Braemar continued...

The next morning (21st November) I woke to see we were already in the Seine. After breakfast in the Palms Café, I went out to stand on Marquee Deck to watch the river transit. Caryll soon joined me and I had another coffee while she had breakfast in the Grampian restaurant. We both then stood at the stern on the prom deck to watch us sail through the Normandy countryside. Unfortunately the weather was grey, damp and misty although you could see patches of blue sky above the cloud layer. People ashore and on the ferries waved at us as we sailed past, a few sounding their horns at the ship or stopping to take a photo of us. There were hedgerows and trees laden with mistletoe, half-timbered tumbledown barns and cottages, small towns and ruined abbeys and castles.

 

I always find it strange sailing past town and seeing traffic and people going to work or shopping, whilst sailing on an ocean-going vessel!

 

As we neared the industrial outskirts of Rouen, Braemar was spun 180 degrees and reversed to her berth on the seaward side of the new lifting bridge.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our tour to Honfleur was leaving at 2.15 so we had lunch in the Palms Café before going down to the show lounge to get our tour stickers. It was not long before we were asked to go down to the coaches. Unfortunately it was one of the high-level coaches – great views but very steep stairs and excruciatingly limited legroom, at least on the nearside. I have visited Honfleur once before and loved it and Caryll had always wanted to see it so I was happy to return. We followed our guide round from the Salt Warehouse and through the medieval streets as far as the church and then had an hour of free time to return to the harbour and take photos of the pretty shops.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



Unlike my last visit, early in the day with blue skies, this time we were able to watch the sun slowly set over the harbour – a beautiful scene. I bought a bottle of Calvados with raspberries and we explored the shops and streets north of the harbour. It was dark when we set off to return to the coach for the hour and a quarter drive back to Rouen and Braemar.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was our only formal night that evening – a shame since many people were ashore in Paris. In view of this, in lieu of a Captain’s welcome party, free drinks were available in any of the bars for half an hour before our respective dinner sittings.

That night we were back to set table dining and we were taken to table 52 in the Thistle Restaurant – right at the stern with a view of the wake – perfect (even though we were in port on most of our evenings). One of the nicest things about Braemar were the lovely passengers. There was a good mix of age range, which I wasn’t expecting from Fred!, but may have been because of the unusual itinerary. Whenever we sat to eat – open sitting breakfast or lunch, at dinner, we were all soon chatting like old friends, even in the bars. It was certainly a refreshing change from other ships where passengers tend to regard solo women with a degree of suspicion!!