Quirky Traveller's Tales

One of the highlights of my blog trip travels so far has been the cruise on Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth maiden voyage to Norway.  From the lively and moving Southampton ‘Sail Away’, via a mill-pond smooth North Sea crossing to the fascinating Norwegian sites of Stavanger and Lysefjord, the Flåm rail trip from Sognefjord and the ancient port of Bergen, every moment created its own unique memories.  The pinnacle of that trip was, without doubt, sailing slowly through Geiranger Fjord, squeezed between towering mountains and cascading water, through some of the world’s most impressive scenery.

 We cruised into the fjord in the early morning through mist and rain, creating an atmosphere that was evocative but frustrating as the impressive grandeur of this UNESCO World Heritage Site was draped in shadow.  Often described as the ‘quintessential fjord’, Geirangerfjorden is an 8 mile long sliver of green water that slides its way between precipitous mountains decorated with streaming waterfalls and mostly uninhabited farm buildings clinging to their rocky sides.  When we got to the end of the fjord, the ship performed a delicate turn to get into position for us to disembark.  I discovered later that she was kept in place by Satellite positioning as it is far too deep to drop anchor.

Disembarking by boat we were shuttled across the water to the village where a cluster of souvenir shops and cafes serve the regular stream of visitors that visit this popular destination.  Although there are only about 250 permanent residents in Geiranger, during the season about 130 cruise ships visit bringing several hundred thousand visitors every year. I was struck by the way the area seemed to quickly absorb all us tourists and how easy it was to find a quiet corner to explore.  Wandering up a lane at the back of the village I found a large stream thundering over jagged rocks, white painted cottages, an octagonal wooden church with a well-tended graveyard and this old wooden hut overgrown with weeds and bright green moss.

I’d booked a tour up Ørnevegen (the Eagle Road),  the steepest stretch of road up the mountain side from Geiranger towards Eidsdal. The road turns through 11 hairpin bends to the highest point 620 metres above sea level.  At the viewing point of ‘Eagle Bend’ I got a phenomenal sense of nature’s grandeur; far below lay ‘Queen Elizabeth’ , an insignificant craft amidst this awesome landscape.  To the right was the Seven Sisters waterfalls crashing down in silvery sheets into the dark waters below.  The skies had blessedly cleared and the view is one that will stay with me forever …

On our way back down the mountain the tour stopped off at the ‘Norwegian Fjord Centre‘, telling the intriguing story of local people’s daily life and recreations.  I ‘experienced’ an avalanche and learnt how this lethal snowfall is caused.  The beautifully laid out shop sold lovely jumpers, delicate glassware, regional produce and many other tasteful souvenirs to tempt the visitors.  I spent some time watching young volunteers using traditional crafts to recreate a typical farmstead.

At the end of the day I was extremely fortunate to be invited onto the ‘Queen Elizabeth” bridge as Captain Chris Wells and his crew set sail from Geiranger on our way our next port of call, Bergen.  The loud boom of the ship’s hooter reverberated around the mighty mountains as we slowly inched our way along the fjord.  As we passed the streaming ribbons of the Seven Sisters Waterfall the Captain said that Norway and its fjords was one of his favourite places in the world to take his ship – and it is easy to see why …

Many thanks to everyone aboard ‘Queen Elizabeth’ and especially to Lisa Page from Cunard for a marvellous trip – and converting me to the joys of cruising!

Photo c/o thediamondjubilee.org

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II looked up at her son and smiled, nodded to a gold-clad footman and stepped carefully into the 1902 open-topped State Landau.  Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall (who’d have thought it?) got in beside her and Prince Charles settled opposite.  Dark rugs were placed carefully across their laps and they set off on the Carriage Procession from Westminster Hall to Buckingham Palace.  For many people in the waiting crowds, this was the highlight of three days of glorious celebration.  Proud Guards stood tall in their gleaming uniforms, beautiful horses with bridles jingling carried bands playing stirring music.  Flags fluttered from buildings and in people’s hands everywhere.

So what if rain threatened? They’d already coped with the most tremendous downpour on the Sunday, when the heavens didn’t just open, but threw down every kind of rain and wind on the most historic river pageant held anywhere for over 300 years.  If the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh could manage to stand for over four hours aboard the ‘Spirit of Chartwell’ then nothing was going to stop the crowds from making the most of this magical occasion.

On that day the River Thames was filled with sea-going craft of every kind imaginable, from all around the British Isles and across the Commonwealth.  Now it was a river of people flowing along the streets of London, down the Mall to the front of Buckingham Palace.  The night before, singers and muscians from 60 years of the Queen’s reign had performed an ear-splittingly varied and vibrant concert, culminating in Madness singing ‘It Must be Love’ and ‘Our House’ on the Palace roof – how appropriate. The fireworks that ended the show were diamond-bright and glorious.

For many of us in this country and around the world, the Diamond Jubilee has been a wonderful opportunity to show our appreciation to the Queen who has been a steadfast, stoical presence for most of our lives.  Oh and, of course, an excuse to party – which, let’s face it we need to do in these somewhat austere times.  Like it or not, the monarchy and especially the Queen, are hard-wired into this country’s DNA.   I have always loved the pomp, circumstance and yes, quirkiness, of it all.

As a little girl, my grandmother used to show me pictures from a huge red and gold covered book called ‘England Under Victoria’, published in 1886. In the first chapter there’s an engraving of ten-year old Princess Victoria clasping a boa-feathered hat and looking wistful. Nana told me she was our Queen’s Great Great Grandmother, something I found very hard to believe.  For many years we watched the Service of Remembrance and the Trooping of the Colour on TV; these ceremonials became part of the more colourful fabric of home life.  I was at Dudley College of Education, training to be an English teacher, when the Queen visited on her Silver Jubilee tour in 1977. I can vaguely remember my boyfriend heaving me up in the air to catch a glimpse of her as she did a quick walkabout.

Over the Diamond Jubilee weekend I stayed in the Cotswolds.  The whole area seemed to be en fête.  We went into Bath for the day and it was lovely to see all the shops decked out in patriotic finery.  One of the busiest places was the Highgrove Shop, where expensive but deliciously crunchy biscuits nudge up to luxurious bath soap and garden implements for people with more money than sense.  Of course, we bought our souvenirs here – after all, that ornate tea caddy and mint tin have been given the Queen’s seal of approval –and that’s good enough for me.

The Thames River Pageant, the Jubilee Concert in front of Buckingham Palace, the Service of Thanksgiving at St Paul’s Cathedral, the State Carriage Procession and the Balcony appearance and flypast, are all events that we can share in as a nation and as individuals.  Street parties were packed with people determined not to let a bit or rain stop their fun.  Pubs, clubs and restaurants had patriotic food and drink, village greens had marquees tethered extra strong to resist the June winds and there was bunting, bunting everywhere.  For a short time, the Union Jack (can’t call it ‘Union Flag – not so personal) was reclaimed from the football fans and right wing jingoists so that ordinary people throughout the country could display their loyalty.

As well as taking part in various festivities including a Jubilee dinner and afternoon tea (delicious cakes) at Broadway village Jubilee Fair, I watched a lot of TV.  It was a great way to see all the events – in spite of some very poor BBC coverage, especially of the River Pageant – and keep dry. Shivering in sympathy on the river, singing along with Suggs at the concert, admiring  St Paul’s awesome setting during the Service of Thanksgiving, sharing photos and thoughts on Twitter and Face Book.  It all helped to connect and give a sense of common purpose and celebration.  It’s on occasions of magnificence and unrestrained exuberance like this that I am most delighted to be be British and so very appreciative of all that our royal heritage brings to this country.

All at sea; literally and metaphorically. After a truly memorable Sail Away on our way to Norway, I spent a lot of my second day on the beautiful Cunard cruise ship Queen Elizabeth finding my way round this enormous ship.  This is sailing on a truly grand scale.  For those of you who like numbers, here you go:

• Gross Tonnage: 90,400 ie very heavy
• Length: 294 m (964.5 ft) ie very long
• Width: 32.3 m (106 ft) ie very wide
• Height : 54.4 (179 ft) ie … you get the idea
• Guest Accommodation 1,034 … no room at the inn on this cruise to Norway
• Guest Capacity: 2,068 … a lot of people still lost on Day 2
• Guest Decks: 12 … a lot of places to get lost
• Ships Crew: 1,005 … a lot of people to point you in the right direction

After a deliciously healthy breakfast of fruit, croissant and berry smoothie, having been warned that you can put on a few ounces on this cruise I was ready to explore.  Now here’s a tip if you do go on one of Cunard’s fabulous fleet: find someone who’s been on before and get them to help you.  I was with Lisa, who knows this ship well, and her sister ship, Queen Victoria, which has a very similar lay-out.  The best piece of advice we got from the crew was at the Solo Travellers get-together: Freda, entertainment host extraordinaire, told us that the State Room corridors (nothing as plebeian as cabins on the QE) have red edged carpets on the left/port side and blue on the right/starboard side. Tis good to know …

One of the many excellent events on board is the Solo Travellers meetings; great for people who are on their own and want to share some of their time with others.  At our meeting there were also four  ‘Dance Hosts’ – charming gentlemen of a ‘certain age’ who are delighted to partner the ladies on the dance floor and dance the night away. Freda outlined lots of things to do: croquet was one of the more unusual sports to partake in!

Around the ship there is so much to do that everyone can find something to suit. What has been a real revelation is that this is a cruise to suit ALL ages and tastes … Whether you want to relax in the Library with a good book or research the next port, take part in a Trivial Pursuits Quiz, luxuriate in the Royal Spa, learn how to use Face Book or your iPod, understand Viking History … or learn how to cut a vegetable into a beautiful flower, the Queen Elizabeth will sort it.

Eating is a real gourmand’s pleasure, whatever you book and I am loving the variety of food experiences on board. Apparently there are 140+ chefs to cater for every taste. I am really relishing the meals in the beautiful Princess Grill restaurant where a true Cunard gem, Sanjay, has been making the most excellent recommendations to tempt us into ever more adventurous culinary treats.

And so, as we delve into Norwegian waters and Stavanger, our first port of call, the late evening sun sinks into a wine-dark sea (not only found in the Aegean), the next leg of this awfully big Cunard adventure beckons ….