Eddie99

Michelle - I’m so sorry; I hope your Mum makes a smooth, full recovery. It might be an idea to contact your local Councillor if there are obvious trip hazards on the pavements? It’s sunny but breezy here Aidasol is in port, so the passengers should enjoy themselves Some wild flowers for Avril. They’re probably a week beyond their best but still putting up a good show And my lovely pooch

Morning all. Lovely sunny day, though with a sea breeze to take the edge off a bit. No plans, just enjoying being in the caravan and the relaxed feel that brings Enjoy your day

Thanks to Megabear for this lovely thread and fabulous pictures. I was late finding it, so had a lovely day earlier this week when I started from the beginning and read up the first week in one glorious, vicarious, session Nice to get Selbourne’s input too I Hope disembarkation is smooth for you both. It takes the edge off a little when there a problems at the end of a lovely trip (though I hope your disembarkation is nothing like the emergency rescue of two regular posters on the P&O boards, who were stranded in the German floods. Very dramatic pictures of crowds in life jackets) Thanks again. Safe onward journey

Beautiful dragon! Sunny now, but not forecast to last. It’s Wednesday walk, and at least it’s dry

I’ve heard there’s this really good ship … African Queen, I think she was called

Good that you are safely home Happy Birthday to Mrs YP - and it can’t be that big Phil, surely 🎂

Just in case anyone else is as slow as me, and has missed it, @Megabear2 is doing a super “Live From” on her lovely Queen Anne trip. @Selbourne is on board too, and contributing a lot. There are regular P&O contributors also chipping in It’s a good read, over on the Cunard boards (I only found it today. D’oh)

I’ve just finished reading A Night to Remember, for book club. It’s a really good read, about the loss of the Titanic. I can’t help comparing it with the river situation (which is obviously going to end up much better!). The rescue efforts were fantastic, once everyone got themselves in gear, and the methods used to transfer people from the lifeboats to the rescuing liner were extraordinary, including bringing children up in canvas bags or sheets 😳 . I sincerely hope there’s nothing as dramatic as that for you. As I said, good book, though maybe not one to pop on your Kindle for your next cruise. Coincidentally, we were cruising on the 100th anniversary of the Titanic (April 2012). There was an expert aboard, giving talks, which were very interesting and very well attended. I recall he said he would be … somewhere - Crows Nest or similar - at the actual exact hour, if anyone wished to join him . I suspect some did - the real enthusiasts

omg brian - and that’s me now even less likely to go for a river cruise Safe journey back, to you both & Mr & Mrs YP. Look forward to the refund, I guess? It’s a warm, dry day here. I’ve done some washing (imagine - a caravan with a washing machine (and dishwasher)) so I think that will dry nicely. There’s not so much wind either, so the foldable airer thing should stay upright I think that’s the sum total of my planned activity for today I hope everyone’s day is good, particularly @brian1 and @Yorkshire Phil

My apologies I know I said it was my last pic of Queen Mary 2 in Portland, but this is such a good picture from Friday (was it Friday? - I lose track) If any Queens make it to Portland again, this will be a useful picture to identify their location. See the harbour walls and the Jurassic Coast in the distance

😳😱😳

Just 41 This world really isn’t fair, is it? 😢 Carpe diem everyone

🤣

I think that’s brilliant! You wonder if there’s a crib sheet or whether the pickers just go native & make their own choices? I believe Cliff has a vineyard in Portugal. You may have missed a bullet there? 🤣

I’m glad there’s lots of sun around the country. We brunched out … with this view

Final pic, from a local Facecloth site. See the kite-flyers having a good look! Looking forward to joining QM next year, and hopefully travelling further than Portland

Omg you two river travellers! Have a good day, whatever it brings The sun has got his hat on here, so a quiet day of solar therapy and reading on the decking, I think

Here’s my pic from the cruise-specific thread The little friend is the French ship Renaissance (1100pax)

😱 Glad that you & Mrs brian1 & Mr & Mrs Yorkshire Phil are having a lovely time (don’t mention the sausages!] So, are you staying in hotels/packing & unpacking/travelling on coaches? I wonder how often it happens? The last person I “knew”, on a general forum, who went on a river cruise had similar issues (and her luggage got lost! 😱). That must be why I have this brain worm about river cruises being precarious Anyway - you’re making the best of it, which is absolutely the thing to do. Enjoy 🍰

The port is very “closed off”. Shame, because there are places of interest within a few steps

What time are you leaving?

Brisk wind, coming from somewhere chilly, but really it is very warm, verging on hot, so unless you chose to stay in a shady, windy, spot, it should be perfectly comfortable I don’t know if they’ve got a shuttle going into Dorchester - some lines do. If so, those who don’t fancy a seaside day can go in and get some Hardy or dinosaur culture, or look at the shops, or whatever, and the sea breeze won’t be a factor

Ah - the larger vessel is QM2, on an “unscheduled” stop Details on the QM2 board It took us a while to track it down - only the 1100 pax French vessel Renaissance is listed for Portland today Bit if a bonus for the local hospitality sector I hope the passengers are having a lovely time and not missing Le Havre too much (I know which I’d prefer, but maybe some had exciting excursions fixed up)

It’s a beautiful day in Portland Here’s the view from shoreside, with QM2 and a French ship, Renaissance Then Portland Marina, which the ships are overlooking Look what pax will see as they shuttle over the causeway to the mainland (5 minute hop) Obvs I’m not a passenger, but, if I was, I think I’d prefer this itinerary. Sympathy for those who had specific wishes for Zebrugge and/or Le Havre

This is one of the things that puts me off river cruising We’ve thought about it lots, and identified lots of nice destinations but the likelyhood of too much/too little water seems quite high. Perhaps I’ve just read too many 😞 descriptions and not enough 🙂 ? @P&O SUE - your Mum has a very nice last home, doesn’t she. The old souls do sooooo much better in calm, “normal” situations, rather than in busy, overcrowded hospital wards. Maybe it’s something the various actors - government, GMC, GPs, nurses, whoever - could look at, and somehow do more to treat the inevitable respiratory and urinary infections which, together with falls, seem to be the main reasons for hospital admissions? We still have sun - and a cruise ship or two