Just Cruises Plus

Real water lilies at Giverny

After three nights at the Count’s “castle” we continued to follow the route that my uncle took in his fight across France during WWII.  After visiting several towns devastated in the war, we deviated from the route to get to our next B & B in the town of Giverny, the home of Claude Monet where he created his most famous works.  Monet was one of the founders of the Impressionist movement; in fact, the name “impressionist” came from one of his paintings named Impression, Sunrise. The highlight of the town of Giverny is Monet’s gardens where his Water Lilies series was painted. But that is not all that that Giverny area has to offer.

Les Andelys

Les Andelys is nearby. From the hill overlooking it, Les Andelys appears to be a toy town or fairyland. Les Andelys is actually two towns, hence the word “Les”. We walked along the meandering Seine River where the Tapestry 2 Avalon riverboat, happened to be docked. Rachelle was invited aboard for a visit and was very impressed with the upscale public spaces and staterooms.

Château Gaillard

The Château Gaillard, a (partially ruined) fortress built by Richard the Lionhearted in the 12^th century, is the most dramatic sight on the Seine River (I think even more than the Eiffel Tower). It took only one year to build this enormous structure.

Avalon Tapestry II docked in Les Andelys

Our next stop in the Giverny areas was one of the most beautiful villages in France, La Roche-Guyon. It’s imposing castle, named after the town, was the headquarters of the German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, the “Desert Fox”. Rommel committed suicide after the failed attempt on Hitler’s life.

Sandrine’s library / music room

Our hostess at our Giverny Bed & Breakfast was a lovely French woman who spoke perfect English. She was neither a count nor a colonel and her modest, eclectically furnished house was completely different from our first two chateaus. However, it was no less comfortable and Sandrine, our hostess, was warm and charming. We must say that we hit a grand slam with our Normandy Bed & Breakfasts. Each was different but each was fantastic in terms of food, hosts and comfort and location.

My Uncle was initially buried in Villeneuve sur Auvers Cemetery.

After two very pleasant nights, we headed toward Paris. But first, we visited the cemetery where my uncle was buried after he was killed. His body was brought back to the US and the cemetery is now farmland but there is a memorial with his name on a plaque.

Our next installment in this series will focus on our stay in Paris.

Town church in St. Mere Eglise – click for close-up of Private Steel’s effigy

After spending 3 terrific nights with Colonel Ed and his wife, Sharon, we headed for our next bed and breakfast.   But first, we stopped in the town of Saint Mere Eglise, one of the first towns freed from the Germans in WWII.  There is a church in the town square where paratroopers of the 82^nd Airborne Division landed in error due to foul weather.  Many paratroopers were killed and captured in the square.  One paratrooper got hung up on one of the steeples of the church and pretended to be dead.  He witnessed the carnage below and was captured by the Germans but later escaped.  To this day, an effigy of Private John Steele hangs from the steeple.

Our second B&B was referred to as a “castle”

Our next B&B was in a château owned and operated by a real French Count. When we arrived, he immediately began speaking French to us. With our feeble and rusty high school French, we gave a few answers which seemed to please him. From then on, he spoke nearly perfect English. He ”joked” that he was testing us.

The Count’s B&B’s foyer

The chateau was enormous and we had a huge room with a separate dressing room and a very large and modern bathroom. Paintings of the count’s ancestors hung on the walls and French Provincial furniture graced the room.  The Count was a font of tales.  He told us about the time when he was a child and his father was arrested by Germans in the foyer of the château when it was taken over for the use of Wehrmacht officers.  The family had to live in the stables during the German occupation.

His father was a member of the French Resistance and the Count had some harrowing war stories.

The Count ensures fresh flowers are always at the foot of George Mick’s grave

The Count takes care of the grave of an American soldier killed in WWII and buried in the Brittany American Cemetery in St. James, France.  He prepared a beautiful bouquet of flowers from his garden for us to take to the cemetery and place on the grave.

According to the Count, the château is haunted. Our friend, John had a close encounter with the ghost.

Cows along the road are a common sight

We continued to visit the Norman towns and villages where my uncle fought with the 3rd Armored Division until he was killed in action near Paris.  Most of the towns were pretty much destroyed during the war but have been completely rebuilt.  Normandy is largely farm country with apple orchards, corn fields and lots of cows. R oads are two lane with very little traffic.

Riding through a typical Norman village

We made a planned diversion to Mont Saint-Michel, the second most visited site in France (the Eiffel Tower is number 1). It is an active Benedictine abbey located on an islet. The original church structure was completed in 1144 and more structures were added in the 13^th century. At low tide, one can walk about 600 meters from the mainland to the islet. However, unless you have a guide, this is not recommended because there are areas of quicksand. People have lost their lives when they got stuck in the quicksand and the tide came in. The tide difference between high and low tide can be as much as 45 feet and it comes in real fast. We did it the easy way. We parked our rental car in the main parking lot and took a shuttle bus on the recently completed bridge to a point very close to the massive structure.

Mont Saint-Michel at low tide

We’ll post more about our trip to Normandy & Paris in a few weeks. Stay tuned!

The Braves by French sculptor Anilore Banon – Omaha Beach

My uncle landed on Omaha Beach less than a month after D-Day. He was killed in action less than two months later near Paris. Seventy-one years later, my cousin, Richard, and I planned a trip to France where we would tour the towns and villages where he fought until his death. We left Philadelphia, together with my wife, Rachelle, and John, a friend of Richard’s, in mid August on our two week pilgrimage.

I won’t dwell on the details of the battles fought by my uncle but I would like to share our experiences in France. During our two weeks in France, we stayed in three bed and breakfasts (Normandy) and one apartment (Paris). This virtually insured that we would mingle with the local residents and, equally important, would keep our costs under control.

Charming Port of Honfleur in Normandy

As we left Charles De Gaulle airport in our rented car, we noticed that the French roads are in better shape than ours and are much cleaner (not so many McDonald’s wrappers along the hi-ways). We had some extra time before arriving at our first chateau, so we made a slight detour and headed to Honfleur.

The American Cemetery at Omaha Beach

Our first bed and breakfast was at a chateau owned by a retired Colonel in the British Royal Marines (Britain’s most elite warriors) and his wife, who was an expert in the history of Normandy, particularly its medieval history. This turned out to be perfect for us. We not only had a first rate experience at the chateau, but the Colonel drove us to Omaha Beach (where the Americans landed), Pointe du Hoc (made famous by the U.S. Rangers) and the American Cemetery.   The quality of this tour was fantastic. While the colonel was much too young to have been part of the D-Day landings, being a military officer gave him insights that other guides simply cannot match. When you take a tour with the Colonel, your lunch is included and he eats with you and shares his experiences and answers your questions (another bonus).

Pointe du Hoc Ranger Monument

Villedieu-les-Poeles – A town that we visited in Normandy

On our second day with the Colonel, he drove us through many of the quaint villages where my uncle fought with the 3rd Armored Division.  They look much different than they looked 71 years ago.

Mortain was a major 3rd Armored Division battle site.  View of Mortain’s main street in 1944.

Mortain’s main street in 2015

The Colonel and his wife’s bed and breakfast was not typical.  We also got dinner as well as drinks before dinner and, if you are going on a tour with the Colonel, a talk by the Colonel on what you will be seeing the next day. The meals were prepared by a young Norman woman and were outstanding. The colonel’s wife, Sharon, had a wonderful sense of humor and she kept the conversation moving at dinner. Our rooms were spotless and had private bathrooms with plumbing more modern than most of our US hotels (this was true of all of the bed and breakfasts where we stayed as well as the apartment).   If you are a history buff (WWII, British or French), and you want a welcoming place to stay, we highly recommend this chateau.  For more information, call us.

First B&B – View of dining room and main entrance from hallway

First B&B – View from 2nd floor french windows

First B&B – sitting room

Our 2nd Bed and Breakfast was more like a castle.  It was immense and it was owned by a real French Count.  We’ll post more about this B & B in 2 weeks.  Stay tuned.

White Pass & Yukon Route Railroad – 2/15/15 Contest

We received 67 responses to our 2/15/15 photo contest and, although everyone knew that the photo was taken in Alaska, just 41 correctly named both the railroad and the location. The winner of the contest is Norm Remer of Southampton, PA, whose name was randomly selected from the 41correct responses.

The town of Skagway, located on the Alaskan Panhandle, has a population of less than 1000 which doubles in size during the summer months to support the huge influx of tourists.  The port is a popular cruise ship stop — understandable, when you walk through the small town and, everywhere you turn, there is a breathtaking view of mountains.

Downtown Skagway

Skagway’s White Pass and Yukon Route narrow gauge railroad, originally built during the Gold Rush, runs throughout the summer months.  Although usually pulled by diesel locomotives, you could get lucky and ride behind an old time steam locomotive.  There are several trips per day and, although you can purchase tickets while on your ship, we recommend that you purchase them in advance to assure you get the excursion you want.  This is our number one recommendation for Skagway.  The scenery is amazing — hence, the reference to the “Scenic Railroad of the World”.

Advertisement or graffiti? (photo by Jahn Nolan)

The most common tour offered is round trip from “downtown” Skagway to past the summit and return. This tour crosses the Canadian boarder into Yukon Territory, British Columbia. For those who want to combine the railway experience with other adventures, there are several combo-variations offered including; Railway with Kayaking, Railway with Hiking, Railway with a Dog Sled visit and Railway with Biking.

View of the steam locomotive and the dock from the town

We opted for a tour which took us by train to Fort Fraser and then we biked back to the town.  Even with the drizzly weather, the ride to the bottom was exhilarating!  There was little pedaling and lots of braking.

Preparing to bike down the mountain

Our trip to Alaska was in early September.  The temperature was a LOT warmer than we are experiencing here (in Philadelphia).

Photo of pins found on ebay

We received over 50 responses to last week’s question which asked about the “jumble of items” shown in the contest photo.  Responses ranged from “Disney magnets” to “Disney luggage tags”.  These guesses were close but the correct answer is “Disney pins”. Only 20 of you guessed correctly.   Congratulations to Ellie Schwartz of Washington Crossing, PA, the winner of the random drawing.

What can you do with these pins?  Buy them, wear them, put them on display, save them and trade them, of course!

Disney pins are hot and the trading of those pins is a popular activity, as if there was not enough to already keep you busy when visiting Disney. You can buy packs of pins in advance. When at Disney, you can wear your pins on a lanyard which you wear around your neck.  As you walk around the parks, you will see Disney staff members who are also wearing their pins. You may approach those staff members and offer to trade selected pins.

Disney pins can also we acquired at events, for example, if you buy a behind the scenes tour of Disney, you’ll receive a pin at the end of your tour.

Some pins come in sets. Pins are often “retired” from production and, as the new version of that pin is introduced, the older version increases in value.

When at Disney, there is an etiquette to trading pins with staff members including:

–          Trade one pin at a time, hand to hand

–          For safety, trade pins with the backs attached

–          Pins should be in good, undamaged, tradeable condition.

–          Certain pin sets must be traded as sets.

–          Refrain from touching another person’s pin or lanyard. If you need a closer look, ask the person.

Click here for a complete list of Pin Trading Etiquette.

Thinking about a trip to Disney? Give us a call.  We’ve been doing Disney trips for years and have agents who are expert in both land and sea vacations packages.

Guadeloupe

In last week’s photo contest results, we challenged our readers with  a new trivia question:  There is one nation in the Caribbean where one large part of the island is volcanic and the other part is coral.  Can you name the nation?  The correct answer is “Guadaloupe”.

Sadly, we received no correct responses to our trivia challenge!

Guadaloupe is a French-owned collection of islands located in the southernmost portion of the leeward island chain.  The two main islands, Basse-Terre and Grand-Terre, are so close as to appear, from above, to be two wings of a butterfly.

Designated a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO, Guadeloupe National Park on Basse-Terre, is comprised of waterfalls, lush foliage, gorgeous flowers including many species of orchids and 300 kilometers of hiking trails.

Lush rain forest

In the heart of the park is La Soufrière an active volcano which has erupted eight times since 1660.  Hot springs, mud pools, and fumaroles punctuate its barren black sides.  Hiking trails along this mountain allow hikers panoramic views of the surrounding islands.

Off the coast of Basse-Terre near Bouillante, the waters surrounding Pigeon Island comprise the  Jacques Cousteau Underwater Reserve (Réserve Cousteau) with some of Guadeloupe’s best sub-aquatic scenery.  Turtles and large schools of fish, as well as parrotfish, trumpetfish, and barracuda frequent the coral gardens here, and the area offers good wall and wreck dives. We had the wonderful experience of scuba diving in this reserve, however there are also shallow reefs which can be easily reached by snorklers.

The adjacent French islands of La Desirade, Les Saintes and Marie-Glante are also under the jurisdiction of Guadaloupe.  Les Saintes, also known as Îles des Saintes, is a wonderful island with a small main town, many secluded beaches and wonderful snorkeling. It’s considered to have one of the most picturesque bays in the world.

July 12 Contest Photo - Pitons of St. Lucia

We had 5 correct answers to our photo contest.  Congratulations to Bob Mandl of Coram, NY, winner of the $25 gift card.  His name was randomly selected from those who responded correctly.

The island in the photograph has two distinctions in addition to the famous Pitons featured in the photograph.

First, St Lucia has more Pulitzer prize winners per capita than any other sovereign nation in the world.  In 1978, Sir William Arthur Lewis won the prize for economics and in 1992, Derek Alton Walcott won a Pulitzer for poetry.

A second unique characteristic is that St Lucia has the only drive through volcano in the world.  Don’t worry, its dormant.  However, the smell of sulfur is still present.

The most known features are the Pitons shown in the photograph.  These two pointy mountains, known individually as “Gros” and “Petit”, are located near the southwest end of the island.  Mountain climbers are familiar with pitons which are metal spikes used in mountain climbing.

Other Views of St Lucia

St Lucia is one of many volcanic islands in the Caribbean.  While most are dormant, a famous eruption occurred on the nearby island of Martinique in 1902.  Nearly the entire town was killed in the massive eruption that is said to have had the power of 40 Hiroshima atomic bombs.  The lone survivor was a man who was in jail for drunkenness.  The walls of the jail were thick and gave him protection from the blast.  I would not want to have his hangover.

Volcanic islands are characterized by high mountains and lots of rain.  They are great for hikers and climbers and the scenery is very dramatic.  These islands have dark and/or pebble beaches and the snorkeling and diving are not the best.

Other volcanic islands in the Caribbean are Dominique, Nevis, Saba, St Kitts, Grenada, and Monsterrat.  Coral islands are the other type of islands found in the Caribbean.  The Caymans, Aruba, Curacao, Bonaire, Antigua Anguilla, Barbados and St Martin are typical Coral islands.  They were formed over thousands of years by the death of coral which piled up to form islands.  Beaches are the more familiar colors and snorkeling and diving are outstanding on these islands.

Trivia Challenge

There is one nation in the Caribbean where one large part of the island is volcanic and the other part is coral.  Can you name the nation?   All responses must be emailed to us by Thursday, July 24.  All correct responses will be placed in a random drawing for a $25 gift card.

Last week’s photo contest was submitted by one of our clients after she returned from a Celebrity cruise in the Mediterranean.

Contest Photo - June 13, 2014 - One of the villages of Cinque Terre

Only three people correctly identified the photograph of Cinque Terre (Five Lands) National Park, Italy.

Congratulations to Beverly Carr, of Philadelphia, PA, the winner of the $25 gift card.  Her name was randomly drawn from those who responded correctly.

The five “lands” are actually five highly picturesque villages near the breathtaking Ligurian coastline.  The villages are about a mile apart and are connected by trains and the Sentiero Azzureo walking trail.   These terraced towns are rife with history which dates back to the 11^th century.  Most current residents’ livelihood comes from fishing and the tourist industry which  has boomed since the 1970s.  Because of the crowds, it is best to go in the spring and fall since summer is the major tourist season.

The nearest major town is La Spezia where you can catch a train or ferry for the short ride to the villages.  People with physical challenges will have some limitations due to the terrain.  However, the trail from Riomaggiore to Manarola (Via Dell’Amore) is wheelchair friendly.

Special thanks to Sheryl Portman for sharing this special photo with us.

George Bernard Shaw once said “those who seek paradise on Earth should come to Dubrovnik and find it”.  Dubrovnik (the answer to our extended photo contest) is nicknamed “Pearl of the Adriatic” and is listed as a

Dubrovnik - 1st Photo Contest Photo

UNESCO World Heritage Site — and for good reason.  It is one of the most beautiful and historic cities in Europe.  It is on the Southern tip of Croatia on the Adriatic Sea directly across from Bari, Italy.

During the middle ages, Dubrovnik rivaled Venice as the leading trade port in Europe.  Because of its primacy in commerce, it had rivals and potential enemies and a need for forts and walls to protect the city.  These walls are now the major tourist attractions of Dubrovnik.  They circumnavigate to Old City for a total distance of about a mile and a quarter.  The views from the walls are stunning and the monasteries, palaces and churches  within the walls are perfectly preserved and represent the best of medieval architecture.

 Tips from Just Crises Plus

Cab fare to the wall is about $15 per cab and the ride is about 15 minutes. Tell the cab driver to take you to the Ploce entrance which allows for an easier walk.  Note that all walking on the wall is counterclockwise and also note that the wall is not accessible for physically challenged folks as there are a total of 1080 steps along the wall.  There are several exits from the wall if you want to take a partial walk.

Local currency (Kuna) is needed for admission (90 kuna or $16.50).  We recommend that you get this before traveling because the ATM machines frequently run out of kunas.

 Interesting Fact

HBO show “Game of Thrones” is filmed along the wall.

And the Winner Is….

We only had 6 correct answers to this week’s photo contest.  Congratulations to Kevin Carlin of Philadelphia, PA, who we randomly selected to receive the $25 gift card.

Extended Contest Photo - A view from the wall

Additional Views

For as long as we can remember, Turkey has required a visa. Currently, you purchase the visa upon arrival at the airport for $20.  Effective April 10, 2014, travelers will need to obtain a visa prior to arriving in Turkey by accessing Turkey’s new e-Visa Application System.

For those folks who do not use computers or who need assistance with the process, call Just Cruises Plus and we will help you to obtain your Turkish visa.

Is a separate e-Visa needed for each traveler?

Yes, each traveler must obtain a separate e-Visa, including infants and kids. (Even though kids/infants are included in their parent’s passports)

What information will you need to complete the e-Visa application?

A minimum 6-month-valid passport, flight (or any other possible means of transportation) reservation and a credit card (Mastercard or Visa).

Do I need an e-Visa if I am on a cruise ship?

If you are flying into or out of Turkey as part of your cruise, then you need e-Visa.

If Turkey is on your itinerary (but not at the start/end point), you do not need an e-Visa because the cruise ship will be given permission by local authorities for you to enter Turkey.

Click here for more e-Visa information and to apply for your e-Visa.

Did you miss the article on our visit to the spectacular Turkish city of Istanbul?  Click here to read.