Speaking to my new account manager Ben Aliaga-Kelly in Merrion Stockbrokers yesterday, he asked did I get the email he had sent with photos of the boat? I said I had not and he resent on the spot. It showed two photos of our boat last Sunday, on the Seine. (See last Monday’s blog) Continue reading
We spent one day shopping for clothes in Paris for Nuala. I think it was the hardest day of the Gap Year so far ( for me anyhow!). We went to the 9th district – famous for Boulevard Haussmann , Galeries Lafayette, Printemps etc. The stores were crowded and hot. Continue reading
We have now being in Paris for ten days and have done lots of sightseeing and shopping. We have been here before a number of times before as we both love Paris. Therefore we did not revisit the usual well known places like the Louvre or the Eiffel Tower so instead we went on a walking tour of The Latin Quarter – The Sacré-Coeur, via a tourist train, on top of Montmartre Hill (great view of Paris), Pigalle for lunch, L’ Opera and many more. Continue reading
As many of you know, both Nuala and I have been volunteers with SVP for many years and that we first met at a SVP meeting. Also, for the last eight years Nuala has worked full time for the Society in the Dublin Region. So when we came to Paris, the home of SVP as Frederic Ozanam founded the Society here in 1833, we wanted to go and visit the offices. Continue reading
On Wednesday 23 April, when exiting Lock 4 at Creil, we ran aground. It happened suddenly. We went from doing 4 knots to a sudden stop. We have got stuck along the way a few times in mud, always when mooring or entering small harbours and it has never been a problem. We have always been able to work our way off. Continue reading
After a journey of 1,343 km, starting at Tarmonbarry on the Shannon in Ireland which included transporting the boat from the Shannon to Dover in England by road and ferry, crossing the English Channel, travelling down the Canal de Calais, AA river, Canal de la Sensee, Escaut River, St Quentin Canal, Oise River and the Seine, we have arrived in Paris! Continue reading
We had our first visitors to stay with us on the boat. My daughter Louise, her husband Josselin, my granddaughter Eve (6 years) and grandson Eamon (5months) came to stay with us for five days. They joined us at Chauny where we stayed there for a day and then we cruised to Compiegne (40 kms and 4 locks). Continue reading
Boating is a slow speed affair. If you travel 40 kilometres in a day, you are doing well. So people who live on boats on canals tend to slow down, adopt the speed of the boat and everything can wait until tomorrow! Continue reading
When we arrived in Cambrai Port at 8 pm after our first long day’s journey from Douai we moored in the only space we could find in front of a boat called Friesland. I could not find electricity or water so we just moored up for the night. Continue reading
When the Dover delivery crew were with me, we ate very well. We had dinner out two evenings and Neil and/or Bill cooked dinner on all the other days. For the first meal on board, Neil cooked steak stew. Continue reading
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 | beatepage on Summary of the Year Away |
 | Anne McDonald on Summary of the Year Away |
Adrian and Nuala's Gap Year 