134 more days...

Cruising with Cyn
Collection of useless information circuitous to the OPERATION: Poisson Rouge Adventure.









Wowsers Provence

We will be arriving in Provence (Toulon), France on Friday May 28, 2010 the last of five ports of call. Breaking News! The itinerary has been changed ~ no stop at Marseilles but rather Toulon.

Fun Facts

• Toulon is the city with the most sunshine annually in France; an average of 2,899 hours per year
• 1820: The statue Venus de Milo is discovered at Milo and seen by a French naval officer, Emile Voutier, who admires it, persuades the French Ambassador to Turkey to buy it, and brings it Toulon on his ship, the Estafette. It is then taken to the Louvre.
• Toulon figures prominently in Victor Hugo's Les Misérables. It is the location of the infamous prison, the bagne of Toulon, in which the protagonist Jean Valjean spends nineteen years in hard labour. Toulon is also the birthplace of the novel's antagonist, Javert.
• Marseille is also well known in France for its hip hop music. Bands like IAM originated from Marseille and initiated the rap music phenomena in France. Other known groups include Fonky Family, 3ème Oeil, and Psy4 de la rime. [cb says Apparently no hip hop music for us.]

Web Bites

• When it comes to public transportation, Toulon is a traveler's dream come true! Toulon is a major transportation center of the region and offers the best in getting tourists from place to place.
• Place Puget lies in the heart of Toulon's vieille ville. Victor Hugo lived at #5 while he researched Les Miserables.
• Marseille has been designated as European Capital of Culture in 2013. The European Capital of Culture is a city designated by the European Union for a period of one calendar year during which it is given a chance to showcase its cultural life and cultural development. [cb says I know this is not a port but thought it was too interesting to pass up.]

In the News

Sorry but it was a slow week in news...Eurostar nearly back to normal following severe disruption

Just * The * Facts

Elevation: 89 feet Latitude: 43 06N Longitude: 005 56E
Avg Temp: 63
Avg High: 69
Avg Low: 56
Avg Precipitation: 1.6
Many people live here

See you next week on Deck 14 where the cool kids hang and periodically visit Deck 13.