Solo Cruiser goes to Cherbourg

Well that was a lovely day. Well......morning. I got off the ship at around 10am in the end. I had no shuttle bus to take me into town but it isn't too far so one isn't needed unless you are less mobile or want to save your legs for wandering around.

I had seen a horse and cart pulling out of a place close to the port heading off for a days worth of tourist entertainment. I thought nothing much of it as I walked past the dowdy looking buildings and a car park full of camper vans. Along the crunchy gravel path I went and came to a small bridge over which lies Cherbourg town. As soon as I got there I found the horses again, 3 large and beautiful animals, attached to two metal carts with 5 or so bench style seats. There was a sign next to them saying £5 for a 30 minute ride. That isn't bad at all! One of the times when being a solo came in handy. So I waited the 15 or so minutes when enough people boarded, paid my fare, was given a ticket and off we clopped around the town center. At first it wasn't much to write home about. Apart from the novelty of it there wasn't much to see. But I did get a glimpse of the main square which had a market on and decided that was definitely the place to go when the ride ended. We travelled close to the port area and in a spot where we could see the ship from a lovely angle, passed a nice looking church and a statue of Napoleon. All of which I wanted to visit later to get a better look.

Once the ride ended, I made my way off to the market. It was set in the town square with a lovely fountain in the centre and large ornate theatre on one side. It was lovely and so...... French. All of the stall holders and farmers were nattering away to their customers in their native tongue, which they should do given where we were, but it was lovely to just listen and absorb the sound of the language. Despite the market not being all that large, looking at all of the fruits, vegetables, bread, cakes, meat and cheese it was a sight for the senses. There were also stall holders selling clothes, carpets, phone cases, bags, books and even fabric and cushioning. I wandered back and forth a few times looking for something to buy as it was such a lovely experience. I did end up buying a top but in hindsight I think it is more my Mum's style than mine so she might end up with it.

Next I moved on down a street and came close to a bridge where the local Carre Fore was located. A shopping center and supermarket. I was a little disappointed although our shopping centers are not all that inspiring are they? Let's be fair. There was a gym inside which had free WiFi and I took the opportunity for a sit down and a backup of my photos and a chat to the hubby at home which was lovely. Being a solo traveller I really did miss him. The one saving grace of this shopping center were the shop names. There was one called Naf Naf. Anything “naff” in the UK is poor quality, bad, not worth having. So to be Naf Naf is twice as bad! Another store was called Normal. What is normal anyhow? Well in France it is a beauty/sweets shop. Loads of types of shampoo, bath stuff, cheap makeup and soaps with the added bonus of sweets if you make it through the maze and towards the doors at the end.

Next was a short visit to GO SPORT! A Sports Direct kind of shop in which I was hoping to get some new trainers as I'd been looking for some before the trip but didn't find anything for a good price. I was dismayed to find a lovely pair of Sketchers for £30 but only in a Size 9. Too big for me. Nothing else worked out and so I left and headed for the supermarket. Nothing took my fancy there either and I decided to leave the area and head for the statue and church I had seen earlier.

Walking round to Napoleon, I wandered down a street which looked old. I was suddenly caught in a moment of self reflection, thinking about WW2 soldiers who would have been stranded in similar places and seeing the horrors of beach landings and rescues as some of the buildings were old enough to bear witness to those horrors. Then I heard the sound of children screaming and laughing emanating from a local nursery and I was brought back again to the modern day.

I found the church I had seen with the horses and made my way inside. I don't like religion as a whole but the buildings that accompany them are usually awe inspiring. This one was no exception. Dark and a little foreboding inside, the columns rose off the floor to a high vaulted ceiling and spread their way down a long aisle towards the altar. The statues at the end and stained glass were indeed very nice and worth the trip down.

Just a little way along is the bronze statue of Napoleon himself on horseback which was opened in 1858. He is depicted pointing towards the harbour. Very much a tourist spot and good photo point for the statue itself and for the cruise ships as you can see the ship very well from that side of the port.

Just across the way from the statue is the Basilique Sainte - Trinite. A beautiful church with stunning decorations and high ceilings. It is a calm place despite the noise of the children's nursery behind the building. Not that I'm an expert but if you are going to Napoleon it is worth a few minutes of your time to have a nose around.

I went off to have some fun with the town sign as depicted in the photo on this post and then I decided I was happy I had seen enough and wanted to go back to the ship. It was a fair old walk back to the ship from there. Despite being able to see the ship and being close to the water, it was still in the way and the route to the ship demanded a schlep around the port area.

Once around though I did get a chance to go into an area of the Sea City Museum (another hot sport for tourists). There are some marine vessels hanging from the ceiling in the building directly opposite the dock where the ship was berthed. It was a nice place to be and to get the all important souvenir as Cherbourg doesn't have many gift shops, unlike other places I've been to.



So back on board ship and lunch time! We have a day at sea next then we are off to Belgium!

Until next time

xx