British Matelot cements anglo-french relations

Last week the French amphibious assault ship 'SIROCO' came into port for a few days. I (Rob) had spent 3 months onboard a similar ship (HMS Intrepid) when I was in the Royal Navy, so i was quite keen to check it out.

Thankfully some crew were invited to attend a cocktail party onboard and I was one of the few who got the chance to go (Anne had work commitments that she couldn't re-arrange). So accompanied by the Captain, Chief Officer, Security Officer, Chief Engineer etc I was able to enjoy some refreshments and also got a tour of the Siroco's Hospital and Bridge. It was a all a bit of a 'flash from the past' and even though the Intrepid was a much older vessel the two were extremely similar in layout and design. It was great to get back onboard our much more comfy ship at the end of the evening though!