After a two night stay in London our ship, the Riviera, made its way down the Thames and out into the English Channel then turned towards the French coast. We were on our way to Le Havre, France and in 3 days our ultimate destination, Amsterdam.
Dawn the next morning was spectacular as our ship nosed towards the wharf. Soon after, we boarded a bus and headed to Deauville, a beautiful French coastal town. Our tour guide had a great knowledge of the countryside and of French history in general.
Deauville’s streets gave us a feeling of wealth and prosperity. Many of the shops were geared to tourists with expensive tastes. Houses were old and mansion like. After wandering around for about an hour we noticed several horses being unloaded from a trailer in a vacant lot. They were lead off towards the ocean. We followed on a nearby access road.
The beach was spectacular. Miles and miles of sand. There in the distance, horses gathered at water’s edge which seemed to be kilometers away. Some trotted while others raced. Horses and riders were enjoying the fresh ocean air and the wide open spaces.
My mind turned to this area at the end of World War II. Not too far away were the beaches where soldiers landed during the D Day Invasion of France. Those beaches were similar, long, wide and so exposed to enemy fire. So many soldiers did not get to the shelter of the distant foreshore. Eighty years later the beach was quiet except for a few sun lovers and horse enthusiasts.
After a relatively short overnight voyage our ship docked in Bruges, Belgium. From there we were bussed to the city of Ghent. In the Middle Ages it was a prominent city-state. Today, it is a cultural centre and university town. It is easy to walk about and is known for its medieval architecture. Our boat tour of the canals provided another perspective of this beautiful, historic city. Most importantly to some, including me, Ghent is famous for its delicious Belgium waffles and smooth chocolate!
The following morning we arrived in Amsterdam. The sunrise was a glowing, fiery orange. Already the harbour was busy with the frenetic action of freight carriers and pleasure craft. On a previous trip we had spent 3 days in Amsterdam where we had a fabulous time walking the streets and alleys of this beautiful city. This time we decided to take an excursion to the nearby towns of Marken and Vollendam famous for cheese and wooden shoes. I enjoyed watching how a variety of tools were used to craft the clogs and learning about the cheese making process. Best of all we got to taste a large variety of cheeses and sauces and purchased some to bring home.
Back on the Riviera, we began to gather our belongings for disembarking and the long flight home the next morning. It had been a wonderful 2 weeks. I’m not sure what our travel plans are in the near future, perhaps Australia.
It was November 11th when I posted my last article, Ocean Cruise: London. Shortly after posting it I sat down to plan this article the last of series about our recently completed cruise. It was Remembrance Day. CBC radio programming about this special day was playing on my Alexa Echo. I was about to write of our first stop, Le Havre, France when a song, ‘The Green Fields of France’ began to play. It was about World War One France. I couldn’t help but think of the devastation that had occurred during World Wars I and II in the places we visited over those 3 days in this area. Today, one would have to look very closely to see the scars of war as the countryside is now so beautiful.
