Well, SweetPea & I are happily ensconced in a spacious hotel room in the SouthSea area of Portsmouth, UK, about 25 miles from where the QM2 landed in Southampton this morning at 6:30 am. We arrived by taxi, while Ken went off by shuttle bus from Southampton to Heathrow airport to pick up our Renault car that we’ll “own” for the next six months. I don’t envy him learning to drive “on the wrong side” whizzing down the motorway, not really knowing where he’s headed. But he’ll do fine, and meet up here for lunch.
Tomorrow morning we’ll jam all our various suitcases, duffles, garment bags, golf clubs AND SweetPea into the Renault to take the Normandie Express hydrofoil ferry to Cherbourg, France. We’re eager to get to our new home in Aix, which still seems far away. So far we’ve traveled over 6,500 miles on land and sea, and have about 800 more to go.
The weather has been balmy, mild, and sunny most afternoons all across the Atlantic and now here in Portsmouth. Even the Captain of the QM2 marveled at our good fortune with the weather since hurricanes were brewing to the south of us, and the window of comfort would soon be closing. With further luck our channel crossing tomorrow will also be uneventful.
Going back in time, I wanted to post a good family photo from our visit with Karen’s family in CT. It was wonderful to be surrounded by family – and we appreciated everyone taking time out of their busy schedules to be with us. Dean & Eileen & Hannah & Catherine put up with our invasion of their home, for which we are very grateful!!
- Armstrong clan
With any luck, I will be able to upload some more photos that I couldn’t while on the QM2 because of their overloaded internet service. Please bear with my feeble blogging skills.
- Karen & SweetPea on deck
- Goodbye to the Statue of Liberty
