Monday, 16th May. Iles de la Madeleine

Left the ship in zodiac groups soon after 8 and spent 5 plus hours exploring the archipelago of connected islands by bus, 37 of us together. First stop was a lighthouse; then a walk  of the historic sites of La Grave  and a gift shop visit, quite upmarket, called Artesans de Sable .

Then to a farm outdoor museum created by an ex sea captain/fisherman who had almost died: after a wander around he gave a, translated, talk of his experiences.( 90 % of the islanders speak french) .Also a stop at le Fumoir d Ántan, the highlight of the tour. Now  run by the grandson of its foundere. Once just herrings and mackerel but now other fish, cheese, etc. We had a delicious skewer of smoked mackerel, salmon and scallop. Then on for a walk along another beach before back to the pier and another fun zodiac ride with Robin. Hurt my little finger quite badly in the journey back.

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And into lunch in the Terraza as soon as we could get the parkas and waterproof pants off!!. Later on I went to Trivia with Ann, B K, Herman, George and Phil. A lecture by Aussie Oscar on the Evolution of a Continent, followed by Recap and Briefing. We went up to Hot Rocks at 8.20, but decided against it and ate in a very full restaurant