Today we are docked at the Alaska’s Capital City, Juneau. Juneau has been the state’s capital since 1906 when the capital was moved from Sitka. The city is named for a gold prospector from Quebec, Joe Juneau. Although it has just over 32,000 residents, it is the third most populus city in Alaska after Anchorage and Fairbanks.
We are docked right in the heart of Juneau where the city sits at the base of Mount Juneau. Juneau receives 16,000+ visitors DAILY from May-September, so I was excited we got the close berth. Today’s excursion meets on the dock since our call time is not until 11 am. There are multiple groups that have made the same excursion choice.
When last in Juneau, the three of us started the day taking the popular Goldbelt Tram up to the top of Mount Roberts. I remember it being warmer at the top of the mountain in the sunshine than it was in the city. In late April, a tram car came to an abrupt stop at the tram’s bottom terminal hospitalizing two of the five employees on board the car. The tram was scheduled to reopen a month later after testing and repairs. That didn’t happen and the tram has been closed indefinitely. The tram was still closed during our visit. (UPDATE: Almost a month later the tram is still closed according to the Goldbelt website.) It looks like it might lose the season.
Juneau is also a popular city to book major excursions from. On our last visit, I took a helicopter to tour and land on Mendenhall Glacier. It was awesome and I recommend it if it fits in your budget. Boris and Rocky went fishing and had a wonderful time. Fishing is a popular attraction in Alaska and many summer travelers come to Alaska exclusively to fish. This trip we decided to try something completely different-visiting a summer camp for sled dogs.
Before our tour, we decided to walk around the city a bit. We headed straight to the famous Red Dog Saloon. Boris loves the logo which features a red terrier like our Peabody. (Well, Peabody is not red, but he is a terrier.) There was a long line of tourists trying to get in for food and drinks even first thing in the morning. The workers lean into the iconic western saloon theme although the sound system has updated since “‘Ragtime Hattie’ played the piano in her white gloves and silver dollar halter top.” The saloon dates back to gold mining days when this land was still was a territory and former owner “Gordie Kanouse would meet tour boats with his mule that wore a sign saying ‘follow my ass to the Red Dog Saloon’.” Boris went a little crazy in the gift shop and I found a trucker hat for Peabody. Although I suspect that Peabody would rather we just stayed home than bring him souvenirs.
About 15 minutes before our tour, we checked in at the canopy over a portion of the dock. Our driver took our group of 8 to the sled dog camp. There was a larger group going and prior to the checkin, they had already divided the larger group into mush teams. Gold Rush Dog Tours‘ facility is literally a summer camp for sled dogs. The dogs are here to train and get away from the heat in their home states. When we arrived, we got a look at the layout. Each dog has his own house with his (actually mostly her) name on it. The houses are in color groups with each musher having their own color assignment.
We started with an orientation in a yurt setup for the season. They gave us an understanding of the structure of the camp and our visit. The dogs had come from several states and have up to three training runs daily. We are one of the first groups to go out with the dogs. They are so excited to be going out on a run. They are harnessed in pairs. The lead dogs tend to be the more experienced and are often smaller. Most of the dogs are female. They are usually retired by age 7. The musher may choose to try out different combinations, both in the pairs and in their order on the line during their summer training. Sometimes a newer dog is paired with a more experienced one to learn how to handle themselves.
When I heard where the dogs were from, I hoped we would get the musher from Minnesota since that is where my brother and our son Rocky lives. We did, although Kara Grangroth lives farther north than my family’s homes near the Twin Cities. We were in the orange group. Kara has brought 30 dogs with her; 8 of those are her personal dogs (Viper, Emmi, Kenai, Misty, Kip, Katie, Tazer, and Koda). Her sister was the first one to get into mushing. Kara and her sisters started True North Sled Dogs in 2015. Kara took over sole ownership in 2020 and she is the only one in her family that still competes and runs tours.
Once in the sled, you are not allowed to get out for safety reason and to not confuse the dogs. Boris and I scored the front seat in the musher training sled. The dogs were so excited and couldn’t wait to take off. They are fast and love running. We went down the road and through the trees with the mountains as the background. Gorgeous. We took several breaks so the dogs could rest. This is very hot weather for them. Their favorite break spot was in a water puddle. The puddle is kept filled specifically so the dogs can cool off.
Once back at the shelter where they were harnessed, we were able to interact with our sled dogs. They were sweet, happy, and tired. I couldn’t believe how hot they were when we touched them. The dogs had dirty happy faces. They like interacting with people and we were encouraged to pet them. Lots of pictures were taken.
Leaving the dogs to rest, we went to another area where we had a chance to learn a little about sled dog racing and see some of the equipment they use. They don’t actually put the little slippers on the dogs until the weather is below -4 degrees F. They are not used for temperature control but to protect the pads of their feet from developing cuts. Alaskan huskies have a special blood flow system in their legs and paws that keeps their feet warm naturally. Putting booties on in milder cold weather (26°F to 32°F) can trap heat and stop dogs from cooling down properly through their paws.
Most sled dogs are mutts and you could see a variety of breeds in their appearance. The tour ended with what for some people is the highlight (although I loved seeing the dogs in action), getting to hold an Alaskan Husky puppy. Our puppies are 7 weeks old. You are given a puppy based on your booking, so Boris and I had our own baby to love on. (Don’t tell Peabody.). They were sweet and warm and loved to just fall asleep in your arms. We took more pictures. We also purchased the action shots of us on the sled and a joint picture with the puppy.
I liked the set up at Gold Rush Dog Tours. Kara gave us lots of information, while making it personal and creating a greater understanding of Alaska’s state sport. All of the staff live in tents on site for the season. You can tell the dogs are well loved and cared for.
I can’t believe I didn’t take a picture at the Alaska Brewing Company. This is a stock photo from their website. This is the layout although it was packed when we were there. We had a seat by the window facing Franklin Street and all the action.
After our excursion, we went back into town and tried to get into the famous Tracy’s for more King Crab. However, the hordes of visitors that spend the day in Juneau had descended and it was packed. (Boris is not the most paitient when he is hangry.) We went with our driver’s other king crab suggestion, the Alaskan Brewing Company and got a table right by the window so we could watch the crowds on Franklin Street. I like a good cider on draft and Boris followed my lead and we each got a cider with our King Crab. Cold crisp cider and excellent crab; I recommend it.
We walked around a little more, not realizing that Juneau was such a fashion mecca (see photo). We moved a little out of the retail area and checked out the government buildings. I just liked being able to look up and see Mt. Juneau whenever I wanted. When we got tired of fighting the crowds, we got back on board the ship. A note on Juneau shopping… many of the shops near the Goldbelt tram station along Franklin Street are owned by the cruise lines. Just avoid those. You will find more interesting, authentic, regional, and cheaper (but not necessarily cheap) items in the other shops. You did not come to Alaska to buy fine jewelry, sun-changing tee shirts, and sheets anyway.
We enjoyed the rest of the afternoon on the ship and then returned to the dining room. Our regular waiter had missed us yesterday and he continued my birthday celebration in the main dining room. Afterwards, we went to see one of those performers that fills in the days when there is not a big production show. Tonight it was magician Kyle Marlett. He is starting a stretch on the Celebrity Summit and this is the first show of his run. You can check it out on Facebook. He has been featured on The Tonight Show, Ru Paul’s Drag Show, America’s Got Talent, and Netflix’s Magic Prank Show. He also appears to have taken the same excursions as we did in Sitka based on this social media postings. It was a great show and we plan to see him again later in the cruise.
Our onboard magician, Kyle Marlett, enjoyed the same photo op I did at the Raptor Center in Sitka, Alaska. This is from his website.
Tomorrow is Icy Strait Point, technically a new port for us. It’s actually one of those made-up destinations like the cruise lines’ private islands in the Caribbean. We’ll see how that goes.
Today is a big day. Not only is today’s port, Sitka, new to us, but it is also my birthday. This is the first time we are taking an excursion using an independent operator recommended by the company we book cruises with. We typically book with the cruise line to ensure that the ship waits for our excursion to get back; you don’t get that guarantee with an independent operator.
Sitka is an Alaskan city spread over Baranof Island. (No surprise that our independent tour operator is Baranof Tours.) It is a traditional home of the indigenous Tlingit people. In 1799 the Russians tried to establish a stronghold here, only to be defeated by the Tlingits. The Russian Governor Baranov returned to the island in August 1804 with a larger force, finally defeating the Tlingit people in October of that year. The Russians governed the island until Alaska was sold to the United States by the Russians in 1867. Sitka was the site of the Alaska Purchase transfer.
Although it remained sparsely settled while Russians governed the region, Russian fur traders had almost wiped out the 300,000 sea otters who lived in the area by the 1850s. The otters were skinned for their valuable fur; they were almost rendered extinct. Sitka was specifically established by the Russians to support the fur trading industry.
Historical Photo Sitka, Alaska
The Russians were struggling financially after the Crimean War and personnel limitations meant it would also be difficult to defend the property against a British invasion via Canada. The Americans paid 7.2 million dollars, roughly 2 cents an acre, in the purchase. Overall US citizens supported the transaction although some labeled it “Steward’s Folly” or “Steward’s Icebox”, after US Secretary of State William Steward who brokered the transaction for the United States, because it was viewed as a big block of ice. Any negative feelings toward the purchase changed when gold was discovered. Sitka did not experience a massive gold rush itself, but it served as an early supply and administrative hub before major strikes occurred nearby. By then, most Russians had returned to their home country. By1873, Sitka’s population had dropped from 2,500 to only a few hundred people.
For the past several years, Vacations To Go (VTG), the company we use to book cruises, has been offering excursions at prices below the cruise lines. Like the cruise companies, they vet local operators and make recommendations. This is the first time we are trying it. If you are looking for a company to book your cruise through, I highly recommend Vacations To Go. Their representatives are extremely knowledgeable and because they are one of the largest cruise booking companies they offer the best price by giving additional discounts passing on the part of the savings they realize by buying large blocks. My agent is Kyo Gulch. We also use Ginger Williams in the River Cruise department when booking those types of cruises. (This is simply a personal recommendation; I have not been compensated.)
When we looked at the Celebrity excursion offerings, the ones we were interested in were already sold out. When we looked at VTG’s offerings, the Best of Sitka tour stood out. We purchased the tour and received communication from both VTG and the tour operator. What we didn’t realize-important to any cruise travelers going to Sitka-is that the ship does not dock near town. The local authorities operate a courtesy shuttle and recently started requiring reservations. The operator provided us a link to book our local transfer. The cruise ship excursion buses come directly to the dock, so that is a plus for booking Sitka tours through the cruise line. Our operator gave us a link to the shuttle reservation site and it was easy to book a time. They recommended booking a shuttle at least an hour before the tour started. The shuttle travel time was less than 20 minutes. The shuttle is free.
Cruise Terminal, Sitka Sound, Alaska
When we got to port, we were the only ship at dock. You could walk right on to the shuttle, no reservation necessary. We had a 9 am tour and had booked a 7:30 shuttle. Apparently 9 am-noon is when the shuttle is extremely busy. They certainly had a huge queue set up to accommodate passengers. Our cruise director highly recommended going to town before 10 am when a large ship was due to arrive. Some cruise lines also require you to book a return shuttle. Celebrity did not. It is our intent to stay in town for a while after our tour ends anyway.
The main meeting place for tour groups in Sitka is Centennial Hall. It is also the shuttle drop-off point. With an hour to tour before our meeting time, Boris and I first took a look at the building (noting the restrooms, always important). The visitors’ center is exceptionally nice with wonderful artifacts in cases lining the walls and a huge, decorated war canoe on the covered porch outside.
Walking into town a bit we saw the Russian Cathedral with its onion dome. Unfortunately, it is closed today so we won’t be able to tour the interior. Not too many people out and about so I was able to stand in the middle of the street and get a picture. From the front, you don’t even see the onion dome.
After wandering around downtown a bit and then headed in the opposite along the waterfront toward the national park. We passed by Russian Bishop’s House, one of the oldest surviving buildings of the Russian era. It was the home and office for the first Bishop of the Orthodox Church and a former orphanage. The National Park Service now maintains this historic structure. During the summer months, it is open 9 am-5 pm and there are free ranger-led tours every half hour.
Another beautiful building with an amazing totem pole now serves as a high school for troubled youths. Further along the street was St. Peter’s By the Sea Episcopal Church. Built in 1899 of stone and wood, it is the oldest standing church in Sitka. Behind it is the equally beautiful See House built in 1905 which served as the church rectory. St. Peter’s is in the Gothic Rival style and features a rose stained glass window with a Star of David, leading to much speculation about the history of the families that built the structure.
Our turn around point was the Sitka Sound Science Center and the Sheldon Jackson State Museum, the oldest museum in Alaska and the state’s first concrete building. It is next to the Sitka Fine Arts Campus, formerly Sheldon Jackson College founded in 1878. Sitka hosts its Music Festival from this location. The 18-building campus offers year-round arts education.
At this point we were almost to the Sitka National Historic Park and its totem pole walk. We didn’t have time to tour the park and it is included on our tour, so we headed back on the opposite side of Lincoln Street for a lovely sea walk through the park with Lincoln Street’s historic sites on one side and the Crescent Harbor on the other. If you didn’t have a tour planned and enjoy history with water, forest, and mountain views, you could easily take the shuttle to Sitka, pick up maps at Centennial Hall, and do a self-guided tour around Sitka. We covered a lot of ground in our short walk.
It was time to check in for our tour. We met Jim on the exterior porch at Centennial Hall. Our small group has its own van, and we headed out back down Lincoln Street up to Sawmill Creek Road to the Alaska Raptor Rehabilitation Center. We could have come here on our own and there are lots of friendly guides, but Jim helped us bypass the crowds and secures us one of the center’s guides who gave us the purpose behind the center and explained the layout. The Center’s goal is to heal injured birds of prey and, provided they can still hunt, release them back into the wild. About 200 birds are treated each year at the Alaska Raptor Center.
Since we were with Jim, we got access to a restricted area where one of the recuperating birds was housed. It was a large area and human interaction is kept to a minimum. The eagle in the bright enclosure could not see us in the dark hallway through the two-way glass. It also meant that although I was able to clearly see the beautiful eagle, none of my pictures came out.
The Center has a great film where they describe their work. The efforts started in 1980 when two individuals took in an injured bald eagle. There are some permanent residents, birds that are no longer able to fend for themselves in the wild. These permanent residents become part of the “Avian Ambassador Team.” After viewing the center, the film, and the rehabilitation facilities, we went outside to see the various enclosures for the permanent residents. There were some incredible bald and golden eagles as well as owls, peregrines, and other birds of prey. If you love animals, this center is must-see. I thought this would be a throwaway stop, but I loved it and the work they are doing. Great gift shop too, along with one of the best photo ops of the trip. The Alaska Raptor Center is a nonprofit organization, and its efforts are funded by donations.
Our next stop, less than 6 miles up Sawmill Road, was Fortress of the Bear. This sanctuary provides lifelong protection and care to orphaned brown and black bear cubs. The brown bears currently at the sanctuary are Coastal Brown Bears and Alaskan Peninsula Brown Bears. There are no grizzly bears at the fortress; those are usually found in interior Alaska. The brown and black bears are kept in separate enclosures. Another goal of Fortress of the Bears is to reduce human-bear conflict by education and community engagement. There are several sets of siblings at the Fortress. You can read their stories on the Fortress’ website.
“In 2003, a determined individual began transforming Sitka’s abandoned pulp mill clarifier tanks into safe, naturalistic habitats for rescued bears. By 2007, the sanctuary received its first permit, and only days later, its first orphaned cub arrived. Today, Fortress of the Bear is the only bear-exclusive sanctuary in Alaska.” https://www.fortressofthebear.org/our-mission. The fact that the bears live in a repurposed, abandoned facility just adds to the allure of the Fortress.
With Jim in the lead, we were able to bypass the standby line and go right inside. We headed up to the elevated platforms overlooking three very large enclosures. Two were in the huge tank areas and another in the back looked like an enclosed part of the forest. The barrel-shaped concrete tanks were once used by the pulp mill for industrial wastewater treatment; these served as the first sanctuary enclosures. When the facility needed more space, the hillside enclosure was added. The sanctuary has been enlarged several times. Feasibility experts were brought in from the Houston Zoo and extensive testing for any toxicity was conducted during the original approval process. During our visit, he bears were playful. There are step stools along the wall of the covered and boardwalk viewing platforms if you need to be a little higher to get that great view. Bald eagles hung out in the trees surrounding the enclosures.
The small group viewing was awesome. At some point, a bus of visitors from our ship arrived and we headed down to the lower viewing platforms. I realized Jim was keeping us just ahead of the large tour groups. Fortress of the Bear also has a wonderful gift shop. Like the Alaska Raptor Center, it is a nonprofit organization and relies on admission sales and donations to fund its work.
Just outside was a Jim-recommended snack stand with wonderful fresh made popcorn and soft drinks. Even in Sitka, I found my beloved Dr. Pepper. I treated myself for my birthday.
Then it was on to our third and final stop, the Sitka National Historic Park that we almost reached on our walk this morning. You could have probably done with all without the guide, but I loved how Jim got us in ahead of the crowds and into the behind-the-scenes areas. As a local, he had wonderful insight and practical advice for our visit. I liked the smaller group format using a van; we had a very positive independent excursion experience. If there was plenty of time to make it back to ship, allowing for possible delays, I would consider another independent excursion booking on another cruise.
Established in 1890, Sitka National Historic Park is Alaska’s oldest federal cultural and historic park. It addresses the 1804 battle between the indigenous tribes and the Russians. There are amazing interior exhibits and artifacts. Jim recommended checking out the local artisan that demonstrates traditional totem pole making techniques. He is self-taught. Not the friendliest guy, but he did answer my questions. The park has wonderful printed materials you can pick up for a self-guided tour and for us as a trail map.
There is a climate controlled interior exhibit featuring some of the oldest Tlingit totem poles from the early 1900s. A traditional historic park film is featured, and it is very well done. Perhaps the favorite part of the park is the 1-mile loop trail between the Indian River and the Sitka Sound featuring both old and modern totem poles. At the far end of the peninsula are the battle site and fort site. There is no charge to for the visitors’ center or the parklands which feature multiple (easy) hiking trails.
It was a great tour and I would recommend Jim and Barnoff Tours. After he dropped us back off at Centennial Hall, going the opposite direction on Lincoln Street Boris headed down to Baranof Castle Hill. Not much is left, but also in the area is Totem Square, several brotherhood houses, and the Sitka Pioneer House.
We met back at St. Michael’s Cathedral. The original Orthodox church was built between 1844 and 1848. It was the oldest Orthodox cathedral in the new world. The church burned down in an accidental fire in 1966 and rebuilt in the original design. It is an active parish today. One of the original bells sits on the sidewalk in front of the church. The sign from earlier (“Church closed today”) was misleading. It was actually just not open yet. Visitors can tour between 10 am and 3 pm. Donations are accepted.
Since we decided to stay in Sitka for a while, we wanted to grab lunch locally. We went with one of Jim’s suggestions and ended up at Sitka’s Burger and Crab Snack. It’s a casual eatery with fabulous food. I had a King Crab leg-it is my birthday-and freaked Boris out a little when the tab for lunch at a walkup counter was $137+. It was worth every penny. The funniest part was I was used to using crackers. My order came with a crab fork and scissors; no cracker. Had I known how to use the scissors, they would have been easier. I didn’t. So, I tried using them as you would the crackers and sent a shell flying over Boris’ head and then hitting his back. Since we were outside (inside seating was full). It was only the people at the table next to us that saw and we shared a laugh. Or so I thought…
A few minutes later a man came from inside. His wife had sent him out to show me how to use the scissors. She had seen me send the shell flying from inside. Presumably, the whole restaurant saw it. Getting a year older is tough. You have to accept that there are somethings you can no longer do…like eating without embarrassing yourself. The good news is I will never see any of these people again.
After lunch and a little shopping, we took the shuttle back to the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal. There were also a few shops there and a bar, probably for cruisers who just want to get off the ship briefly and don’t want to bother with the shuttle. I loved my day in Sitka
We decided to try out the specialty Italian Steakhouse onboard, The Tuscan Grill, for dinner. Rather than pick one thing, we ordered half portions of a lot of things-2 appetizers, 1 pasta, 2 entrees, and 2 desserts. And that was just for me! It was so disappointing. I only liked the meatball appetizer. One couple at the table next to us kept sending things back and the husband complained that the food was inedible. Usually, the specialty restaurants offer food and service that is a step above the dining room. Not the case here at all. And we were paying extra for it. The food was so mediocre that Boris compensated with a lot to drink.
It was nice that they brought out a small cake with a candle and happy birthday plaque. Unfortunately, I don’t eat chocolate. It was not our only poor specialty restaurant experience. We had tea in the same space on the first sea day, and it was poorly done. The wrong atmosphere, items came out in the wrong order-desserts first, then sandwiches, and then finally the tea. There was also a charge for the tea when it is usually complimentary. The musicians stopped playing 10 minutes after our reservation time. The desserts, with only one exception, were all chocolate. The sandwiches were soft on one side and dry as a brick on the other. After those two bad experiences, we went back to the cabin after dinner and cancelled our third specialty reservation on the last sea day. (We learned later from someone who went to the “Crab Shack” on another ship that it was not good. We dodged a bullet there.)
The plan was to go see the comedian we liked so much for his late show, but Boris passed out after all his drinking. Ah well, most of the birthday was great. I did love Sitka and highly recommend it.
Our first port of call is Ketchikan, Alaska, The Salmon Capital of the World. Visit any of these southeastern Alaskan cities and you will learn all about the five species of salmon found here. Using your hand, your pinky represents Pink Salmon; your ring finger represents Silver Salmon; your middle finger represents King Salmon; your pointer finger represents Sockeye Salmon; and your thumb represents Chum Salmon. If you want to send home some canned salmon or carefully packed fresh halibut, there are places in town that can help you. If up to travel a little by boat or plane, you can head to Misty Fjords National Monument for glaciers, rainforests, and waterfalls. Locally, you will find outfitters to help you if you want to zipline, fish, or kayak.
Ketchikan is sometimes referred to as the First City of Alaska because it sits at the southern end of the Inside Passage and is often the first stop for cruise ships traveling north from Seattle or Vancouver. It is also well known for the world’s largest collection of standing totem poles from the native people of the Tlingit, Haida, and Tsimshian tribes. You can see the totem poles on visits to Totem Bight State Historical Park, Saxman Native Village, and the Totem Heritage Center which is where we went our first time here when Rocky was young.
The native peoples have been here for over 10,000 years, but Ketchikan was first otherwise settled with the construction of a salmon cannery in 1885. Later the logging industry became part of the local economy. Given the industry in the area, it is not surprising that one of the more successful ventures in Ketchikan was the Creek Street brothel district where a number of establishments operated in structures on stilts along a wooden boardwalk beside Ketchikan Creek. Creek Street was in operation as a red light district until 1954. You can stop by Dolly’s House or the Preacher’s House to catch a bit of this history. Today it is the most photographed area of the city attracting hordes of visitors to the buildings that now house art galleries, souvenir shops, bookstores, and restaurants.
We are going to the Tongass Rainforest to do some canoeing and hiking. At nearly 17 million acres, Tongass National Forest is the United States’ largest national forest covering most of southeast Alaska along the Inside Passage. It is considered a wonderful option if you want to see eagles, bear, and spawning salmon. It is also home to several varieties of endangered and rare flora and fauna.
Ketchikan experiences 162 inches of average national rainfall, so be prepared for a cloudy or rainy day. Having scheduled our excursions prior to leaving home (the common method of booking excursions now), I knew what to pack and wore wet shoes and my raincoat. I also brought along a dry bag for our things while on the canoe. I had a sleeve for my phone, but fortunately it was not raining and I could use the phone to take pictures without the protective cover. I do recommend a raincoat and dry bag while traveling in Alaska. We were also colder than we thought we would be due to the rain and clouds.
Our young guide got us set up with life jackets and wooden oars. Boris elected to add a rain jacket provided by the outfitter. We entered the “war canoe” from a dock. Fortunately, it didn’t have its traditional design where warriors would be packed in and sitting on the bottom. We sat two to a bench. Today war canoe racing is a popular Canadian sport with some competitors coming from the northwest United States.
Instead of the river we anticipated, we were in a lake, Harriet Hunt Lake to be specific. It is named after a local pioneer. The claim is that it has excellent trout fishing. The lake is mountain fed and very calm. Calm means little risk, but it also means more work. We all had to paddle to make this happen. I was a little disappointed because I could see almost everything from the dock and I was hoping for a river with a better chance to see wildlife along the shoreline.
About midway around the portion of the lake we were traveling, the guide stopped at a small island (blueberry island) in the lake to point out the plant life. We saw one that acts like a Venus Fly Trap, the sundew. “This insectivorous wildflower secretes a sticky, sweet liquid that attracts insects. The ensnared victim is dissolved by enzymes to provide nutrients to nourish the plant. The plant evolved this mechanism to survive in nutrient-poor sphagnum bogs and meadows.” Ray Bulson for Alaskan Photography. You can even buy them online at Carnivorous Plant Nursery.
About ¾ of the way around the lake, we stopped at another dock and headed onto a covered platform. There we met another of the young guides who had hot drinks, a big pot of clam chowder, a salmon spread and crackers, and a jam made from local berries waiting for us. After a snack break, we will do a little hiking in the rainforest. I am not a big fan of salmon, but the dip was great. Maybe it just needs to be fresh, caught this morning, salmon for me to enjoy it. The guide recommended a small sandwich with the spread and the jam on top between two small slices of bread. It was great!
I was going to change my shoes for the hike, but our driver who had paddled with us, said it was not necessary. There was actually a boardwalk. The guide said there are patches, particularly on Blueberry Island where the mud is like quicksand and you can sink several feet. I was very happy there was a boardwalk. The forest was mostly tall Sitka spruces, the state tree. The tree can grow to 330 ft. (100 m) high and have a circumference of 16 ft (5m); it is the largest variety of spruce. The native peoples used the bark and roots for a variety of medicinal purposes.
We saw large skunk cabbage with a smell that will follow you if you touch it. There was also some interesting fungi that grew on the side of trees that had different colors on its top and bottom. We also saw an interesting type of lichen, Old Man’s Beard, that takes years to grow a single inch. It may take a while, but Old Man’s Beard can grow from 6 inches to 20 feet long.
I liked the forest walk, although it was very short and couldn’t really count as much exercise. I did love being out in the rainforest. Got more exercise in my arms than my legs today. I did get the guide to take a picture of Boris and I next to one of the Sitka Spruces. She bent down to try to capture the whole tree. After sending it to family and friends, I got the comment back that we looked like giants. I had to agree.
Back on the dock, we got another picture. This time with Dude Mountain-yes that’s its real name-in the background. Next, it was just a short paddle back to the lake’s primary dock. All of the young guides who work here for the summer live in the National Forest around the lake.
We still had several hours before the ship was departing so Boris and I decided to take a look around town. “The entire downtown is a National Historic District.” Celebrity Today. Boris’ first order of business was to buy a jacket with better lining; he was really cold. Apparently, the Great Alaskan Lumberjack Show right in town is pretty popular and pretty loud. It was hard to miss when we walked by on our way to Creek Street. Historic Creek Street was pretty picturesque, especially situated near the water. However, the boardwalk was so packed you could hardly move around on it. There were several ships in town. We bought a few gifts, but the restaurants were so crowded-the whole town was-that we decided just to get back on the ship for a late lunch. Guests had to be back on by 2:30 anyway, so we didn’t lose much time in town.
We had not been successful in staying up in the evening, but I was determined to do it tonight. The lecturer had another presentation, this one was on salt-making, but Boris and I just weren’t interested. Late night is the ABBA sing along party which we have done on other Celebrity ships, but odds are we won’t make it that long. I will just be happy to make the headliner, a comedian. As it turned out Steve Caouette was awesome.
Steve’s show was completely interactive. It is tough to be a comedian on a cruise ship, the show has to be clean and basic enough to appeal to the children in the audience, while still being fun for adults. Some of the ship comedians we have seen struggle with that. Steve worked his audience and developed almost an ad lib show. Boris who is tough on these performers was really laughing. Great way to kick off our attendance at evening performances. He has a late-night show tomorrow (also my birthday) so we want to make sure we come back for that.
The next port is Sitka, a new destination for us. Sitka is heavy on the Tlingit (native) heritage as well as colonial Russian history. Happy Birthday to me!
Boris and I were originally scheduled to go on a cruise to the South Pacific to see some exotic islands we had never been to on a unique new ship. Ah, the best laid plans. When a medical issue required us to cancel that trip-thankfully we started buying travel insurance for our cruises several years ago-we ended up finally being able to replace it with travel this summer. It was way too hot to head to our original destination. So we said, why not Alaska?
Boris, Rocky, and I took a cruise to Alaska more than 25 years ago, but we hadn’t been back. That was a first cruise for both Boris and Rocky. Now Rocky has probably done close to 15 cruises and Boris probably has over 30 under their belt. I am pushing 40 cruises. It was the only cruise we ever took with an inside cabin. Boris insists on a balcony. The blackout curtains do work pretty well. They have to. It stays light in Alaska during this time of year until almost midnight.
We are adding a land package, which is something we didn’t do last time. I have always wanted to go to Denali and now I will. I know Rocky was disappointed that he wasn’t able to go this time. It was all planned very late. We are doing the same route as last time, Vancouver to Anchorage, with only one new stop, Sitka. The land tour begins when we dock in Seward, the gateway to Anchorage.
Another significant difference, we will not be going into Glacier Bay. We did go last time. This time we are on Celebrity. “Because Glacier Bay National Park is highly protected, the National Park Service heavily restricts access to just two large cruise ships per day. Only a select group of major lines hold long-term permits to sail here, including Princess Cruises, Holland America Line, andNorwegian Cruise Line (NCL).”
Even though we have lived in the Texas Hill Country just over a year, we still drive back to Houston to travel on direct flights. He got up in the morning, dropped off Peabody at “summer camp” and drove directly to the airport in Houston (4 hours). Our first trip casualty was my ankle. We were sitting in the United Club at the airport when one of the cleaners dropped a glass that sent shards down the aisle. I felt it, but didn’t even realize I was bleeding until another traveler told me. What a day to wear white pants!
We took a direct evening flight to Vancouver and spent the night at the Airport Hilton on points. Didn’t get a whole lot of sleep and with a three-hour time difference the time adjustment may be challenging. We had the included lite breakfast at the hotel and weren’t there long before we took a taxi to the pier. The front desk hostess said the taxi would be much faster than an Uber from this Richmond location and even called it for us. The taxi got there so fast, I was still at the front desk where she was making me copies for my luggage tag inserts. I spent most of the taxi ride folding the tags to put in the luggage holders I had bought on Amazon. Just had to hook them on the bags when we got to the terminal. We were lucky to have an early boarding time, 11 am. There was no problem with check-in, we breezed right through. We did have to go back through customs.
We had gone through customs last night when we flew into Vancouver, Canada. Today, we went up then down, then into another building, then through customs-leaving Canada, and then up and down again to board the ship. We were actually on the ship by 10:50 am, before our actual scheduled boarding time. Even though it was early, we were able to drop hand baggage off at the room and collect our room keys. I do recommend having your cruise line app open to your ticket before you arrive at the terminal. There are some internet dead spots at the Vancouver Cruise Terminal. Overall, it was a very easy experience, and the local port workers were all lovely.
Once we got on board, we were directed to our muster station and completed that process, so we won’t have to go out later and stand on deck with the masses for a safety briefing. We walked around the ship. One of my favorite spots was a back garden area with very cozy lawn furniture that would make a nice spot for outdoor movies. They had a World Cup game on and I sat there for a while. We made some specialty restaurant reservations. Since my birthday is the third day of the cruise, so we are going out that night for dinner. We are also going to try the tea on the first sea day, and a special “Crab Shack” event on the last sea day. We stopped by the spa to see what kind of specials they were offering. We don’t always do the specialty restaurants or the spa but our Elite Plus status on Celebrity does get up some extra perks-the best of which is the two free bags of laundry we get on this cruise, particularly nice since we are going on to do a land package.
The buffet opened at noon, so we went there shortly after that. It was nice to be ahead of the crowds boarding the ship. We thought we were going to have an early dining seating, but we have the open kind where you just walk up when you are ready. We found that out when we picked up our room keys. We actually like having the same waiter each night, but due to guest demand, the cruise lines have gotten away from that. Celebrity offers only a limited number of seats with a set dining time and we booked late so they were no longer available. NCL’s free style cruising features this open dining time concept; open dining has actually been a staple of that cruise line for decades.
Because we boarded so early, our luggage showed up midafternoon; I was able to get completely unpacked before we left port. Another perk of our status: we got an invitation to watch the sail away from the helicopter landing deck at the front of the ship. We wore jackets and picked up the blankets offered but didn’t end up needing them. We stayed on the helipad until we passed under the bridge as we left Vancouver.
We got a great seat by the window at a table for two in the dining room for dinner and really liked our waiter, so we are hoping to try to sit there each night. Between yesterday’s really late flight, a short night of sleep, and the two-hour time difference (that becomes 3 hours tomorrow), we were tired and went to bed early without going to the show. We are looking forward to tomorrow’s sea day.
Boris’ favorite thing to do on a cruise ship is to go to the dining room for breakfast. This time the time change worked in our favor because I was up early and went with him on our first sea day. We followed the time on our cabin TV’s navigation channel because there is no way to tell what time it is by the light. It is only dark about 4-5 hours each night. We ended up getting to the dining room an hour early. The TV channel showed the actual time and we were still in the straits. The ship had moved to Alaskan time overnight. The app had the ship time; the TV had actual time. We went back to the dining room an hour later; they ended up opening early because so many people were waiting. For those coming from the East Coast, there was a four-hour time difference; they were starving. I just wanted my Eggs Benedict. I often get them every day of the cruise.
We explored the ship a little more after breakfast and then went to the theater for the lecturer’s presentation. Call us nerds, particularly history nerds, but we like the onboard lectures. Today we are seeing a geologist/naturalist, a PHD who will talk about the glaciers. He will also narrate your visit to the Hubbard Glacier on the last sea day. It was a great presentation, and I felt ready for our glacier visit. We also found out that in Alaskan waters, there can be no public PA announcements in deference to the wildlife. That means no pool deck bands or parties, and no deck announcements or narration. So much for my cool outdoor lounge area; there will be no movies or games there. For our glacier visit, we will probably sit on our balcony with our door open and listen to the narration on the TV.
We stayed on in the theater for the next presentation that was about all the ports we would be visiting. The cruise director did a great job and we learned a lot. At most ports we will have time before and/or after our excursion, so we got some great insight on what to do in the port cities.
Then it was time to eat again. Boris headed back to the dining room. They were really understaffed here, not anticipating how many people would come to this venue. At one point I saw that they had moved waiters down from other areas of the ship. It was too cold to enjoy the outdoor dining on the pool deck. Our server also told us this was the first cruise of the season that the ship was completely full. It was going to stay that way through August.
We did some of the onboard activities, read in a lounge or in our cabin, and went back to see our new favorite waiter in the dining room at night. Sometimes it is nice to just sit and look out at the scenery. Built in 2001 and last renovated in 2019, the Celebrity Summit is looking its age. Two of our cabin chairs were in bad shape. Our cabin steward personally carted out the one with the broken seat that was on our patio. I was disappointed we didn’t have it for the sea day. This ship is the third favorite in the fleet. That must have more to do with the cruise director (awesome) and the popular itineraries it runs (Alaska and the Caribbean). We have been on the Summit before. It is definitely time for an update. Boris wondered if they might be thinking of retiring it. As cruise ships get larger, I think some passengers still gravitate to the midsize ships and those that our familiar. The Summit has a passenger capacity of 2,218.
This post should have started with details on my tour of Libourne with an outing to either a flour mill, chateau, bike ride along the river, or an in-town villa along with a trip to the farmer’s market. Instead my stomach rebelled. After more than a week of French food (all those sauces!!) and drinking at all hours of the day (lots of wine tastings adds up), my system just couldn’t do it anymore. I had an exceptionally tough night. No dinner, no breakfast, no lunch. Our cabin steward worked hard to put the room to rights and I stayed aboard experiencing the mascaret, but missing all the touring in Libourne. We are cruising back to Bordeaux this afternoon, so I hope to enjoy that. At least I won’t be missing more tours The meal that tipped the scales was not on board the ship, but rather in Saint-Emilion.
The afternoon touring was lovely. One of my complaints about this itinerary was that we didn’t move along the river very much. Of the seven nights, we were docked in Bordeaux for five nights and Libourne for two nights. There was plenty to see in this small geographic area, but I really enjoy afternoons like this where we can just relax and enjoy the sights along the river (with a camera at hand if you are like Natasha).
The SS Bon Voyage did make a technical stop just before reaching Bordeaux. They refueled, got rid of waste, and added supplies. It made docking right in town easier rather than trying to do the loading and unloading in the middle of the city. Refueling at these pontoons is probably not safe, encouraged, or easy.
I did my best to not eat or drink anything that might upset my tender tummy. No alcohol for Natasha today. We arrived in Bordeaux right at dinner time. We are eating at 6 pm, an hour earlier than usual because we have a very special nighttime excursion. We will take buses at 8 pm and be back on the ship by 10 pm. I have been extra careful today so I didn’t have to miss this.
Construction of the German Submarine Base, Bordeaux, France bassin-lumières.com
Tonight we are going to a WWII German submarine base. for Bassin des Lumieres. “Dating from 1941-43, the base is one of five built by the Germans on the Atlantic coast for U-boats during the Second World War. This gigantic bunker is a veritable honeycomb with eleven alveolus linked by an inner street.” Bordeaux-tourism.com.uk There were 32 Italian submarines in the 11 bays. Some were dry bays, others wet. Netting was used to camouflage the openings. 6,500 workers were used to build the base, many of whom were Spanish prisoners.
Construction of the German Submarine Base, Bordeaux, France bassin-lumières.com
The concrete roof of the base is 9 meters (almost 30 feet) thick. On top on that roof, there was a fangrost or “bomb trap/screen” to further protect the submarine base from aerial attack. The fact that it is still standing suggests the detailed construction served its purpose. “During the 22 months of its existence, 43 U-boats were assigned to it in order to carry out attack missions in the Atlantic Ocean, near the American coast, and resupply missions in the Indian Ocean.” bassin-lumieres.com
After WWII the base was taken over by the French Navy and the U-Boat Bunker was entrusted to the port of Bordeaux. The bunker was mostly intact. It was used by various companies from the 1960s to close to the turn of the century. In spite of its bleak history, today it has been repurposed to serve as a museum and a theater for an amazing light and sound show. The site was both created and is managed by Cultural Spaces. These types of productions are set around the world and sometimes travel. The Museum of Fine Art, Houston had one of the expositions. We also saw another one of types of presentation in an old quarry in Les Beaux de Provence, France.
After arriving at the base, we walked through between the bays for an introduction to the facility and the show. It began with a powerful piece in the bay as if a submarine was entering. I wish I had videotaped it, but I just lived the moment instead. This venue accommodates the disabled and those that are less mobile. I stayed in the auditorium type seating area so I was close to a restroom, but the best way to experience the show is to move around the venue. There were lots of alternative locations from which to watch the show. We were fortunate that Uniworld had rented the entire production venue for our event.
The projections are on the wall, floors, ceilings, and even on the water in the bays. Like the show we saw in Les Baux de Provence, there is a long segment followed by a short one. Our long program was on the Egyptian Pharaohs and the short program was the Orientalists. I enjoyed both. You could walk right up to the front of the bays, on platforms over the water, and all along the sides. There was limited seating in the other bays.
It was a short ride back to the ship after the show. I am so glad I didn’t have to miss this. No nightcap for Natasha though. Time to take it easy. Tomorrow there are tours of Bordeaux. As we have done the city tour on a previous trip, our plan is to do a little shopping on St. Catherine Street. It is an incredible city and there is a lot of construction going on. New areas are opening up as people flood in to the city, not just as tourists, but as residents. New housing districts have been developed since our last visit. That said, Boris and I saw a lot of the city the last time we are here and I suggest you check out my previous post on Bordeaux for some of the city highlights.
The next morning, Boris and I had a lazy breakfast. We are going to go out after the tours have left. However, the tours included tram tickets to take us to the heart of the city-that’s a big plus on a hot day-and Boris went to collect our tickets from the tour guide since it is included in our cruise. Riding the tram was fun and look us directly to St. Catherine Street. I saw a lot of the old landmarks I enjoyed on our last visit.
The tram was actually fun, very clean, and easy to use. We took a long walk down the pedestrian shopping street. It was Saturday and it was crowded. We both bought some shoes, gifts for a new niece and nephew, some food products, and an antique spyglass. We had lunch back on the boat and relaxed and spent the afternoon packing. I would definitely have taken advantage of the easy tram ride and our ample time in the city if I felt better. Anticipating the long trip home that begins tomorrow with the train back to Paris, I didn’t want to overdo it.
We had a great trip. We reverse the travel process with the train to Paris. Uniworld made all the arrangements to get us to the train station, but only transportation to and from the airport on embarkation and disembarkation days is included so we have to cover the cost of the cab. We are just going to stay at a hotel near the airport on points. Our flight out is the next morning. We have to make connections again. I can highly recommend Uniworld, the SS Bon Voyage, and this itinerary. However, if you are looking for more scenic river travel you might want to check out over options. Love the ability to cover a region without having to unpack and repack at every new spot and also to have all the touring arranged. We loved our floating hotel, getting to know other guests, and the amazing meals and accommodations. Boris is on a French kick, so I know we will be back soon.
Today we travel by bus only 8 km (less than 5 miles) from Libourne to Saint-Emilion which our cruise director referred to as a hill town. If you are thinking Tuscan hill town, you will need to adjust. Saint-Emilion is also only 40 km (less than 25 miles) from Bordeaux. After the bus departure the ship will release its moorings and eventually reposition to a pontoon on the opposite side of the river.
The reason for the maneuver is the phenomenon known as the mascaret. Mascaret is the French term for a tidal bore. “The tidal bore is a natural phenomenon on estuary rivers. The tidal bore is produced when the water level is lower and the tidal coefficient exceeds 90 (late spring to autumn). It starts at the mouth of the estuary, at the time of the falling tide / rising tide with the rising flow of the ocean against the downward flow of the river…This wave, occurs often in the Gironde estuary. It can reach up to 2 meters high, and travels between 15 and 30 km/h. Surfers can ride the wave for up to 10 minutes.” purefrance.com.
Twice a day, everyday of our two-night stay in Libourne, the boat will release and draft downriver a bit to accommodate the mascaret. If not, it is likely that the mooring lines would snap.
The French town of Saint-Emilion has many religious ties and has been considered a pilgrimage site. There are beautiful churches, convents, and cloisters throughout the city. “The legend tells us about a monk from Brittany who fled from Vannes, his hometown, to seek refuge in one of the natural caves in a place called Ascum Bas (former name of the village) in the 8th century. His name was Emilion. Living the life of a hermit he accomplished a few miracles and rapidly became famous in the region and even far beyond its borders. Soon he had many disciples and with their help he evangelized that place and made it become a great religious center. Even after his death his followers carried on his legacy and even called the town after him: Saint-Emilion.” Bordeaux-tourism.co.uk
Our guide worked hard to get us through the city as easily as possible. There are a few challenges if you are bothered by steep inclines. As usual, Uniworld offered an easy-walking group. We chose the regular tour. We will tour the city first in the early hours when there are very few people about, then it is out to the nearby countryside to enjoy a tasting, and finally we return to the city for free time. On this morning’s walk, I am not only enjoying the scenery, but decided what I might want to do when we return later.
Our first stop is the monolithic church, an underground church from the early 12th century. The church is locked and you must visit with a guide. The proportions are huge. The church is almost 40 feet high and almost 125 feet long. The bell tower is over 223 feet tall. The church is dug into the limestone plateau right in the heart of the city. It was probably developed around the pilgrim activity for visitors to the tomb of St. Emilion and the need to accommodate hundreds of pilgrims.
“Carved in the 12th century, painted in the 14th, devastated in the 16th, battered in the 18th during the Revolution and restored in the 20th! Today, it is still consecrated and hosts regular religious ceremonies, sometimes concerts, but also induction ceremonies of the Brotherhood of Wines of Saint-Emilion – The Jurade.” saint-emilion.tourisme.com. It is a must-see for any visitor to Saint-Emilion; unfortunately due to its fragile state-there are serous support structures inside-you are not allowed to take pictures of the interior.
After our visit to the church, the guide walked us over to a terrace view of Saint-Emilion that tells you why people might refer to this as a hill town. We also got a closer view to the tower. The church tower is not centered and the difficult weight distribution is just one of the reasons that so many supports are required in the interior of the monolith church.
You could see the city starting to fill up. There were lots of lovely cafes with inside and outside dining. Our guide also pointed out a 14th-century cloister built by the Franciscans that was mostly destroyed during the French Revolution. In the 19th century, the underground galleries were converted to produce and store sparkling wine. Today you can visit for a tasting of the local sparkling wine. Outside of the Champagne region of France, sparkling wines are referred to as cemant. The local speciality is Cremate de Bordeaux and is found at Les Cordeliers. I put that on the list for later.
On our route back out of the city, we passed through a beautiful cloister with some of the original frescos still visible. “If you pay close attention to the walls of the cloister you will see quite a lot of interesting items such as graves, statues, and even a little dragon.” lostinbordeaux.com
Passing through the cloister, you enter the Collegiate church gothic doors of the 14th century. In contrast, the west door of the church was built in the Romanesque style in the 12th century. The church was built between the 12th and 15th centuries. It is not necessary to enter as part of the tour. You can enter on your own and enjoy a mix of Romanesque and Gothic styles, reflecting the long period of the collegiate church’s construction.
Next it was back on the bus to enjoy the very short trip to Saint-Emilion’s vineyards. In fact, it was actually quite close to the city, but in order for the bus to make the turn into the gate of the estate we had to take the long way. Our guide is a local and she pointed out her home in the vineyards. Her husband’s family is in the wine industry.
The wine of this area’s claim to fame is its “world-famous limestone terroir”. The earth is a mix of limestone, clay, and gravel and it enjoys the “caress of a gentle maritime breeze” off the Dordogne River. In fact the streets of Saint-Emilion are composed of cobblestone that were actually the ballast stones from the ships that came in to secure the wine. When replaced by the weight of the full wine barrels, the ballast stones were no longer needed and they were left behind and then used to create roads and passages throughout Saint-Emilion. bordeauxwinevacations.com.
We met in the courtyard of the 14th-century chateaux, were shown the vineyards, toured the production facilities, and had a tasting at Grand Mayne. We visited one day post-blending and the cleanup from that process was still taking place. I didn’t care at all for the first two offerings we tasted, but I really liked the third and got a bottle. “The vineyard of Chateau Grand Mayne is located to the west of Saint Emilion, at the foot of the plateau. Even though the vineyard is in one large block of vines, Chateau Grand Mayne is the result of two different terroirs.” thewinecellarinsider.com. I read after our visit that “Chateau Grand Mayne is better with at least 5-8 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage. Chateau Grand Mayne is best enjoyed in the first 6-25 years of life.” the winecellarinsider.com. The one I selected was a 2015; the two I didn’t care for were more recent vintages.
After our tasting, we returned to Saint-Emilion for our free time. Boris wanted to head straight to lunch. It had warmed up considerably and I knew he wouldn’t want to sit outside. We ended up at one of the award-winning restaurants we had seen. L’Envers du Décor started as the city’s first wine bar, but has gained an excellent reputation for its food. We got in, but were seated in the “American room” which was where they put families with children and (you guessed it) Americans who wanted a table for lunch. It was not a spectacular table, but the food was excellent. I had two wonderful seafood dishes (more than I needed, but I wanted to try everything) and closed with a soufflé I shared with Boris. I even skipped the wine after starting the drinking so early today.
Of course, it took a lot of time and there wasn’t much left over after lunch so we just wandered back toward the bus. I had saved for the sparkling wine, but was so full and with so little time we didn’t make it to those cloisters. There was one stop I really wanted to make just at the edge of the city before the bus lot.
You know those famous French macaroons? Well they were actually born here in Saint Emilion. They were created in 1620 by the Ursuline sisters who had a convent in the city. The original is unlike the two-layered, cream-filled treat we see today. They are a single layer (no filling) of sweet goodness. The recipe has been passed from generation to generation and Fabrique de Macarons, one of the local bakeries, still makes them following the original recipe. I got a sample pack of six for me and a larger box I could give as a gift. After trying mine, I think the larger box is staying with me. The shopkeeper was friendly and there was a line out the door.
After our free time in Saint-Emilion, we returned to the ship by bus. We will stay overnight once again in Libourne. Tomorrow we have the choice of four tour options. I suspect they need us in smaller groups for these facilities. You can do a farmers’ market and estate tour and tasting at Chateau Boutinet; a bike ride along the river and the village day tour; Moulin de Porcheres’ flour mill tour and the farmers’ market; or a tour of Villa Mulato and the farmers’ market. Tomorrow afternoon we sail back to Bordeaux.
Today we see another element in the estuary fortification known as the block of the estuary. We sailed to Blaye to see the fortress of the same name. There is a market in town today we can visit after our tour and before lunch. The popular local market is on Wednesdays and Saturdays. This afternoon Boris and I are taking an optional trip to Cognac.
The fort is open to visitors at no charge, and we were fortunate to be early and the only visitors at this hour. The fortress is in good condition and has been revitalized. There are shops, place to eat, residences, and parade grounds that up until recently hosted a major horse jumping competition. The four-day competition takes place in the fortress’ moat.
Blaye sits on the right bank of the Gironde Estuary. Even the Romans appreciated this strategic location. “The site of the citadel saw its first castle in the 7th century. Vauban’s fortress though was built in 1689 and took three years.” SeeBordeaux.com. La Citadelle de Blaye, with its 10m (almost 33 feet) thick curtain walls, covers over 100 acres and includesthe ruins of the 12th-century Rudel Castle, a monastery, and army barracks. It is an easy walk to tour the fortress.
As we walked out crossing over the wide fortress moat, we shared pathways with vehicles and workers dismantling the structures associated with the horse jumping competition. Our bus picked us up here to go south to a “scenic” lookout point where the Dordogne and Garonne rivers converge. Unfortunately, industrial buildings made the point less than scenic. Look in almost every other direction and you will see lovely vineyards and hamlets.
Traveling along the cliffs and the water’s edge, we followed the Route de la Corniche Fleurie, named for the cliffs and the exotic flowers found here. We passed the beautiful homes built by the sea captains that were based here and grew wealthy off the trade. Today the region is more known for its gateway to the wine regions beyond and the white asparagus grown in the region.
Since we had a quick turnaround before our afternoon tour, we skipped the market but heard from several guests about the treasures they found there. After lunch on the ship, it was back to the bus for our trip to Cognac and to visit the headquarters of the famous distiller Remy Martin.
Remy Martin has been making cognac for three centuries and is among the oldest cognac producers still in existence. It is one of the “big four” cognac houses.
Cognac has traditionally been associated with stogy, cigar jacket-wearing old men. The distiller is working hard to appeal to a younger audience primarily by pushing cognac as a mixer in fancy cocktails. We will enjoy one of these cocktails at the end of the tour.
We are visiting older, classic facilities. Most of the production has moved off site outside the city of Cognac. They can’t go too far. All phases of their production must take place within this region, or the brandy loses its designation as cognac. All cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is cognac.
The testing and decision-making originates in a committee to which any employee, regardless of position, may apply to join. The testing is done by smell, not by taste. It is your sense of smell that determines your suitability for the committee. The cellar master is chosen from among the committee members. Remy Martin’s current Cellar Master, Baptiste Loiseau, took the position in 2014, at only 34 years of age.
No, not the cellar master. Natasha enjoying the afternoon at Remy Martin in Cognac, France
The production of cognac is more about the process than about the grapes themselves many of which are lost in the distilling process. Despite this, Remy Martin is proud that all its grapes come from the relatively small and best suited Grande Campagne and Petite Champagne cru. In this context, cru is a French district. (So there is no confusion, Remy Martin does not make a sparkling wine.)
The facilities in the city of Cognac were quite lovely and the presentation informative. There is a wonderful visual and sound show in the presentation room with the large vats. We were able to walk in and enjoy it with our cocktails. Afterwards, we were offered a tasting of the XO and then you could do your shopping. For the bottles also available at our local distributor, the prices were the same as at home. However, Boris bought a bottle of a blend he could not get in the United States.
We made our way past the fields of sunflowers back to the ship still docked at Blaye. After all-aboard, we traveled to Libourne during the dinner hours. Tonight is trivia night. I enjoyed taking photographs of the many fishing huts that line the estuary. You must have a permit for them. Few are used for their original intended use. Today they are popular man caves and party spots for cocktails.
Libourne is charming. We made berth across the river from the city, so we had a wonderful view. I was out on the balcony as the city lights came on to highlight the enchanting buildings. Marvelous. Tomorrow the ship will move to dock on the city side of the river. Time to get those pictures tonight.
On our second full day aboard the SS Bon Voyage, we are once again sailing out of Bordeaux this time headed to Cadillac. We have two included tour options, a tour and tasting at a former royal residence and a tour of a smaller residence once lived in by Toulouse Lautrec. Since Boris and I have differing preferences, we are splitting up today for the tours. For those who want to hear all about Toulouse Lautrec, you are going to be disappointed. That was the tour Boris chose. He enjoyed it, but did say there were very few original works on-site which had been his primary reason for choosing that tour.
I am going to Chateau Cazeneuve, the royal castle of King Henri IV and Queen Margot. Henri IV was the only Protestant king of France, although his religious preference did go back and forth depending on public sentiment. His father was Catholic; his mother was Protestant. Queen Margot was his first wife who he later divorced and left at Cazeneuve. The chateau is still in the same family and we are going to be greeted by the current owner Comte Louis-Elzear de Sabran-Ponteves.
The dukes of Albert and the Kings of Navarre have owned the property since the 12th century. Henri II of Navarre (the future King Henry IV of France) inherited the castle in 1572 and that same year married Margot, daughter of the King of France, Henry II and Catherine de Medici-Marguerite, and the sister of three kings of France. In 1583, Henry IV placed Margot under house arrest in Cazeneuve. She had been unable to give him an heir and he wanted the marriage annulled. Margot’s numerous love affairs were common knowledge. The castle has stayed in the family until present day although the family name has changed as the property often passed through the female line.
The estate is currently owned by the direct d’Albert descendants, the Sabran-Ponteves. The family lives on the property in one section of the chateau. The Sabran-Ponteves family is quite significant having produced five queens, two kings, two saints, and a pope. We were greeted by the current owner. The Comte was quite friendly and down to earth. Our guide for today is an American woman who married a French man and lives in France with her husband and two daughters. Her girls go to school with the Comte’s children. When she asked him why he didn’t send his children to private school, he told her that he thought the public schools in the area were quite good.
We were only allowed to take photographs outside and in the first room we entered. A detailed English language guide was provided and our guide provided commentary as we toured the chateau. One of the most significant things about the property was that the furnishings were all original. They had been well hidden when the property was subject to attack. Many French chateaux were seriously damaged and ransacked during the French Revolution, but Cazeneuve Castle only lost some exterior ornamentation.
To me, the original furnishings were significant and a rare find. Not all the rooms were furnished for the same period, but everything was original. Standouts for me included Queen Margot’s drawing room, the royal bed chambers, the king’s study, and the beautiful bedroom of the Countess Emmanuel De Sabran-Ponteves. The famous novelist Charlotte-Rose de Caumont la Force was born in this room and later became lady in waiting to the queen. She was the author of Persinette, the inspiration for Disney’s Rapunzel.
After passing through the largest private interior chapel I have ever toured-I guess if there is a Pope in the family you get a bigger chapel-we got a view of the main courtyard, a smaller inner courtyard, and the beautiful lush green grounds surrounding the chateau from a terrace and exterior upper walkway. We finished our tour on the ground floor. After leaving the kitchen, we were greeted by the Comte again who handed us each a glass of Sauternes, the local speciality. These are completely different and sweeter wines than we sampled yesterday. A local vintner was commissioned to create the estate’s wine.
This is the region of the sweet French wines Americans often refer to as dessert wines. Sauternes is a French sweet wine from the Sauternes region in the Graves section of Bordeaux. Sauternes wine is made from grapes affected by noble rot that “causes the grapes to become partially raisined, resulting in concentrated and distinctively flavored wines. Due to its climate, Sauternes is one of the few wine where infection with noble rot is a frequent occurrence”. Due to the convergence of the cooler Ciron (spring fed) and the Garonne Rivers a mist is created which covers the vineyards promoting the development of the noble rot fungus. By midday, the sun dissipates the mist. The Oxford Companion to Wine.
We then had the opportunity to browse the Comte’s private wine cellar, the crypts, and the gift shop. Since we couldn’t take pictures inside, I decided to see if there was a guide book with photographs of the chateau’s rooms. I also liked the wine we sampled and wanted to get a bottle. To my surprise, it was the Comte himself who helped me find what I wanted and checked me out.
We travelled through the countryside noting the differences in the vines and seeing more lovely chateau. Sauternes can be an expensive wine to make. Some years the temperatures will not produce the optimum level of noble rot and producers may even chose not to produce in those years. The harvest can also take much longer and be done over a series of weeks to get the optimum level of the fungus. “The Sauternes, located in the Graves region of Bordeaux in France, is the source of the world’s most sought-after dessert wines.” First Leaf
After reboarding our ship in Cadillac, we had a nice lunch and sailed back to Bordeaux where we will once again dock for the night. There was some time in the afternoon if anyone wanted to go ashore before dinner. Boris wanted to stay aboard so he could attend the cancan workshop. I kid you not.
After a nap, we went to the lounge for the workshop. Cat (our instructor) started with a history of the cancan and then asked for volunteers to learn the steps. You even got to wear a special skirt. One of the children on board joined her, along with an older woman who used to dance and a father and his adult daughter from Scotland. He claimed his skirt was a kilt. Whatever works for him. Boris was pretty excited when the leg sweep demo happened over his head.
During dinner our new friends from California shared their photos of some of the military wrecks that are visible when the Gargonne is at low tide. By the time dinner was over the water was too high to see them anymore. The wrecks make navigation a bit tricky if you didn’t realize they were just below the surface.
Military vessel wreckage along the Garonne River FranceMilitary vessel wreckage along the Garonne River FranceMilitary vessel wreckage along the Garonne River France
That evening after dinner, Cat was joined by a French-speaking singer and the two gave performed a cabaret show for us. The singer was talented, but I prefer English language songs (with a few notable exceptions) so it was not my favorite evening entertainment. Boris loved it. Cat had a few costume changes and ended with her cancan to the familiar music.
Our first full day on the river cruise ship, Uniworld’s SS Bon Voyage, we left Bordeaux headed down the Gironde Estuary in route to Fort Medoc. The three forts that make up the ‘”Bolt of the Estuary” were developed to work together to protect the city of Bordeaux and are now a UNESCO World Heritage site. The fortifications are in three parts, Fort Medoc on the left bank, the Citadel of Blaye on the right bank, and Fort Pate on one of the small islands that sit in the middle of the Gironde Estuary.
All three pieces of the system were developed in the late 17th century by the Sun King’s (Louis XIV) military engineer, Sebastien Vauban. We will see the citadel later in the week. The fort offered an almost romantic collection of buildings in ruins, although at the time it was in use the inhabitants were constantly attacked by mosquitoes and were the victims of disease.
Today, July 14, is Bastille Day in France and during our late-morning visit to the fort, vendors were setting up on the grounds with food booths and inflatables for children for the celebration which would take place later in the day. Families approaching the fort by car were beginning to enter the fort grounds.
For us, this is an oyster stop. We are sampling “as fresh as you can get” oysters and wine from a local vendor. The ship docked at the far side of the fort and we made our way to the building just beside the river. Some guests didn’t venture further, but I enjoyed most of our 45-minute stop with my camera wandering around the fort grounds.
Back on the ship, we enjoyed lunch and continued traveling down the Garonne on our way to Pauillac. This afternoon we will visit a chateau and have a wine tasting. We had the option to upgrade our visit to one of the more exclusive chateau in this region.
Pauillac is on the left bank of the Gironde. The town of Pauillac is the largest in Medoc and sits nearly 30 meters (almost a 100 feet) above sea level. “Thanks to the exceptional terroir, Pauillac wine region includes three of the five premier cru châteaux of Bordeaux : Latour, Lafite Rothschild and Mouton Rothschild.” Cabernet Sauvignon is most popular Bordeaux grape variety in Pauillac. But when blending, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec are other popular varieties that are widely used. Wine Tourism.com
We drove through the countryside seeing the beautiful vineyards and gorgeous chateaus. We made a photo stop to see a chateau built in 1791 by an eccentric owner with a fascination for Asian architecture. The flags outside the Chateau Cos d’Estournel depicted the nationalities of the guests staying on site. The property is adjacent to Chateau Lafite-Rothschild.
We also had the opportunity to wander around the estate’s vineyards just across the road from the chateau. It will be another month before the grapes take on their rich black color. Leaving the chateau behind, we saw many other beautiful estates before arriving at our destination. We dropped one group off at Chateau Pichon Baron for an upgraded excursion.
We are visiting the Chateau Lamothe Bergeron. “Located between Margaux and Saint-Julien, the Château Lamothe Bergeron has over 67ha [hectares, over 165 acres] vineyard on the Haut-Médoc appellation. Its wine reflects the quality of its terroir marked by the Garonne river and enjoys the Cru Bourgeois status since the 19th century…Since 2015, the Château welcomes visitors in a fully restored building from the 19th century.” ruedesvignerons.com
We visited the beautiful chateau first. The ground floor has been renovated to accommodate visitors for an orientation and wine tasting. We entered from the back and then went out through the front to see the vines, before returning for our tasting.
After seeing the vines, we toured the production facilities. I asked about the interior lighting and was told it indicated what stage in the process the wine inside the stainless steel vats was at. It looked more aesthetic to me. I am not sure the guide’s response wasn’t lost in translation. They use French oak barrels of various sizes and large clay vats to age the wine. After the production tour, we retuned to the chateau for our tasting.
After our tasting, we had the opportunity to visit the gift shop and purchase bottles or other estate related gifts. We then returned to Pauillac to rejoin the ship. We are returning to Bordeaux tonight to join in the Bastille Day celebrations and enjoy the fireworks from the deck of our ship.
“Bastille Day is the common name given in English-speaking countries to the national day of France, which is celebrated on 14 July each year. It is referred to, both legally and commonly, as le 14 juillet in French, though la fête nationale is also used in the press.” Wikipedia In Paris, they celebrate with a military parade on the Champs-Élysées and fireworks over the Eiffel Tower. When we were in Paris, we saw the stadium seating being set up in Place de la Concorde. Throughout the country, cities and towns celebrate national unity with Firemen’s Balls (“bals des pompiers”), concerts and popular gatherings. Apparently young women look forward to these balls all year (so said our guide). Ironically, you would think the firemen need to be on high alert that night with all the fireworks.
The celebrations are nationwide and we saw the set up for the festivities at Fort Medoc and in Pauillac. Tonight, we are docked in Bordeaux so we can enjoy the fireworks at 10:30 pm. It’s that late before it gets dark here at this time of year. After dinner, I went to our upper open deck and enjoyed the featured French 75 cocktail, one of my favorites with gin and champagne. There was a singer performing lots of 80s and 90s classics live. The dance floor was full. What a great start to our cruise.
Boris and I are finally off on another adventure. The past year has included a lot of adventure-including a move to the Texas hill country-just not a lot of travel. This summer we are going on a river cruise in the Bordeaux region of France centered on the Gironde estuary. In other words, lots of wine. We will board our ship on Sunday, but are spending a few days in Paris before the cruise begins.
I highly recommend staying awake upon your arrival in France. We have found that flights from the US typically arrive in the early morning hours. It helps you adjust to the time change. After a long one and one half-hour cab ride into the city (too much luggage for the metro), Boris and I didn’t follow that advice and napped. We missed the afternoon, but we enjoyed a wonderful evening with a casual dinner and lots of people watching at a major intersection near one of our favorite Paris hotels.
We started in the hotel bar with Kir Royals (champagne and raspberry liqueur) before walking to dinner. We liked to stay at the Maison Astor in the 8th arrondissement (administrative district). It is a short walk from Palace de la Concorde, the Opera, Harry’s, and lots of shopping. There is also great access to the metro. We have been to Paris many times.
The following morning, we had a nice breakfast and walked around before returning to get dressed for our very special lunch at Le Pre Catelan in the woods just outside the city. The restaurant is located in a former royal hunting lodge in the Bois de Boulogne, a public park since 1852. The park takes up the western end of the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The three-star Michelin restaurant Le Pre Catelan features a fixed menu in either five (lunch only) or 12 courses. You can enjoy the meal with or without the wine pairing.
We arrived in Paris just after my birthday, so this is a special treat. Yes, it’s expensive but doable (at lunch) and oh so worth it. We got to the restaurant just before opening so we waited in the lounge with views out onto the grounds.
When seated, we had a lovely table that took in the entirety of the main dining room. It’s spectacular. The menu is seafood heavy, and they easily accommodated one change for us, subbing in another item off the twelve-course menu.
The food was beyond excellent. They made liberal use of foam. Our menu included crab, lobster, salmon, and pigeon. They even brought a second dessert for my celebration. We started with champagne and did opt to include the wine pairing (two glasses). I can highly recommend the entire experience.
After lunch we went back and changed and then had the afternoon to wander around Paris. That night we found ourselves at Harry’s New York Bar, not far from the opera house. Neither of us wanted dinner, but that did not stop us from enjoying French 75s (champagne and gin) at the bar where they were invented. “The Bar was born on November 26, 1911 on Thanksgiving Day, (a sign for an American bar). It is a bar literally dismantled from the 7th avenue of Manhattan and reassembled rue Daunou in Paris.” harrysbar.com
We met a mother and daughter from Sydney who were killing time before their late dinner reservations at 10:45. The daughter was in law school and doing an internship at an arbitration firm in Paris. Boris likes to talk about how Hemingway and Fitzgerald used to come to Harry’s and sometimes write and he happily spent an hour talking literature with the women next to us while the tables continued to turn over.
When Boris suggested yet another drink, I told him I probably needed something to eat so we shared the most expensive hot dog on the planet. That got the attention of several other patrons that asked us about them, and Harry’s sold lots of hot dogs that night.
We worked off the three French 75s we each had by walking back to the Mason Astor. I will just call this conditioning for the cruise through the wine region of Bordeaux.
The next morning, we once again enjoyed the wonderful breakfast at the hotel before heading out for our day. Notre Dame was severely damaged by fire on April 15, 2019, and finally in December 2024 it reopened for visitors. We of course picked the most crowded day of the week for our visit, Saturday. I blissfully stood in line to see the magnificent church. The queue moved quickly.
It is obvious that there is still work being done on the outside of the church, but the interior looks wonderful. There is no cost to enter the church, you just have to brave the lines. Hopefully, my photographs give you a taste of how it looks today.
Afterwards, we stopped for a treat and sat at a sidewalk café to people watch and to enjoy an ice cream soda. After wandering around the area for a while we went back to the Palace de la Concorde to walk around a bit more. Boris offered to go into the shops to find me a birthday gift, but I don’t really need anything that high-end, especially now that we are living in the hill country.
At Palace de la Concorde, they were in the process of erecting stadium seating for viewing of the military parade that comes down the C-E and for other Bastille Day festivities that will take place on Monday.
In the evening, Boris took me to a cabaret show at Crazy Horse Paris. It is one of the few shows that has not totally been transformed into a tourist experience. The shows have been around since 1951. There was a cabaret singer, female dancers with very little clothing, and a comedian. I recommend arriving 45 minutes before show time and no less than 30.
A bottle of champagne for two and caviar and crackers were included. Boris got us VIP seats so we got the full experience-even a host dressed like a Mountie who personally escorted us to our seats from the lobby when we checked in. About 30 minutes before showtime the singer warmed up the crowd with song and some seriously outrageous costumes. (That horse tail!!)
The actual show was about 90 minutes long. The lighter group numbers which opened and closed the show were comedic and the most fun. I honestly got immune to looking at naked female breasts. After the opening number, the host announced that photographs were not permitted. Boris and I have also been to the Moulin Rouge. The show at Crazy Horse is much more intimate. It is a smaller venue housed in a former wine cellar. It is also a more sensual show. The lighting is very strategic.
The women were seriously good dancers. With all the breast enhancement and tattoos out there, I was surprised that neither appeared on any of the dancers. The names of all the “Crazy Horse Girls” who have performed there since its opening in 1951 are listed on the walls of the venue. The most surprising thing of the night was the large number of female groups who honestly cheered the loudest. (Lots of UK and American women celebrating birthdays and dressing as slutty as possible.). Overall, the audience was mostly couples.
It was obvious the show was meant to be fun, although there were a few serious dance numbers. My favorite performer was the silent comedian who was really a contortionist. He was very entertaining. There are three nighttime shows (at least on Saturdays).
Afterwards, we opted to stay in the area and enjoy a wonderful seafood dinner at Janette Bar de la Mer on Avenue George V. They served an excellent crab dip with bread. We over-ordered, getting grilled lobster and a shrimp risotto. We were served the largest platter of fries that I ever saw; they were excellent. Boris even got the chocolate mousse for dessert. He got the single serving, the smallest of three sizes. Honestly it was enough to feed five.
It was after 10pm when we finished, and it was still light outside, so we had a nice view of the Eiffel Tower at twilight. We took a cab directly back to the hotel.
On Sunday morning we had breakfast earlier than usual so we could head to the train station for our trip to Bordeaux. Everything is well-marked, but we had a lot of luggage (which I don’t recommend for train travel) so we had to locate the elevator or escalators when available.
Boris said go for it on the first-class tickets, so we enjoyed very large comfy seats, Wi-Fi, a USB port and utility connection, a seriously large dropdown table, and luggage storage at the end of the coach, under the seat in front of us, and overhead for small items. I really liked having an assigned seat.
The train station in Bordeaux, Bordeaux-Saint-Jean, was character-filled and smaller so it was easier to navigate. Once we figured out where the cabs picked up, we went straight to the ship. There were booths set up on the boardwalk along the river in anticipations of the Bastille Day festivities tomorrow. It looked like the everyone decided to start a day early. Despite this, the ship’s porter spotted us and came out to meet the cab and we were quickly aboard
We checked in and although our room wasn’t ready, we were invited to a late lunch. By the time we finished eating, our cabin was ready, and our luggage was already inside. We used the rest of the afternoon to unpack and relax. Later we had cocktails in the lounge and a nice dinner. We overnight docked in Bordeaux and begin our tours tomorrow.
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