Our last cruise this year was in May, a Trans Atlantic cruise on Anthem of the Seas. I have always wanted to sail from New York past the Statue of Liberty and the view did not disappoint. The Captain did a full circle around the Statue so we were able to get a great view from our balcony starting our sailing across the pond. We really enjoyed the ship and met some really nice people on board. The passengers were about half USA and half British so it was nice to have the diversity of people to meet and talk to, made for an interesting trip.
The umbrella factory is in Cherbourg, France. I did some research to find what there is interesting to see in this town. Cruise ships stop here for shore excursions to Paris a couple of hours away or a visit to Normandy. We knew we didn’t want to be in bus for hours and have been to Paris so we decided we would go take a walk around town with a stop at the umbrella factory, called Le Parapluie de Cherbourg. In 1986, Jean Pierre Yvon founded a factory in the centre of Cherbourg to produce a key item of any wardrobe, a trusty umbrella. We did a short tour learning how they produce a resilient and robust umbrellas, that guarantee to keep you dry and stylish, anti blast models which can withstand wind speeds up to 155 mph and entirely made in Cherbourg, right in the heart of the town. I really wanted to take one home they were so pretty but the 100 plus Euros stopped me! It was funny but I got excited when I thought I found a small one for 45 Euros. Ayr came over and he said no, that’s the cover for the umbrella!
Cherbourg, one of France’s great Channel ports, is closely linked to French naval history, the Titanic even made its final stop here on its fateful journey, as recalled at the Cité de la Mer, one of the port town’s main tourist attractions. We walked around and found Cherbourg prides itself on a vibrant local lifestyle and culture with its Italian style theater, art and history museums, its basilica, and the Cité de la Mer which set in the spacious former art deco transatlantic terminal building where our cruise ship was berthed, this major museum opened in 2002 and offers a wide variety of themed areas. We had no time for it today as it was quite crowded but if you ever have Cherbourg as a port stop this museum looks quite interesting.
I did decide to go out of my comfort zone this trip, I am afraid of heights even getting into an elevator isn’t easy for me so this was pretty difficult. Royal Caribbean’s North Star elevates you high above the ship for unrivaled 360-degree views of the world as you wander. After being weighed (the girl was very discreet and didn’t yell out your weight) you step into the observation capsule winner of the Guinness World Record for tallest viewing deck on a cruise ship and take in views of the ocean, ship, and some of the world’s most incredible shores from over 300 feet above sea level. It really was worth it and I am glad I did it.
Once we got to Southampton Cruise Terminal we took an express train to our favorite hotel The Park Plaza Westminster. This trip would consist of live entertainment that London offers at better prices than here in the USA.
Our first night we went to see Christine Bianco. If you ever get the chance to see this American singer who now lives in England you will be glad you did. She is the best! Christina Bianco captured international acclaim as a YouTube sensation with her diva impression videos, there is no one she can’t capture. Dubbed the girl of a thousand voices we got to see Christina in an old factory, a real cool building redone as a theater and other than the seats being a very tight squeeze with your neighbors we enjoyed our front row. She is able to emulate everyone from Christina Aguilera, Julie Andrews, Cher, Britney, Dolly, and even asked the audience to call out performers who she then sang their song. It was such a wonderful performance, we had a really great night and just can’t wait to see her perform again.
The next night we went to “Jersey Boys”, it was as good the second time we got to see it, great cast you wouldn’t know they were British with their great New Jersey accents. Jersey Boys is a jukebox musical with music by Bob Gaudio, lyrics by Bob Crewe, and book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice. It is presented in a documentary style format that dramatizes the formation, success and breakup of the 1960s rock ‘n’ roll group The Four Seasons. JERSEY BOYS tells the story of four young men from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey who came together to form the legendary 1960s rock group Frankie Vali and The Four Seasons, and the story of their trials and triumphs, accompanied by the songs that influenced a generation. They included “Sherry,” Big Girls Don’t Cry,” Walk Like a Man,” and many more classic hits that are now being embraced by a new generation of fans through the musical that’s been running on Broadway for more than eight years. It was a fun show and we had good side box seats where we had an unparalleled view of the stage, it was really hard to sit still with the great music but in London it is quite reserved.
The following night we went to see the story of the Temptations, “Ain’t too Proud to Beg”, the electrifying new musical that follows The Temptations’ extraordinary journey from the streets of Detroit to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. With their signature dance moves and unmistakable harmonies, they rose to the top of the charts creating an amazing 42 Top Ten Hits with 14 reaching number one. The rest is history, how they met, the groundbreaking heights they hit and how personal and political conflicts threatened to tear the group apart as the United States fell into civil unrest. This thrilling story of brotherhood, family, loyalty and betrayal is set to the beat of the group’s treasured hits, including “My Girl,” “Just My Imagination,” “Get Ready,” “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” and so many more. It was an awesome show and the guys did a great job singing and dancing thru hit after hit. I loved it and think it was one of my favorite Broadway shows I’ve seen. Sitting next to me was a couple from the USA and as we were talking more people were saying they were from USA so that was fun as was the little ice cream sold during intermission.
Our last night in London we went to the showing of the finals of Eurovision at “Between the Bridges” located in between Westminster and London Bridge. It was packed with a ton of people already drunk or well on their way, most from the UK and Ukraine, who were screaming for their singers to win. The sound system was awful, the screaming didn’t help and the projector kept going out starting loud boos from the agitated crowd. We looked at each other after about a half hour and said what are we doing here and really couldn’t come up with an answer, we were totally out of place. The finals were suppose to be in Ukraine but with the war going on it was moved to Liverpool, England and they set up showings throughout the UK for people to watch and support their person. I am not sure if it was all the drunk younger people, the very loud broken sound system, or we just didn’t have a singer invested in the contest being from the USA, but whatever the reasons we were ready for our hotel.
After we left I unfortunately had a very bad fall on the street and although we had a great time as always in London, I was ready to go home to rest my poor body that felt quite beat up by the fall. Until next time London, thanks for the memories!
