Port Power

Oh, how cynical! 🙂 With my invitations, there has actually been odd numbers. Another solo and myself; one couple and two solos plus one or two crew. It has always been an interesting night and I don’t try to analyse the selection process.

My tour was to the Royal Equestrian School in Jerez. Jerez, of course, is the home of Sherry. Along the way we passed the old salt pans where salt used to be produced for the Roman’s’ salary and preservation of fish. There is still some production of salt, but mainly here were flamingos enjoying fishing for shrimp! Cod fish and Iberian ham are still dried in salt. They are buried in salt for two weeks before being removed and air dried. Pigs are fed on acorns, which produces the best, and most expensive, Iberico ham.

Cadiz local.y is pronounced “car-diz” or “caa-diz”, with the emphasis on the first syllable. It was settled 3,000 years ago by the Phoenicians. It is the oldest city in Western Europe. The Phoenicians came from what we know now as Lebanon in the 11th century BC. They called it Gadiz. The city is 12 square kilometres in area and cannot expand as it exists on a peninsula. There was a Roman theatre, which means that Cadiz was an important city. The capacity of the theatre was for 10,000 people and was built in the 1st century B.C. It is th3 third largest theatre in Spain. Two bridges connect Cadiz to the mainland. There are three shipyards on that side.

Kris is an excellent sommelier. However, I do need to get up to date with the port experiences. There will be fewer posts while crossing the Atlantic Ocean, so I will post about on board experiences and venues. I never pre book dining venues. Even if I did, the theme of said night would have no influence. I enjoy every night as it unfolds. Tonight, formal night, I have been invited to dine with the Human Resources Manager. I do not know why I receive these invitations, but I always have a very enjoyable and productive night.

I spoke to the executive chef a few minutes ago. The abbreviated La T menu was instituted on Silver Nova and is fleet wide. He also believed the old menu was too long. He encourages passengers to submit feedback to head office. He has received comments that this menu is too short, and included the feedback in his report to head office. (Read between the lines, here. 😉.) You can still order whatever you want with notice. So make comments to guest services and write it on your mid cruise report.

Oversll, I have found the food to be excellent. Atlantide still has a comprehensive menu that changes regularly as well as the always available. SALT is fantastic with its locally inspired menus. It is only La Terrazza that has made this drastic change. Customer feedback might find it changing back again!

I have nearly 100 days on Silversea ships and my dietary need is in my profile and also listed under my suite number. I always repeat “coeliac disease” (usually twice) when I order. I also pre-order a day or two before if I want a dish made for me, such as the soufflé on the menu. Nevertheless I have still been served spelt with my prawns! This was just a few nights ago at La T when dining with an officer by invitation. One must still be vigilant.

I agree. I was quite shocked on my first night at LaT. Where’s the rest of the menu? I am not a fan of La Terrazza anyway (I have coeliac disease), and this menu certainly didn’t help!

Thursday 23 November 2023. Cadiz, Spain. This was an overnight stay in port. Nothing much to see from the ship, but Cadiz is a fascinating city and well worth seeing. I well remember seeing the Phoenician sarcophagi five and a half years ago, as well as the Roman theatre. There are lovely gardens to walk through, and all right near the port.

Wednesday 22 November 2023. Tangier, Morocco.

I jumped a step! For lunch during our day in Casablanca, we went to Rick’s Café. The movie “Casablanca” was made on a sound stage in the USA, and “Rick’s” did not actually exist, but why should the facts get in the way of a good idea? Plenty of people walked by to take photos. Our two groups of twelve sat at three tables and ordered from the a la carte menu. Service was excellent and the food well presented and delicious. They handled the number of guests perfectly. There were some other couples dining there as well. Upstairs were 61 Silversea passengers on a select excursion that included lunch at Rick’s Cafe. I have t spoken to anyone who was there, though. I don’t imagine they would have ordered a la carte, probably a set menu. I ordered whole sea bream, a locally caught fish. My entree was stacked avocado, mango and prawns. Yum! Others ordered sea bass and beef stroganoff. Local lamb shanks were also on the menu. Q

I did ask about during the crossing. During the sea days across the Atlantic, dishes from South America and the Caribbean will be presented. There will also be cooking demonstrations in the Venetian a lounge.

Back on board, I was just in time for the 3 o’clock S.A.L.T. Lab class. Today was chicken tangine, with flat bread and an eggplant and tomato dip. Chef made the latter, keeping it chunky for presentation. However, he usually mashes it to a hummus appearance. I don’t like eggplant, but I loved this dip! The flat bread was from the kitchen, but he put it in the oven for five minutes, dotted with chunks of butter and garlic. Browning and mainly cooking the chicken. The final product.

We walked through the old town. Schools were breaking up for lunch, and many children said hello to us. Actually, many girls said “hello, Barbie”, which is an indication of the popularity new movie. Our guide said his 10-year old daughter was a big fan. A few adults along the way said “welcome”, which made us feel very welcome indeed. Tourists of all kinds are welcome in Morocco. And what would a walk through the markets be without many, many shops selling gold. For some reason I did not take a photo of the olive market, which was amazing. They tasted good, too.

Internet on Silver Dawn fluctuates, but is slower than it was on Silver Muse around Japan. Even at 2:00 am my emails can be slow to open, and Cruise Critic threads even slower. However, my photos have finally synchronised, so it is much easier to complete posts now. 😊

Tuesday, 21 November, 2023. Casablanca, Morocco. The main place of interest in Casablanca is the new mosque. Out guide related an interview with the king by an American journalist, who questioned hi, about spending so many millions of dollars on a mosque when there was the need for hospitals and schools. He replied about similar expenses in the USA, but noted that so many visitors had already visited the mosque, that it was paying for itself. Add to that the extra jobs related to tourism. Visitors used to visit Fez and Tangier, now they come to Casablanca as a destination. Morocco is a liberal country where other religions coexist in peace. Women can do anything and are not expected socially to cover themselves. All ship guests covered knees and shoulders within the mosque. This mosque really is beautiful! The tiles, woodwork and plasterwork are just lovely. Morocco was never invaded by the Ottomans and therefore had no influence in their architecture. This is why the mosques are square. Our guide pointed out the necessary elements in a mosque. GFC: geometric, floral and calligraphy.

At Europa Point is a mosque which was a gift from the King of Saudi Arabia. This is why there is a full moon adorning the spire rather than the usual crescent moon. It is only one of perhaps three royal mosques in the world outside of Muslim countries. Our final stop was at the Gorham’s Caves Complex, a world heritage listed site. Decades ago a skull was discovered there, but put in a cupboard in the museum. After a similar skill was found in Northern Europe, it was examined more closely and found to the skull of a Neanderthal woman. (The middle two caves.) Neanderthals lived inside Gorham and Vanguard caves. Every year since 1989, scientists have been excavating inside these caves. They have found stone tools and the remains of eaten animals such as Monk seals, which no longer inhabit this area.

After lunch we drove through the Old Town to Europa Point, the southernmost point in Europe. Along the way we passed this “waterfall”. There is not enough rainfall for the needs of the inhabitants, so a desalination plant was built. The end result of very salty water comes out here and returns to the sea. Toilets are on a separate plumbing system and are flushed with saltwater. In the past, rainwater was collected with a different method. Rainwater was channeled into storage tanks from the mountainside collection areas.

We had lunch at a restaurant called “My Wines”, up on the terrace The owner’s daughter was our host, and she was very enthusiastic about their wines. We had expected some light tapas, but there were five excellent wines with five generous servings of food. The grilled, crisp and very moist chicken thigh I was given when the rest had a Moorish spring roll was delicious. I very foolishly forgot to take any photos! We were there for an hour and a half. To compensate, here is a photo of the runway with the road across it. This airport only allows visual landings and take offs. The road across is now only used by pedestrians and bicycles. A tunnel underneath the runway has just been opened, so cars and trucks have to use that to go to the airport and Spain. Hundred of workers come across each day from Spain. They work at the port, the caves, in shops and in construction. Everywhere! There are not enough locals to fill all the necessary jobs.

The Moorish castle was completed in 1333. The Tower of Homage gives a beautiful view from the top. I did not climb up there, so no additional photos from me.

On arrival at the caves, we were greeted by a local female monkey. We had seen just a few as we drove up through the nature reserve. The monkeys are free roaming in six family groups. Each year the authorities somehow manage to get hold of the infant monkeys for a health check, immunisation and microchipping. St Michael’s Caves were discovered in 843AD. They now have creative lighting, including a “show” in the main cave. Music concerts are held here. Along the way was a fallen stalactite that had been dawn across the bas3 to expose the age rings.

Monday, 20 November, 2023. Gibraltar. The ship was only here until 2:00pm, so all tours were in the morning. I had chosen “Castle, Caves and Wine Pairing”. Gibraltar is on Jurassic limestone and is considered a country. The locals are said to be more English than the English! We had a wonderful guide, a mature aged lady who knew the country very well. We were 15 passengers on a mini driver, with an excellent driver, Steven. There were five minibuses doing this tour, all with their own guides. The roads around the island are narrow. Some of the old tunnels were barely wide enough for the minibus to get through! Steven had do do more than one 3-point turn along the way. We did circle the entire isthmus and had an excellent day out. Once again Silversea excelled in their shore excursions and guides. That is Spain across the Bay of Gibraltar. Below is Morocco appearing from the clouds.

The butler was incorrect and could easily have changed the champagne. While in port in Spain, passengers have to pay VAT on any purchases made on the ship, but that doesn’t apply to any included wines, drinks or food. I wasn’t buying the bottle. The wine storage areas were definitely open because goods were was coming aboard for restocking! 😀

Sunday 19 November 2023. Malaga, Spain. Today was sunny and warm. There was a shuttle from the ship to the main street, which is where we started our walking tour of the old city and Picasso Museum. I’ll add those photos later. Being Sunday, and warm and sunny, the Portside bars and cafés were doing great business. This included locals: there were plenty of dogs on leads and children about. I am writing this at 6:00pm from the Observation Lounge, “Twinkle” by my side. I arrived back on board just in time to join another team for trivia while my team members were out for a long day. We came second, which I take no credit for. I also saw the Future Cruise Manager for a quote on Silver Ray from Fort Lauderdale to Lisbon in 2026. I might not stop cruising just yet!

Saturday and Sunday. Malaga, Spain. This was an overnight port, arriving late morning. It was a cool day, overcast but still pleasant. This was the view from the deck outside La Terrazza. I took a day off and remained aboard.