grand voyage A royal affair
Jeannine Williamson boards Spirit of Chartwell, the ship that carried the Queen for her Diamond Jubilee, on a royally grand trip on the Douro
T
here’s a palpable air of excitement in Spirit of Chartwell’s lounge, as restaurant manager Ruben
2OLYLHUD UHV XS D QDNHG DPH DQG starts to heat up what resembles a PHGLHYDO LQVWUXPHQW RI WRUWXUH $W GنHZ GLQQHU VنWKJLQ WKH SUHYLRXV EHHQ DVNHG WR WU\ WR ZRUN RXW KRZ LW was possible to open a bottle of port ZLWKRXW WRXLQJ WKH FRUN DQG QRZ DERXW WR QG RXW HUنHZ He explains how port tongs were invented in the 18th century to open
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ROYAL TRAPPINGS
6RPH SDVVHQJHUV WHOO PH WKH\ ERRNHG WKH FUXLVH SXUHO\ IRU WKH H[SHULHQFH RI sailing like royalty on the so-called ‘river ZKLFK KDV EHHQ LGHQWLਭHG ۑGORJ RI
travelweekly.co.uk/cruise
November 2019 17
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