Inspired by Paul Gauguin Cruises!
2019-10-21Hello Again Everyone,
Hopefully you will have read my previous two Blogs about my fabulous recent cruise in French Polynesia with Paul Gauguin Cruises.
I’m sure you already know that Paul Gauguin was a famous French artist who spent his later years living and painting in French Polynesia and who is credited with “revolutionising portrait painting in general, by placing the sitter into a context which managed to express meaning beyond their personalities”.
Inspired by my cruise and by what I learnt on board the Paul Gauguin cruise ship, my wife and I headed to London recently, partly to visit The National Gallery near Trafalgar Square, which is the most famous art museum in the United Kingdom and which houses more than 2,300 paintings.
Interestingly (and running until January 26th, 2020) the Gallery is hosting a special exhibition of Paul Gauguin portraits, featuring around fifty of his most famous works.
If you happen to be in London during this time, I would very much recommend a visit there – although there is an entry charge for the Paul Gauguin exhibition, the main sections of the National Gallery, featuring famous works by artists such as Van Gogh, Monet, Constable and Turner is absolutely free to enter! It was incredible to be standing right in front of Van Gogh’s famous “Sunflowers”..!
The memories of my Paul Gauguin cruise will stay with me for a long time! Check out all their details on the pages of The World’s Greatest Vacations or on their own website – or indeed read my previous two Blogs on The World’s Greatest Vacations! For the trip of a lifetime, they are hard to beat!
The itinerary, ship and food are all amazing, but what makes it so much more special are of course the people on board the ship! The Officers and Crew of the ms Paul Gauguin were totally efficient, yet so friendly with it and that really makes the guests feel like they are somewhere very special indeed.
I do have to send out a big thanks to Captain Toni and his Officers and Crew, including Cruise Director Carlos and his Assistant Cruise Director Cathia, who made all aspects of the on board entertainment fun, exciting and enjoyable!
They are very well assisted by Les Gauguins and Les Gauguines – a troupe of local Tahitian entertainers employed by Paul Gauguin Cruises to enhance the on board entertainment. They star in local folkloric style music and dance shows in the main lounge in the evenings and by day they can be found giving local handicraft or dance lessons, or even welcoming you ashore as you step off the ship’s tender onto another beautiful French Polynesian island!
A few words too, must go to on board Executive Chef Paul Ellis from New York, not only for the excellent food throughout the cruise, but also for his entertaining culinary demonstration given in the main show lounge one morning. His “poke” and “Tahitian poisson cru” (dishes made with diced raw fish – with poisson cru considered to be the Tahitian national dish) were both delicious and fairly simple to make, meaning that even I will be able to try making them back at home! Paul also gave a group of guests a guided tour of his galley which was very interesting indeed.
All in all, a fabulous trip as you can imagine and once again, I can only say that if you are able to try a Paul Gauguin cruise to that particularly spectacular part of the world known as French Polynesia, then please do go for it and you will return with memories that really will last you a lifetime – or at least until you go back there for another cruise…!!
Enjoy planning your next travel experience and don’t forget to do that through the web pages of The World’s Greatest Vacations..!
Peter Philpott
Captain (recently retired)
Queen Mary 2.
