France/Belgium 2018

France and Belgium 2018
Luxembourg & Germany Too

Tuesday/Wednesday, August 21/22
Peter picked us up at 2:15 am so that we could make our 5:30 am flight to Toronto, and then on to Paris, France.  Once on the ground, we took the train north-east to Lille and then on to Douai, a town in the Picardy area.  Ed met us at the Train station and then walked to the boat where we got settled in on Wandering Canuk Too (Ed's boat).  After a trip to the grocery store, Leclerc, we had supper and then went to bed.  We were exhausted.

Thursday. August 23
We decided that we needed to go on a field trip to Amiens today.  After getting to the train station, we found that we were unable to take the train due to a personal accident.  There was a car rental place across the street, so we adjusted our plan and drove to Amiens.

The main reason we decided to go to Amiens is the Cathedrale Notre-Dame.  Construction began on the Cathedrale in 1220. 

Amiens is the Cathedrale Notre-Dame.

It was originally built to house the head of St. John the Baptiste, which was brought back as a souvenir of The Crusades in 1206.  The church has survived two world wars, and a couple of renovations.  There are thousands of statues and reliefs adorning the entrances and columns inside.  We were unable to see the whole church because a film company was in the choir, but we did eventually see "The Weeping Angel", a small statue in the ambulatory.  This statue became the symbol for WWI.

"The Weeping Angel"

We then walked down to the St Leu quarter for lunch before then walking to the Jules Verne museum.  Jules moved to Amiens with his wife in the 1860s.  It was here that he penned his novels.  The museum is filled with a lot of his personal furniture and many publicity posters of his books, as well as several different copies of the books.  It was interesting.

Jules Verne's home

We then left Amiens and drove back to Duoai on the small roads, through Albert, Pozierres, Courcelette, and Bapaume.  These villages were in the middle of the Battle of the Somme in 1916, so there are many little cemeteries and memorials.

  The Church at Albert has a very high steeple, so became a landmark for the soldiers during the battles.

Tuesday, August 28
Over the past several days, we have floated the kilometres away down the canal.  We entered Belgium on Saturday, and have been enjoying the vistas.  The land has been quite flat with gentle rises and falls.  Those rises and falls mean that we get to go through a lock, or un ecluse.  The locks have been quite large, with one of them measuring 124m x 12.8m.  The rise was 5 m.  The largest rise in a lock was yesterday.  It's rise was 12.5m.  We have shared many of the locks with commercial barges, but the largest go in by themselves. 

Today, we also ascended the Ardennes Hills in a boat lift.  Making a rise of 78m, this was truly a modern engineering marvel.  The tub was long enough for us to rise with one of the largest barges.  The tub rises because the four, huge, cement counterweights descend.   The scale is very difficult to comprehend.

Strepy-Thieu boat lift

78 meter rise!!!!

Thursday, August 30
Yesterday was a hard day with lots of locks, rain, and a long day.  Today was much better.  The sun shone most of the day.  The countryside was very pleasant with very little industry, unlike yesterday where we saw only industry.

Abandoned factories along the canal.

We were blessed with the sighting of a beautiful old Abbey on the top of the hill with the small village below.  Called the Abbey of Floreffe, it founded in 1121.

Abbey of Floreffe, up on the hill.

We arrived in early afternoon at the joining of the Sambre River and the Meuse River at the city of Namur.  Namur is the Capitol city of the province of Wollonia, the province we have been travelling in throughout Belgium.  At the confluence of the two rivers lies an old citadel on the top of the hill.  The river bank is lined with old houses that show the wealth of the city over the last many years.

Friday, August 31
Namur is the Capitol city of Wollonia, the French-side province in Belgium.  On the top of the hill, looking over the joining of the two rivers, is a massive citadel.  It has been in service since medieval times, and has seen lots of action.  We wandered the place and enjoyed the views.

Bridge and Citadel in Mamur

Homes along the canal in Namur

Later, we headed back down the hill and across the river to the old part of town.  We were able to go inside one of the many churches to admire the statuary and the architecture.  We lunched on baguette sandwiches before heading back to the boat and heading on towards Dinant.

Saturday, September 1
We arrived in Dinant early in the day, so we had time to explore.

Dinant as seen from our mooring!

We had to cross the river so enjoyed looking at the saxophones placed along the way.  Dinant is home to Adolph Sax, inventor of the saxophone.

One of the many saxophones around the city.

After coming back down from the citadel, we investigated the museum dedicated to Adolph Sax, before heading back to the river to enjoy a beverage in one of the many small cafes.  Dinner was a bucket of mussels and a pot of fries.  Soooo good!

  The local cathedral was built eight centuries ago, and has been renovated several times.  The unique bulbous spire was very interesting.  We then took the last remaining cable car in Belgium up to the citadel on the top of the hill.  It, too, has seen a lot of action over the years, but the worst was on August 23, 1914, when it was overrun by the Germans, and the soldiers were slaughtered.

Dinant citadel at sunset.

Sunday, September 2
Our sighting of the day was the Castle and gardens of Le Chateau de Freyr.  Built in the Middle Ages, it burned down, but was rebuilt in its present glory in the 16th century.  The gardens were inspired by those of Versailles.  Three hundred year old orange trees and a 6 km maze are part of those extensive gardens.

Le Chateau de Freyr.

Monday, September 3
We have moved off of the large waterways, and are on smaller arms with unmanned locks.  When close enough, you push the button of the receiver and the locks starts to work.  We have enjoyed those very much.

We moored at the town of Foumay.  Here, we relaxed to the sound of a boules game being played across the sidewalk.  At 6 pm, a marching band started up, and they marched to the WWII Memorial where they remembered the town's liberation on this day in 1944.  The band, members of the police, fire department, and veterans all marched in the parade.

Fournay was liberated on September 3rd, 1944, these people are remembering that occasion.

  We supped on fresh chips and sausage before playing farkle with our boating neighbours, Diana and Chris, and Alex and Rita. 

Tuesday, September 4
After five locks and many kilometres of meandering, we arrived at the village of Laifour.  Here we moored to the sound of men hanging from ropes securing the side of a mountain face.  The village was very tiny with the church in the centre.  We wandered the town and ended at the cemetery.  Here, the graves were all covered with granite slabs and headstones.  They also each had granite memorial pictures that look like they were added each year as a memory.  We had our to hell with the bell toast.  Thank goodness we no longer need follow it.

The lights went out at the mooring about 10 pm, but we were already asleep.

Wednesday, September 5
We continued on to Charlesville Mezziers and moored in a lovely, new Marina. The basin of it was full of young people taking canoe and kayak lessons.  By supper, they were all gone and the area was quiet.  Our friend, Nick, arrived from Devizes, UK, and we enjoyed a night of visiting.

Thursday, September 6
We headed up the river to Pont a Bar, a small village that has a hire-boat operation to see if this is a possible mooring place for Ed for the winter.  Once there, Ed was gladly accepted.  So while he and Kerry dealt with paperwork, Nick and Pat went in search of bread.  At the bar, the woman sold us half of her Personal baguette.  Frites and the baguette made up our lunch with a bit of cheese on the side.  Lighter mood, with mooring now dealt with, we were able to head on towards Sedan and Verdun.

Once moored in Sedan, we discovered that we were beside a large agricultural fair.

Friday, September
With the big agricultural festival beside us, we decided the first thing to see in Sedan was the fair.  There were large bulls that were cleaned up to be shown. Cattle of every kind was on display.  We saw the largest in tractors, tractors with tines to harvest corn and anything else.  They had logging machines, small machines to cut lumber, they had a tent dedicated to educating the children and letting them see animals first hand.  We saw rabbits of every size and colour.  Chickens and roosters of every kind.  Vendors were selling their wine, their whiskey, their beer, their pastries, their bread, their honey and jam, their sausage and smoked meats.  In a separate ring there were chain saw sculpture demonstrations.  It was a blast!

Ardennes draft horse.

One of the chain saw sculptures.

After lunch, we walked over to the Chateau de Sedan, the largest fortified fortress in Europe.  The first part of the fortress was built in the 11th century.  As weapons changed and became stronger, following generations of the de Marque family enlarged the fortress by building around and over the previous battlements, until what it is today.  Inside, there were examples of medieval armour and wax figures showing us what life was like in the fortress.  We really enjoyed the visit.

One of the walls of the Chateau de Sedan

The route back to the boat was along a large street market.

We finished the day with a cheese fondue, cooked by Nick.  A great day.

Saturday, September 8
Nick left us today and returned home to the UK.  We headed over to the Fair to watch the Chain Saw  sculpture finals for all of France.  The small log challenge was in the morning, and the large log challenge was in the afternoon.  There were twelve competitors in all.  Watching them bring the logs to life, using chainsaws of varying sizes was mesmerizing.  We also walked over to the horse show area to see the big draft horses show their stuff.  With their manes braided, they looked their best as they strutted in the ring, showing off the amazing power they have in their legs and shoulders.

The Fair continues tomorrow, but we are heading out.

Sunday, September 9
The mornings are cool, now that it is September, but it warms up nicely in mid morning.  The canal is almost deserted because everyone but us retired people are back at work and in school.  The herons are out in abundance, and do the circle flight as we approach them, ending up behind us in the same spot on the river.  We see kingfishers periodically, but have been unable to capture one on film because they are so quick.

We moored at the village of Stenay, across the street from the tiny Port Cafe.  The cafe had live music this evening that we listened to from the boat.  His voice was like honey and the music was fantastic.

Monday, September 10
We are one day's travel from the city of Verdun.  This city and area were the centre of a big battle that lasted for two years, during WWI.  We are looking forward to learning more about Le Grande Guerre du Monde.

However, I thought I would tell you about daily life on the boat.  Kerry and I wake up every morning to the song "Classical Gas" at 8 am.  Ed has already been up for an hour so has already had several cups of coffee.  He makes Pat's coffee and has the table set and ready for toast from the latest loaf of bread or pain au chocolate from the local boulangerie.  We shower, dress and have breakfast after which Ed checks the engine, Pat does the kitchen cleanup, and Kerry fills the water tank, or takes down the fly deck canopy, or other tasks as needed.  We then head down or up the river, stopping for the occasional lock.

A lock on the Meuse!

  In France, unlike Britain, the locks are either automatic or a lock master does them for you.  For much of the trip, from Douai through Belgium, we were in commercial locks, so we were a tiny vehicle in a big space.  Sometimes we were with other, much bigger boats, sometimes we were by ourselves.  We must tie up, so Kerry has the bow and Pat has the stern.  Ed is usually driving the boat, and rescues Pat if she needs help (which is often).  Since we entered France again, we have been in locks where you press a radio-activator, and it starts the lock process.  These are smaller locks that will hold two pleasure boats.  There are no commercial boats in these locks.  Today, we have locks that are done by staff from the VNC or the government department responsible for the locks.  We mosey down the river, and they drive their little vans from lock to lock.  They are always ahead of us.  Lately, there have been fruit trees at some of the locks.  We have picked and enjoyed plums, apples and pears.  We usually do five or six locks a day.

Apples at one of the locks.

When the locks are done, all but the driver collapse on the benches and enjoy the life on the river as we go by.  We see cattle, sheep, fish, ducks, swans, geese, herons and kingfishers.  Sometimes we see fish, but more often we see fishermen.  We also see small villages with big churches

and houses of every style and width.  The odd time, we will see a really old church, like the one today from the 11th century, or a bunker from the Magineau Line of WWII.  The sun has been shining most days so we work on our tans.  About 11:00, Pat makes another coffee and we have a snack of fruit and cookies.  We then have a lunch on the move of sandwiches about 2:00 pm.  We try to moor about 4:00 at the latest.  That allows us to celebrate the day with a beverage and read for a while to relax form our busy day.  The villages are usually very quiet.

Mistletoe in a tree.

Pat cooks supper and then we either play a game, read, watch a movie, or go for a walk. 

What is for supper?  We keep it simple.   We have meat, fried potatoes and onions, and a vegetable and a salad.  The other night, our friend Nick, the gourmet cook, rigged up a fondue from a pot, a rack from the microwave, and an alcohol burner they found at the store.  We had a cheese fondue with bread cubes, fennel, apples and tomatoes.  Pat made ramekins of apple crisp from the apples at the lock and muesli we eat for breakfast.  All was great.  It is amazing what one can do with a frying pan, some bacon, onions and butter!

By now it is 9:30 pm , so we get ready for bed.  We are tired.

So that is our life on the boat.

Tuesday, September 11
We developed a major boat issue today, so we are on the side of the canal.  The boys are busy problem solving because a mechanic is unavailable to come and solve the problem.  They have come up with a possible solution.  We shall see.

Wednesday, September 12
We had only one lock to go through today, and we did it without incident.  The boy's solution is working. 

We arrived in Verdun in full sun and warm weather.  There are twelve boats who have been waiting for several weeks for the rest of the canal to open.  They claim that they will be allowed to go through on Friday.  We shall see.

The first sight we have of Verdun is the ramparts and the Porte Chausee.  This gatehouse served as the official entry to the city since the 14th century.

Once moored, we headed out to see some of the sights along the canal.  On the opposite side of the canal to us, there are several restaurants and bars that have seating on the terrace  along the canal.  Our side has housing only.

War Memorial in Verdun.

  The city has several memorials to battles over the years.  Just down from us is a beautiful sculpture in white called "War Memorial of the Citizens of Verdun Who Died in Both World Wars".  Erected in 1928, The statues represent the five arms of service of the French Army engaged in the Battle of Verdun in 1916 - (L to R) Calvary, engineer Sapper, infantry, artillery, and a reservist.  They form a wall symbolizing the motto of the city: "They will not pass."  That is exactly what happened in 1916.  They enemy did not pass through Verdun.  The city held on and was awarded several medals of honour from several different countries.

Just down from us, as well, is the Officer's Mess, which is now a four star hotel and restaurant.  In 1890, the population of Verdun was equally civilian and military personnel.  As noon comes, we hear the bells from the Cathedrale and Saint Nicolas' Chapel ring. 

It has become very hot, so we did several loads of laundry to dry in the heat.  It is supposed to rain tomorrow.  Ed did some waterproofing on the upper canvas while we went out looking for a boulangerie for bread, and the local Leclerc grocery store, or as our neighbours the kiwis said, the "Electric" store.  Found, we will go back tomorrow for groceries.

We spent the evening on the upper deck as much as possible so we could enjoy the mild weather.  It is busy at the restaurants nearby.  I guess it is too hot to cook inside.

Thursday, September 13
We are off this morning to the Underground Citadel or the Citadelle Souterrain.  Built in 1623 to guard against the Germans, it was carved out of the rock with several kilometres of tunnels for barracks, storage of munitions, hospital, etc.  We rode in self-driving cars through several tunnels as the life of soldiers in 1916 is portrayed.  We saw the hospital, fighting in the trenches and the selection of the unknown soldier for buried under the Arc de Triumph in Paris.  We also saw a depiction of the medal ceremony for the city of Verdun.  The tour was very well done. 

We then wandered up the hill to Notre Dame Cathedrale.  Built in the 5th century, it is dedicated to the Virgin Mary.  A statue of her with Jesus, both with a crown of gold, is located in the crypt chapel.  The church suffered bombardment in WWI because of its dominant position on the hill.  Pock marks still remain after one hundred year as a reminder of the conflict. 

Beside the Cathedrale is the Bishop's Palace.  Built in the 18th century, it was eased off during the French Revolution.  Used in various capacities over the years, it now houses the World Peace Centre.

On the way back we passed the Monument to Victory and to the Citizens of Verdun.  Inaugurated in 1929, it has 3 steps leading up to a commemorative crypt.  A Frankish Soldier leaned on his sword on top and gazes to the east.  It symbolizes the victory at the Battle of Verdun, the 1918 Armistice, and the rebuilding of the city.  Eighty-five percent of the city was destroyed in WWI.

Saturday, September 15
We are off back down the canal towards Sedan, Charlesville-Meziers and finally Pontabar, where Ed is mooring the boat for the winter.  We have seen all of this canal before, so we can now get better pictures or stop to visit something.  The locks are easier to do going downstream because we are above, and the water goes out of the lock so we are not fighting the swell. 

At Consenvoie, we moored for the night about 1:30 in the afternoon.  This gave us time to walk to to the German military cemetery from WWI.  The graves had been dug all around the area as temporary solutions until the fighting ended.  In 1920, the graves were all moved to this spot and then improved upon over the years.  There are over 11,000 graves here.  Some as early as a few days after the start of the war, one as close as the day before the Armistice, and many three or four months after.  We think the later deaths were injured men who died later.

Bad luck to die on the day of the armistice.

We stopped at the local auberge for a drink before heading back to the boat.

Sunday, September 16
Our young lady was waiting for us with the lock ready at 9:45 am, so we were off.  The sun is shining, the wind is minimal, and it is very quiet.  We chased a heron down the canal for a while.  It finally got tired of the game and flew into a field.  We saw a motorcycle group of twelve on the road, and that is the extent of activity this morning.

This Heron was in a picturesque spot!

We arrived in Stenay in good time.  We moored, had lunch, and then walked over to the European Beer Museum.  It was free today because of the Patrimonie Weekend.  All government buildings were open to visit, all museums were open and free.  We enjoyed the tour and a beer at the end in the tavern before heading back to the boat for dinner.

Monday, September 17
We are off again.  We continued on down he canal and said goodbye to our lock master and started the automatic locks again.  Several locks later, we arrived back in Sedan to an empty mooring and fields.  The opposite of what was here a week ago, we relaxed in the 26 degree heat.  Tomorrow we will continue on to Charlesville-Meziers.

The banks of the Meuse were covered in berries.

The Meuse also had hops growing along the bank mixed in with the berries.

Thursday, September 20
We are moored in Charleville until the 24th.  Yesterday was a boat work day.  Ed and Kerry did jobs on the boat, while Pat did the laundry.  Today, we have rented a car for the reminder of our time in France to see sights not on the Meuse Canal.

So, after picking up the little fiat 500 car, we headed south to Reims.  We are in the Champagne area, so most of the houses that produce the bubbly wine are in Reims.  We did not take time to stop and sample the wares - we will purchase a bottle another day and celebrate.  Instead, Kerry drove right into the heart of the city, and parked a stone's throw from the cathedral.

Called La Cathedrale Notre Dame, it has been the church where the Kings of France have come for their coronation from the 11th century until 1825.

La Cathedrale Notre Dame in Reims.

Joan of Arc attended the coronation of Charles VII in 1429. Built in the gothic style, it has gargoyles that are animals,

A gargoyle one the La Cathedrale Notre Dame in Reims.

flying buttresses supporting the outer walls, and lots of statues of angels.  There are also statues depicting kings of France and saints and apostles, as well as several forms of Jesus.  The best known angel statue that has come to represent the cathedral is called the smiling angel, and is located to the left of the left doors where one enters the church.

Angel at the entrance to the La Cathedrale Notre Dame in Reims.

The nave rises above and is higher than Chartres' cathedral.  During both the French Revolution and WWI, the many of the windows were destroyed.  Marc Chagall designed and had made three large windows in the apse or back of the church in one of the chapels.  Joan of Arc has her own chapel, and is depicted in a beautiful statue of her in her armour.

Tuesday, September 25
We are off to Metz today, and then to St Avold and Lelling.

After a two and a half hour drive, we arrived in downtown Metz, right near Cathedrale St. Etienne.  The current building was built in the 12 or 13th century.  It is Gothic in build, and dark inside.  Marc Chagall designed several windows for the north transept with the he theme of then and now in the Bible.  The towers are tall and stand above the city.  We then walked though a covered market before stopping for hot chocolate and cake in a nearby tea shop.  The cakes were divine.  We had a piece of a chocolate mouse layer cake and a  wedge of a Namur cake with puff pastry, custard with fruit mixed in it, topped with whip cream and almond slices.  Both, coupled with the semisweet chocolate, were worth the 20 euros.

Cathedrale St. Etienne in Metz.

Back in the car, we drove out of the old part of town, past the Porte des Allemands, and on to Saint Avold, a town close to the German border.  Why there?  In the early 60s, Kerry's father was sent to France with the Canadian Military to the base at Grostenquin, a few kilometres from Saint Avold.  The PMQs, or family housing, was located on the hill of the town in the Wenheck Quartiere.  Geoff was posted there for four years, and returned when President Charles deGaulle demanded that NATO leave France.  Now a property of the town, it has been renovated over the years and turned into housing.  Kerry was able to recognize the school he went to and maybe the quad of buildings with the field in the middle.  Now it is a soccer pitch.  In his day, it was a playground.  We then drove the 4 km to Lelling, a small village where the Coxen's lived for a year in a flat.  The town was basically one long street then that he had to walk down to catch the bus each day to school.  Dogs would chase he and a friend up a tree where they would await the bus and the driver who would chase off the dogs so they could get on the bus.  I don't know if the dogs waited until the end of the day to continue their fun or not.

We then drove the 250 kms back to Pont a Bar.  A great day filled with memories for Kerry.

Wednesday, September 26
We headed out again today to Bastogne, Belgium, and the site of the Battle of the Ardennes, as the Europeans know it, or the Battle of the Bulge, as the Americans know it.  Basically, in December of 1944, as the German army was being pushed back and France and Belgium were being liberated after Normandy, the Germans decided to make one last big fight in Bastogne, Belgium.  It was difficult for both sides, but the Allies through the Americans, won the day and liberated the area.  The museum is excellent.  It gives a comprehensive explanation of the war and its major offences.  It then goes into detail, giving the points of view of an American soldier, a German soldier, a Resistance fighter, and a civilian child.  A large American Memorial is also on the grounds of the museum.

American Memorial in Bastonge.

Larger than life statue of the famous photo from WWII.

Friday, September 28
These sat few days have been an example of best laid plans.  Today, we had decide to go and see the palace in Luxembourg.  Off we headed on a road that we are coming to know very well.  We arrived in the city, an headed down to the centre.  We got to a small street that we realize was only for pedestrians.  The looks we received as Kerry turned us around were incredulous.  The good news was that we got to see a glimpse of the palace with its guards in front before we headed out to find parking.  Alas, the only parking we could find was out in the arts area - a 35 minute walk into the palace.  Luxembourg is built on a series of plateaus and valleys, so the walking would not have been easy.  So, we re-evaluated the situation and decided to drive to Trier, Germany for bratwurst on a bun.  Forty minutes later, we were heading down into the bottom of the Moselle valley into the centre of the city.  Once parking was found, we wandered past a bigger than life statue of Karl Marx (he was born here) and then on to a large pedestrian street an square where we enjoyed a market of food items from France while eating our bratwurst in a bun with frites.  The bratwurst was delicious and just a Kerry remembered it from his youth!

Trier city center.

After finding some nougat to munch on, we headed over to the cathedral, Dom St Petrus.  What a spectacular sight!  The ceilings were decorated with blue paint and white relief carvings.  The statuary was amazing, and had been fixed up to look very new.  The cloister was beautiful, with graves of previous bishops buried there.

The cloister in cathedral, Dom St Petrus.

They have a relic of Jesus clothing in a special chapel.  Next to the cathedral was the Church of Our Lady, an older building, but quite modern in decoration.  One could sit in the pews and admire the stained glass in the apse and the coloured light as it fell against the stone.

We headed back to the square for a German beer before walking back to get a good look at the Porta de Nigra, an edifice from Roman times.  This city had been here for a long time.

Porta de Nigra built in Roman times.

Back on the road.  Our four country day (France, Belgium, Luxembourg an Germany) was over.

Saturday, September 29
This is our final day of touring.  We have the Ossuarie in Verdun and the 11th century Abby yet to see.  Off we headed to Verdun, making a quick stop at the market in Sedan to see the beer glass guy.  He was not there, so we're went on to plan b which was the LeClerc store (or as some Kiwi boaters said, "the electric store" to get a glass for Kerry.  We were successful, so on we went to the Ossuarie de Douamont, and the cemetery.  There are 130,000 bodies buried here.  This Ossuarie and monument are dedicated to the French soldiers who fought and died in the Battle of Verdun in WWII.  The Battle happened over the best part of 1916.  The Ossuarie contains the bone remains of thousands of bodies while others are buried in te cemetery.  A humbling tribute to peace.  Further own the road is a chapel dedicated to the village of Duoamont, a village that was totally destroyed in the Battle of Verdun.  It is one of nine villages that were totally destroyed by the end of the war.  The road signs and chapels have been set up to remind us of the civilian sacrifice of war.

Ossuarie in Verdun as seen from the cemetary.

Inside the Ossuarie in Verdun.

We then headed back to Mont Devant Sassey to see the 11th century Abbey.  Built by the great grandfather of Charlemagne, it is dedicated to one of his daughters, St Be??, who started the Abbey after their Abbey in Belgium ha been destroyed.  It is remarkably good shape, as it guards the village and the valley.  The bells were made by a family who lived in the village in the late 1800s, but, sadly, the family died of cholera.  The well at the Abbey was clean, so people were able to get water.

Inside the Abbey at Mont Devant Sassey.

Sadly, our time in France is almost over.  Tomorrow, we move the boat back to its mooring on the side of the canal and then take a train to Paris on Monday so we are ready to catch our flight early Tuesday morning.  We will miss the baguettes, the hazelnut chocolate pastries and the beer.  Au Revoir, or better yet - a bientot.  We will be back.

New York 2018

May 1 to 8, 2018

May 1
Our flight left Edmonton at a very early hour-5 am.  We flew to Toronto, then on to Laguardia.  This airport does not have any mass transit connection, so it is difficult to get away from there. Coupled with heavy traffic at rush hour,  we waited for 2 hours before our shuttle picked us up.  The drive around midtown was worth it, though because we got to see so much of the area, the people on the streets, and hear the hustle and bustle of New York life.

The fire escapes on these buildings fascinate me ....

Our timeshare is very well located just a couple of blocks from Grand Central Terminal (1891) on 45th and 3rd.  The building has a rooftop patio that has a closeup view of the Chrysler Building (1930), so our first glimpse was as night came on and it lit up.

Chrysler Building

There is a little Amish Market at the end of our block that makes the most amazing wood-fired pizza.  We had a ham and artichoke pizza for dinner on the rooftop, gazing at the street and the skyscrapers around us.  The air was warm, so it was an ideal welcome to the Big Apple.

From the roof top

May 2 - 90 F and sunny
We spent the morning at a meeting, but were able to get out at noon and enjoy the day.  We walked to Grand Central Terminal (1891), a major hub for trains coming into and out of the city.  The building was built in 1930, and is all marble. 

Grand Central Station

The main concourse is huge with an information station in the centre.  A large Apple Store is located at one end on the second floor balcony.  Kerry was in heaven.  There are large lights, shaped like Faberge eggs hanging along the balcony.  Large mirrors are behind each light to reflect the light back into the area. 

Very cool place .....

The ceiling of the main concourse is interesting.  It is painted a brilliant blue with constellations all over it.  Apparently at night, the stars light up.

We continued our walk down Park Avenue and then across Midtown to the United Nations Building and then back to our building.

United Nations building

We enjoyed the neighbourhoods with the stoops and small gardens.  The smells coming from the various restaurants and delis were so tantalizing.  It was easy to imagine being in Holly Golightly's neighbourhood (Breakfast at Tiffany's) or near the home of Sherlock Holmes and Joan Watson (Elementary).

We had drinks and dinner at The Perfect Pint, a pub next door to our building. Life is good.

May 3 - 91F and sunny
We were up early and out the door by 05:45am to walk over to the ABC Network building because we had general tickets for the Live! Kelly and Ryan Show.  We walked down Park Avenue, passed Gucci, Tiffany's, Trump Tower, etc. And then on past The Plaza and Central Park, arriving soon enough to be third in the general ticket line.  We were soon moved to the definitely in line and filed into the studio for the show.  We were seated centrally in the first row of the balcony, so our grandchildren were able to see us on the show.  They think that we are now famous.  The guests were Roseanne and Tanya Harding and her dancing coach Sasha Farber.  Roseanne's interview had been recorded the week before, but we did see the dancing and the opening banter and contest.  We were asked to stay after the show so that we could be the audience for the next day show, so we were shown on tv two days in a row.  It was anniversary week, the show was a look back at the past year.  It was interesting to see the set and watch the technicians at work.

Live with Kelly and Ryan.

After the show, we strolled through Central Park.  We dodged the cyclists, (they are super fast and are not willing to stop for you, so you learn quickly to wait until the road is clear).  We stopped at Strawberry Fields at the John Lennon memorial.  Of course there is a guy singing Lennon songs, and selling Lennon memorabilia.  There is a disk inlayed in the sidewalk that had one word engraved in the centre of it - Imagine.

Central Park - John Lennon memorial

The memorial is at the point of Central Park that is opposite the building where Lennon and Yoko Ono had their apartment, and where he was murdered.  We also walked through The Ramble - a wild part of the park with trees and natural forest floor stuff.  Central Park has very little formal flower beds.  Rocks jut out all over the place with lawn beside them.  In the centre of The Ramble is a pond called Turtle Pond.  There, we saw several turtles sunning themselves on the rocks, and then they would plop into the water to cool off.  It was about that time that we decided that we were hot and thirsty, so headed to Grand Central Station for ice cream before heading back to our room.  We had walked well over 10,000 steps and were tired but happy.

Central Park

May 4 - 81 F and sunny
We started the day by walking down 45th street to the Roosevelt Hotel to get tickets for "Hello Dolly" with Bernadette Peters as Dolly.  Then it was off to Times Square to pick up the City Sightseeing bus and the downtown route.

One World Trade Center

911 Memorial

Manhattan is set up in a really smart way.  Once you understand the philosophy, it is easy to navigate.  The island runs north and south.  Downtown is the south or down end of a map.  Uptown is the top of the map.  Midtown is the central area.  Harlem is north of Uptown.  Streets run across the island (E/W) and the Avenues run from top to bottom (N/S). Downtown is the older part of New York, so all of the streets and avenues have names.

Battery Park is at the end of the island where one can walk and enjoy the water.  It is here that you can see the Statue of Liberty (1886),  

Statue of Liberty as scene from the Staten Island Ferry

One can ride the Staten Island Ferry from the Pier beside Battery Park.  The ferry is free, runs every hour, and offers the best views of the Statue of Liberty

See it goes right by ......

and the Brooklyn Bridge (1883), short of being on the actual landmarks.and Brooklyn, across the Hudson River.  You can also see the three bridges, nicknamed the BMW Bridges - the Brooklyn, the Manhattan, and the Williamsburg bridges.  One can ride the Staten Island Ferry from the Pier beside Battery Park.  The ferry is free, runs every hour, and offers the best views of the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge (1883), short of being on the actual landmarks.

The ferry gives you some great views of the Big Apple.

Downtown as seen from the ferry.

Anyway, the downtown sightseeing bus goes by all of the landmarks - Macy's original building, the Empire State Building (1931), the Flatiron Building (1902), built in the shape of a wedge to accommodate the angle that Broadway runs, Soho, Greenwich Village, Union Square, The Woolworth Building (1913), the 911 Memorial, St. Paul's Chapel (1766) (where Alexander Hamilton is buried), City Hall, and so on.  The bus returns to Times Square, passed the United Nations Building (the flags were all out today), Bryant Park, the Library (1911), and Broadway.  There is so much history, based on industry in the different areas, and changes as the city grew.  That is what makes New York so fascinating.

Empire State Building ..... it is so huge it is tough to get a good picture from the ground.

May 5 - 75 F and cloudy
Happy Cinco de Maio day!  Today, we hopped on the downtown sightseeing bus and headed to Battery Park.  There, we hopped on the Brooklyn Sightseeing bus.  On this route, you go past the Wall Street Charging Bull statue.  It was surrounded by people on all sides and the top, so it was impossible to take a picture.  We then drove past Fraunces Tavern (1762) where Washington and his generals plotted the Revolution, and where today many big financial deals are sealed over lunch.  It was then over the Manhatten Bridge to Brooklyn,

The Brooklyn Bridge viewed from the Manhatten bridge.

and up to the Bluff where people have an amazing view of downtown Manhatten.  The street then follows the old train route down the hill and over to DUMBO, or the dock area.  Here, the city has formed a beautiful park that has basketball courts on old piers, green space, sidewalks for walking and biking, cafes and restaurants.  It was then back up to the Bluff and into Flatbush and the Farmer's Market where one can get the best cider ever.  Across from the market is the JFK fountain and park.  From there the bus toured through some neighbourhoods that are now upscale and boutiques with antique shops and specialty stores. The old houses with their yards make for great neighbourhoods that feel calm and welcoming.  In some places, the old mansion carriage houses have been converted into apartments, in other places, their are still carriage houses for new cars.  The tour finished as we crossed the bridge again, and arrived back at Battery Park.  It was time to stop for a hotdog at Nathan's street stand before heading back to Times Square and our room.

A great place for a quick lunch ...

Dinner was quick because we are going to the theatre tonight.  We are looking forward to the old classic musical.

"Hello Dolly" was fabulous.  Bernadette and Victor Garbor were strong as the leads, and the cast was very talented.  The costumes and set were elaborate and the music is always a hit.  When Bernadette made her first entrance, the entire theatre went crazy.  The walk back through Times Square at 11 pm was crazy.  Throngs of people were in the square and there were lights, music, street performers, honking horns, and laughter. 

The crowds!

Classic view!

TKTS where you get 1/2 price theatre tickets!

May 6 - 66 F, cloudy and windy
Today is a cold day, so doing the Uptown sightseeing route with Museum mile is a great idea.

The Uptown tour basically follows around Central Park, with a tour through Harlem.  We stopped at The Met (1902).  I had a list of 15 pieces I wanted to see.  We saw 6 of them.  A complete Greek temple, the Temple of Dendur, is set up in one room.  We wandered the medieval area and saw several Angels Statues, all covered because they were for the Gala the next day, and many pictures of Madonnas.  Lots of statuary as well.  We found the picture of Washington crossing the Delaware in a boat.  Yes, it is not a picture of boat safety, but shows the determination and sacrifice those men made to build their new country.  We also saw a Jackson Pollack painting - Autumn Rhythm. Georgia O'Keefe has a piece called the Cow's Skull in Red, white and blue., Finally, we found several Monet pieces done in a French garden setting.  The place was busy so it was difficult to move around. 

May 7 - 73 F and sunny
It is a different day out there today.  Yesterday was cool, today is back to warmth and sunshine.

Today we walked west on 45th street as far as we could go to get to The Intrepid - an aircraft carrier that served in WWII, Vietnam and the Cold War.

Intrepid

Kerry was in heaven.  Many airplanes were on the flight deck from different countries and different eras of the ship's history.  Below on the hangar deck, there were displays of flight in WWII with kamikaze airplanes and pilots and exhibits that encourage you to sit in them, touch controls and feel what it was like to be in those aircraft.  We also walked around one of the Concords and walked through a submarine.

This was our last day as tourists.  Tomorrow we head home.

Traffic at 45th and 3rd as seen from the 33rd floor!