August 6 Day 2 – Paris to Bordeaux
Up at 6:15 to set out the suitcases for pickup at 6:45 then off to breakfast. One last yummy breakfast at the Scribe. We were picked up at 8:50 and taken to the Montparnasse train station. Soldiers patrolling throughout the station. The high speed train left about 10:00am traveling between 280 and 320 kmh.
As luck would have it, our seats were in the coach with the broken air conditioning so – 2 hrs in 40 degree heat. So the expectation of, ‘Traverse the landscapes of the Loire Valley aboard the TGV train to Bordeaux.’, and enjoying the landscapes we were speeding through was a bit overestimated since we had to keep the curtains closed against the sun beating down on the glass.
Once in Bordeaux, we stumbled off the train – survived! – got on the air conditioned bus, managed to revive enough to experience – ‘Your friendly crew will welcome you on board the luxurious Scenic Diamond for your cruise through France’s southwestern pocket.’
After a messy unpacking, a refreshing shower, exploration of the upper deck and a relaxing beer in the lounge we were able to begin to enjoy Day 2 of the ‘cruise’. We also had our first Port talk with the Cruise Director Tania, before heading to the dining room for our first 4 course French meal with red and white Bordeaux wine. YaHoo!!
