Cruise BM922
on the M.S. Braemar
around the Bay of Biscay
(Please scroll down to see my photographs and report)
| Date: |
Port: |
Flag: |
Escort: |
Comment: |
| 18/10/2009 |
Dover
England |
 |
|
Parking
only £3
per day! |
| 20/10/2009 |
La Coruna
Galicia
Spain |
 |
Santiago
(again!) |
Canapes
in the
Capilla Real! |
| 22/10/2009 |
Gijon
Asturias
Spain |
|
- |
Two trips
into town |
| 23/10/2009 |
Santander
Cantabria
Spain |
|
- |
Wet morning
in town & dry
afternoon on coast |
| 24/10/2009 |
Bilbao
Basque
Spain |
|
- |
Glorious
morning
in City |
| 25/10/2009 |
La Rochelle
France |
 |
City &
Ile de Ré |
Lovely
morning
tour |
| 27/10/2009 |
Dover
UK |
 |
- |
Home
by 11:30! |
Colin, Vicki & Don
Self portrait as a Fred. Olsen tour escort
Here is my cruise report...
After a rough crossing of the Bay of Biscay we had a late arrival in La Coruna.
I was a tour escort to Santiago de Compostela for the third time.
The wine and canapés in the royal chapel (capilla real) were as lovely as ever.
My tour got back at 7:15 pm and I had changed and was on duty by 7:30!
It was the western evening so I led two line dancing sessions in the Cor(r)al Club.
Back in the Bay we had a force nine gale off Cape Finisterre so we turned back from Portugal.
No return visit to Lisbon, no first visit to Oporto.
Let's hope I get there next week on Boudicca!
We arrived two days early in Gijon, and I went into the lovely town twice.
Gijon
Braemar's first ever visit to Santander occurred on a wet morning.
I had trouble finding a free Wi-Fi signal there,
until I got back near to the ship at the old port building.
This is now a modern art gallery with hundreds of old shoes arrayed on the floor,
"pretentious, self-indulgent, craftless tat" as Ivan Massow said.
However they did offer free Wi-Fi!
The main art gallery was also full of rubbish bar one painting by Goya.
By the afternoon the weather had improved
and so I walked along the sandy coast to the free zoo and the royal palace on the peninsula.
Santander
At Getxo (pronounced Ghetto but not at all like one!) I took the 3 euro return metro ride into stunning Bilbao.
I got off in the old town and walked back along the river to the fantastic Guggenheim museum.
I wasn't prepared to shell out 11 euros to go inside to see more tat.
Guggenheim museum, Bilbao
In La Rochelle I was a tour escort again, around the city and the beautiful Ile de Ré.
St. Martin de la Ré
On the final day I got off the boat by 7:45 am and drove home for 11:30 am.
To summarise:
- Food: Very good, the best in the fleet.
- Tours: 2 out of 5 ports of call.
- Weather: Variable.
- Sailaways: None.
- Tea dance: One.
- Masonics: Hosted by my colleague Don MacGregor.
- Service clubs: Hosted by me.
- Dinner host: No.
- Line dancing: Yes, 4 sessions led by me.
- Sequence dancing: Yes, the usual popular ones.
- Ballroom dancing: Yes.
- Western night: Yes, I led 2 line dancing sessions in the Cor(r)al Club.
- Tropical night: No.
- British (Red, White & Blue) night: Yes.
- Singles party: Yes.
- Singles lunch: No
- Formal nights: Two - Black tie and Black & red tie.
- Cocktail parties: Five.
- Cruise Director: Anthony Borradaile.
- Assistant Cruise Director: Priscilla Garcia.
- Host/ess: Stacey Jones, Jackie Probert, Jo-ann Manzon & Sam Bracking.
- Cabin mate: The very amusing Don MacGregor, the Liverpudlian Banker from Peterboro'.
- Dance couple: The school teacher Vicki Eddens & her partner Colin Jenner.
- Other dance hosts: None.
- Lecturer(s): Roger Mason (Churchill, Wellington & Profumo).
- Musician(s): Jeff Diamond.
Rey Carinan sang "Are you ready for loving me" twice at my request!
- Singer(s): Gavin Murray.
- Doctor: Dr. Melanie Carter.
- Cabin: 2027 with two portholes.
- Passenger(s): Pauline & Jenny from Lancashire, Joyce & Angela from Walsall.
