Trekking the Globe with Bill & Mary Ann on the 2017 World Cruise - 126 Days

[bettty45]

Report #94 Piraeus,Greece April 3, 2017 Monday Mostly sunny & 68 degrees Part #1 Of 3 87 Pictures

 

 

 

Our second stop in Greece was Piraeus, the port city ofAthens. One of the world’s oldestcities, Athens dates back as far as 7000 years. It happens to be the capital of Greece, and also the birthplace ofdemocracy. Probably the most famous iconin this city is the Acropolis Of Athens and the Parthenon dedicated to theGreek goddess Athena. Constructed in 438BC, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And a must see.

 

 

 

Other sites include the Panathinaiko Stadium , the site ofthe first modern Olympics, but that was back in 1896. It was made entirely of white marble, and itquite impressive.

 

 

 

The National Archaeological Museum houses the largestcollection of Greek antiquities in the world. And the nearby Plaka is quite popular, especially if you like shoppingor dining on Greek cuisine.

 

 

 

An interesting fact about Athens is that it has 148theatrical stages…….the most in the world. The most famous of these theaters is the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, whichsits on the Acropolis. It was erected in161 AD.

 

 

 

Ship tours offered here ran from 4 hours to 8 ½ hours,costing from $55 to $225. Most of theexcursions toured the sites in Athens with a lunch, or a simple transfer for 4hours in total. A few trips took peopleout of the area to see Cape Sounion and ancient Corinth. As for us, we have been on every tour offeredhere….some more than once. By the way, one good option for the transfer toAthens from Piraeus is taking the hop on hop off bus for 20 euro. And that would not restrict you to only 2hours in town. You could spend all daytouring Athens, and come back before or after dinner today, since the ship was stayingovernight.

 

 

 

So we spent the day in Piraeus, which we find just asinteresting as Athens. There is a lot ofhistory here as well. Much of thehistory here has been lost over the centuries, but there is evidence that itcould be as old as 2000 BC. Back in theearly days, Piraeus was the only shipping port for Athens. It was also the site for the navalships. Even today, there are numerous shippingcompanies and ship owners offices. Thereis also evidence of ruins of tobacco factories, tanneries, textilemanufacturing, and oil and flour mills.

 

 

 

By the 5th century BC, Piraeus was the largestnaval and commercial center of the entire Mediterranean and the Black Sea. That’s some big shoes to fill. The opposite harbor across the peninsula fromthe Central Port is Zeas Port and Marina. This is where the ancient naval shipyards were located. Today it is a beautiful sheltered harbor forsmall boats to mega-yachts. This was oureventual destination today.

 

 

 

We left the ship around 10pm, to mostly cloudy skies. Until the sun began peeking through the clouds,it was chilly. So we did wearsweatshirts just in case, although as the day wore on, we did not need them.

 

 

 

Our hike began from the ship, which was docked much closerto town today. Last year, we had to takea shuttle bus to get to the terminal building. We picked up a tourist guide booklet,complete with maps of the main part of the city, and plenty of excellentinfo. We walked the waterfront, past thebig Greek Orthodox church, St. Nicholas. Last year it was undergoing restoration, and this year it looks beautiful. Continuing on, we went to the ferry docks towatch them load up with cars and passengers. Even though today was Monday, they were busy here. Weekends are much more crowded though. And summertime must be ridiculous forsure.

 

 

 

This is the point where we always cross the street, and findthe central marketplace. There is a hugebuilding with fresh fish by the tons, young fresh lambs, cut in half, veggies,fruit, and kitchen utensils. It is alsovery noisy with the vendors calling out their prices for the day. Or should we say yelling their prices. The Greeks are very high energy people. All the surrounding streets are full of small traditionalshops selling everything to do with food. There are shops that sell herbs and spices, local bakeries, nut shops,olive and olive oil shops, soaps, and housewares. Many places sold affordable clothing ontables outside their stores. This iswhere we found a good deal on leather belts. Yesterday, one of us was looking for dress belts, but they were mostly10 to 20 euros each. Today we foundexactly what we wanted for 3 euro……same belts, but not in the touristy arealike Rhodes.

 

 

 

From here we planned on walking over the hills to get to theZeas Port. But somehow, we took a wrongturn, and ended up lost. From thestreets up on the hillside, you cannot see the water on either side of thispeninsula. You get buried in apartmentsand highrise buildings. When the streetsdid not look familiar, we pulled out the map, but could not find any of thestreets. One problem was that many ofthe streets were not marked, and we discovered where we were walking was noteven on the map.

 

 

 

So the next best thing was to ask someone fordirections. That happened to be a niceelderly Greek lady dressed in black, of course, who did not speak one word ofEnglish. We showed her the map, andindicated that we were looking for the Zeas harbor. She understood, but had a hard time pointingout the correct streets. Lucky for us,we happened to be standing outside a car shop, and the owner came out to help. He did speak some English, and said we werenot far from the correct streets. He musthave asked the lady to take us to the right intersection, because she motionedfor us to follow her. Obviously olderthan us, she could outwalk one of us going uphill. Up at a main intersection, she pointed for usto go left, where we would find the harbor. We thanked her as she continued on her daily walk going the other way.

 

 

 

By the time we walked about one mile, we began to recognizethe side streets and the cafes and taverns. It was a bit early for lunch, so we walked to the far end of the harbor,and sat on a bench, enjoying the warmth of the sun that had finally peeked outof the clouds. We have done this on previoushikes here, but never went down to the water and walked around the outside ofthe marina. We were surprised to comeacross some of the nicest yachts…..some of what you would expect to see inMonte Carlo for instance. And rightacross from this area was a row of very nice-looking restaurants and taverns. We discovered at dinner later that ourbuddies Barb, Susie, and Woody went to one of these restaurants for lunchtoday, and also had great pizza. Sincewe were walking around there about 12:30pm, we must have missed them by ½ houror so. Guess where we are going tomorrow? Right here, especially after seeing Susie’sphotos of the food on her phone at dinner tonight.

 

 

 

We hiked all the way back to the opposite side of the harborto the Parmigiani Restaurant, where we have gone to lunch for the last threevisits here to the harbor. We orderedtwo draft beers, one margarita pizza, and one order of Bolognese spaghetti withparmesan cheese. The meal began withfive slices of salted pizza bread with assorted olives. Sure tasted good. Even though there is a restaurant, we havealways sat outside across the road. Several other establishments also serve food from across the street,because sitting on the seawall is so pleasant with the view of the harbor below. We stayed until after 2pm, when the all ofthe cafes were starting to get busier. Locals eat much later in Greece, often having lunch at 3pm, and dinnerat 9 or 10pm.

 

 

 

Taking no chances on the side streets for any short cuts, wewent back over the hills by the street we know will take us to the Central Portand the ship. It really is not as far,but we still did 7 or 8 miles today. Forsure, we will sleep good tonight. Got torest up to do it again tomorrow.

 

 

 

We had hoped to do a little grocery shopping, but the localCarrefour market was gone. Stopping at asmall market yielded nothing we needed. So tomorrow will be a day to find some new markets for some room snacks.It might be worth mentioning that this is one port, where everyone goes throughthe security check in the terminal. Whatis different about that is the fact there is a duty free store after thesecurity checkpoint. Besides the typicalsouvenirs, they sell some food products, as well as alcoholic beverages. Many folks were purchasing bottles, becausethere was no xray on the ship. We didsee the wine, beer, and alcohol collection table on deck A, but when we gotback onboard, it was unmanned.

 

 

 

There was a nice surprise waiting for us at the ship. A new security officer joined the staff today…..CopperJohn, as he is known on Cruise Critic. Having just gotten an email from one of our friends telling us he was onthe way, it was surprising to see him standing at the gangway so soon. Still recovering from jetlag, he was ready toget working. Nice to see that he didremember us from previous cruises, and also nice knowing that he still followsour blog.

 

 

 

The rest of the afternoon, we worked on the computer whilewatching Barbara H’s talks on the upcoming ports of Nafplion, Iraklion, andMykonos. They are all new to us, so weneeded to catch up on all the info we can absorb.

 

 

 

Dinnertime found that we had company….Susie and Woody. All of their tablemates had other plans, sowe welcomed them to our table for the evening. For the first time in weeks, we had a full table of ten, with verystimulating conversations, sharing our exploits of the day. Mostly, we were glad that a new pizza placehad been uncovered for us to try.

 

 

 

The show in the Queen’s Lounge was a local group of Greekfolk dancers. It was a one-time performanceat 9:30pm, so none of us were able to attend. We have seen similar show, if not the same as recent as last year.

 

 

 

So today ended another segment, with the final segmentbeginning tomorrow. And one moremandatory muster drill left to do.

 

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

 

 

Looking forward to the next segment and your excellent reporting.

 

 

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[WCB]

Report #95 Piraeus,Greece…April 4, 2017 Tuesday Chance of rain & 68 degrees Part#1 Of 2 87Pictures

 

Our second day in town found us going back over the hills,leaving the ship sometime around 10am. Therewere a few districts of the city we missed yesterday, and we found themtoday. Even some new areas.

 

The forecast today said there was a chance of rain. But we took a chance that it was wrong, and leftthe umbrellas behind. Right move, eventhough we did wear our light jackets.

 

We headed towards Zeas Port once again, but turned left tofind the area where there is a pedestrian only shopping. More or less. The side streets have one way traffic, mostly motorbikes. And they may slow down, when you are in thestreet, but rarely stop. Most of theboutiques were just opening, and the coffee shops were already full ofcustomers. We did more window shopping thananything else.

 

Back at Zeas Port, we needed to decide which direction togo. Did we mention that this beautifulharbor has the capacity to house 670vessels of 8 to 100 meters? In fact,during the 2004 Olympics, Marina Zeas had racing boats up to 150 meters inlength. With all of the beautiful yachtshere, we can see why the area is referred to as the “jewel of Piraeus”.

 

The district surrounding this harbor is called Pasalimani. It is considered the most cosmopolitan areain Piraeus. It is the heart of the funand relaxation part of the city.

 

From reading the tourist guide, we found that there isanother bay further up from Zeas. It iscalled Mikrolimano, and is a smaller harbor than Zeas. It is another posh area for cafes, fishtaverns, and bars that serve ouzo, a favorite liqueur, and wine of course. The Nautical Club of Greece was establishedhere in 1933. The Sailing Club ofPiraeus founded in 1937 is also located here.

 

Located right below the Cliffside is Votsalakia Beach, wherewe could see sporting facilities such as a large public pool, tennis and basketballcourts, beach volleyball, and mini-soccer courts. It appeared that some bravefolks, not really young either, were swimming in the freezing waters of thebay. At the top of the cliffs, we founda road that went downhill. Halfway downthis steep street, we found a trail that led to the beach and facilitiesbelow. This would be a great way to walkback towards the Zeas Port and marina. It would keep us off of the upper road, which was underconstruction.

 

This beach has a beautiful pool, where some elderly folkswere taking an exercise class. Otheryounger gals were swimming laps in the separated lanes. Below the pool was the stretch of beach, whichwas mostly covered with rocks. There wasvery little sand. Some of the swimmerswere laying on these rocks with a towel. There is no way that was comfortable. The water looked terribly cold, but some of the people were swimming init. Also sharing this bay were a few boatersin tiny one sail vessels.

 

At the far end, we went up a road that tied back into themain street. Passing by the café we ateat yesterday, we noticed that the chairs on the wall were turned over. Only the real restaurant was opened for business.A crew of trimmers were pruning the tall poplar trees on the roadside, and hada large section of the sidewalk closed. They happened to be right next to Parmigiani Café this afternoon. Wanting to dine outside, we continued all theway around the harbor, and ended up at the Marina in the Freatida District. This was where we could find another goodplace for pizza, we were told. Except wewere looking in the wrong area. We wereabout to enter another restaurant suggested by Jack and Shirley, when ourbuddies Barb, Susie and Woody came by in a taxi, pointing down the street andyelling they were headed back to their favorite place. So we ended up joining them.

 

A fun hour went by as the two of us shared a margarita pizzaand had two pilsner beers. And a bowl ofsalted Spanish peanuts. Many of ourfriends were strolling by, also looking for cold beer and good food. We doubt you could go wrong at any of thenumerous venues here. Guess we left alittle too early, because the three of them stayed longer to work on their cellphones. The waitress brought them freedessert, the same as yesterday.

 

On the way back, we took a different street over the hill,but not before checking some small grocery stores on the way. Something you cannot find here iscatsup. Mustard in 20 differentvarieties can be bought, just no catsup. Had a hard time finding plain potato chips too. So we ended up buying nothing. We did pass by the Archaeological Museum ofPiraeus on the way back. If it had beenopened, it would have set us back 2 euro each, a senior rate. The best part of this complex could be seenfrom the street for free. It was a fieldof ruins and statuary from thousands of years ago.

 

We got back to the ship by 3:30pm, with a little time beforewe had to attend the mandatory muster drill at 4:15pm. We all agreed that to demand that everyoneattend this drill was odd, since the all aboard time was technically7:30pm. Some of our friends deliberatelyleft the ship at 3pm to go for coffee somewhere to avoid the drill. It will be interesting to see if they have tomake up for it tomorrow. Rather doubtit, since we are in a port tomorrow. Sothe threat that guests who refuse to participate in the drill will not beallowed to sail with the vessel, may be an exaggeration. By the way, this drill was announced by thenew cruise director, who joined the ship here. Her name is Erin Duffy, and she has a wonderful speaking voice.

 

The ship left the port sometime around 7:45pm, with a sailaway in the Crow’s Nest. A non-event forthe late seaters like us.

 

It was nice to have Susie and Woody back at our tabletonight. Seems that after a few visitswith us, our tablemates have welcomed their company. As old tablemates, we always had fun withthem. For our entrees, we had honeymustard breaded chicken with mashed potatoes…..one of our favorite dishes. Rocky road ice cream finished the meal justfine.

 

There was a repeat of the movie Manchester by the Sea shownin the Queen’s Lounge at 8pm. Well, thatwould not have worked for us either, as that is our dinnertime.

 

Tomorrow, a new port for us…..Nafplion, Greece. The one and only tender port of the entireworld cruise. That must be a record.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[jig]

We did a b2b on the noordam and did not have to do the second muster. New rules we were told that you only have to do it once a month.

 

 

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[WCB]

Report #96 Nafplion,Greece April 5, 2017 Wednesday Chance of rain & 68 degrees Part#1 of 3 87 Pictures

 

Today’s port of call was Nafplion, Greece, a new port formany of us. Advertised as a smallvacation area for Athenians, we discovered that this city is full of ancientsites, with museums, beaches, and mountain villages. Originally, this was never a stop on thiscruise, until the port of Istanbul was cancelled. So there was not a lot ofinfo provided as far as details are concerned. By getting a complimentary map on shore, we did learn some facts.

 

In 1823, Nafplion was appointed the seat of government, andbecame the first capital of Greece by 1828. The first Greek governor was Ioannis Kapodistrius, but was assassinated threeyears later. By 1833, a Bavarian Prince,Otto, became the first King of Greece. He moved the capital to Athens.

 

There were seven tours offered here today. They ranged from 3 ½ to 7 hours, and costfrom $65 to $150. Two of the longer tripswent out of town to ruins with lunch. Been there, done that. Shorter ones wereto the Corinth Canal, wine tasting, and a local walking tour that includedgoing to the Palamidi Castle, built in 1714. It is 700 feet above the harbor, and has at least 850 stairs to thetop. It is three castles connected toeach other by vaults, corridors, or secret passages. Eventually, it became a horrible prison.

 

Today was our first and only tender port of the entire worldcruise. Last night, we got a notice thatthe President Club guests would get priority tendering. That meant we would not have to get tendertickets. We would need to meet with anescort at the front desk, who would take us down the secret stairwell to deck A,where we would wait for the next boat available. It is a nice perk, and we have done this onpast trips. Today, we decided to waituntil after the crowd went over, then went down to deck A with everyone else. Besides, not much was opened that early.

 

What we liked about Nafplion was the fact that everythingwas within walking distance in this compact town. Upon getting off of the tender boat, a localgreeter handed us an excellent map. Thefirst thing that caught our eye was a row of restaurants facing the harbor thathad pizza. Then we walked deeper intotown and found a grocery store that had what we needed. We would come back here before leaving.

 

Walking to the base of the Palamidi Fortress and Castle, wedecided that it was not worth the time to try the climb up 850 stairs to thetop. Unless you wanted to take a taxi,you would have to climb back down those same stairs. Not going to happen, thank you. We are sure the view was fantastic, but wouldhave been even better if the sun was out. For most of the day, it remained cloudy, with several sprinkles comingdown every now and then. We did comeprepared with umbrellas just in case the sky opened up.

 

We turned left, and found the old historical part oftown. The streets were lined withgranite stones, and most of the alleyways were closed to car traffic. There were museums, schools, churches, andplenty of shops for souvenirs, as well as high end stores. The town was just waking up with many coffeeshops. We found another shotglass and anecklace made with many colors of blue, a nice little keepsake of Nafplion.

 

One store was interesting, as it was a museum of “worrybeads” called komboloi. They are prayingobjects used not only by the Greeks, but also Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, and Catholics.We know them as rosary beads. This shopor museum had a collection of 1000 worry beads dating from 1550 to 1950. They were made from Baltic amber, black orred corals, precious stones,ivory, bone, horn, wood, or seeds and glass. It is not unusual to see elderly men withthese beads in their hands at any given time…..while drinking coffee or playinggames with their friends.

 

Turning around, we went to the other end of this peninsula,and found the Municipal Park. There wasa flea market set up that went on and on. It began with clothing, shoes, housewares, and eventually produce offresh veggies and fruit. At the far end,there were tables of fish of all kinds. We saw absolutely no flies. As inPiraeus, the vendors were barking out prices, enticing the locals to buy fromthem. Considering it was only Wednesday,it was very crowded with shoppers.

 

It was getting near noontime, and the skies were gettingdarker. Soon it would start to sprinkle,so we began searching for a good place for lunch. Most of the smaller cafes appeared to beself-service, like a McDonalds or similar. Come to think of it, we have not seen a McDonalds in Greece so far. Pizza Hut and KFC are in Greece, but nothingelse familiar.

 

Eventually, we spotted a restaurant with a sign advertisingwood-fired pizza. OK, that is what wewere looking for. The place was called Carrera’s,so we went inside and got seated right away. Not too busy yet, we remembered that most Greeks eat lunch later, like around3pm. There were several customers inhere lingering over coffee and cigarettes.

 

We ordered a margarita pizza, two draft beers (Mythos) ½ liter,and one chocolate/walnut crepe to share. Sure was good. A wood-fired pizzaoven makes all the difference in the world with taste and texture. By the time we left, the place was fillingup.

 

Our last stop was at the grocery store to buy a few thingswe needed in our room. Food prices here were surprisingly reasonable, as wasour lunch.

 

By the time we went to the tender boat, it began todrizzle. Guess we timed that aboutright. It would be a passing shower, butall aboard time today was 4:30pm, and we did not want to wait until the lasttransfer back. The ride was smooth asglass, and getting on and off the small boats was a piece of cake here.

 

Upon entering our room, we found deliveries of President’sClub amenities in the way of a flower arrangement and 17 Cokes waiting forus. Now that it is not so hot outside,the sodas are lasting longer.

 

The sail away was held once again in the Crow’s Nest. There were several reasons for using thisvenue and one of them was the fact that it had been raining. The other reason was due to the type of fuelbeing used, soot was being spewed into the air, dropping black ash all over theoutside decks. As we always go to theaft deck by the pool, we had to be careful where we walked, and what we touchedon the railings. The good thing was thatthere were few of us back there, so taking photos was easy. And the rain stayed away.

 

All were present at dinner tonight, although the lowerdining room was mostly empty. This wasthe fourth port in a row, and the folks are obviously getting tired. This is hard work….day after day. Martin agreed, since he had walked a total of89 kilometers trekking in Greece. Today,he slept late and missed his short tour to the Corinth Canal. Happens to the best of us.

 

We ordered the beef entrée, which was similar to beefbrisket with a different name. For thefirst time, baklava was on the menu, so we had to try it. Funny thing was it was made with peanuts aswell as pistachios….not bad, but not exactly typical. Guess the bakers ran out of ground pistachiosand substituted peanuts. One of us hadthe excellent pineapple upside down cake with ice cream, sharing the ice creamto eat with the baklava.

 

Tomorrow, we will be in Crete, another new stop for us. We doubt the show lounge was full, even witha mime, magic, and comedy act by Ruben Vilagrand.

 

By the way, we have received a letter concerning the futureof Grand Dollar Activities on the grand voyages. Only a total of 400 guests out of approximately1800 on the Amsterdam and the Prinsendam turned in their questionnaires aboutthe program, and the feeling was that the guests did want to continue with sometype of program.

 

With this info, HAL will re-assess the games and the prizes. It will be determined what the activitieswill involve which will fit the physical, mental, and/or social stimulationwhile at sea. In other words, we feelthe games that have caused the most stress on the staff and arguments between thepassengers will be dropped. And it willbe re-named Grand Activities on both ships. The prizes? Don’t expect much, isour guess…….

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[ger_77]

You may have addressed this before, but I'm intrigued by the President's Club amenities which for you consist of 17 cokes. What an unusual number - why 17? Inquiring cruisers like to know!

 

Smooth Sailing! :) :) :)

Gerry

[WCB]

Report #97 Iraklion,Crete, Greece April 6, 2017 Thursday Partly cloudy & 67 degrees Part #1 Of 3 87 Pictures

 

The Amsterdam sailed into another new port for us…..Iraklion (Heraklion), Crete, Greece early this morning. The largest island in Greece, Crete is consideredthe center of Minoan civilization. Ithas a lush cultural history, which happens to be filled with Greek mythology. Today what we see is a thriving metropolis.

 

Like Rhodes, this city was surrounded by fortifications thatare still standing today. Much larger inarea, these ancient walls are difficult to see from the harbor. The outside perimeter was surrounded by adeep ditch, and the construction was completed in the early 17thcentury. They were able to resist theOttoman army for over 20 years in 1648 to 1669. We would see the famous sites while walking the main part of town today.

 

We docked a little ways away from the city center in acommercial working port. As we were notallowed to walk in the dock area, shuttle buses were needed to take us to theterminal building and the way out to the street…only a five minute ride. Then we had at least a one mile walk to themain street uphill to town. Or you couldtake a taxi or the hop-on hop-off bus. Ora ship tour, of course. There were 5tours offered – 3 to 6.25 hours, costing from $50 to $160. Two of them involved a tour of Knossos, thepalace and surrounding ruins, a museum stop, and a day on a beach atAmmoudara. There was a drive to theLassithi Plateau, 3000 feet high to see villages and churches. We stayed right here, as there was so much tosee.

 

A famous landmark is located right in the Venetian Port andshipyard area called Venetian Fortress Koules. Also named Castello del Molo or Rocca a Mare, this fortress was built in1540 to protect the pier and the port. Wewould come back here later on the way back to the ship.

 

So we turned left and followed the yellow arrows to thetourist area of Heraklion. The main roadconnecting the port with the city center is significant in the history of Heraklion. Today it is lined with historic buildings, churches,some tacky souvenir shops, and upscale boutiques. More than half of the businesses have to berestaurants, bars, and cafes.

 

We walked by St. Titus Church, the town hall, and themunicipal gallery, before arriving to the central Morosini Fountain. It is also called the Lions Fountain, becauseof the four carved lions that surround it. The square all around this fountain is linedwith numerous cafes, most everyone with outdoor seating. It had to be the most crowded area of thisstreet.

 

One of the streets that go off from the fountain is called1866 Str., the Market. This is thetraditional market with streets and sidewalks made with marble. During the Venetian and Ottoman period, itwas the most commercial spot in the city. This same street connected the city center with the Palace of theDuke. As well as souvenir shops, thereare clothing and shoe shops near the beginning, with the food markets uphigher. We saw some of the healthiestveggies and fruit, and also stands full of fresh fish at the very top.

 

At the very top was another famous fountain by the name of BemboFountain, built in 1554 by a man of the same name. He was the first to bring spring water to thecity through an aqueduct.

 

From here, we turned around and went back downhill. Now we were in search of a good place forlunch. After four days in a row withpizza, we were ready for something different. Simply by accident, we happened to go off of the main drag, and ended upin a park by the name of Parko Theotokapoulou. Lining this mini-park were a few cafes with tables under the trees. Checking menus, we were looking for pizza orcalzone or something different. Oneplace at the corner looked good, so we stopped to read the menu. That’s when the owner came outside andgreeted us. He said there was no pizzaon the menu, but he did have quesadillas and fajitas. He stressed that it was not Mexican cuisine,but Greek. Since it was still too earlyfor lunch, we told him we might be back, and we continued on. Figuring we could go tour the fortress on thewater, by the time we came back, it would be a better time for lunch.

 

So that’s what we did. Although we did walk all the way out to the fortress on the water, wedid not go inside the structure. It wasbetter to take photos of the outside. Besides, there were no photos allowed inside the fortress. There was a small fee (2 euro, or 1 euro fora senior). It was too nice of a day tobe inside a dark, damp fortress anyway.

 

Back on the narrow peninsula, we sat and watched a dredgerworking in the Old Venetian Harbor. Thisis where the small boats are moored. Bynow, it was getting closer to 1pm, and a better time to go for some beers. So we went back uphill, and found our wayback to the restaurant, Amalia’s Kitchen, the café by the park. What a reception we got. We have been hearingthat this is the very beginning of the tourist season, so most everywhere wehave been so far in Greece has been over-the-top friendly and welcoming. Today was no exception.

 

We figured that our waiter was the son of the man we hadspoken to earlier. We had just placedour order, when his father came outside the café and welcomed us back withhandshakes, no less. It was because of his description of the quesadillas andfajitas that drew us back. Of course,that is what we ordered as well as deep fried onion rings and two ½ literMythos beers. First thing we were served was a basket of nacho chips withsalsa. When our food was delivered, the wife came outside, asking how we likedit. Of course, it was delicious, and anice break from our usual pizza. Anyway,she told us they had lived for many years in both New York and Texas, even thoughthey are Greek. She seemed very proud ofher varied menu, especially the Tex-Mex items. We have missed our Mexican food since we left home, as it is one of ourfavorite treats.

 

We did order desserts of a chocolate/banana empanada, andone apple/raisin empanada, drizzled with honey. Both came with some vanilla ice cream. Along with the dessert, our waiter brought three shot glasses full of aclear local drink, but not ouzo. Thethree of us toasted and downed the firewater. He was ready to pour a second shot, until we stopped him and said thanks,but we still had to walk a couple of miles back to the ship. One more drink, and we would not move. He said he was not done yet, as after wefinished the desserts, he brought out two servings of custard dusted withpowdered and cinnamon sugar over a dollop of meringue. Gosh, we will have to roll down the hill. His dad came out to say goodbye to us, shakinghands again. Wow…we shall alwaysremember this port for the most friendly so far.

 

The only thing we needed as a reminder of our first visithere was a Crete shot glass, which we picked up on the way back at a smallsouvenir shop.

 

Once we got down to the main road along the harbor, awonderful crisp breeze cooled us off, making the one mile hike quitepleasant. We were back to our room by3pm, after the quick bus ride from the gate. Once again, we passed through the xray, then had the chance to stop attheir duty free shop, where you could have bought wine or liquor before gettingon the ship. Even though there was noxray set up on the ship, there was someone at the small table collectingbottles, or not. One lady was packing abottle of wine, and was asked if she had been on a wine tour. If so, she was allowed one bottle with nocorkage fee. The crew member did takeher room number anyway, but let her keep the bottle. If she had said no, she was not on a tour,she may have had to pay an $18. corkage fee.

 

Somewhere around 5:30pm, the Amsterdam left the port andsailed into the Cretan Sea, heading in a northerly direction to the island ofMykonos, another new port for us. Onceagain, there was no sail away party at the aft pool deck. It was held in the Crow’s Nest between 4:30to 5:30pm. Now if everyone on the shiphad wanted to participate at this venue, where would they fit them all? We recalled that in the recent past, thesesail away parties were so much fun, especially when we had the live band playingAnchors Aweigh as the ship pulled away from the pier. People danced, enjoying the appetizers anddrinks….a real party atmosphere. Boythat sure hit the dust, as it has successfully been killed lately.

 

We had company for dinner….a new friend of Martin’s, who wasa younger Canadian lady named Carole. Although we never met, we have seen herfrequently as she is a good walker like us. We all welcomed her, and she fit it like she had known all of usforever. Some people are nice like that. Of course, we invited her to come backanytime.

 

Well, one more port Greek port tomorrow and the last one…..Mykonos. Hope the tiny island lives up to thereputation we have heard about for many years.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[Dorset Cruiser]

Mykonos is fabulous - windy but fabulous - you will love it 😀

 

 

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[bennybear]

Were you able to see the fabulous archaeological museum in Heraklion with the treasures from Knossos? We saw it a few years ago in its temporary home. Hoping the new one was open for you.

[WCB]

Report #98 Mykonos,Greece April 7, 2017 Friday Partly cloudy & 60 degrees Part #1 Of 4 87 Pictures

 

Mykonos is an island belonging to Greece that is located inthe southern Aegean Sea. Reportedly apure paradise, it is a most popularvacation destination with millions of summer visitors. The draw here are the white sandy beaches(including at least four that are no-clothing optional), deep blue waters, anda hopping nightlife. The island consistsof 33 square miles of white-washed villages with a population of 10,000residents. Ancient settlements date backto the 11th century, with fishing as the primary industry. Today,the main industry is tourism.

 

To dive into the history here, there were 3 tours you couldtake through shore excursions. They ranged from 3 to 4 hours for $90 to$115. One trip went to Mykonos Town bybus to see the village and the monasteries with snacks. Another tour was to see where the jet-set playedon the wild beaches and partied with the nightlife crowd. Places for the movie stars and artists werepointed out, as well as museums, narrow streets, the white-washed houses, andthe famous windmills. A taste of ouzowas included. Finally, there ws a ferrytransfer to the nearby island of Delos. It was the mythical birthplace of Apollo and Artemis. The island is completely uninhabited and thetour is of ruins.

 

Having heard of Mykonos for many years, we were happy to getoff the ship and take the free shuttle to Mykonos Town, about a 10 minute drivefrom the ferry pier. Guess we were luckyto have the use of the ferry dock, or else we would have had to tender heretoday. There was a strong breezeblowing, but not enough to keep us out of the port.

 

It turned out to be a most beautiful day weather wise. It was not too hot, and if you were able tostay out of the breeze, it was most comfortable. We assume the bus stopped at the tender boatlanding, since there were buildings here to indicate there was a terminal. We simply walked past the buildings, and wentout a gate that connected to the walkway that led to the old town. Following the water’s edge, we eventuallycame upon a series of cafes along the waterfront. They were just opening for the morning, withoffers of breakfast and coffee. It wasn’ttoo crowded yet, as many folks had taken tours.

 

We passed by a small sandy beach with a boat harbor acrossfrom it. Rounding the corner, we cameupon a museum and a typical Greek church, although it was miniature compared tothe churches we saw yesterday. Only thischurch had a blue domed roof. All therest, including the Church of Paraortiani (actually a group of 5 churches) werecompletely white, so white they appeared to have recently been painted.

 

This is about where the old city with a complicated labyrinthof narrow streets and alleyways began. We found our way to what they call Little Venice, which is simply aneighborhood of old houses built dangerously over the edge of the sea. All of these connected houses have beenturned into taverns and bars. Wehappened to spot Carole, who dined with Martin and us last night. She was waving from one of these taverns, indicatingthat she was taking photos of something. We went around the point to find there were six ancient windmills on thecliffs, one of the most recognizable landmarks of Mykonos. So of course, we navigated through the littlecafes that lined this narrow walkway, and climbed up the hillsides to get a closelook.

 

Once out of the sheltered old town, the winds werechilly. We can see why these windmillswere constructed here, to take advantage of this wind. We think that these windmills were used togrind grains, such as wheat and perhaps corn. They had a constant supply of wind to do the work. Each windmills wasfenced, so you could not see what they looked like on the inside. All but one of these had roofs made fromgrasses. They had deteriorated to thepoint that birds had made them into nests.

 

There was a slew of tourists up here, although we bet in themiddle of the summer season, you probably cannot move up here. From here we made our way back into the mazeof cobbled narrow streets of the tourist area. It was interesting to find so many shop and caféowners were sprucing up their places with new paint. Mostly the trims of blue, turquoise, red andgrays were being re-done. Some werewhite-washing, and other workers were repairing the cobblestone streets. That led us to believe that we were among thefirst of the cruise ships to stop here so far.

 

Passing friends Jim and Jessica, they asked us where LittleVenice was. Actually, we had alreadybeen through that area, but did not realize it. That was the row of taverns built over the water’s edge, and where wesaw Carole waving at us. By the way, wehad asked a waitress in one of the bars if they served lunch. Her answer was no, they only servedtoast. Well our version of toast is “toasted”bread, usually served with butter and jams. Not the same here, as our friend Carol explained at dinner tonight. They are “little eats” or tapas andappetizers you would eat with cocktails. Now that makes sense, because we saw this sign on cafes while inPiraeus. One such place was calledAmerican Toast…..now we know it was not a breakfast spot only.

 

There was a scattering of high end shops here, however most ofthe stores were of the boutique quality. There were so many good choices if you were in the market for some newclothes. We felt the prices were high,as much as three times more for some items we have seen elsewhere. Our only purchase was a 2 Euro shot glass,since this was our first visit here, and we have fun collecting them.

 

It was time to find a good place for lunch. Since this was our final Greek port, wethought we should try some of their cuisine. A place by the name of Taverna Nikos caught our eye. Maybe it was the cute bulldog that wassitting on the patio staring at us. Or the checkerboard tablecloths that drewus. No actually, it was the fact thatthere were few people here, and there was plenty of room inside the café…out ofthe wind.

 

Turned out to be an excellent choice. We ordered a salad that consisted of thesweetest tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, green bell peppers, and some redonions. Kalamata olives were in thecenter. We sprinkled this with vinegarand olive oil from the bottles on the table. A basket of slice bread arrived, although we did not order it. Then we shared one order of saganaki, friedcheese. So good. That was followed by a serving of meatballsin a tomato sauce with spaghetti. Thisdish was called soutzoukakia. Two Amstelbeers, ½ liter, were perfect with the meal. Another treat was sharing a slice of baklava, a national delicacy. It is made with a thin pastry dough, andfilled with pistachios and soaked in honey. If it is made correctly, it meltsin your mouth.

 

Now the biggest event of the day took place while we wereeating. We had heard of the mascots ofMykonos….two adult Dalmatian pelicans that have the run of the old town. Never expecting to see them, we almostfainted when this pelican and his handler strolled over to our tables in thetavern. The man stopped and pulled a fish out of hispocket, and the pelican lifted his extra-long beak, and swallowed itwhole. Much like a begging dog. We got some great photos, then the man leftthe dining room and went back outside. Whata total kick. This bird was not small,as Dalmatian pelicans can be up to 6 feet from the tip of their beak to theirtail feathers. They weigh up to 21pounds. Later we read in our bird book,that because of the loss of habitat, this bird is globally rare. It is listed as a vulnerable species. One couple sitting across from us said thatwhere they live, the pelicans are not liked by the fishermen. They must eat their weight in fishdaily. This particular pelican hadpink-tinged feathers, leaving us to think he is fed something other than fish.

 

As we left the restaurant, we found that the pelican hadfollowed his keeper into the kitchen of the café, which was separate from thetavern. This bird was trying to climbover a crate of bell peppers to get into the kitchen. The chef was chopping legs of lamb intochunks. We suspect that he feeds thepelican pieces of the raw lamb, perhaps contributing to the bird’s color. Shrimp could do that as well, like the colorit gives to flamingoes.

 

We made our way back to the shuttle, but not before taking amillion photos. In hind sight, we could havewalked back. Never thought about that until we were already on the bus. Oh well, we had lots of computer work to keepus busy until we sailed away at 5:30pm.

 

Once again, the real sail away was in the Crow’s Nest. Not for us, as we still went to the aft pooldeck. It is the best place to get thebest photos. It was cold, but not as badas yesterday. According to the Captain’ssail away talk, it sounds like we can expect rough seas, high winds of 50 MPH,and some rain as we head towards Malta. The only good news he had was that our clocks could go back one hour tonight.

 

One of our tablemates was missing tonight, so we had roomfor Carol, our resident watercolor instructor. She is such a nice person, and well-traveled of course. She has visited often enough to become awelcome addition to our little family.

 

A few of us went to the show this evening, which was aperformance by a classical guitar artist from Greece, according to his name….DmitrisDekavallas. Cannot go wrong with thistype of show, as you can sit back, and simply listen to the music. Most of us were beat from 6 days of ports, sotomorrow’s sea day is most welcomed. Andso is the extra hour.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Our perk offlowers or wine, liquor , or sodas or water has a limit of $40 per person everytwo weeks. Therefore, 17 sodas fallunder that $40 limit. Keep in mind, weused to get four 12 packs, which was more than generous for sure.

Cannot remember if we addressed the foreign moneyquestion. We used to order the moneybefore we left, but it is difficult to get the amounts right. So we buy it either on the ship, or on shoreat a local money changer. Unless it isan emergency, we try not to use credit cards. One passenger happened to come to the desk as we were buying euros thisafternoon. His credit card had beenhacked, and he was asking for help to resolve it with a phone call to his creditcard company. Oh boy….been there donethat. And they did say yes, he could usetheir phone without paying a charge.

[woodworker&knitter]

We have never met, but I always read about your travel adventures. Having booked a cruise last month our 3 favourite hotels on 17th St., were sold out. Remembering that you stayed at the Renaissance in Plantation, we were lucky and got a room. This morning we had breakfast at Kristof's Kafe. What a gem. Thank you for doing what you do in keeping us informed.

[WCB]

Report # 99 SailingTowards Valletta, Malta April 8,2017 Saturday Partly cloudy & 63 degrees

 

Boy, did we need that extra hour back on the clock lastnight. After such a long stretch of ports,we could have used more. We may not besaying that when we start the long sail trans-Atlantic, which will take sevendays, and about as many time changes as days. In the meantime, everyone is savoring each and every port we have lefton this grand voyage.

 

So with tomorrow’s port coming up quickly, we will give youall some info on Malta. Located south ofItaly, Malta and its capital, Valletta, is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Sitesince 1980. It has a rich past, butsuffered much destruction during the WWII air raids. A huge effort was made to restore the city,and now it is a much desired destination for many.

 

The population of Malta is 405,165 people that speak Malteseand English. Actual Malta is a trio ofsun-bleached islands with an area of 122 square miles. It has a strange blend of 9thcentury Arabia, 1950’s colonial Britain, and Sicilian-style food. Most visitors know this small nation,independent since 1964, for summertime beaches and sizzling nightlife. But beneath the blue sky and gold sand gloss,you can find ancient temples, patron saints, cathedrals, palaces, gardens, andbaroque architecture. In a word….impressive.

 

In past centuries, these islands were plagued with pirates,but were fought off by 16th century crusading knights. Eventually, 19th century Britscreated naval bases as a back-up. It ishard to imagine that the ancient stone monuments were built before the ancientEgyptians even thought of the pyramids. We would guess that the modern party-seekers care less as they danceuntil dawn in the party towns of St. Julian’s, Sliema, and Paceville.

 

The best time to visit is February to June. After that, it is hot, hot, hot and crowded.

 

The things to see are the most impressive sail-in to theport of Valletta, with the rising sun giving a golden glow on the fortifiedancient walls of the city. The must-seecitadel of Mdina, a short drive across the harbor is a good way to spend anafternoon. If you happen to be in theright place at the right time, you will hear the thunderous blast of the afternooncannon going off.

 

You can visit the mysterious subterranean necropolis ofHypogeum. Or go to Marsaxlokk, apicture-postcard fishing village with fresh seafood to die for.

 

Things to do are take in the Roman Maltese and Britishhistory at the Maritime Museum, or attend a performance at Valletta’s ManoelTheater, one of Europe’s oldest dating back to 1731. It has been suggested to enjoy a cocktail inthe courtyard bar before the show.

 

Swim, slash, and frolic in the turquoise waters of the BlueLagoon. But probably not this time ofyear. We heard the Captain mention thatthe water temperatures are in the low 70’s. Brrrrrr…….

 

A better idea is to party like a Maltese during a “festa”,which is an infectious mix of music, food, and fireworks. For sure, a summer activity. On our first and last visit here in 2008, weseem to recall that there was a huge amount of young people with the “gothic”look….long, black leather coats, tattoos and multiple body piercings. They didlook party-hardy.

 

What do they eat here? A treat called pastizza, a ricotta-stuffed puff pastry. Another specialty is aljotta, garlic-spikedfish and tomato broth with rice. Fenekis rabbit with spaghetti or baked in a pie.

 

What do you drink in Malta? Judging that it is a party island, anything goes, but the locals like arum and Kinnie, a bitter orange, herb-flavored soft drink with rum. Or there is always beer such as Cisk Lager orHopleaf Ale.

 

The trademarks are crusading knights (you might catch someof these robed and armor-clad ”knights” walking the streets to take photos withyou for a pittance. Falcons, Maltesecrosses, beaches, and lots of British tourists fall in this category.

 

A random fact is that dozens of movies have been filmed inMalta, including the Gladiator and Troy, with Brad Pitt. Also, Malta is the only country in Europewhere divorce is illegal.

 

There are nine tour offered from the ship. They range in time from 3 to 4 ½ hours, andcost $60 to $135. They include trips totemples, museums, churches, and different nearby cities. Being that tomorrow happens to be PalmSunday, many of the sights may not be opened. That applies to the shops as well.

 

One tour includes a 45 minute video of the history of Maltawith snacks. Another takes in the oldand new capitals, with a stop at the gardens and the cathedral (which may beclosed). We discovered last time we werehere, that we could have walked directly to most all of these sites right fromthe ship.

 

Trips out of town include a drive to Marsaxlokk fishingvillage with a handicraft market, a winery, and a glass-blowing factory. If you buy one bottle of wine per person, thecorkage fee will be waived.

 

There is a boat ride in a Maltese dghajsa vessel atVittoriosa across from Valletta.

 

A tour we took last time went to Mdina, the old capital wasneat. The Knights of St. John (1530)were in control of Malta for 238 years, turning the country into a great powerin the Mediterranean. As the oldest cityon the island, it gives you the feeling of living in medieval times…dangerousand frightening.

 

A shore excursion talk was given from Malta to Ft.Lauderdale. Gosh, that covers the restof this trip. The ports left to visit includePalma de Mallorca, Barcelona, Cadiz, Casablanca (we hope), and Funchal. Guess there are still openings for tours inthose cities. Later at 2pm, there was atalk on what to see and do in Malta. Sure hope the weather is good, and not raining.

 

A new and final guest chef is onboard, and someone we knowwell. His name is George Geary, and hassailed on almost every world cruise for several years now. He turned up the heat in the Culinary Artscenter this morning with his first of many demos.

 

The games for Grand Dollars continued with the new cruisedirector, Erin Duffey. Although we donot remember her, she was an assistant to Gene Young a few years ago.

 

Today was the first time in a long while that we went to thedining room for lunch. Barb joined usfor a very pleasant lunch, which allowed us to linger until 2pm. And the bestpart was having strawberry shortcake for dessert. Our waiter, Agung, knowing how much we alllove it, added more strawberries to each plate. He is a good guy.

 

A new movie was shown in the Wajang…..Rogue One: A Star WarsStory. Will look for it on TV tomorrownight.

 

Although we looked several times today, we seemed to missthe occasional dolphins that crossed our path. Walking was easy, because it was cold outside. There were fewer than 10 people exercising,and even fewer than that laying on the lounges. Those that were, covered upwith several woolen blankets, even wearing hats and gloves. One good thing, the rough seas and high windsnever materialized. The Captain saidduring his PM talk that the storm tracking towards us from Africa hadstalled. Sure hope it stays that way fora few days.

 

The theme for the evening meal was dubbed Medieval Dinner,with the room transformed with cardboard banners, rather tacky and cheap, butbetter than nothing, as on most gala nights. The gloss and the glitter of the past decorations all long gone we areafraid. We were invited to step back intime of epic battles, jousting tournaments, royal feasts, knights and maidensto relive the era of chivalry and revelry. Wonder who writes this stuff? Theonly ones dressed for the occasion were the waiters and their assistants. Also the head waiters wore robes ofgold. The best dressed were the doorgreeters or the yum-yum fellows, who dressed like Beefeater guards. The down-side was that the poor guys wereextremely hot under all that heavy clothing and hats. By 9pm, they had taken off the headgear, andalso started removing ceilingdecorations. Taking down the cardboardbanners could wait until we were gone at the very least. Barb made sure to tell the head honchos notto do that. To make her point, sheoffered to take off her chair covering when she left. Think someone got the message?

 

Our guest host was actually Carol, our watercolor teacher,who we and Barb had requested when we talked to Philip at lunchtime. He promised he would make it happen, so wegot lucky, and she was there. And as ouracting host, she brought the wine to the table. Wine or not, we love having her as our guest.

 

On stage tonight was the team of singers and dancers of theAmsterdam. The performance was calledBellissima, a classical show in concert-style setting, promising asophisticated and refined experience. Once again, who writes this stuff? A good show….yes, always entertaining.

 

But the evening was not over yet, as we had gifts waitingfor us in our room. Almost forgot aboutgetting those every now and then. Thelast one was back at the end of March with the portable cell phone chargers. These were boxes the size of a set ofcheckbooks, but contained custom-made Lego models of the MS Amsterdam. No kidding. Puzzles, so to speak. Somethingthat has to be constructed with careful reading of the instructions. Our kidsgrew up with Legos, but this must be an adult hobby as well. We will have to ask Aart, our Dutch buddy,who is an expert on everything Lego, as this is up his alley. A unique gift for sure, it did get a chucklefrom both of us.

 

Hope we wake up early enough to see sunny skies and themedieval city and harbor of Valletta, Malta.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #100 Valletta, Malta April 9, 2017 Sunday Chance of rain & 64 degrees Part #1 Of 4 87 Pictures

 

Although the sun was not out brightly today, we did have anice sail into the port of Valletta shortly after 7am. However, it could not compare to our first timenine years ago when the sun was rising on the ancient city walls, forts, andramparts. It was a big WOW. Still, wewere most happy to be spending the day here.

 

The Amsterdam was docked by 8am, and cleared shortlythereafter. As always, we had a lightbreakfast in the dining room, then set off around 10am. Our first stop would be at the Hard Rock Café,located directly across from the ship, in hopes of finding their cityt-shirt. We sort of figured that if wehad waited, they might run out of them. And we made a good decision, because they only had a couple in thecorrect size. We planned on coming backhere later for lunch.

 

On the way out of the port area, we picked up a city andisland map, a much better one that the ship provides. There were several options to get to the topof Valletta…taxis (12 euros), the hop on hop off bus (possibly 16 euros), a horseand buggy ride (60 euros an hour), or walk. One other option was to take the Upper Barrakka Lift, a good deal sinceit cost one euro to go up, and free to come down. Knowing we could get some great photos bywalking up the road by the name of Crucifix Hill, we decided to walk. We found the Kalkara Steps, and continued upto the hospital level. There we foundthe cat feeding station, and several little cat houses along the stairway. Must be for the feral cat population, thathelps in keeping the rodents under control.

 

From the top of the stairs, we saw the War Memorial, andacross the street, we walked the length of the Bus terminus that lined theTriton Fountain. This was the start ofthe main avenue called Republic Street. Betweenmany boutique-type shops and numerous cafes, we saw the National Museum of Archaeology,the National Library, and the Grandmaster’s Palace. The side streets were loaded with historicalbuildings as well, but we continued to search for what we thought to be themain cathedral.

 

We ended up passing the Manoel Theater, the oldest inEurope, and finally the domed church of St. Paul’s Pro-Anglican Cathedral. As luck would have it, the end of the churchservice for Palm Sunday was in progress, so we got to see it. Not much different than the Catholic mass, wefelt at home with the service. Theinside of this cathedral was not massive, but the white domed ceiling wasbeautiful, surrounded by stained glass windows. At the end of the service, the parishioners were handing each othersprigs of olive branches. In theCatholic service, we have palm leaves made into a cross. Guess it was the same idea.

 

If we had walked down the street further, we would have beenat the Marsamxett Harbor, the opposite side of the peninsula from where ourship was docked. So we headed back up toRepublic Street, and followed the map to St. John’s Co-Cathedral andmuseum. We had been told it was closedtoday, but only the museum part of it was closed, not the church. Once again, we happened to catch the end ofanother service, standing quietly at the back. This church was built entirely different with golden painted ceilings….nodome. We had been advised that thischurch was closed today, but we were glad that info was incorrect. In fact, we were told the shops would beclosed as well. That also, was wronginformation. Most all of them were opened,as were the cafes, coffee shops, and restaurants. The several squares werefilled with customers….locals, vacationers, and the cruise ship folks. Very busy today.

 

From here we did a little window shopping, but boughtnothing. Things looked a bit pricey, butthen this is a very touristy spot, and it can be expected. It was getting close to noon, so weback-tracked, and that turned out to be another lucky choice.

 

On one corner near the start of the main street, there wasan open-air stadium called the Royal Opera House Open Air Theater. It is built in the ruins near St. JamesCavalier, the Church of Our Lady of Victory, and the Church of St. Catherine. The crowd seemed to be growing heavier as wewalked this way, but it wasn’t until we ran into friends, Ilsa and Dieter, whotold us that the cannon would be fired soon, and we had 10 minutes to get tothe Saluting Battery. Fantastic.

 

We followed the ship’s tour group, who were also on theirway there. This also happened to bewhere the Upper Barrakka Garden was located, another stop on our map. You had to pass through it to get to thebalcony that overlooked the several cannons that faced the entrance to theharbor. All of us watched as a soldier preparedthe end cannon to fire at exactly high noon. It went off with a blast that shook the ground, which just by luck, we gota perfect photo of the blast. Well, thatmade our morning about perfect, but it wasn’t over yet.

 

Still a bit too early for lunch, we figured we could walkback to the end of Republic Street again, which led to Fort St. Elmo. It lookedso neat sailing in this morning, it would be even better seeing it close up. And by going downhill at the end of Republic,we would not have to use the stairs or the lift.

 

Following the harbor on the water was a great walk, exceptfor the wind. Once you left the shelterof the closely-built city, the wind was strong and chilly. We were approached numerous times to takeadvantage of the horse and buggy ride back to the terminal, but we saidno. It would have run 50 euro accordingto our friends, who also decided to walk back. After the long hike, we were more than ready for lunch.

 

Back across from the ship, we found the Hard Rock was quitebusy. Once again, we got lucky and raninto Barb, Susie and Woody, and joined them sitting outside. The noise level was really bad inside, asthere were many young kids in there with their parents. On the menu was an entrée that has beendeleted from most all of their offerings at the other HRC…..the haystackchicken salad. It happens to be ourmost favorite salad there, so of course,we ordered two of them, with large Cisk Lager draft beers. We left a bit ofroom for a shared apple cobbler with vanilla ice cream. The sun had begun peeking out of the clouds,making our stay there very nice. Whatmore can you ask for? We stayed untilafter 3pm, before coming back onboard the ship. All aboard was 4:30pm today…..way too early for such a wonderful placeto explore. There’s never enough time.

 

The ropes were dropped shortly after the all aboard time,and we were off to navigate the windy exit of the harbor. As usual, we watched from the aft deck, butwith our arctic jackets on this time. Well insulated, we were completely comfortable no matter how fierce thewinds blew. With some sharp turns to getaround the fortresses and the narrow harbor entrance, the ship handled it well. We were glad to know we had anexperienced pilot with the Captain doing this maneuver. The waves hitting thecoastline were impressive as they spilled over the rocks and seawalls as weleft.

 

We are now headed in a northerly direction on our way toPalma de Mallorca, Spain, but with a wonderful day at sea before we getthere. And the nice thing about todaywas that it never did rain. That’sbecause we packed the umbrellas with us all day, right?

 

Hanging out in our room until dinner, we accomplished some reportand photo work. We had the company ofCarol once again, and she was most happy, as she considers us family now. Nice for all of us. For our entrees tonight, we had the beefstew, but with a fancier name. It reallywas comfort food…..hot and tasty. One ofus has been ordering the fruit plate, which really has been a refreshing way toend the meal. Despite all of us beingtired from a long day in port, we stayed talking until well after 10pm. So we missed the entertainer, Jaz Danion, ajuggler, and balance artist, who was billed as a two time world recordholder. Now that’s different for achange.

 

Plan to lay low tomorrow, and hope the weather remains thesame, although the Captain did say that a storm was tracking our way.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[jaxonboy]

I have enjoyed your reporting on this Grand World Voyage. Many familiar places in this beautiful world. We will go again in 2018, good Lord willing.

 

Thanks.

 

Sent from my Moto G (5) Plus using Forums mobile app

[bcd2010]

... contained custom-made Lego models of the MS Amsterdam. No kidding. Puzzles, so to speak. Somethingthat has to be constructed with careful reading of the instructions. Our kidsgrew up with Legos, but this must be an adult hobby as well. We will have to ask Aart, our Dutch buddy,who is an expert on everything Lego, as this is up his alley. A unique gift for sure, it did get a chucklefrom both of us.

Legos, an adult activity? Oh, yes! My dear son has been a Lego aficionado for more than 40 years. He sells his own creations on Etsy - mostly Lego jewelry (more than 100) and spherical ornaments (more than 50)! He would "die for" a Lego model of a HAL ship (we've done about 7-8 cruises) - would be great if they sold these in the ship's shops (or online).

[carolyn22]

Loving your review! Thank you so much for taking the time to update us on your journey. Have they said yet when the itinerary for the 2019 WC will be announced? I'm hoping to be retired by then, and I would be very interested in hearing the ports of call as I would love to go on a world cruise.

[WCB]

Report # 101 SailingTowards Palma de Mallorca, Spain April10, 2017 Monday Partly cloudy & 68 degrees

 

Actually, today turned out to be a rather pleasant day withtemperatures in the high 60’s, and mild winds. That storm that had been brewing on the northern coast of Africafizzled, thank goodness. Still nowherenear warm enough for relaxing at the Seaview Pool, it was perfect for walkingthe deck, and visiting with friends Jack and Shirley. Most of the folks outside were still wrappedin the woolen blankets that are stacked on each side, instead of the towels. If you sat on the windward side, it waschilly.

 

A lecture on what to see and do in Palma de Mallorca and Barcelonawas given by Barbara H in the show lounge this morning. But first, we need to give a little info onthe country of Spain.

 

The capital is Madrid, and the total population of thecountry is 47,000,000 people that speak Castilian Spanish. The total area of Spain including theBalearic Islands is 194,846 square miles. Spain’s architecture is a mix of Gothic and Islamic. The countryside is dotted with jaggedsierras, wild coastlines, stirring flamenco dance, art galleries, andfood. Life in this country can be onelong “fiesta”.

 

The best time to visit is May and June, as well as Septemberand October. Products that come out ofthe country are grains, olives, grapes, and citrus. The areas that have mines contain coal, iron,and copper.

 

The things to see are the Alhambra in Andalusia to appreciatethe Islamic architecture. Gaudi’s LaSagrada Familia Cathedral cannot be missed, and the art in Madrid is priceless.

 

Things to do include a tapa crawl (appetizers), hike thePyrennes, see the dramatic coastline, or be lazy on the beaches of Menorca andMallorca.

 

What is there to eat? Jamon Iberico, a delicious type of cured ham, and paella, a dish madewith rice and shellfish. And thedrink? Red wine white wine, or sherry.

 

Trademarks are the flamenco, paella, bullfighting artists,football and fiestas. And the summerinvasion of tourists, mostly from the colder cities of Northern Europe.

 

In the next few days, we will be visiting Palma de Mallorca(a new one for us), Barcelona, and finally Cadiz. While we are in Barcelona for two days, weare required to pack our passports with us when leaving the ship. There was a notice in the daily newsletterasking us to pick them up at the front desk in the next few days. We started to do that, but got interrupted onthe way…..twice. There’s alwaystomorrow.

 

The Faberge egg collection is onboard. We have been reminded with two invites to aspecial unveiling soon. Guess thispromotion ties in with Easter time, we suppose.

 

Meditative coloring for adults was on the list of activitiesagain today. This simply makes us laugh,but maybe we are missing something about this hobby.

 

A new guest speaker has arrived by the name of LawrenceFairman. He is doing a series onBarcelona. A second speaker is afamiliar one….Revell Carr , who will lecture on the ancient Mediterranean.

 

The movie in the Wajang was Paterson, a drama/comedy. If it is good, we can watch it tomorrownight. Something we will not be watchingis ESPN, since according to a note we received tonight, has been lost to us forweeks now. From Mumbai to Aqabah, wewere out of the “footprint”, so to speak. Now due to technical difficulties, we still cannot get it. They are, however, working on it, andapologize for the inconvenience. Truthfully, we have not noticed it, but the folks that like sports mustbe very unhappy about it. And have beenmaking it known at the front desk.

 

For the last week or more, we have been told that theAmsterdam Orchestra has been playing in the Crow’s Nest at 4:30pm. We always thought it was strange to have acocktail hour with no music up there. Perhaps there have been many requests for music up there early. Otherwise, the music by the Sirius Fourstarts at 7pm.

 

There were two specialty dinners tonight. One was a Mediterranean Dinner in thePinnacle Grill for $79 per person. Theother was a Seder Dinner in half of the Lido restaurant. This affair had a sign-up list weeks ago. We have never attended one, but the folks weknow that have, are always happy with it.

 

Barbie brought a guest to the dinner table tonight….a dancehost Ray, who has already joined us once. He seemed most happy to be with our tablemates, although he listenedmuch more than he talked. After everyoneleft the table, George Geary, the guest chef, joined Barb and us to chat until 10:30pm. Among other things, we discussed an upcomingprivate event with George before he leaves the ship in Casablanca. He has beenon just about every world cruise we have been on in the last several years. If the HAL folks decide to do away with thecurrent guest chef program, he and the other celebrities will not be back.

 

The entertainer this evening was a gal by the name of AndreaAmat. We are totally not sure what shedoes, but the description was: experience a touch of Spain – music, memories,and fun, with the sensational “Virtuoso de Valencia”. Could be she is a singer? Will never know, since we missed show time.

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #102 Palma deMallorca, Spain April 11, 2017 Tuesday Sunny & 74 degrees Part #1Of 4 87 Pictures

 

Today’s port of call was in Mallorca, one of the threeislands consisting of the Balearic Islands of Spain. Palma de Mallorca, the capital, has a populationof 300,000 residents, most of whom must own a boat of some type. We have never seen so many yachts, fishingand sail boats in a harbor, except for maybe in Auckland, New Zealand. Incredible.

 

The Amsterdam docked in Terminal # 6, the furthest away fromeven most of the ferry boats. Coming inright behind us was the Costa Diadema, one of the 15 or more ships in theItalian Costa fleet. This ship made uslook tiny, since it was 114,500 gross tons with a capacity to have up to 3800passengers. Like us with Holland AmericaLines, they are also part of the Carnival Corporation. Anyway, they pulled alongside Terminal # 1,their assigned slot. Terminal #2 and 3 arefor Mein Schiff, while #4 is reserved for Silver Seas and Sea Cloud. Terminal #5 had a large ferry ship, and otherlines using #6 are Aida and Royal Caribbean. The main reason we are mentioning this is because there was a shuttleprovided that would take passengers to the center of town, but it was notcomplimentary. The charge was 8 euro fora round trip. We could tell when BarbaraH mentioned this in her port talk, she did not get a good response. In fact, she said please do not kill themessenger. You would think that this cruise, being a “grand” voyage, somethingcould be arranged to provide the shuttle for free. Even if we had to pay, then be reimbursedonboard our shipboard accounts. Most everyonewe know, the seasoned annual cruisers, really objected to this, and evendecided to protest. Some walked, likeus, or they did not leave the ship. Someother folks we know told us that when they were here on the Prinsendamrecently, the shuttle was free. Honestly,we are chopped liver in some ports, and it does not make for happy cruisers.

 

We were blessed with a wonderful sunny day, accompanied by acool breeze……the best weather for a long walk, we decided. After a light breakfast, we left the shiparound 9:30am. Most of the people thathad booked tours had left by then. Theyranged from $70 to $120, and lasted from 3 ½ to 5 hours. There were many local sights to see such asthe Castle Bellver, built in the 14th century. It is situated above the town overlooking themarina and city. The other highlightsare the La Seu Cathedral and museum, which was built on a former mosque in the13th century. Across from thecathedral is the Almudaina Palace, which is closed when the king is there, orelse it cost 6 euro to tour it. Thereare several museums, and The Arab Baths, remnants of the city’s Moorishpast. The charge for the baths was 3euro.

 

Out of town, some folks went to caves, vineyards, and evenan olive oil mill in Soller, which they reached by a vintage train. We heardthere were beaches and coves, but not in this immediate area, or so we thought.

 

Getting a map of the city and the island, we made our waytowards town. In fact, we were half waythere before the shuttle bus even left the pier. The water front had a wide walkway, nicelypaved for strolling and riding bikes as well. We realized that we saw many families from Northern Europe on vacation,probably spring vacation. Half of themmust have been on bikes. Our walk tookus out of the port area, past a castle and fort, and a naval base, beforereaching the Paseo Maritimo Blvd.

 

Turning right, we enjoyed the beautiful scenery of theharbor full of boats, hundreds of them. Thisharbor front street was lined with many hotels, modern, but not reallynew. It was obviously a very touristyplace. Checking the map we picked up, wediscovered that there was a Hard Rock Café near the cathedral. Nice surprise, as we did not even think therewould be one here. By the time wereached a series of old windmills, similar to the ones we saw in Mykonos, wefound that the HRC was located right near to them. That would work out perfectly for lunch, witha stop at the cathedral first.

 

So we continued walking to the vast cathedral, La Seu, actuallybuilt on a former mosque. Going around the front, at least we think it was thefront, we found a huge lake and a fountain in front of it. This church resembled La Sagrada Familia inBarcelona, because Gaudi had his hand in the architecture. It is very Gothic in design, and also verycrowded with tourists. And with so manypeople here, so were the street vendors, the ones who come from Tunisia. We always see these fellows in Barcelona,selling purses, t-shirts, and shoes, as well as souvenir trinkets. They will lay out their wares on a big sheetor blanket on the ground, then roll them up quickly in case they are rousted bythe local police. Think we readsomewhere that selling knock-offs is illegal in Spain. Not that it stops them.

 

On another side of the cathedral, there was a nice craftfair, where the local vendors were selling art work, scarves, tiles, andcostume jewelry. Another big treasure wesaw were signs or trinkets made with your name printed on them. We happened to run into Barb, Ellen, andAart, who were wandering around the church like us. We never did find the front door, but if wehad, it might have cost 6 euro to go inside. So we took all of our photos from the outside.

 

Heading back, we passed by the Almundaina Palace, a monumentthat was converted from an Arab fortress, and made into the residence of theKings of Mallorca. Many museumssurrounded this area, but we passed on the idea. We knew there were two large beers with ournames on them somewhere.

 

That somewhere happened to be the Hard Rock Café, ofcourse. But first, we visited the rathersmall shop to see if they had city tees, something one of us collects at everyHRC. Today, both of us got one. Then we went inside the café to sit in thebar area where there were round tables with high stools. These work better for one of us that has backproblems. Once again, we ordered thehaystack salads and two local draft beers. Ice cold, they sure tasted good. And being able to sit and relax was priceless. We figured we had walked over 5 miles at thispoint, so lingering over good food and beer was OK.

 

Also at the HRC, but sitting in the very back section, wasour guest chef, George Geary, along with a group of his closest buddies fromthe ship. We talked to each of them, asthey passed by, catching up on shipboard gossip and independent tour news. Seems like we always cross paths when inport, as George knows the best places for lunch.

 

Going back always seems easier. We followed the water side of the street, sowe did not have to wait at stop lights. The bad thing is that we missed seeing the Mallorca pearl shops thatmust have been on the store side with all of the hotels, cafes, bars, taverns,and restaurants. Can’t imagine that theyare any different than the cultured pearls, just created differently.

 

We did cross the street to go into the Porto Pi CommercialCenter, which turned out to be a modern mall with some typical boutiques aswell as some high end shops. The main drawfor us was the Carrefour giant supermarket. It resembles Walmart with a grocery store. Since we had not walked by any souvenirstores, we had forgotten the required shot glass we collect in new ports. Luckyfor us, they had some here for a mere 1.50 euro. We located some potato and tortilla chips wewanted for room snacks, which we found to be quite affordable. Another nicething was that there were large and clean restrooms for free. Something that is always good to know inthese foreign ports.

 

Turning left from here, we hiked up and over the hilltowards the pier. On one side of thecliffs, we looked down to the rocky water’s edge to see some locals on a narrowbeach with little clothing on….some with nothing on. They could care less that a few other peoplewere sitting on a ledge watching them trying to navigate into the water. Sure looked cold to us, but perhaps it wassheltered down there. We did hear thatnude beaches are all over these islands, also a big draw to summer crowds oftourists of all ages.

 

Sure was good to get back to our room, where we worked onphoto down-loading until 5:30pm and sail away time. Although the newsletter stated that sunsetwas at 6:17pm, once again, that was not correct. Without a clock change, thesunset time for tomorrow will be 8:28pm, which is more like it. So taking pictures of our exit was perfectwith the lighting. As the crow flies,the cathedral seemed much closer. Toobad we are not crows, as it was one long walk. Needless to say, we shall sleep really good tonight. It was nice chatting with friends, who went ina different direction today. They sawthe countryside and the nearby mountains, which they admitted was beautifulscenery. A good spot to come backsomeday. But not in the summer, as wewere told that the temperatures frequently exceed 100 degrees with humidityalmost as high. Glad we are here inApril.

 

We had only six at dinner as Jim and Maureen had gone on atour, and were “no-shows” for dinner. Infact, many folks were missing tonight, so we figured they were tired fromtouring all day. One of us would neverhave missed the meal tonight, because they were serving spaghetti Bolognese, amost favorite dish, topped with extra parmesan cheese. Appetizers included breaded and fried cheesesticks, a double treat. The mixed grill was also good, something that we havenot seen on the menu yet. Ice creamfinished our meals just fine.

 

By the way, we had absolutely no network TV thisevening. Something is not right with thefeed, as we only got ship channels and movies, which was better thannothing. Sure hope it gets fixed soon,as there will be some very unhappy folks.

 

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

[NordicPrince]

I love following your blog. It is my round the world trip in my lounge chair.

I do have to laugh that in all the amazing places you have visited the one constant seems to be pizza and beer. We seem to be soul companions who have never met. Smooth sailings. P.S. Did you ever get to see where Raffa trains?

[StartrainDD]

Hi Bill & MaryAnn!

 

Been following your adventures. We were in Palma last October on Koningsdam. We took a private tour that included the Cathedral. We never did find a front door either, but we were taken in a side door. Here is what was on the inside:

 

"We were dropped off in the city center and had a shortwalking tour on the way to the Cathedral.

We spent quite a bit of time in the Cathedral and wereprovided wireless headsets to listen to the guide’s description of the manyvaried styles present in the cathedral, some of which were created by Gaudi. Of particular interest was one of thelargest stained glass windows in the world, styled by a not-so converted Jewat a time when Jews were not allowed in Mallorca. He cleverly built two huge Stars of David into the design. His legacy has now continued for manyhundreds of years."

 

 

Enjoy the rest of your adventure!

[WCB]

Report #103 Barcelona, Spain April 12,2017 Wednesday Sunny & 65 degrees Part #1 Of 3 87 Pictures

 

A quite often visited port in Spain, Barcelona was our stoptoday as well as tomorrow. Thanks toartist and architect, Antoni Gaudi, this Gothic city is dotted with the mostunique of structures. Gaudi was supported by a wealthy businessman named EuesbiGuell. His name is immortalized in thewhimsical Park Guell with wavy painted walls and staircases. When you see it, you will forever associateit with Barcelona.

 

Gaudi is most famous for the work he did on La SagradaFamilia, the cathedral which was constructed beginning in 1883. It is still a work in progress, although, inour humble opinion, it is not the most traditional cathedral you have everseen. It is a one-of-a kind, for sure.

 

Between the two days here, there are 10 tours offered from shoreexcursions. They range in time from 2 ½ to4 hours and cost from $55 to $120. Oneof these tour leaves from Barcelona tomorrow for Madrid for 2 nights and threedays, arriving back in Cadiz.

 

Things to see on the tours (or on your own) include the LaSagrada Familia, consecrated by Pope Benedict XIV as a basilica in 2010. Also, there is Gaudi’s Casa Batllo and CasaMila, as well as Park Guell. Seeing CasaBatllo is like stepping into a Star War’s film with the odd-looking chimneycaps on the roof.

 

Many tours to museums are offered to those that like historyand art. You can also do a walking tourof La Rambla, the tree-lined pedestrian walkway that is the most lively street intown. This avenue is dotted withhistorical buildings, cafes, shops, street artists, and vendors. And you can find Burger King, KFC, McDonald’s,and Starbucks. And they are quite busyplaces with all of the younger crowd. Unfortunately, along with this crowded place comes the always presentpick pocketing. There was a directwarning in the Daily Navigator warning of different types of scams andtechniques that are used to rob the folks. The gentlemen in our group were warned not to carry their wallets intheir back pocket, and the ladies were told not to carry large handbags or backpacks. We have heard stories firsthandabout bags and even pockets being slashed with knives to steal yourthings. It is a shame, but even somegypsies put their children to work, stealing from unsuspecting elderly people. It could be as innocent as watching some ofthose “painted” street artists that barely move. While you are watching, your pockets arebeing emptied. Not the way we want tospend a vacation. So ladies, leave thegood jewelry and brand name handbags on the ship. And watch those cameras. We personally know of an elderly couple thatgot lost in the Gothic area at night, and got mugged (yes, they can beviolent), and their cameras, money, credit cards, and passports werestolen. And that was on a pre-cruiseback in the 90’s. We never forgotit.

 

Another area we hope to cover tomorrow, is the OlympicHarbor and the Maremagnum commercial section and shopping mall. Always great pictures to take, and severalinteresting places to eat. Always lotsof tourists there, but that is part of the fun.

 

One area of the city was dedicated for the site of the 1992Olympic Games is Montjuic. You canoverlook the harbor and city, and see the venues of the games. A cable car takes people from Montjuic to theMarmagnum Mall, probably a fun ride, although we have never done that. There is also a village up there that is theremains of a Spanish settlement. Now ithas touristy cafes and souvenir shops. We have gone to a flamenco show with tapas in this village a few yearsago.

 

Another fun trip out of town is one to the Montserrat Monastery,located on a mountain ridge six miles long and three miles wide. The elevation is 4050 feet, and the ride upthere is on a switch-back road with hairpin turns. The patron-virgin, the black Madonna, ishoused in this Benedictine Monastery, founded in the 11thcentury. Years ago, we had the pleasureof hearing the oldest boys’ choir in Europe., the Escolans, singing in the loftof the monastery. It was spell-bounding,even though we only caught the end of the performance. Also at that time, we waited in an impossiblylong line to view the black Madonna and child, which was surprisingly small instature.

 

So today, we left the ship around 10:30am. No shuttle for us, as the walk was the perfectway to get where we were going. The faretoday was 5 euro for a round trip, which was good for only one day. As the ship was in Terminal C, we had furtherto walk. But the weather was wonderful…..thesun was out, and there was a pleasant breeze. There were other ships in port, but mostly ferries. One cruise ship was docked very close totown, and that was the Silverseas Muse. A fairly new ship, we do not have the stats on this fine smallship. Having sailed on the SilverWhisper on the west coast of the USA, we can highly recommend absolutelyeverything about her. It is pricey, butit is also all-inclusive.

 

Walking over the bridge, we watched a helicopter take offfrom under us. Just like being in aJames Bond movie scene, as the chopper flew right over our heads. The view from the top of the harbor bridgewas spectacular. Within an hour or less,we were at the base of the Christopher Columbus Statue at the bottom of LasRamblas. It was here that we ran intofriends Eddie and Lee, who had also walked her from the ship. The remarkable thing is that they are both intheir 90’s, so that is wonderful. Theywere proud that they could still do it. Wetook several photos of them in front of the Columbus Statue, and they got ourphoto as well. Hope we are still able towalk like that when we reach that age.

 

From there, we walked up Las Ramblas, passing manylandmarks, cafes, souvenir stands, and street artists. You know the ones that paint themselves, and “freezeframe” in an odd position. You mightthink they are statues, until they flinch. And of course, if you take photos, they expect tips. And like we stated earlier, watch yourpockets.

 

One place we like to stop at is the St. Joseph Market or LaBoqueria. It is a large public market where you can find fresh goods, meats,fish, cheese, and produce. You can alsopurchase food-to-go and freshly cut fruit, and several varieties of squeezedjuice. The original building wasactually created in 1217, and officially inaugurated in 1853. One very famous product they sell are theiberico jamon, huge legs of cured ham. You can see how they slice the meat thinly off of the bone wile t isattached to a stainless steel framework. It can be quite expensive. It wasincredibly crowded today with many locals trying to shop, and also eat lunch. Unknown to us, another cruise ship had dockedright behind us in the port area. It wasthe MSC Fantasia, built in 2008. One of12 ships, it is 137,936 gross tons with a capacity of up to 4363 berths. No wonder the streets had gotten socrowded. We ended up taking lot ofpictures, but bought nothing. It wasgetting too close for comfort, so we continued going uphill to our final destination……lunch.

 

And that happened to be at the Hard Rock Café for twothings. Lunch and a city t-shirt. We located the new shirt in the correct size,then had a five minute wait to get a table inside. This was the first time we found space todine in here. This time we ordered thecobb salads and two ½ pint beers with a small side order of garlic bread. The restaurant filled up with customers bythe time we left at 2pm…..many of them families with young kids.

 

An hour had flown by all too quickly, so we figured it wastime to move on. Right across thestreet, there is a large square with several decorative fountains, trees, andviews of the city. It is called PlazaCatalunya. This is where you can get onand off the local buses (Ho Ho). Needless to say, it was quite crowded. Last year, while we were here,there were demonstrators that were supporting refugees from other countries. Therewas also a noticeable presence of police with a show of force and police vansparked nearby for possible arrests. Wefelt that any moment a riot could occur. So we did not linger for long. All of that was gone today, and all that was left were the monuments,statues, and a bunch of vendors selling balloons, toys, and food for the youngkids. If you continued from this point,you would end up on Passeig de Gracia, and Gaudi’s house among othersites.

 

Last year, we tried to find our way to La Sagrada FamiliaCathedral, but never made it. Weunderstand that getting inside now, has to be reserved well ahead of time. You cannot get in that easily. So since wehave toured there many times over the years, we did not feel the need to getinto that mess of a crowd. And besides,this is another famous area with pick pockets.

 

We headed for the Gothic area instead, as it would take usback down to the bottom. From the top atthe square, we could see the 13thcentury cathedral with spires that are also similar to the big one LaSagrada. We went up a side street totake photos of the Palace of the Music, as it has a unique façade. Bet Gaudi was here too. A line of tourists were going inside, but wejust took pictures of the front, the best thing to do here.

 

The square in front of the church was full of folks at theside cafes enjoying lunch and sipping wine and beer. More street vendors were doing the huge bubblething for the little ones. Tables andtents were set up with many treasures offered. From here, we walked the winding streets and alleyways full of squares,fountains, and palaces. When we begangoing down tight, narrow lanes with no people, we thought it best to make ourway back to Las Ramblas.

 

We took a lucky turn, and ended up coming out at the Burger Kingcorner. Perfect, as one of us hadspotted a souvenir tent with some unique jewelry. One necklace happened to be a pretty close matchto a pair of earrings I already own. Theprice was right at 8 euro, so a keepsake from Las Ramblas was finally found.

 

It was more crowded now as the afternoon wore on. So in order to avoid the crowd at theColumbus Monument, we went straight in the direction of the cruise terminal. Shouldhave checked with a map, since not all the streets run parallel. We ended up heading for the hills ofMontjuic, and there were no side streets that crossed over to the marina road. So we back tracked and ended up finding the rightway back.

 

Walking over the bridge, we spotted the new cruise ship thathad docked near the Amsterdam. Sure madeus look puny, as this ship was big….like twice as big. No wonder the city was full of tourists. This is a good time of the year to be here, although,because summertime can be very hot, and even more congested.

 

Got back by 4pm, and relaxed again until it was time fordinner. All of us were there thisevening, sharing our stories of the day, which is always fun. One of the hot soups was minestrone, so oneof us had two bowls. Never know if itwill be offered again, if at all. Thenanother good entrée was the Mexican dish of carne asada, another favorite

treat. A scoop ofpistachio ice cream for dessert was perfect.

 

Maureen Jim, and Barb had left the table early to see thelocal performance of Flamenco Fiesta, a group of dancers with expressive andbeautiful numbers. It began at 9:30pm,one show for everyone. Too early for therest of us, since we did not choose to rush through our meal. Maureen laughingly said she needed to go andsee if the dancers were a younger group than the ones that performed two yearsago. That kind of says it all. Not that the older dancers are not good, theylack the energy of the younger crowd.

 

Looking forward to another full day in Barcelona tomorrow.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[bennybear]

Love Barcelona! FYI, It is easy to get tickets to the Sagrada Familia online; We have visited three times and more is done each year, it is simply stunning. Also if you can visit the Palau Musica, the stain glass ceiling is incredible! Also the Eixample district is lovely to wander in and have tapas. Enjoy!

[The Other Tom]

I'm enjoying your blog. Thanks for taking the time to do it.

 

Cabrit sencer, (mystery meat in your picture) is catalan for a young lamb or goat, depending on which reference you use. Cabrito is Spanish for goat so I would say it's a young (kid) goat.

Edited April 13, 2017 by The Other Tom

[WCB]

Report #104 Barcelona, Spain April 13,2017 Thursday Sunny & 70 degrees Part #1 Of 3 80 Pictures

 

 

Good thing we got a very good night’s sleep, because westarted all over again today on day two in Barcelona. Keeping breakfast light, we headed off of theship mid-morning. This city is slow towake up, so there was little sense in running off too soon. Once again, it was a beautiful, clear daywith the sun out, and a cool breeze blowing.

 

Sometime during the early morning, the Rotterdam had arrivedto the port, and actually docked nose-to-nose to us. We did not even know this ship was there, untilwe walked up and over the bridge towards town. And there was a huge surprise that we did not know until we got back tothe ship at 4pm. We had friends onboardthat ship, four former tablemates, Bill and Marianne and Van and Carol. OMG, it wasn’t until we got back in the late afternoon,that we found a note on our door from them, trying to arrange a meeting point. The bad news was that it came too late, andtheir ship left the pier by 4pm, just as we got back. Sure would love to see them come back on anothergrand voyage, as they were so much fun. So sorry we missed them today.

 

Yesterday while talking to Eddie and Lee at the ColumbusMonument, he told us to go in the direction of the harbor front. Lots to see, he said. So that’s what we did….follow the water fronton Pg. de Colon past many historical buildings and plazas. This morning there were groups of cyclistsriding down this extra wide street, as well as segways, and skateboarders. Aslong as we stayed out of the bike lane, we were OK.

 

The Gothic Quarter was to our left as we walked past thesmall boat harbor. Many cafes andrestaurants lined this street. Ifnothing else, we discovered some nice places to eat pizza with real wood-firedovens. We passed by what we think was aConsolate complete with guard houses flanking the massive wooden doors.

 

We came upon a beautiful historic building called Station MaMar with Telegrafico over the doorways. Not sure what this building is, but many people were going into the revolvingdoors. We were searching for the market that was onthe map, and we eventually found it. Thinking it was a food and meat market, wediscovered that it was the old site of the El Born Market. And we mean old, like ancient. A cast-iron and glass design was used to builda massive structure over the remains of a market from the 1700’s. In fact, the remains of about 50 homes wereunearthed under the old fruit and vegetable market that was opened in1876. It operated until 1971, when itwas closed for future digs. What we sawtoday reminded us of going to the Terra Cotta Warriors in China. A viewing balcony surrounded the entirecomplex with 21 information panels with brief explanations of the site’spast.

 

From here, we walked across the street to stroll through anice garden called Park Ciuttadella. Atthe upper end was an Arc de Triomf, and the opposite end was a small cityzoo. With so many families here onspring vacation, this place had a line to get inside.

 

It was getting close to noon, so we decided to headback. On the way, we happened to comeacross the Estacio de Franca, the train station. It was pretty cool inside, we are sure,dating back many years. Come to think ofit, we stopped here while on a tour many years ago.

 

Across the wide street, there was a whimsical lobster statueat the entrance to the Moll d’Espanya and the Maremagnum. Coming across the bridge over the harbor, welocated the restaurant we always go to called Gino’s. It was mighty fine to be able to find a nicetable with a view of the harbor. Withina ½ hour, the place was full to capacity. We ordered what we always do……a wood-fired margarita pizza, with a sideCaesar salad. And two local draft beers. Since we did not want to leave for awhile, we had to order dessert. Theyserve a thin cooked pizza topped with Nutella, chocolate sauce, nuts andvanilla or chocolate ice cream. Weshared one, and left happy campers.

 

Right before we left, a bunch of the street vendors passedby the window, carrying their treasures in a sheet. Slung over their backs, they must have beenrousted by the police. We think it isillegal to sell knock-offs here. We hadalready seen many of these fellows across the harbor, and even at the back endof this mall. They simply move from oneplace to another it seems.

 

Walking around the outside near the water, we avoided goingthrough the stores and shops of the mall. A bridge near the Columbus Monument tied us back to the water frontroad. We toyed with the idea of going back up La Rambla for a few souvenirs,but changed our minds. So from here, wehiked back to the ship, discovering that our friends had already sailed away,although we did not know it. Darn…..

 

We had one job to do, and that was return our passports tothe front desk, and also return our completed Morocco Immigration forms. The actual location of the Casablancainspection will not be disclosed until after the ship arrives on Sunday forsecurity reasons. We are advised thatall passports will be retained on board, and we do not need to carry them whilein this country. With all of thewarnings about safety or the lack of, we are not even sure we will leave theship. This will be the third time wehave the chance to see some of Casablanca, since twice in the past this portwas cancelled at the last minute, also due to security reasons.

 

All aboard was 5:30pm with another “hidden” sail away in theCrow’s Nest. With such nice weather, whyon earth would we want to be inside a stuffy lounge? Many other folks felt the same way, as theyjoined us at the aft pool.

 

Captain Jonathon came on with his pm talk, and mentioned wewere leaving at 5:45pm. We saw the ropes being dropped, then the fellowsstopped, jumped in their truck, and left. Something was up. Turned out thata ferry was entering the channel we needed to use to get out to sea. Somehow, we had missed our chance toescape. We were delayed for almost anhour. Once we did leave, we noticed that the ferry that delayed us was a car,bus, and truck carrier, and they were already unloading them as we passedby.

 

We have a most welcomed day at sea tomorrow as we sailtowards Cadiz, our final port in Spain. Too bad we will be passing the Straits of Gibraltarwhen we will not be able to see it. Surewish we could have stopped there, but it only happened once for us.

 

Dinner time was shared with one of our travel agency’s hostTom M. We have known him since 2002, andhave always been fortunate to have him host our group on every world cruise aswell as some other trips during the year. He gets along with absolutely everyone, and tonight was no exception. Carol, or watercolor teacher, also joined usat the last minute. We all scooted overto make room for her, as we consider her family. And even better….we had mud pie fordessert. It was disguised as frozenJamaican Calypso torte. Can’t fool us……

 

No show tonight in the Queen’s Lounge. The movie, Hacksaw Ridge, was shown at one timeonly….8pm. Guess our late seating dinnercrowd is chopped liver once again.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report # 105 SailingTowards Cadiz, Spain April 14,2017 Friday Partly cloudy & 68 degrees 13 pictures

 

Due to a miscommunication between the front desk staff andour special girl who takes care of the President’s Club members, we had a verynice event held for the two of us and two close friends today. Quite a while ago, our best buddy Barb (alsoPresident’s Club), had placed our names on the list for a cooking demo with GeorgeGeary, our favorite guest chef. In fact,we had received a letter stating that if we had not already done ourcomplimentary cooking class with any other guest chef, we would have prioritybooking, over and above any five star members. We had waited until George boarded before booking any other demo. Well, long story short, our names haddisappeared off of the list. Inhindsight, we know now that we should have gone directly to our girl, Jennifer,or Christel, the guest relations officer, and no one else. Who knew there were two lists?

 

As a result, some folks got into the 12 person class withGeorge that should not have been there, as they had taken many previous cookingclasses. We were not happy about thisturn of events, but requested that we would like the aprons if we could not dothe class. Well, they went a stepfurther by inviting us to a private lunch in the Pinnacle Grill Restaurant withGeorge as our host. They felt thatsomething had to be done to correct the oversight, and truly felt bad for themix-up.

 

So the four of us met at noon in the restaurant, although itwas closed for lunch today. It is alwaysclosed for lunch when they have a Captain’s dinner, which was tonight. We were seated in the large booth near theentrance, handed special menus, and served wine of our choice. Can you believe they printed four menustitled “Lunch with George Geary” with today’s date?

 

The menu began with a tomato broth with spicy lemongrasschicken, crab cakes, and a choice of entrees. Beef tenderloin, broiled salmon or a wild mushroom entrée were thechoices. One of us does not eat the crabcakes, so they served sliced tomatoes with a balsamic vinegar and olive oildrizzle. Of course, fresh rolls were served,and George said we needed to have some in case there was a fire drill, and wemight starve without food for more than 15 minutes. He is a kick. By the way, George is an author, instructor, FoodCasting Critic, and a TV and radio host, among other things. He is also a recipient of many awardsincluding 2012 Tour Operator of the Year, 2012 Frommers Foreign and Domestic Tour guide,and 2014 Culinary Educator of the year. Prettyimpressive.

 

Over an hour flew by as we caught up on people we all knowand harmless ship gossip. Our meal wasfinished off with a warm fudge brownie with coffee gelato, and what we callcracker jacks ( caramel-coated popcorn). Espresso coffee was offered with heavy whipped cream to add to it. What a nice event. George signed our menus, and asked for all ofour email addresses before we left. Surehope he continues to be a guest host, because he is about the best thereis. Something tells us that there willbe a few naps in store for some of us.

 

At 10am, Barbara H gave a talk on the upcoming port of Cadizand Casablanca, Morocco. We could give tours in Cadiz….we know it sowell, but Casablanca will be a new stop for us. We will believe it when we wake up and are really docked there onSunday.

 

The third photo competition was advertised today. For a mere $5 entry fee, you can show offyour best photographs in hopes of winning some prizes. There are four categories of food, people,landscape, and things around the world. Weare not sure who does the voting, but we don’t think it is the passengersanymore. The winning entries aredisplayed without names or room numbers, so it is not a personality contest asin the past. At least the printed $5eight by ten photo is yours to keep after the contest is over.

 

Two guest speakers are onboard. The morning lecture was delivered by RevellCarr about Moorish Iberia, while Lawrence Fairman spoke all about Cadiz andSeville.

 

The movie in the Wajang was Finding Altamira. We have yet to go to the theater since we canwatch the movie in the comfort of our room tomorrow evening. The only thing we are missing is the popcorn.

 

Tonight was gala and the theme was Fiesta EspanaDinner. Besides the lighted columns,there were no other decorations in the dining room. Unlessyou count the waiters, who were dressed in lime green and orange velour shirtsand black hats. Good thing the weatherhas cooled off, because those shirts would have been very hot. The menu may have leaned a little in theSpanish food, but none of us ordered it. Oh yes, the table decorations were black lace fans for us to keep. For the first time in a long time, we feltthe entrees were not up to their usual quality. We ordered rack of veal, and it came not with the bone, but small andrather fatty. Dessert of hot whiskey souffléwas disappointing. The whiskey sauce wasactually substituted with the raspberry topping they serve with waffles atbreakfast time. So we are guessing theyran out of the whiskey sauce. Worseyet, the soufflé was not fully cooked, almost dough-like. One of us had the fruit plate, which cannotever be bad. We think that alternatesirloin steak entrée is looking better and better. We already know the chicken alternate is verygood.

 

The show this evening was a fellow by the name of Julian G,who was an international piano virtuoso. He was billed as Carnegie Hall meets Saturday Night Live. So is he a comedian that plays thepiano? We shall ask someone tomorrow.

 

Looking good for the weather and tomorrow’s port of Cadiz,Spain.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

[WCB]

Report #106 Cadiz,Spain April 15, 2017 Saturday Partly cloudy & 68 degrees Part #1 Of 5 87 Pictures

 

Cadiz is one of the oldest cities in Spain’s IberianPeninsula. It is also a main port forthe city of Seville, and our port of call for the day. The ship was supposed to be docked by 8am,but due to very dense, low fog, we were delayed until 9:30am. Around 7:30am, we were awakened by the soundof the ship’s foghorn, the first time we have heard that on this entirevoyage. It is downright creepy looking outthe window, and you cannot see a thing, not even the water. Sure reminds us of the weather in SanFrancisco. Hopefully, the eerie fog willlift before noon.

 

The best part of this city has to be the Old Town that wascontained by ancient walls, most that still remain today. The streets wind in a maze in an effort tothrow off invaders in the old days. Itstill throws off the tourists too. Youwould not think it easy to get lost inside this city, but you sure can. Themain attraction in town has to be the baroque Cadiz Cathedral, housing jewelsand treasures from the New World. Wewould see some of these treasures later this afternoon, displayed in a mostunusual way.

 

This has to be one of the best cities to tour on foot,although, there are taxis you can take for 45 euro for an hour. Or the Ho-Ho bus that circles the peninsulafor much cheaper. No need for a taxiwhen the center of town is a mere 300 meters from the ship.

 

Shopping can be fun here if you are in the market forleather goods, lace, fans, soccer outfits, and guitar music. Lladro, olive oil, sherry wine, and corkitems are numerous, as well as shawls and pottery.

 

The only warning we got was to watch for pick-pockets, orladies handing you roses. This hashappened in several of our previous ports, and we said no thanks…we areallergic. If you accept the rose, theywill demand money. Also, today was HolySaturday in the Catholic religion, so some places such as churches might beclosed.

 

Then there were ship tours, many that we have taken on pastvisits. One of the best tours was to theAndalusian Horse facility, out of town. However, it was not offered. Actually there were 8 excursions from 2 ½ to 8 hours for $75 to$220. Four of them were in and aroundCadiz, while the others took you out of town. Two of these out-of-towners went to Seville, 81 miles from the ship. Some took the folks to Jerez de la Frontera, a28 mile drive one way. That was a funtour, since it stopped at Tio Pepe and the sherry factory.

 

By the way, there were two other cruise ships docked here…..theSilver Spirit, built in 2009 at 36,009 gross tons. She holds up to 608 very spoiledpassengers. We know, because we sailedon one of their lovely ships several years ago. Then there was Mein Schiff 2, actually the former Celebrity’s Mercury,which we also sailed on several times. It was turned over to Tui Cruises, aEuropean based company in 2011. The shipis 77,713 gross tons, and holds up to 2681 mostly German-speaking families. Then there was a river boat named Labelle deCadix from Croisi Europe Cruises. Alsoin the drydock area of the port, we saw what resembled an older Royal Caribbeanship, with the Tui symbol being put on their funnels, we assume.

 

Our plan for the day was to leave the ship for a long walkthrough the Old Town. Being that theship was delayed 1 ½ hours in docking, Captain Jonathon announced that werestaying in port one hour later, with all aboard at 6:30pm and a sail away about7pm. That was good news. So we took off well after all the tour buseswere loaded and gone on their merry ways.

 

We made our way to the Cadiz Cathedral through the MainSquare and past Town Hall. Many folkswere sipping hot coffees and sampling pastries at one of the many sidewalkcafes in this square. In front of thechurch and surrounding streets, we spotted grand stands and areas with foldingchairs used for the Procession that takes place this time of year….EasterWeek. We had heard during Barbara H’stalk that this parade would take place around 3pm today, so we gauged our walkand lunch in hopes of seeing it.

 

Continuing past the cathedral, we made our way to theAtlantic Ocean and the Old Town wall where views of the beaches and boats werespectacular. The fun part about walkingthis wall is seeing the feral cat population on the lower rocks below near thewater. Sort of remember being told thatthese cats are neutered before being released. They are the perfect control for rodents, however there is evidence withthe bowls and scraps, the locals keep them well-fed and watered.

 

Seemed like we walked a mile or more before we reached PlayaLa Caleta, the old Phoenician Port, and the seaside spa called La Palma Spa. In its heyday, it must have been THE place togo in Cadiz. A bit further up the road,we came upon the Castillo de Santa Catalina, built in the 13thcentury, which houses historical exhibits about Cadiz. Last year, there was a display of photos of therefugees that had come here from Syria. We were surprised to see all of that collection was completely removedfrom the museum. One nice thing aboutthis complex, is that there are public restrooms that are clean and free.

 

One of the nicest parts of the town has to be the Parque Genoves,the largest park in Cadiz. In the 18thcentury, it was called the Parsley Garden, with no vegetation. Eventually trees were planted, and in 1892,it became the French-style garden we see today. There are fountains, and a pond with ducks, gazebos where people dance,and even a pigeon coup where a local Cadiz man keeps his racing birds. A few years ago, we happened to meet him,while he tended his flock of racers. Since we have done this in the past, we had a nice conversation withhim. Seems he has won many prizes withhis birds, and was terribly proud of it. Being that this weekend is a holiday, he was not there today.

 

We continued past the Candelaria Bastion, another fort fromthe old days. Next to the fort wasAlameda Apadaca, a strip of green gardens with busts and statues of the famouspeople of Cadiz’s past. There were twomighty huge ficus trees planted there that must have been 200 years old. Onceagain, there were rows of benches to sit near the decorative fountains whereyou can watch locals walking their many dogs and kids.

 

We took a short cut to the Plaza de Espana, an impressivemonument dedicated to the 1812 signing of the first constitution of Spain. The statue we see today was built in 1912,and its nickname is “La Pepa”, because it was dedicated on March 19thon Saint Joseph’s Day.

 

Following a map we had purchased at the info stand for oneeuro, we went up streets that we knew would lead us to Rosario Street and theOsare Pizzeria, a small café where we have enjoyed great pizza for the lastcouple of years. Having kept thedirections from last year helped, and we were quite pleased that we foundit. Even more important, it was openedfor business after 1pm. We were afraidthey may be closed for the holiday weekend. Since they also do delivery, their wood-fired oven was already beingused. We were in “pizza heaven” afterhaving one margarita and one mushroom and ham pizza. With two pint beers, and one shared dessertof vanilla and chocolate biscuit slices drizzled with chocolate sauce, we werevery happy campers. Only the locals camein here, so it was great to be off of the beaten track. It was a nice thing that we discovered thissmall pizzeria by accident a few years ago (with the help of the local infogal), and even nicer that it was still here.

 

It was 2pm by now, so we needed to keep exploring. Going uphill on Rubio Y Diaz, we found thebusy Plaza de Candaleria, where many people were dining at outside café tables. There were a bunch of street vendors in andaround the Tavira Tower, a watchtower of the port in the 18th century. On the top, you have a 360 degree view of thepeninsula and surrounding seas.

 

Right near this is the Mercado Central, the oldest coveredmarket in Spain. We always like to takephotos of the fish and veggie stands, although by this time of the day, thebulk of it had been sold. Lining thismarket, was a row of cafes, full to the brim with lunch customers. Thinking a treat of gelato ice cream conesmight be a good idea, we failed to find any cafes with it. So we settled for going into a bakery thatsold fresh almond butter cookies….large ones. We used up some of our loose euro change, and got 9 of them. The vendor wrapped them with fancy bakery paperand tied the package with blue ribbon. Atleast we would not get hungry on the way back to the ship, ha-ha……we only atethree of them.

 

Thinking that the special procession was not happening today,we made our way back to the Cadiz Cathedral. Running into George Geary and some friends, they told us it was going tostart at 3:30pm. Local workers weresetting up the chairs and blocking the main street with barricades. So we hungaround by going back up to the sea wall behind the church to take some photosup the coast to the new part of the city and a string of hotels and beaches onthe Atlantic Ocean.

 

As we wound our back through the crowd, we thought if theparade did not start soon, we would go back to the ship. Hours of photo down-loading awaited one ofus. That’s when we heard the ominousbeating of the drums, and spotted the group of uniformed musicians marchingslowly down the narrow street. We wereright in the middle of the parade route. Aart, Ellen, and Barb were there on the corner, and pulled us to their side. So we stayed for an hour, filming the wholeparade that included the hooded and robed brotherhoods, all donned in differentcolors. Following the musicians, silver banner holders came with a heavilysilver-clad “coffin” of sorts with the reclining figure of Christ. Only thistime, the coffin was not on the shoulders of many men, but on wheels. This procession had to be the strangestexperience to witness, even though we did see it many years back. Somewhere in the center of the marchers, werecity officials, which we figured were the mayor, and the heads of their armedservices and police department. When wehave the time, we will do some research on this practice of the procession,since it is nothing we have ever seen at home being raised Catholic. Even though the parade was continuing, we hadseen enough and had enough of the crowds that squeezed in around us. Some of them were from our ship, which wasgood, but others were not, and they got pushy and rude, as they jockeyed for aspot to take photos.

 

Getting back to the comfort of the ship, we worked until itwas time for the sail away. Now that itwas 6:30pm, we had time to make progress with reports and photos. Guess all of the sail aways are in the Crow’sNest from now on. We heard that it hadnot been crowded there, as it has been the start of the dinner times formost. The skies were beginning to cloudup, so it was getting cooler, although we did not see the fog forming yet. Certainly, it will be back by the earlymorning. We enjoyed the sail out of theharbor from the aft pool deck, visiting with Mike, who we have barely seensince the beginning of this trip. He andhis wife Pauline eat early, so our paths rarely cross. He sure did have some hair-raising storiesabout their previous visits to Morocco. Giving us good advice, he warned us of typical scams that happen there. We shall stay vigilant like he suggested.

 

Dinner had prime rib on the menu, which was really tenderand tasty. Visiting with our tablemateswas always good, since all of us did different things today.

 

Good news….we got one hour back on the clock tonight, and alittle extra rest to enjoy Casablanca tomorrow, as well as Easter Sunday.

 

Bill & Mary Ann

 

PS Many thanks toother Tom & benny bear for your research on the kid goat we saw inBarcelona. Also what to see there willbe good for next time. Not sure what theraffa train is???