Category: France

Cherbourg to Ireland

I was in Cherbourg for almost a week…

…and while these closer photos look quite clear, for the first couple of days, the air was such that you could even taste it… ick…

…made for great sunsets, though…

…and finally off to the terminal to board the boat to Ireland…

It is a little difficult to make out, but this man was taking AWAY the life preservers…

…and even walking off with the hooked stick thingummy that fishes stuff (and people) out of the water… Doesn’t exactly instill one with confidence! 🙂

After a restful night’s crossing, I awoke to fresh air, blue skies, and land in sight…

Welcome to Ireland!

~ Bella

Next day – and still headed to Cherbourg…

Well, this is obviously not my hotel 🙂 but rather a military installation…

THIS is my hotel, however when I arrived, I discovered it was CLOSED! Thankfully, there was a member of staff nearby who told me that I should have an email from them… Well, actually, it was more of a pantomime in that they didn’t speak a word of English and my French is not very good – but we managed…

So, upon checking my email, I found that they had sent me a code to let myself in, that my room key was on the front desk, and that the staff would be back tomorrow… ??? I managed to ask the person with whom I was speaking where I could get something to eat – since I decided to skip breakfast and have a largish late lunch that would also suffice for dinner…

Unfortunately, being Sunday, apparently everywhere except major metro centres are CLOSED! The nearest place I could get something to eat..?

Thank you to American capitalism! It was about a half an hour away, but at least it gave me a choice of two places that were open – Buffalo Grill and McDonalds. 🙂

The next morning, I headed off for Cherbourg…

Somehow I don’t think this railway line has been used for a while…

Brown horizon…

Welcome to the not-so-clean air of Cherbourg…

~ Bella

Next day – still headed to Cherbourg…

…further along this road, I arrived at my lodgings for the night…

Formerly a command post for the Knights Templar…

From their website:

Moulin Banal: former name of the Moulin des Templiers

In 1167 next to the river is located the Moulin Banal (attached to the Commandery of Knights Templar Island) and the chapel of St Jean Baptiste. Donation of a lord of Avallon the Templars.
1506 the pastor of Pontaubert is still reading the Mass in the chapel
1569 The Huguenot family, masters of Vézelay burned the Moulin Banal of Pontaubert and the small chapel.
1910 Its last function was ice blocks making.
1925 It was converted into a hotel.