Fred Olsen Black Watch – Ports
Having looked last week at the Black Watch itself, here is why this particular Fred Olsen itinerary is one of the most rewarding you can find, weaving together history, art and some genuinely beautiful corners of France and Spain.
We began at Le Havre. The city was largely flattened during the Second World War, so there is not a great deal to detain you there – but the ports that followed more than made up for it.
Next came Guernsey, one of my favourite places anywhere. You can walk straight off the ship into the capital, St Peter Port, where the 12th-century town church and the heights of Les Val des Terres await. The wonderfully eclectic Victor Hugo House is well worth a visit, while the German Occupation Museum gives a sobering sense of life under wartime occupation. My favourite spot, though, is the stunning bay of Moulin Huet – and don’t leave without seeing the Little Chapel at St Andrew, built entirely from coloured china.
From there we sailed to Bilbao. An organised excursion took in a selection of traditional pintxos, the extraordinary Guggenheim Museum, and the atmospheric Old Quarter known as the “Seven Streets”. The city’s other highlights are well worth seeking out too: the Zubizuri footbridge, the old bandstand at El Arenal, the Catedral de Santiago, the funicular up to Artxanda for the views, the Museo de Bellas Artes, the Basque museum (Euskal Museoa), the beloved giant floral puppy outside the Guggenheim, and the handsome Teatro Arriaga opera house.
After Hendaye, the most south-westerly town in France, we reached my favourite stop of all: La Rochelle and the lovely Ile de Ré. In La Rochelle you’ll see the imposing Porte de la Grosse Horloge before heading out to St-Martin-de-Ré, the island’s picturesque capital, and the salt-marsh village of Ars-en-Ré.
The final port was another beauty. An excursion to “Discover Concarneau” paired the town’s well-preserved 14th-century walled city, the “ville close”, with the romantic village of Pont-Aven on the estuary of the River Aven – made famous by Paul Gauguin and the artists’ colony that founded the “Ecole de Pont-Aven”. All in all, a fabulous itinerary and excellent value for a thoroughly enjoyable cruise.
