CRUISE CHALLENGE, DAY 11, BREST, FRANCE

On Monday, May 16th, we were on the west coast of France in the charming port city of Brest. Located in Brittany, it has become a favorite stop on Royal Caribbean's itinerary. Also known as "La Rade de Brest", this charming city has a very rich maritime history of which it is very proud. After, waiting for the use of a computer at an internet cafe I was off to the 15th-century Brest Chateau which now houses a naval museum. Upon entering the museum, visitors are given a audio-tour wand which they program as they walk through many of the castle's rooms and buildings. This was not a feature available several years ago when I toured it last and it is quite an improvement.

My day outfit for my Brest adventure consisted of black sweats (bermuda length), two shirts layered, a reversible jacket (rain-proof side out) along with sneakers and socks.

TIPS I LEARNED FROM THE CRUISE CHALLENGE: USE SKYPE

The Cruise Challenge was a real learning experience. I was able to do a lot from a distance but I should have packed my laptop. I actually thought that my iPhone would suffice but it did not and it was expensive. Pre-downloading Skype would have kept my phone bills down. Writing my blogs on my computer first and then posting them on the Internet would have saved the cost of writing them while connected to the ships costly online service.