Landkreis Lörrach

(Updated) Started badly coming to a halt after 20 minutes on A38 just before it becomes the M5, fortunately stoppage was only 10 minutes and as usual once moving there was no obvious cause for the jam. Heathrow car park just after 12 and by 1 we were checked in and through security. Plane ready on time, then the normal 45 minutes taxi to the takeoff runway! Arrived Basle, interesting airport half in France and Half Switzerland, ( look for fence in photo, the other side is France), have to be careful which exit you use once you’ve picked up your cases. Short coach ride to ship and efficiently checked in. Only 63 passengers (capacity 168) this trip, partly as early season and partly because crew is short staffed as Ukrainian and Indonesian members have not been able to travel yet. Downside is second “Bistro” restaurant will not be open, ( tonight’s dinner in main restaurant was excellent), upside as compensation we have been given the restaurant drinks package, glad I didn’t advance buy,
The ship is moored in the largest port in Switzerland, there are hundreds of containers a short distance further along the quay side just waiting either to be collected by lorries for distribution within Switzerland or loaded on a commercial barge to travel down the Rhine to France and Germany. Now understand the church we have been looking at during meals is actually in France.Read more