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Today we spent the morning in Gijon, Spain. As often happens the ship was docked a fair ways from the city so we had to take the shuttle into town. We only had a few hours to explore, fortunately it's a pretty compact city. We did our usual walkabout, heading first to the waterfront and the old town sections of the city. There's a lovely point of land, a bit of a climb up, with a sculpture facing the sea. The sculpture amplifies the sound of the ocean. We couldn't hear any ocean sounds until we stood in the centre of the sculpture, where, we could indeed hear the ocean. Very cool and great views of the city.
From here we walked the city promenade which runs the length of the Playa de San Lorenzo, the main city beach. Finally we stopped for coffee and a delicious chocolate croissant. Thinking we had lots of time to get to the pick-up spot for the last shuttle we meandered back, only to discover we were quite far from the pick-up spot. The sprint back was a bit of an adrenaline rush. While we made it - that's the last time we aim for the last bus back to the ship. This afternoon we're sailing toward Vigo, Spain, arriving tomorrow afternoon.
The ship is hosting a wine tasting just for those of us on the 80 day cruise.
Additionally we both have some exercises to complete - Adrian is doing his push-up challenge. Every few months he challenges himself to do 10 push-ups day one, 20 day two and so on. Today is his last day at 310. I decided to join the challenge, not with push-ups though, I am doing sit-ups. Same 310 required from me today - fortunately the rules do not require they be done all at once!! It's been quite fun seeing how many I have managed to work up to doing at once. We're still deciding on what exercise will be September's challenge!
From here we walked the city promenade which runs the length of the Playa de San Lorenzo, the main city beach. Finally we stopped for coffee and a delicious chocolate croissant. Thinking we had lots of time to get to the pick-up spot for the last shuttle we meandered back, only to discover we were quite far from the pick-up spot. The sprint back was a bit of an adrenaline rush. While we made it - that's the last time we aim for the last bus back to the ship. This afternoon we're sailing toward Vigo, Spain, arriving tomorrow afternoon.
The ship is hosting a wine tasting just for those of us on the 80 day cruise.
Additionally we both have some exercises to complete - Adrian is doing his push-up challenge. Every few months he challenges himself to do 10 push-ups day one, 20 day two and so on. Today is his last day at 310. I decided to join the challenge, not with push-ups though, I am doing sit-ups. Same 310 required from me today - fortunately the rules do not require they be done all at once!! It's been quite fun seeing how many I have managed to work up to doing at once. We're still deciding on what exercise will be September's challenge!
This tree is made of bottles!
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We had an amazing day walking and exploring Santander. We started by walking to the Magdalena Peninsula & Magdalena Palace, visiting the seals and penguins along the way. Great walk along the waterfront, across a few beaches to get to the Peninsula and then the walk around and up to the Castle. It was drizzling when we left the ships and quickly turned into full on rain - fortunately the weather began to clear just after we reached the castle.
After ward we returned to the old section of the city and enjoyed a lovely lunch including Pintxos - the Basque version of Tapas.
After ward we returned to the old section of the city and enjoyed a lovely lunch including Pintxos - the Basque version of Tapas.
The penguins were shy - this is all I got!
Dessert after our Pintxos
This was a wonderful display on the waterfront in Santander.
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Today was a full day - we started with a chefs tour of the small shops where locals buy their fish. meats, breads and pastries. From here we walked Getxo, the summer vacation area for Balboa's wealthy. The houses were amazing as were the beaches. We walked the waterfront until we reached the famous bridge, where the cars and pedestrians board a low hanging cable car and are then propelled across the bridge - amazing.
We took the afternoon shuttle into Bilboa to see the Guggenheim and explore some of the old parts of the city. It was our first hot day, and we were tired so our visit wasn't as long as it could have been. The city was beautiful and the Guggenheim as beautiful as described.
We took the afternoon shuttle into Bilboa to see the Guggenheim and explore some of the old parts of the city. It was our first hot day, and we were tired so our visit wasn't as long as it could have been. The city was beautiful and the Guggenheim as beautiful as described.
Bilboa
Puppy at the Guggenheim Museum, 40,000 plants changes twice a year, internal watering system.
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This morning we had some time to enjoy old town Bordeaux a little bit more. We had an amazing breakfast and then went shopping for some wonderful French canales and custard tarts.
This afternoon we travelled to Saint Emilion's 13th Century town.This was a highlight of this trip. The town is surrounded by gorgeous and bright green grape vines. The cobblestone streets are home to too many wine stores to count. You could taste wine all day long! There are also wonderful bake shops. We loved the vibe and the history. The vineyard tour was great as well and we've been through quite a few. The wine wasn't as good as the one we tasted in the village and bought a bottle of. All in all a great tour and a lovely day - oh and the sun was shining, makes a difference!
This afternoon we travelled to Saint Emilion's 13th Century town.This was a highlight of this trip. The town is surrounded by gorgeous and bright green grape vines. The cobblestone streets are home to too many wine stores to count. You could taste wine all day long! There are also wonderful bake shops. We loved the vibe and the history. The vineyard tour was great as well and we've been through quite a few. The wine wasn't as good as the one we tasted in the village and bought a bottle of. All in all a great tour and a lovely day - oh and the sun was shining, makes a difference!
St Emilion Village
Soutard Vineyard
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We arrived in Bordeaux last night and have both today and tomorrow here. Today is a changeover day and the beginning of leg six of our cruise. This morning we took the ship's Medoc Vineyard tasting tour. It was a pretty drive, although you can certainly see how dry it has been in France. No evidence of the fires though. The tour of the vineyard was interesting and that was followed by a tasting. Adrian bought a bottle to bring home - we'll see if it gets that far!
After lunch back on the ship we headed out to explore the old town, pedestrian only section of Bordeaux. Our first task was to find a casino or bureau de change - we brought lots of Euro's left over from a previous trio of Adrian's. Unfortunately, the Euros were in very large denominations, $200's and $500's so we couldn't find any merchants that would accept them. On our way to a casino who's location we had googled we came across a bureau de change - viola! they changes our big bills and didn't even charge a surcharge. We are very happy!
After a couple hours of walking around we headed back to the waterfront for some refreshment. The promenade has many bars and restaurants, and there's even one quite close to our ship. That is where we ended up, enjoying a lovely late afternoon spritz or two.
After lunch back on the ship we headed out to explore the old town, pedestrian only section of Bordeaux. Our first task was to find a casino or bureau de change - we brought lots of Euro's left over from a previous trio of Adrian's. Unfortunately, the Euros were in very large denominations, $200's and $500's so we couldn't find any merchants that would accept them. On our way to a casino who's location we had googled we came across a bureau de change - viola! they changes our big bills and didn't even charge a surcharge. We are very happy!
After a couple hours of walking around we headed back to the waterfront for some refreshment. The promenade has many bars and restaurants, and there's even one quite close to our ship. That is where we ended up, enjoying a lovely late afternoon spritz or two.
Old city of Bordeaux, pedestrian only.
After exploring Bordeaux we found a bar near the ship with a fabulous summer spritz menu and decided to work our way through it - today we tried the: Framboise Spritz, Paloma Spritz, Violette Spritz, and the Mure Spritz, looking forward to tomorrow...
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Today we spent the day at sea and on the Garonne River on our way to Bordeaux. While we saw lots of the riverbank along the way to Bordeaux we really weren't close enough to take photos of the vineyards and so on.
The sun. was out today so we got to spend some time on deck.
Adrian and I attended the 5:30pm event at the bow of the ship - billed as coffee with the officers while viewing the beautiful riverside. Turned out to be a bit of a non-event, some of the crew arrived for a few minutes, we did however have a great time.
That event was followed by an Al Fresco dinner as we arrived in Bordeaux. We managed to get a couple of great shots of the bridge that we passed under, after the main section was raised to allow us to pass. We got great first views of Bordeaux and had a lovely after dinner walk, too dark for photos though.
The sun. was out today so we got to spend some time on deck.
Adrian and I attended the 5:30pm event at the bow of the ship - billed as coffee with the officers while viewing the beautiful riverside. Turned out to be a bit of a non-event, some of the crew arrived for a few minutes, we did however have a great time.
That event was followed by an Al Fresco dinner as we arrived in Bordeaux. We managed to get a couple of great shots of the bridge that we passed under, after the main section was raised to allow us to pass. We got great first views of Bordeaux and had a lovely after dinner walk, too dark for photos though.
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This afternoon we arrived in Lorient, France. The sail into port was lovely and the French coast and it's beaches seem pretty inviting. unfortunately Lorient as a stop wasn't very pretty or inviting. 90% of the city was destroyed by the Nazi's in WWII and the community wasn't restored but simply rebuilt instead. Sadly it lacks the charm of our other ports. Not sure if things are always largely closed on Mondays or there's some other explanation for why most of the town was closed.
We had a great walk, and managed to hit our calorie and steps goals anyway. Maybe we should have done a tour? However, the sun left and the rain returned so we were just as happy to return to the ship. tomorrow's a sea or rather a river cruising day as we arrive in Bordeaux around 8:30 pm.
We had a great walk, and managed to hit our calorie and steps goals anyway. Maybe we should have done a tour? However, the sun left and the rain returned so we were just as happy to return to the ship. tomorrow's a sea or rather a river cruising day as we arrive in Bordeaux around 8:30 pm.
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Today we arrived at St Peter Port, in Guernsey, one of my bucket list stops. We only have a half day here so we were up pretty early for us and ashore before 10 am. We took a beautiful coastal trail which took up most of our time and then explored the time. The scenery is amazing and the community is beautiful. Don't laugh - but I made Adrian watch the Guernsey Literary and Potato Pie Society Movie in reparation for our visit. Although it was a 2019 film it's really pretty good. Link below in case you missed it.
Netflix - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Guernsey was occupied by the Nazi's for 5 years during the war and the story is quite incredible. Neolithic Settlements existed here from as far back as 6500 BC.
Netflix - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Guernsey was occupied by the Nazi's for 5 years during the war and the story is quite incredible. Neolithic Settlements existed here from as far back as 6500 BC.
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Today we were up early watching the ship sail by the beautiful French coast before anchoring near Saint Malo. We didn't anchor and get the tenders ready until a very civilized 10 am and we wandered down to the gangway shortly after 11 am. Today the sun was shining! Our first full day of sunshine since Stockholm.
Saint Malo reminded both of us of Dubrovnik and its was also the setting for the book "All The Light You Cannot See". It's also famous for it's butter - chefs from all over France come for their butter. www.saint-malo-tourisme.co.uk/offers/la-maison-du-beurre-bordier-saint-malo-en-3646526/
The city has a walled area that you can walk and the interior is largely pedestrian only and filled with Creperies, Seafood Restaurants, ice cream and gelato stores, French bakeries, beautiful shops and boutiques. The city walls also provide numerous access points to the many beaches and islands off shore. You can walk to some of the islands when the tide is low enough. Additionally the waterfront boasts a community "pool" an old walled area that retains the seawater even during low tide allowing for swimming and diving.
Our friends had some French mussels the other day and highly recommended them so that's what we had for lunch, along with some of the famous local cider. Wonderful meal!
We had a chance to enjoy the beach this afternoon and we purchased butter, cheese, and bread for our very own picnic supper on board.
Saint Malo reminded both of us of Dubrovnik and its was also the setting for the book "All The Light You Cannot See". It's also famous for it's butter - chefs from all over France come for their butter. www.saint-malo-tourisme.co.uk/offers/la-maison-du-beurre-bordier-saint-malo-en-3646526/
The city has a walled area that you can walk and the interior is largely pedestrian only and filled with Creperies, Seafood Restaurants, ice cream and gelato stores, French bakeries, beautiful shops and boutiques. The city walls also provide numerous access points to the many beaches and islands off shore. You can walk to some of the islands when the tide is low enough. Additionally the waterfront boasts a community "pool" an old walled area that retains the seawater even during low tide allowing for swimming and diving.
Our friends had some French mussels the other day and highly recommended them so that's what we had for lunch, along with some of the famous local cider. Wonderful meal!
We had a chance to enjoy the beach this afternoon and we purchased butter, cheese, and bread for our very own picnic supper on board.
Our butter sampler....
Our Normandy cheese, bread and butter feast....
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We've been following the tariff threats and Canada's response along with the conversation surrounding it. I will admit it's a bit weird being on holiday surrounded by Americans during this time.
I thought I'd share the links to a number of the folks/sites we've been reading and listening to - in case anyone is interested and/or has any suggestions for us.
We've also decided to double down on our commitment to boycott the US as one small way we can support our country. We plan to review all of our streaming services and origin of everything else during our next sea day. Most of them we've already cancelled, some were prepaid so we need to decide what to do with those. We've also decided to stay within Canada for the remainder of 2026 and 2027.
Very proud of Canada's stand and the way Prime Minister Carney has handled this situation.
If you read nothing else Dean Blundell's column explains what, in fact, the US tried to include in the proposed agreement that caused us to walk away (I understand it likely wasn't the only thing).
Dean Blundell
https://deanblundell.substack.com/p/breaking-trump-tried-to-slip-a-snapback?r=6vwqk6&utm_medium=ios
If you're interested in a great news column that includes some great humour and a lesson in speaking Aussie - our number one daily go to is IFLA I Fucking Love Australia
https://ifloz.substack.com/p/carney-just-threatened-to-send-america?publication_id=7671401&post_id=212341917&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo0MTYzOTI1NjYsInBvc3RfaWQiOjIxMjM0MTkxNywiaWF0IjoxNzg3NDQzMjY5LCJleHAiOjE3OTAwMzUyNjksImlzcyI6InB1Yi03NjcxNDAxIiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.lVdpguILhAi-Ojz4M5z5IveCz_acKFA4UcNfY3vlGOw&r=6vwqk6&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
https://ifloz.substack.com/p/king-carney-activates-kong-mode-with?utm_campaign=email-half-post&r=6vwqk6&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Heather Delaney Reese
https://www.heatherdelaneyreese.com/p/someone-finally-said-no-to-trump?publication_id=5445372&post_id=212373034&isFreemail=true&r=6vwqk6&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Ross Boulton
https://rossboulton1.substack.com/p/we-arent-stupid-forced-labor-tariffs?publication_id=5347031&post_id=208771899&isFreemail=true&r=6vwqk6&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
The Hub Canada
https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada
David Frum - The Atlantic
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/08/why-us-canada-trade-talks-fell-apart/688386/
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDamP-pfOskNgMNI1eg0pajQfRu-q3NUO
I thought I'd share the links to a number of the folks/sites we've been reading and listening to - in case anyone is interested and/or has any suggestions for us.
We've also decided to double down on our commitment to boycott the US as one small way we can support our country. We plan to review all of our streaming services and origin of everything else during our next sea day. Most of them we've already cancelled, some were prepaid so we need to decide what to do with those. We've also decided to stay within Canada for the remainder of 2026 and 2027.
Very proud of Canada's stand and the way Prime Minister Carney has handled this situation.
If you read nothing else Dean Blundell's column explains what, in fact, the US tried to include in the proposed agreement that caused us to walk away (I understand it likely wasn't the only thing).
Dean Blundell
https://deanblundell.substack.com/p/breaking-trump-tried-to-slip-a-snapback?r=6vwqk6&utm_medium=ios
If you're interested in a great news column that includes some great humour and a lesson in speaking Aussie - our number one daily go to is IFLA I Fucking Love Australia
https://ifloz.substack.com/p/carney-just-threatened-to-send-america?publication_id=7671401&post_id=212341917&isFreemail=true&token=eyJ1c2VyX2lkIjo0MTYzOTI1NjYsInBvc3RfaWQiOjIxMjM0MTkxNywiaWF0IjoxNzg3NDQzMjY5LCJleHAiOjE3OTAwMzUyNjksImlzcyI6InB1Yi03NjcxNDAxIiwic3ViIjoicG9zdC1yZWFjdGlvbiJ9.lVdpguILhAi-Ojz4M5z5IveCz_acKFA4UcNfY3vlGOw&r=6vwqk6&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
https://ifloz.substack.com/p/king-carney-activates-kong-mode-with?utm_campaign=email-half-post&r=6vwqk6&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Heather Delaney Reese
https://www.heatherdelaneyreese.com/p/someone-finally-said-no-to-trump?publication_id=5445372&post_id=212373034&isFreemail=true&r=6vwqk6&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
Ross Boulton
https://rossboulton1.substack.com/p/we-arent-stupid-forced-labor-tariffs?publication_id=5347031&post_id=208771899&isFreemail=true&r=6vwqk6&triedRedirect=true&utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email
The Hub Canada
https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada
David Frum - The Atlantic
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/08/why-us-canada-trade-talks-fell-apart/688386/
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLDamP-pfOskNgMNI1eg0pajQfRu-q3NUO
