He has moved the country along with the times; encouraged an education for all children at no cost and a Medical system that provides half of all medical costs for all residents.

In Casablanca we visited the Habous Quarter, home to merchants and souks, with a special visit to the olive souk where we couldn't resist buying a bag of various types and colours of olives - yummo! We also went to the world's tallest minaret at the seaside Hassan II Mosque. The Mosque can accommodate 25,000 worshippers but was not open for visitors when we were there. Our final stop in Casablanca was at Rick's Cafe made famous from the movie Casablanca.

Ceuta, Spanish Morocco - I awoke in the morning to a beautiful sight - a blazing sunrise on the Straits of Gibraltar with the Rock of Gibraltar looming in the distance. I thought about how my Mum and Dad must have felt as they sailed through this very same place on their way to a new life in Australia, way back in 1951, when I was just fifteen months old. Mum and Dad have both told me it was an amazing trip and a trip that led them to the best life they could ever have possibly imagined.

We had plenty of time ashore this day so decided to take local bus #7, at a cost of 80 cents, and head out along the beautiful coastline towards the Moroccan border. We filled out the necessary paperwork, had our passports stamped and walked across the border into Morocco. After chatting with some locals we found out that the closest city of Tetouan was a 40 klm taxi ride away so we decided to give it a miss - we then filled out more paperwork, had our passports stamped again and walked back across the border into Spain, where we once again took local bus #7 and headed back along the beautiful coastline into Ceuta. The beautiful bus trip at a cost of $1.60 made the trip well worthwhile!

The Straits of Gibraltar separate the ancient city of Ceuta from European Spain. Ceuta has an easy going charm and a cosmopolitan mix of cultures - it is also the gateway to Morocco proper. The narrow, paved avenues in Ceuta's City Centre make it a great place to browse and shop at a leisurely pace.

Cadiz, Spain - Cadiz is one of Europe's oldest continuously inhabited cities and is built on a narrow spit of land hemmed in on three sides by the sea - Cadiz forms part of the autonomous community of Andalusia. The older section of Cadiz lies within the remnants of the city walls and is commonly referred to as the Old City. We took an open top bus tour in the morning - well timed, as by lunch time a heavy sea fog had drifted in, giving poorer visibility. It was very enjoyable walking around the narrow winding alleys which connect large plazas in the City centre - by 2:00 pm shops began to close for their daily siesta time, not to open again until 5:00 pm.

Lisbon, Portugal - We have visited Lisbon previously, so took this opportunity to visit Fatima, a Catholic pilgrimage centre. Together with 3 other couples we hired a van, a driver and a guide and drove about 90 minutes to this beautiful and peaceful place - Tom & Margery from New York, Tom & Julie from California and Rick & Bella previously from the Phillipines but now from California all joined us for this wonderful day out.

Le Havre, France - We arrived in France early in the morning and walked around the city of Le Havre. A neat little train toured the sites of the city - it gave us a good view and also took us out of the rain. Le Havre was bombed and destroyed during the war, but today it is a beautiful and vibrant city. We headed back to the ship in the afternoon, said our final goodbyes to our waiters and stewards who had looked after us so well over the past month - we then headed down the gangway to our taxi. After some fantastic experiences and travelling together for the past two months, we said goodbye to Brenda and Darrell - our next get together will be at Dingo Beach.

We have hired a car for 30 days to travel in France, Germany, Austria and Switzerland - we will pick it up tomorrow morning in Le Havre.