scubacruiserx2

This plate was about 7 ' tall A final view from above

After meeting Rafael we headed to the highest point in the city at almost 500' , The Convent de la Popa . It was Palm Sunday and there were a number of people walking up and down the hill carrying Palm plants .They were going to the monastery to have their palms blessed and return them to the place where they were to be planted . The view was spectacular and we could see the Nieuw Amsterdam . We passed by the Mass where the Palms were being blessed . We then entered the courtyard ( cloisters ) where Rafael could talk . He told us the story about how the convent was founded . The chronicle says that while Friar Alonso de la Cruz Paredes in the convent of the Candelaria of Ráquira (a town of the Colombian Andean area), the Blessed Virgin appeared to him and ordered him to build a church on the hill closest to Cartagena, in order to return the Christian faith to this land, in which the legend says, inhabited an evil spirit, in the form of a goat, to which the mulattoes worshiped under the direction of the native Luis Andrea, who ended his days in a cell of the Inquisition.[1] The friar fulfilled his mission and threw the animal from the top of the hill. Since then the Cartagena people call to the precipice, the Salto del Cabrón, in allusion to the goat. Wikipedia He did mention that the worshippers of the goat had gold ornaments that were precious not because of it's worth as a precious metal but more for it's intended religious purpose .

At the end of the walk there is a bump in the road that some people may not pass by but spend part of the day here at the Park Cartagena . We were in a hurry to meet our guide Rafael on the other side of the park so we hustled thru and would stop at the park on the way back if we had time . We hope to continue mañana . 🙂 😉

Thanks . My bag envy itch was scratched in Mexico and the price was right . I'll show it a little later in the review , Ok ?

We were in and before sunrise in Cartagena , Columbia for our first visit there I saw what I thought was a statute of Mary and Jesus but the guide said differently . We were in on Palm Sunday the date of Jesus's Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem . A fisherman nearby the ship All ashore The walkway to the city

Some of the follow up songs . Big girls don't cry Working my back to you You're just too good to be true

After a protracted and delicious dinner we headed down to see the Jukebox Rogues . The were advertised as Frankie's Boys and we had never seen them before . We had hoped that it would be like the West End Version of Jersey Boys that we saw with some cruising friends that we had met in South America , Karen and Ron . We try to make a point of seeing K&R when we visit Europe as they live near London in the Isle of Mann . As the lights dimmed the audience seemed very busy after the show started . We had been told that there were less than 900 passengers on this trip and so there was plenty of room . We found a nice open space to video with no people in front of us and began the show . We got about a minute into the show and I saw a person look at me and decided to walk into the video . I wanted to say take 2 and reshoot but there was no second chance . There is a part 2 and the the song Sherry was included

It was shrimp night at the Canaletto so we were there for diner . I must say that we ate at Sabatini's both for breakfast and dinner several times on the Enchanted Princess in February this year and we preferred the food and service on HAL to that on the Enchanted .

We did did enjoy that song and the show and were surprised that Robert would be back another day . 🎤

Most of our good days begin with sunrise and a breakfast . And like today it kinda morphed into a brunch and a nap .

Wishing my wife , daughter and daughter in law and all of the mom's out there a Happy Mother's Day !!! 💐🌷🌺

We will try ! 🙂😊

The Sunset before dinner The clocks were set 1 hour forward . We went to the 9 PM Neil Diamond Experience . America Solitary Man Sweet Caroline ( So good , so good )

We decided to take a nap after lunch and the sea had grown very calm as we passed around Cuba . We saw some flying fish and a dolphin or 2 so I'll look for the video clip . In the mean time we prepared for a dinner at the Pinnacle . I had a little case of bag envy when I saw this bag hanging from the previous cruise ( a charter cruise ) . Almost dinner time

Thanks , we do have a lot of photos and video to sort thru so it make take a while .

The Retreat was a little wet and we checked out the breakfast menu that they will serve upon request . The CC M&G was conducted by Dick and Joyce before lunch and was fairly well attended . For lunch we choose the Pinnacle .

You're welcome and hopefully more to come . 🙂

A walk to the Pinnacle Grill for Breakfast

Sailing out of Port Everglades

Our first night dinner was a quite one at the Tamarind

Coast Guard station Flying fish Port Everglades Pier 66 The Nieuw Statendam Ukrainian flag Tortuga Music Festival Sailing East and the sunset on the Atlantic

A sign of the times Lunch

When we were last on the Nieuw Amsterdam for New Year's Eve we stayed in cabin # 7137 and loved it . We did request it for the 19 days to San Diego and it was available - but only if we booked it to Canada . We did need to disembark in San Diego and so we settled for the cabin below # 6175 . We had a nice boarding at Noon and when we entered that the cabin was much smaller inside and out . Additionally , instead of a row of lockers for clothes near the vanity which my wife used for dressing - we had a single door leading to the cabin next door . We did book a Family corner Retreat # 4 .

The map and dates

Princess Cay Saint Thomas lunch Antigua A Princess at rest in Port Saint Lucia Barbados for Valentine's Day A Bajan full moon Saint Kitts Day at Sea in the Enclave