Well, it's finally happening, I'm off to France in pursuit of old Phantom haunts and I'm becoming more convinced daily, the Phantom lives on!
Firstly, we couldn't get to Coney Island NYC, as Cyclone Sandy struck the exact moment our plane was due to touch down, then booking this Ship had weird delays of 2, then 3 days, then on the way to the port, the bus dropped us off in Wexford, about 20 mins from the port and told us a connecting bus would take us to the port...30 mins later we were still waiting so I asked the next bus that came and the driver said the last bus went at 6pm, as they had just changed the schedules for the off season which started this week...it was 6.30pm when we got dropped off, so a guy and myself had to grab a cab to the port, (38Euro) then now, this monstrous sea and high winds...
It all makes a great case for the masked one to prevent me completing my book...Phantom 3.
I'm trying to type this as the ship lurches up and down, riding those giant 12-15 foot waves out there.
The winds are 45knots and it's a cheap night out, as everyone looks like they've had far too many drinks as they stagger around here!
We have only been out at sea for just under 2 hrs and wow...if the rest of the journey is going to be like this...there's going to be a few sickies to-morrow!
There aren't many passengers on board, a few big lorries and a few cars crossing to-day. the waiter said this 2 weeks is the low, low season. The Xmas crowds start in DEC and Jan is quiet again.
The ship can take hundreds sitting in seats to cross and hundreds more in cabins.
The waitress just going past said they have only 100 passengers to-day and normally they take 1006.
I have longed to do a trip like this for ever and my dream is now true.
I booked a cabin and knew I'd pay the $120Euros as you take the whole cabin, no meals etc included, but it has been my goal to do this on the most luxurious ship that crosses from Ireland to France, and here I am.
We left Rosalare, Southern Ireland, 3 hrs down from Dublin, at 10pm, Wed night and arrive Cherbourg at 5.30pm tomorrow evening.
The original crossing was to arrive at 3.30 pm, leaving earlier, but...that Phantom...at it again...
I doubt I'll be able to get my pictures of the port now...never mind, I'll come back to the port from London to Paris on one of those 1Euro or 5 Euro Megabus fares and go the 3 hrs out to Cherbourg from Paris and take my pics in the day.
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| The last glances of Dublin, my home for a week, thru' the bus window, as I leave for France... |
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| The best bus map ever! |
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| Love this one...saw it out the window in the outer suburbs of Dublin...All the next pics are taken out the bus windows until we get to the ship... |
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| The last of the autumn leaves... |
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| Typical apartment houses in outer Dublin... |
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| Suddenly at 4pm, it's dark and there's Xmas lights up in the little towns we went thru' on the way from Dublin to Wexford, then on to Rosalare... Didn't have my camera ready and took this over my shoulder...dang! |
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| Another little town with lights up already...You can't leave your seats to take pics, so I'm stuck in the seat, with seat belts too, I might add! You can see the windscreen where the wipers have cleaned some of the windscreen... |
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| Another town all decked out... |
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| The bus waited at the lights here, so I could get a decent shot... |
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| So pretty, all these little towns and their lights. Ireland is predominately 80+% Catholic, so they are really into Xmas! |
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| The brochure of the ship... |
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| On board, heading for my cabin...Deck 8, the viewing deck too... |
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| It just looks so pretty...Looks like water coming out of all the rooms! |
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| My room... |
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| Presto...a bed! |
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| Now off to explore the ship...Down to deck 7 to the restaurants and bars... |
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| A shiny, sparkly restaurant for sure! |
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| Out on the viewing deck to try and watch us leave port, but the wind was fierce and it was sprinkling... |
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| Raced around...or, actually, was blown around the corner and saw the port a bit more... |
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| Then the clouds suddenly parted and the moon popped out to say HI! |
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| Tried placing the camera on a support...nice! |
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| The moon wasn't going in until I got my shots...After this one, it disappeared! |
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| This is the sitting area all along here where you plug in and use the satellite free WIFI...YAHHHYYY! |
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| More chairs for the WIFI folk... |
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| A nice coffee bar... |
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| The Bernaval Restaurant...very nice! |
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| The Piano bar...where everyone was watching footy! |
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| Yeah, one of those arcade places here too! |
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| Just love ships! A passing guy took this for me... |
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| So empty, so lovely! |
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| Nice furnishings... |
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| Testing the camera on self timer...never used one before... |
OK...it's almost 1am now, so I have to go to bed. Wonder if I'll roll out in the night...it's pretty rough, even on a big ship like this...it's going up and down, like a surfer at the moment. The captain said to-morrow would be rougher. So, we'll see how good my stomach is then! 'Nite all...xxx
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