Gilly Pickup: Journalist, Travel Writer, Author
  • Home
  • My Books
  • Travel & Cruise features
  • photo gallery
  • lifestyle
  • animals
  • Travel Blog

GREET BEAUJOLAIS NOUVEAU's ANNUAL RELEASE ON CROISIEUROPE’S WINE-THEMED CRUISE IN BURGUNDY

7/8/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
 Do you like Beaujolais Nouveau?
Then this one's for you.

French river cruise operator, CroisiEurope is giving guests the opportunity to greet the annual release of  Beaujolais Nouveau on a five-day river cruise  specially designed for wine lovers.
 
The wine-themed cruise through Burgundy includes visits to the city of Beaune, a key French  wine centre; the impressive  partial ruins of  Cluny Abbey; the Beaujolais Route and Le Parc du Hameau Duboeuf, a theme park dedicated to vineyards. However, the cruise  highlight is the visit to medieval Beaujeau where guests can discover the 12 appellations of Beaujolais, enjoy a  soiree in the town centre with cabaret entertainment and food, a torch-lit stroll to welcome Beaujolais Nouveau Day and fireworks display!
 
The cruise, which is round trip from Lyon onboard the MS Rhone Princess, departs on 13 November 2022 and calls in  Chalon-Sur-Saône, Mâcon and Belleville. Cruise only prices start from £664 per person, which includes all meals and drinks, excursions, port fees and repatriation insurance.
 
The 2023 departure of this itinerary is also on sale. The cruise departs 12 November 2023 with cruise only prices from £926 per person.
 
Call CroisiEurope 020 8328 1281 or  visit www.croisieurope.co.uk

Picture
images (c) CroisiEurope
0 Comments

Channel islands - guernsey and Sark

10/5/2022

 
Sark
​So there I was, perched precariously on an uncomfortable narrow seat in the tractor-hauled cart as it bumped its way up the hill heading for the main street ‘The Avenue.’ A few minutes earlier I had alighted from a rocky, one hour crossing on the boat from Guernsey.  The rain had stopped, which renewed my enthusiasm for exploring tiny Sark, an island which is part of the Bailiwick of Guernsey.  It is unique in that it is a fiefdom granted to the Seigneurie of St Ouen in Jersey back in 1565, with the proviso that he kept the island free from pirates.      
​click on any image to enlarge     words/images (c) Gilly Pickup

Guernsey / Sark
Guernsey
The ride in the tractor-hauled buggy, nicknamed the ‘toastrack’ due to its design, is one of three ways visitors can get to the village after alighting from the boat – the other two involve walking up a steep hill or hiring a horse and cart (£10 pp per hour when I was there). Even the ambulance and fire engine operate on the towed-by-tractor basis. There are no roads, just dusty, stony tracks and rural pathways, so for walkers, good footwear is essential. Those who prefer to cycle can hire one from a shop on The Avenue. Although most people visiting the island are day trippers like me, there is accommodation available for those seeking a chill out break including a couple of hotels, guest houses, self-catering properties and a few campsites.
Guernsey
St Peter Port, Guernsey
Guernsey
​Alighting thankfully from the buggy, I walked passed the prison, possibly the world’s smallest with only two cells –  a local told me that it is still used for rare, overnight stays. I was heading for historic manor house, ‘La Seigneurie’ built around 1675.  Though the house, permanent residence of the present Seigneur – the head of Sark, is not open to the public, the grounds are open daily and it is one of Sark's most popular attractions. There is a café in the gardens where I had coffee and cake then suitably refreshed, set off again past deep winding valleys bursting with wild flowers, white washed cottages and berry-laden hedgerows to the Hog's Back headland, a favourite spot with picnickers. Dixcart Wood is worth a visit too, in spring it is carpeted in bluebells and it remains a blaze of year round colour thanks to the profusion of celandines, primroses, three-cornered garlic, red campion and ferns which grow here.  Those seeking more adrenaline fuelled pastimes can try coasteering, geocaching or kayaking  while at low tide, there are coastal caves to explore.

Sark has no street lights so if locals go out at night they have to carry a torch to see where they are going. Since there is no light pollution, the night sky can be viewed in all its glory and Sark was designated the world’s dark sky first island in 2011. No special equipment is needed to enjoy the starry display but there is a powerful telescope in a small observatory – well, a shed really - primarily designed to keep star-gazers warm at night. If you go, you’ll be bound to see the creamy rich Milky Way, a display of shooting stars is almost guaranteed and you will be mesmerised by the twinkling lights of Guernsey far across the sea.
Read about Guernsey's wildlife here
 
The rest of my brief visit to the Channel Islands was spent in Guernsey, famed for its flowers and fabulous seafood and one of the few places in the world where Santa Claus arrives by lifeboat, rendering Rudolf redundant. It’s a small island, only 25sq miles, but has a variety of landscapes from rocky inlets to high-sided woodland and curving pastures. It’s easy to get whisked back in time as almost everywhere you look here there is evidence of a fascinating past, from medieval castles, forts and watchtowers to landmarks providing memories of the years when Hitler’s forces invaded the islands, particularly La Valette German Underground Museum and the Occupation Museum with its hoard of war relics.  No modern fast food outlets are allowed on Guernsey either, it has stuck to its guns.  No MacDonalds, Pizza Hut or Starbucks. Well maybe that’s no bad thing.


Victor Hugo was so enamoured with the island that he was inspired to write most of Les Miserables there during his 15 year stay.  He described his new homeland as ‘the rock of hospitality, this corner of old Norman land where the noble people of the sea reside.’ I wanted to visit his house but it was closed so had to make do with standing outside and imagining what it might look like from the inside.   I did get inside Castle Cornet though, last remaining royalist stronghold during the last throes of the English Civil War. Unfortunately for the governor’s wife, an explosion in 1672 in the gunpowder store blew off the top of the tower and she was killed. Today, it contains several museums, including one devoted to all things seafaring while its gardens are great for wafting round on a pleasant day.
 
Foodies should know that everywhere you go in Guernsey you’ll enjoy fantastic fare.  Personally  I like 'gache’, the local finger-licking fruit loaf  traditionally eaten smothered with rich golden Guernsey butter. Fish fans must savour a bumper bowl of seriously fabulous ‘moules’, probably the freshest you’re likely to find. Add to that friendly locals, interesting scenery and inexpensive car rental and you’ll wonder, as I did, why it took you so long to visit. 

​images (c) Gilly Pickup


Sark Visitor Centre                                 Guernsey Tourism
Condor Ferries operates year round services from Poole to Guernsey
 Isle of Sark Shipping Company operate regular sailings from Guernsey to Sark

Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines unveils new hand-crafted programme of cruising for 2023/24

7/5/2022

0 Comments

 
Aurora Restaurant on Borealis waiter serving guests
 Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines has unveiled its 2023/24 cruising programme with more than 100 hand-crafted sailings and the introduction of new Journey Navigators across its fleet of smaller ships.

The programme includes opportunities to witness Norway’s Langfoss Waterfall in  spring,  explore the Azores and visit Lapland in the summer months.
image : Aurora Restaurant on Borealis (c) Fred.Olsen 
Trips range from two to 93-nights, with regional departures from Liverpool, Newcastle, Rosyth, Southampton, Dover, London Tilbury and Belfast. The programme also features the return of a fly-cruise programme, with Braemar based in the Caribbean for the winter months.
 
The new brochure unveils Fred. Olsen’s new Journey Navigators – Nature Scouts, Culture Curators, Maritime Guides and Entertainment Hosts. Guests who book a 2023/24 sailing can enjoy up to £250 per person to spend on board or up to £500 when booking a suite. Those who book a 2023 cruise but also want to travel this year, can take advantage of 10% off any new booking for 2022.
 
Martin Lister, Head of Itinerary Planning and Destination Experience Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines, said:
 “This has been such an exciting programme to curate. Our smaller ships allow us to offer special experiences for our guests and we’ve been  creative with our itinerary planning to shine a spotlight on this. We will be cruising scenic waterways that are out of reach for larger ships, including the Kiel Canal, the Seine and Loire. Braemar is also set to repeat her record-breaking feat of transiting the ultra-narrow Corinth Canal – an experience not to be missed. We also know that guests want  authentic experiences ashore  so we are developing a programme to support this. In Madeira, for example, rather than simply visit the world-famous gardens, guests can meet with a local orchid expert for a garden tour, including that of a family-run orchid farm. Guests will find our new Journey Navigators on-board each of our ships to bring to life the Joy of the Journey and all that is great about being at sea from holding stargazing events out on deck, to tours of the Bridge to celebrate our maritime history.”

Highlights of Fred. Olsen’s 2023/24 programme of cruising include:
Bolette’s 14-night T2318 ‘Summertime in Lapland and Scandinavia’ cruise, departing Newcastle  1st July 2023. Prices from £2,099 per person.
Itinerary: Newcastle – Turku, Finland – Cruising Turku Archipelago – Oulu, Finland – Kemi, Finland – Holmsund, Sweden – Sundsvall, Sweden – Stockholm, Sweden (overnight stay) – Cruising Stockholm Archipelago – Aarhus, Denmark – Newcastle
For more details: Visit T2318 ‘Summertime in Lapland and Scandinavia’  
 
Bolette’s 15-night T2327 ‘Volcanic Islands of the Canaries, Azores and Madeira’ cruise, departing Southampton on 14th October 2023. Prices  from £2,099 per person.
Itinerary: Southampton – Praia da Vitoria, Portugal – Ponta Delgada, Portugal (overnight stay) – Santa Cruz, La Palma – Santa Cruz, Tenerife – San Sebastian, La Gomera – Funchal, Madeira – Southampton
For more details: Visit T2327 ‘Volcanic Islands of the Canaries, Azores and Madeira’  
 
Borealis’ 10-night S2322 ‘Touring Southern Spain, Portugal & Gibraltar’ cruise, departing Liverpool on 22nd October 2023. Prices from £1,399 per person.
Itinerary: Liverpool – Lisbon, Portugal – Cruising Mouth of River Tagus, Portugal – Gibraltar – Málaga, Spain – Cádiz, Spain – La Coruña, Spain – Cruising by Tower of Hercules Lighthouse, Spain – Liverpool,
For more details: Visit S2322 ‘Touring Southern Spain, Portugal & Gibraltar’  
 
Braemar’s 14-night M2401 ‘Latin America Civilisations’ fly-cruise. Flights from London Gatwick/Manchester, departing from Havana, Cuba 2 January 2024. Prices from £2,699 per person.
Itinerary: Havana, Cuba (overnight stay) – Progreso, Yucatán, Mexico – Cozumel, Mexico – Colon, Panama – Cartagena de Indias, Colombia – Santa Marta, Colombia – Santiago de Cuba, Cuba – Havana, Cuba (overnight stay)
For more details: Visit M2401 ‘Latin America Civilisations’  
 
Balmoral’s seven-night L2411 ‘Mighty Waterfalls and Norwegian Fjords’ cruise, departing Newcastle 26th April 2024. Prices  from £1,099 per person.
Itinerary: Newcastle– Cruising Lysefjord, Norway – Cruising Hardangerfjord – Eidfjord– Cruising Maurangerfjord and Furebergfossen– Cruising Åkrafjord and Langfoss Waterfall – Bergen– Cruising Nordfjord – Olden – Cruising by Hornelen – Åndalsnes – Cruising Romsdalfjorden and Isfjorden - Newcastle
For more details: Visit L2411 ‘Mighty Waterfalls and Norwegian Fjords’  
 
For more information on Fred. Olsen Cruise Lines’ new 2023/24 programme, visit fredolsencruises.com/just-released. Book online, call  Reservations on 0800 0355 242 Mon to Fri, 8.30am to 6pm; Sat, 9am to 5pm, or contact your ABTA travel agent.
 image (c) Fred. Olsen: Braemar going through the Corinth Canal ​
Braemar transit through the Corinth CanalPicture
0 Comments

Swan Hellenic announces Arctic season sale to celebrate early launch of SH Vega

7/5/2022

0 Comments

 
 Swan Hellenic 's  new 5-star ship SH Vega will launch ahead of schedule in July, departing Helsinki Shipyard  for the cultural expedition cruise pioneer’s Arctic Summer Season.
 
Celebrating the elegant ice-class ship’s maiden cruises, Swan Hellenic has launched an Arctic Summer Season Sale that helps make this remote wilderness more accessible with reductions of up to 70% off  brochure fares for guests booking before 20th June.
 
For solo travellers the single supplement will be waived for bookings in the sale period. These substantial savings bring Swan Hellenic’s trade partners outstanding opportunities to boost their business.
The Arctic Summer Season Sale prices feature on the Swan Hellenic website where there is also  information on the  new SH Vega, including choice of Arctic cultural expedition cruises. 
Ranging from 9 to 20 days, these discounted maiden season cruises are an opportunity to explore the Arctic, from the Svalbard Peninsula to Iceland’s landscapes of ice and fire, Greenland’s dramatic majesty, the Northwest Passage and the wilds of Northern Canada. 
 
“We’re excited to launch this special celebration of our new purpose-built ice-class ship, which makes her extraordinary maiden cruises uniquely accessible and irresistible,” said Swan Hellenic CEO Andrea Zito. “We look forward to boosting our sales partners revenues and spirits in a challenging period, attracting new curious-minded adventurers to experience the Swan Hellenic difference.”

images from Swan Hellenic

 
About Swan Hellenic
 Swan Hellenic was relaunched in July 2020 to  continue the spirit of cultural expedition cruising the company pioneered in the 1950s. Building on its British roots, the new company has a global cultural cruising outlook dedicated to providing guests with the opportunity to ‘see what others don’t’. 

Swan Hellenic's purpose-built ships feature elegant Scandi-design interiors, extensive outdoor spaces and dedicated expedition facilities. SH Minerva and SH Vega, two new 5-star Polar Code PC 5 expedition cruise ships with ice-strengthened hulls, respectively launched in December 2021 and arriving in September 2022, each accommodate 152 guests in 76 spacious suites and staterooms, the majority with large balconies. A slightly larger PC 6 ice-class vessel, SH Diana, accommodating 192 guests in the same distinctive comfort and style in 96 staterooms and suites will arrive early 2023.

 
All three ships feature three dining venues;  the Swan Restaurant, Club Lounge and Pool Bar & Grill and are being built to comply with SOLAS Safe Return to Port requirements. Dedicated to guests with a passion for adventure and cultural exploration, the company’s meticulously planned itineraries explore landscapes, wildlife, people and unique cultures of the world’s less travelled regions. 
 
The crews each include a team of 12 seasoned expedition guides, expert speakers and lecturers for a total complement of 120 and 140 persons respectively, offering outstanding staff-to-guest ratios to deliver the highest standards of attentive personal service.

 For more information about Swan Hellenic, please visit www.swanhellenic.com 
or call +44 (0) 207 846 0271
0 Comments

havila castor - most environmentally friendly passenger ship to sail Norwegian coastal route

6/5/2022

0 Comments

 
Havila Voyages
Havila Voyages newest passenger ship, environmentally friendly Havila Castor, will operate the classic coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenes. 

Havila Castor's energy-efficient hull design was created to handle the varied Norwegian coastal weather.

image (c) Havila Voyages


The ship has the world's largest passenger ship battery pack with 6.1 megawatt hours (MWh) meaning the ship can sail emission-free for up to four hours.


"We have a state-of-the-art ship with large cabins and stylish Nordic design that our passengers will be able to enjoy to the fullest” (CEO Bent Martini.)

Martini explained, "Our ships are the most environmentally friendly passenger ships to sail the classic coastal route between Bergen and Kirkenesand.  Havila Castor will be the first ship to sail into the world heritage site of the Geirangerfjord silently and emission-free."  He went on, "The ship's propulsion is a combination of natural gas (LNG) and the battery pack, so reducing  CO2 emissions by up to 30 % and NOX emissions by 90c%. This means that ships of Havila Voyages are the most environmentally friendly ships that sail the coastal route. Our investment in climate, environment and sustainability is more than just words. We will deliver from day one on the requirements that were set in the contract with the Ministry of Transport”.

Havila Castor is also built for climate-neutral fuel alternatives such as hydrogen and ammonia. With current technology, gradual blending of biogas will further reduce CO2 emissions. As well as reduced emissions, other properties include heat recovery from sea and cooling water as well as a food concept that includes food sourced from short-haul and local producers. The menu on board changes during the sailing to reflect the areas in which Havila Castor sails.

Martini explained, “Our goal is to cut food waste on board and we have a unique food concept which, among other things, means that we do not have a buffet. There has been a lot of positive feedback regarding menus. We are very much looking forward to getting the ship on the route along the Norwegian coast on the maiden voyage”.



0 Comments
<<Previous

    Author

    I'm Gilly,  award winning journalist, travel/ cruise writer &  author of 12 books.  Credits  incl:  Telegraph, CNN, Daily  Mail,  Independent,  BBC mags,  Country & Town House, The Scotsman, Best,  My Weekly,  trade titles etc
    e​mail me here

    Categories

    All
    Activities
    Cruise
    Cruise Schedules
    Culture
    My Travels
    Responsible Tourism
    Wildlife

    Archives

    August 2022
    May 2022
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    April 2020
    February 2020
    October 2019
    July 2019
    May 2019

Follow @gilly_pickup
Follow @travellinglady_
                                                                                                                     © COPYRIGHT  Gilly Pickup    ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
  • Home
  • My Books
  • Travel & Cruise features
  • photo gallery
  • lifestyle
  • animals
  • Travel Blog