Poesia W. Mediterranean plus Barcelona Oct/Nov '19 photo journal

[mimmy52]

After leaving the port area, it was a twisty uphill path to Notre Dame de la Garde.

 

Here's something the tour description didn't mention.  There are 150 steps to get to the church.  Roger recommended that anyone who didn't think they could manage all those steps to wait at the landing we were on.  Toilets were on the second floor of the church although once you're inside, there's an elevator.  Since it's an hour and a half ride to Avignon, I hope no one who couldn't manage the steps had to use the toilet.  The elevator also takes you to the sixth floor which is where the chapel is and also from there you can take in the views from outside.  

 

 

The chapel was beautiful and had many motifs that had to do with the sea and sailing.

 

 

 

Along the side walls were a lot of ex-votos.  An ex-voto is a religious offering given to fulfill a vow.  Some of the ex-votos were inscriptions, some were pictures.

 

 

There were a number of side chapels devoted to particular saints.

 

I was intrigued by what seemed to me at first glance to be an old sewing machine, and I thought at first this side chapel was dedicated to maybe the saint of seamstresses, but then I realized that every side chapel had it.  I still don't know what it was but thought perhaps a repository of a relic.

 

There are mobiles hanging from the ceiling with models of ships.

 

These were offerings in thanks for a safe voyage.

[mimmy52]

I stepped outside so I could take in the views.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a brief stop at the gift shop, it was time to start making my way down.  Elevator first, then stairs.

 

Back on the bus, we started our downhill trek.

 

  We came to a stoplight that was at one of the twists in the road and even after the light turned green, the bus didn't move.  There were cars parked along both sides of the street and on each side a car at the end was sticking out just enough that the bus couldn't make the turn without hitting a car.  The driver spent a while honking his horn but that didn't produce anything.  The driver and Roger got out to look around while traffic backed up behind us.  I felt sorry for the lady waiting at the bus stop because the bus she needed was behind us.  After 15 minutes and other men showing up, a decision was reached.  The yellow car looked small enough to move.

 

They had to lift and shift several times but finally Success!

 

There was just enough room now for the bus to make the turn.  Roger said we'd had to wait until the police came and gave the okay to move the car.

[mimmy52]

Once we got on the move again, we saw more of Marseille.

 

 

L'Hotel de Ville.  I couldn't remember what this building was but I took the picture with my phone and my phone knew.

 

I found that for photos from the bus window, my phone took better pictures than my camera.  I just have a point and shoot camera though, nothing very fancy.  The cathedral of Marseille.

 

I was glad to see the blue sky and wondered if the kids now had to report to school.  It was only about 10:30. Near the port which we were passing again, there is a statue of Sumo wrestlers lifting a shipping container.  Roger explained its significance, I thought he said something about east meeting west but that doesn't seem right.  I couldn't get both wrestlers in the same photo.

 

 

 

Then we were out in the countryside and on our way to Avignon.

 

Time passed quickly and soon we could see the Avignon bridge ahead.

 

 

The other side of the bridge.

 

The wall around old town.

[mimmy52]

Views of the Avignon's walls as we walk along.

 

 

We enter under a portal.  Our purpose in coming to Avignon is to see the Palais des Papes, the Palace of the Popes, from the time that popes were headquartered in Avignon instead of Rome.

 

We pass some interesting buildings as we walk, and our guide Roger points out a gift shop he recommends for lavender products.  He told us on the bus about Provence and the lavender fields which must be glorious to see when they are blooming.

 

 

The Papal Palace it so immense I had to take three pictures of it.

 

 

 

A closer look at the tower.

 

The area in front of the Palace.

 

 

We entered, put our bags through x-ray, and were first in a long corridor.  This is where the bathrooms are.

[mimmy52]

The area opened onto a courtyard with a view of what they call the Old Palace.

 

More stairs to climb to get to the area to be toured.

 

There was a sign that no photos were allowed so I have few pictures of the Palace tour.  At one point Roger mentioned you could take pictures of any area that didn't have original frescoes, etc.  The first room we entered, which would have been a dining hall for entertaining, was enormous, but at the time I thought it was no photos.  I did get one of one of the fireplaces.  There was something like an iPad built into the wall that allowed the guide to show pictures of how the room would have looked back in the day and he did that in several of the rooms.

 

There were beautiful frescoes on some of the walls and I was particularly struck by the beauty of the multi-colored tile floor in the papal bedroom.  It was hard to believe that floor had been there for hundreds of years.  Couldn't photograph it though, unfortunately.  We came to the North Sacristy and I could take photos.  Stone effigies of Louis II of Bourbon and his wife.

 

I don't know if these sculptures were supposed to represent them in life.

 

Get a load of this guy kneeling.  Does't he look shifty-eyed?  He seems to be plotting something against the king.  I hope that isn't supposed to be one of the popes.

 

In this same chamber is a replica of the tomb of Pope Gregory XI.

 

And a beautiful carved altarpiece.

 

Another area is what I believe is called the Magna Porta.

 

Another immense space is use for art exhibitions.  My photo is of the ceiling.

 

The tour seemed to be over quickly and it was time to leave.  Down some stairs.

 

And a view of another courtyard as we make our way to the gift shop, which of course you have to go through in order to exit.

[mimmy52]

We had a generous amount of free time after the Palace and the five of us planned to have lunch together.  Our guide had recommended a restaurant called La Civette.  Mari and I were lagging behind talking to our guide and he walked with us to the restaurant.

 

And told us what the specials were on the blackboard.

 

Mari and I went inside looking for the other three in our group but didn't see them, so we were seated on the enclosed terrace at a table for two.  Looking at the terrace from our table.

 

Mari had the beef special.

 

I had the marmite de la mer, a little of everything in the bowl including mussels and salmon, olives, tomatoes, potatoes, and that prawn eyeing me all in a rich broth.  We were brought water and bread, and I had a glass of the house white wine.  It was a delicious meal.

 

As we were leaving the restaurant, we ran into the other three.  They said when they'd entered La Civette there hadn't been a large enough table available so they went to the restaurant next door and had hamburgers.  I spent the remaining free time walking around.  I visited the shop Roger had recommended, but it was a lot more expensive than the other gift shops.  A few pictures from the rest of my time in Avignon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[mimmy52]

One last look at Avignon Bridge.  Our bus was parked near it.

 

 It was a long ride back to the ship and after the long day, it was a good time to snooze.  We made it back to the ship about 4:00.

 

It was hot and sunny on our balcony.  When we'd been on our balcony this morning, a man in the cabin next to Jo and Rose had been on his balcony smoking a cigar.  We had to close our balcony door because the odor was stinking up our room.  When we were sitting on the balcony this afternoon after we returned, the cigar smoker reappeared.  I find the odor of a cigar disgusting.  I went to guest services and asked if it was okay to smoke on the balcony.  I was told it was not allowed and told where the smoking areas were.  I told her the reason I was asking was a cigar smoker near our cabin.  She wanted the cabin number of the smoker and my cabin number.  I gave her both and she said she would take care of it.  I didn't smell it the rest of the afternoon or that evening, so I guess he got the message.

 

We watched sail away from our balcony as the sun set, then went to the restaurant for dinner.  I had Tuscan soup for an appetizer but didn't care for it.  Rose's appetizer was fried calamari and shrimp Italian style.

 

My main course was trout fillet role.  My notes say it was ok, but I was still full from lunch.

 

Jo had braised beef pot roast.  I didn't make a not of whether she liked it.

 

Tiramisu for dessert.

 

The show tonight was called "Evergreen Classics."  The lighting must have been changed for it because it was greenish instead of purple.

 

The show featured the classic trio, a mezzosoprano, and a tenor.

 

 

Afterward we went back to our cabin to pack up for our departure tomorrow.  Because of flight schedules, we will be spending the day in Barcelona tomorrow and departing for the USA the following day.

 

 

[mimmy52]

Well, I thought I'd have my trip report finished by now, but we've had a spell of nice weather here so my time has been spent outside getting up leaves and putting up Christmas lights.  Next year there will be no outdoor lights on our house.  They are too temperamental.  Now back to the report.

 

Tuesday, November 5

 

At some point last night, it was announced that we might encounter strong winds during our sail from Marseille to Barcelona so the outdoor decks would be closed and we should keep our balcony doors closed.  My bed seemed to rock a little more during the night but nothing that seemed too much.  When I woke up in the morning, it was totally calm.  As the sun was rising, we were pulling into port, earlier than the anticipated 9:00.  Our time to disembark wasn't until 9:50 so we had a leisurely breakfast, then I took some photos of our last morning in port.

 

 

Up on the hill was Montjuic.

 

Other ships were approaching in the distance.

 

The pool deck was deserted.

 

Some kind of repairs were being made to two of the hot tubs.

 

It was time to gather in the Pigalle Lounge and await our turn to disembark.

 

It didn't take long and we were in the terminal getting our luggage.  We walked outside to find a taxi.  Because of flight times, we had decided to spend an extra day in Barcelona and leave the next morning.

 

The six of us were going to the same hotel, but we had to divide three and three to fit into a taxi.  The line was long but it moved quickly.

 

The person who chose the hotel did so with the help of a travel agent who told her Hotel Rialto was close to the port.  It was, but it was on a one-way street and to get there made for a really round-about way of arriving.  When I saw us pass the street our hotel was on and then keep driving and driving, I thought our cab driver was pulling a scam on us, but apparently that is how they had to go to get to the hotel since the other cab arrived just a minute after ours.  It cost about 45 euros which included a small tip.

 

Hotel Rialto.  It's in the Gothic Quarter.

 

Carrer de Ferran, the street the hotel is on.

 

 

 

[mimmy52]

A claim to fame for Hotel Rialto is that the artist Joan Miro was born in the building.  Mari's and my room was ready, but the other two were not.  Everyone crowded into our room to discuss plans, and I made them stand by the door so I could take a few pictures.  Our room is tiny, not any larger than our cabin on the ship, although our bathroom is a good size.

 

 

We have a narrow balcony, but if we want to open the door to it, we have to shove one of the beds out of the way.

 

 

The balcony.

 

Looking from the balcony in one direction.

 

And the other.

 

Four of us went out to explore a little of the Gothic Quarter.  The hotel is very close to St. James Plaza where there are government buildings.  There was a small group of maybe ten or twelve protesting, holding a sign asking for freedom for political prisoners although they're hidden by spectators in this photo.

 

 

 

We turned down an interesting street.

 

It had some great gargoyles.

[mimmy52]

More gargoyles.

 

 

We passed the Monument to the Martyrs of Independence.  It shows five patriots who were strangled for resisting Napoleon's occupation of Spain in the early 19th century.

 

We saw a beautiful courtyard and entered just to take pictures.  The building houses the city's archives.

 

 

We came to the Cathedral of Barcelona.  Three of us were interested in going inside, the fourth was not, so we decided to eat together first and then the three of us would tour inside.

 

We went across the street to  Estruch.  It had an outdoor terrace that looked inviting.

 

 

It was a windy day and when we sat down we debated whether it would be better to eat inside.  Then we noticed the surcharge on the menu for eating on the terrace and decided we didn't want to pay an extra 20 percent to eat outside.

 

Tapas was on display.

 

 

I ordered a "gourmet sandwich" off the menu.  I chose a sandwich with the name "Gaudi Chistorra de Navarra." The menu was in English and what I saw was what came after the name: melted cheese and carmelized onions, so when my sandwich came and it had sausage on it, I realized the menu wasn't entirely in English and I read it way too fast.  It looked good, but I set the sausages aside for the others to eat.

 

 

[mimmy52]

We all enjoyed our meals, then we split up and three went into the cathedral and one shopped the flea market that was in the plaza in front of the cathedral.  With all the pictures I take, I somehow ended up with just two of the outside of the cathedral.  At least now there was no line waiting to get in.

 

You'd think I'd get bored with seeing so many churches and cathedrals, but I never do.  They're just so beautiful and awe inspiring.

 

 

 

 

 

The choir with its carved stalls.

 

The cathedral is lined on each side with small chapels.  Some are ornate.

 

This guy looks uncomfortable.

 

The cathedral is dedicated to St. Eulalia.  Her remains are in a marble and alabaster sarcophagus down some stairs in a special crypt.

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2019 by mimmy52

[mimmy52]

Carol had rented an audio guide, so while she was following it, we had gotten separated.  We found out later from her that there's an elevator that takes you to the tower for a view of the city, but too late for us.  The exit takes you through the cloister, a covered walkway with more chapels, a pond, geese, and a gift shop.

 

One of the chapels.

 

There are tombs set in the pavement.

 

Geese and the pond.

 

These geese didn't want to hold still for a photo.

 

They all have little topknots.

 

When we left, it was just Mari and me.  I had a small map with me so we continued our walk to see the Roman Temple of Augustus.  We passed a beautiful and private courtyard.

 

We came to this street which was dark and empty except for two guys smoking.  We hesitated, but when I checked the map, this was the street we wanted.

 

We came to a series of archways.

 

Under the last archway we turned and came to the ruins of a Roman temple.

 

It was unexpectedly awesome even though so little of it remained.

 

[mimmy52]

We started walking back to our hotel.

 

But along the way we decided neither of us was ready to end our sightseeing.  We walked toward Las Ramblas which wasn't far from our hotel.

The building next to our hotel. I liked the colors.

 

Through a gap in the buildings, we saw an interesting plaza so turned down to see it.  It was beautiful and there were a lot of restaurants here.

 

 

 

When we left, we were on Las Ramblas.  The street that Palau Guell is on (another Gaudi designed building) was only steps away, so we decided to see if tickets were available.  They were, with only a five minute wait.  

Palau Guell entrance

 

 

Looking up from across the street, the rooftop chimneys are visible.

 

This was one of Gaudi's earlier buildings, but it was just as beautiful as the others I saw.

The staircase as we entered.  Audio guides were included with the ticket price.

 

 

 

[mimmy52]

More of Palau Guell

 

 

We could step outside on the terrace for another view of the bay window.

 

Back inside.

 

 

There were a few rooms displaying furniture Gaudi designed.

 

Then we went out onto the roof and saw more fantastical chimneys.

 

 

 

 

 

One of these is not a chimney.

[mimmy52]

A couple more chimneys.

 

 

By then we were ready to sit back and relax.  There was a McDonald's on the corner of Las Ramblas and Ferran, so we had a couple of Cokes and chatted for a while.  On our way back to the hotel, I was surprised to see a church in the middle of all the shops.  We went into several of those shops.

 

We had all agreed to meet in the lobby at 6:30 and we would go to dinner together.  Rose hadn't been feeling well and had stayed in her room all day and still wasn't up to going out to eat.  Mari and I walked down to the lobby to wait for the others.  The lobby had some interesting lamps.

 

When Carol joined us, she was all excited because she'd found a McDonald's.  Guess where she ate.  By then it was dark so Nan went along to keep her company.  Three of us made our way down the street to Restaurant Ferran.

 

 

We shared some tapas, toasted bread with tomatoes and fried cheese.  We also had olives but only one was left when I took this picture.

 

 

I had grilled salmon.  Really good.  I had Cava with my meal and that was good too.

 

Pudding with caramel topping.

 

On the way back to the hotel, the door to the church was open, so we stepped inside.

 

Not sure why, but my pictures of the church interior are not very good.  There were interesting statues, but this is the only one worth showing.

Edited December 8, 2019 by mimmy52

[mimmy52]

I had to look up the name of the church when I got home since I didn't see it.  It is San Jaume Apostol.  There is something called Altar in the Village with a special religious symbol in it.  From looking on the internet, it appears the cart is taken out on the streets during a certain celebration.  I wish my pictures had been clearer and that I understood more about it.

 

 

 

After a stop at a candy shop, we went back to the hotel.  A view across the street from our balcony.

 

A look toward St. James Plaza.  With our balcony door open, there was a lot of noise.  When we shut the door, I was surprised at how it immediately shut out any outside noise.

 

I had asked hotel reception if they would order a cab for us for 7:00 the next morning, and they also printed my boarding passes for me.  I had to email the hotel my boarding passes in a pdf file, but it worked great.

 

The next morning I was in the lobby at 6:45.  Rose, Jo and I had the same flights back to St. Louis, and they were already in the lobby as was our cab driver.  Plenty of room for our luggage in this taxi.

 

Once we checked in and went through security, we stopped for breakfast at Santa Maria.

 

 

 

I had my last skinny sandwich of the trip.  They're really good.

 

Once on board the plane, I found my seat back screen had been set to an Asian language.  I couldn't figure out how to change it since all the instructions were in that language.  Fortunately one of the flight attendants helped me so I was able to watch movies on the long flight to Miami.  After all that great food, I was back to airline meals.

 

About an hour before we landed, we were given a pizza snack.  That was better than the meal.  Coming into Miami, we hit some air drops.  Fortunately everyone was buckled in including the flight attendants.  There were screams whenever it happened, but the drops were not much more than a mild amusement park ride.

 

I have Global Entry but I still haven't figured out how to get my photo at the kiosk.  The first time I used it last June, it only had my eyes.  This time I stood on my toes and was sure I clicked when most of my face was on screen, but all it took was the top of my head.  Since my fingerprints were okay, I didn't have the X through my receipt.

 

We had a long, long layover in Miami.  Six hours.  In a terminal where the air conditioning wasn't working.  The others who had had two connections made it home before we did, although Mari said she really had to rush for her connection at Heathrow and when she boarded the plane the flight attendant told her he didn't think she was going to make it.  Neither did she.

 

I had a great time.  I would gladly cruise with MSC again.  In fact, Mari and I had both said on the day we disembarked that we wished we could stay on for the next cruise.

 

 

[2013cruiser2013]

What a great photo journal! Thanks for taking the time to post so many great pictures and describe all the sights that you saw. I really enjoyed reading it. 

[Oakman58]

That was a great trip report and some great photos too.  Thanks for taking the time to write it.

[CruiseIreland]

I really enjoyed your trip report.  Thank you for taking the time in doing it. I  will really miss my daily check in. Ken 

[Travelicious]

Great review!  Thanks for sharing.

[HappyInVan]

Wonderful . Thank You.

[WaywardBlue]

Many thanks for this!  Full of great information, and really just a wonderful read...Thank You!

[bearette]

I just booked a similar trip for November, so you made me think I picked right.  Thanks for taking the time!

[RNRcruisers]

I was looking for information on the Poesia and just found this trip report. Thank you Mary! Great information, just what I was looking for. Sounds like a fabulous trip!

 

[mimmy52]

RNRCruisers, it was a fabulous trip!  I was surprised to get a response to this older trip report, but I'm glad it was helpful.