Azamara Quest - Mediterranean Cities, October 28-November 4 2021

[Bimmer09]

11 hours ago, Corgi Girl said:

Great line from one of my favorite movies - “Best in Show” 🐩 

I'll assume you also like the movie "Waiting for Guffman"?

Did you get my quote from that movie?

Post 431. A Eugene Levy line.

Norris

[Deck Chair Queen]

On 11/24/2021 at 8:44 AM, Ilovemygarden said:

   A question for Carol - does the onboard shop sell cosmetics and perfume?  I will be on the Journey in January.

Hi. I love your screen name! I’m afraid I’m not much of a shopper and never visit the ship stores so I don’t know. I’m guessing they are not big enough to carry cosmetics inventory but I’m sure there is perfume for sale. It will be exorbitantly priced, no doubt. I find Walmart beats everybody’s pricing even on high end fragrances. Their online selection will surprise you. Carol 

[Deck Chair Queen]

21 hours ago, Walt fan said:

How did Carol come by her knowledge of architect? I would love to start reading some books.

Hi Walt. As you may know, they call me Guidebook Carol. I research everything thoroughly before a trip. And I had purchased a gorgeous book that was just about Gaudi and Barcelona before our first visit (Permanyer is the author). This time I wanted to see some of the more obscure sights in addition to revisiting the Greatest Hits. So I had requested to see the early Palace Guelll and the St Paul Hospital (not Gaudi but another notable modernisme Catalan architect). There were also some additional Gaudi sights on the hop on hop off bus routes. Rick Steves of course is another excellent resource. In Chicago we are very alive to architecture and sculpture, with many modern masterpieces around us and a city plan by Daniel Burnham. 

 

Guidebook Carol

[Bimmer09]

5Th COVID TEST OF OUR TRIP

Carol had scoured Barcelona for a one-hour Covid test in preparation for our flight to Dublin the next morning. Aer Lingus told us we would  need proof of a negative test.

 

She found one a couple of blocks east of Casa Mila/La Pedrera. We set out on foot as it was only 4 blocks and these boots were made for walking. I took a couple of pictures of buildings/storefronts as that's what I do for fun.

I like the little red Christmas choo-choo train above the entrance

 

cool store front

 

We found the Covid testing center and went in. They spoke English (gracias) and were fast and efficient in getting our particulars. Once those had been entered in their computer we were given a number and told to go next door. Out we went and into the next building. Here the test would take place. We sat and waited until our number was called. Into a room with a swab plunger man. Quick and painless.

Now we had to wait "40 minutes" for results so we retraced our steps and went to Casa Mila/la Pedrera and sat at their outdoor cafe having a ginger ale/beer while killing time

 

 

 

Back we went. Showed our I.D and got our results printed out. NEGATIVE!

NOW WE COULD FLY TO DUBLIN! COST? 40E PER PERSON

 

[Corgi Girl]

2 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

I'll assume you also like the movie "Waiting for Guffman"?

Did you get my quote from that movie?

Post 431. A Eugene Levy line.

Norris

 

[Corgi Girl]

I actually have not seen it, but I will watch it soon.

[mchell810]

2 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

these boots were made for walking.

 

Nancy Sinatra

[Walt fan]

I think the hotel breakfast made me shed a tear or two; it looked fabulous.

 

Thank you Carol for the Gaudi info. 

 

Carol as well

[Westaussie]

I'm putting on weight just looking at your photos!!!  You mention going to Spain in September, just check weather then, can be very humid and windy (I lived in Southern Europe for sixteen years).

[rdsqrl]

 

6 hours ago, Deck Chair Queen said:

I Pagliacci  with a soupçon of Cavalleria Rusticana. 

Tonio, Lola! -- I thought it was Barry Manilow's Copacabana.  Clearly I'm a heathen. 

[LC1950]

11 hours ago, Bimmer09 said:

I'll assume you also like the movie "Waiting for Guffman"?

Did you get my quote from that movie?

Post 431. A Eugene Levy line.

Norris

One of my favourite movies.  I love the 'overture' for the show.  So surprising in the context of it all. 

 

Having been coerced into joining in a couple of amateur theatricals in my long ago youth I can totally get the "waiting for" thing.  LMFO, many of them thought they were the next Broadway star.  Sadly they weren't.  But it was fun and that's what life is about isn't it?  Having fun.

 

Looking forward to Dublin through the eye of your camera Norris.

Edited November 28, 2021 by LC1950

[Bimmer09]

BARCELONA BUS TURISTIC-HOHO

It was a way to see new parts of Barcelona without walking. Carol bought the tickets online with her phone. 22.50 E pp and you could ride any of their 3 lines all day.

There was a stop opposite Casa Mila and one opposite Casa Batllo. We chose Mila.

 

Their app had a map of each route so I downloaded that. Double decker, open top buses. While waiting I took a couple of street pics

 

 

The Christmas decorations have already been hung over the streets but they won't be switched on during our brief stay. The tourist buses come approximately every 15 minutes. We had chosen the Red Line (but you can go from a red to a green to a blue at will) as it went to Montjuic and to La Sagrada and the soccer stadium. Our bus came and we Hopped On at the front where there is the cashier who checks your tickets and gives you a set of headphones. Each seat has a selector for whichever of the 15 languages you are fluent in and gives a commentary on what you are seeing according to where the bus is. I imagine GPS triggers it to speak. No standing, no eating or drinking.

 

[Bimmer09]

I'll be taking pics from my upstairs seat but won't be able to identify much of what you are seeing. Let's go

 

 

 

This one is part of that Hospital we drove past yesterday

 

a movie theater with 12 screens

[Bimmer09]

The bus stopped near Parc Guell but it wasn't visible. Google maps is your friend in such instances. So we are now in that part of town. The app is handy for letting you know what is coming next so you can prepare to Hop Off but wait until the bus stops. 

 

 

This one's like a Tuscan scene

 

Near to the sea now-this is the Barcelona FC 100,000 seat stadium

 

I'm not sitting at the front so all the pics are taken looking sideways to my right. We are on Avenue Diagonal here which in stretches is about 10 lanes of traffic wide-a major thoroughfare!

[Bimmer09]

I don't have any pics of the ugly, dirty , run-down Barcelona as we didn't see any. I did see a lot of buildings that caught my eye for their beauty.

 

 

 

 

 

[Bimmer09]

British readers-Good Morning Chaps!-will be familiar with the C & A brand.

 

Soon we are at the main square for tourists-Playa Catalunya which Las Ramblas runs through. All the buses start their routes here. It is a major hub for visitors and pigeons. It's a 15 minute walk to our hotel but we stay on until Casa Batllo which is 3 minutes walk.

 

 

 

now on foot

 

[Bimmer09]

Back in the Majestic Hotel

We return to our room. Elevator lobby.

 

It's almost 4 o'clock and we haven't eaten since 8 a.m.

 

The quiet corridors

[Bimmer09]

Time for a snack after two hours on the top of the bus and we visited the cosy hotel bar again

Bikini sandwiches and really good fries

 

We formed a plan to go on a night time bus ride and no one was there to stop us as it proved to be not a practical idea. I'll explain soon.

 

back up in the room the sun was setting over our Christmas decorations

[mchell810]

18 minutes ago, Bimmer09 said:

back up in the room the sun was setting over our Christmas decorations

 

 

Just beautiful!  You really are a skilled photographer.

Edited November 28, 2021 by mchell810

[Bimmer09]

 

We went to catch another HOHO bus in the dark. I took some pics while we waited at the bus stop

 

 

Barcelona has more than its share of luxury shops

 

 

Casa Mila at night

 

It was too cold to sit on the top deck so we sat inside and that proved useless for taking photos as the bus interior lights stayed on and reflected in the windows as you looked out, so not only poor for photos but poor for viewing. Only 4 people sat up top-there are cameras by the cashier so she can keep an eye on the top deck. We went to the harbor and saw million dollar yachts, up to Montjuic but could see little, stopped at the main train station. No matter where we went we saw the streets were crowded, the restaurants doing business, even outdoors with gas heaters to curb the chill. Shops were still open at 8 p.m. We should have just gone to a tapas bar and stuffed our faces again in comfort. You live and you learn. The last straw was when the bus came back to Playa Catalunya the cashier announced that it was the last stop and we had to walk  home, not in a sea of people but in an ocean of people, back to our hotel. Here's Catalunya...

 

 brisk walk in the cold and we are home 

 

tomorrow we will sleep in Dublin....

[Stem to Stern]

On 11/27/2021 at 9:59 AM, Bimmer09 said:

We found the restaurant called Vinitus

When in Barcelona we enjoyed a nice meal in the basement as well.  I would have another go of it given the opportunity.  We made a stop at your go-to coffee shop as well.  Loved Barcelona.

[Bimmer09]

Saturday November 6th and we are up early and packed, ready for (A) another fantastic buffet breakfast (B) checkout (C) taxi to the airport (D) our Aer Lingus flight to Dublin.

 As we were packed and ready to roll thee are no pics of A, B or C.

Breakfast as you saw yesterday was a wonderful way to round out our Majestic visit.This was the first time we had taken it, when offered at the front desk and it was better than anything I could imagine finding out on the street. We will stay longer in the hotel next time and see more of Barcelona.

Before I leave Barcelona let me tell you that I was calling our tour driver Paul by totally the wrong name-but you probably guessed that already. Paul's name was Leon but he looked like a Paul to me so I can't take full responsibility.

 

We didn't take the cable car ride from Montjuic to the beach. I never entered Poble Espanyol.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poble_Espanyol

I didn't get tapas on Las Ramblas or visit the Gothic Quarter where the Picasso Museum is.

 

We said our fond goodbyes to the Majestic and they had a taxi pull up and we were gone. Half an hour later at 9 a.m we were walking into the airport and trekking to the Aer Lingus desk. We were next in line.

On the march over to the desk we said-"it pays to get to airports early as you never know what's in store"

At the desk-Passport/tickets/Covid test? Yes yes yes. Irish Passenger Locator Form?

No- we weren't told by Aer Lingus that we needed that.

She called a Supervisor who spoke good English.

You need an Irish PLF. Come back when you have one.

We trudged with heavy limbs and heavier suitcases to the nearest bench and got our phones out.

We googled the form and completed it.

Back to the A.L desk to complete the process.Wait- I can't fly as I don't have a Green Card to enter the USA. I reach into my pocket and pull out my Green Card. The only card I didn't have was my Chicago Public Library one and I was waiting to be asked for it. The Supervisor said she would overlook it this time.

An hour has been consumed.

Flying is for the birds.

By the time we got through security without TSA pre (aargh!) and to our gate which was on the outskirts of Madrid perhaps, we had walked 1.5 miles inside the airport.

Barcelona has immense Duty Free shops which you HAVE TO walk through to get to your plane. As a former retailer that is pure GENIUS. I bought some smokes from a masked sales clerk who apparently breathes through his chin.

 

The plane, an Airbus A200, left on time and was soon in the air which as we all know is where it works best.

 

We flew over some mountains- I think the lady Captain said it was the oddly named "Pair of Knees"? but don't quote me.

and before you could say "there's no complimentary drinks or snacks on this flight"

we were touching down in cloudy and cooler than Barcelona Dublin

 

It's good to touch the green green grass of home

 

 

[Baynanno1]

Down the road I look and there runs Mary
Hair of gold and lips like cherries
It's good to touch the green, green grass of home

 

Tom Jones

[Bimmer09]

We checked our luggage through to Chicago in Barcelona so don't have to drag that around. Ireland is a small country and thankfully has a smallish airport. We passed though swiftly enough and without serious incident (as I recall) and out into the cold wind to where the taxis pull up. Luckily we don't have to wait more than 5 minutes and we were in the back seat of a small car on our way into Dublin. The long way I figured after we were going through small hamlets and had avoided the motorway. I thought the driver who was an entertaining chatterbox was padding the fare so I got my phone out and used Google maps.

When he heard me say I was following our progress (or lack) on my phone he suddenly got onto a route  that made more sense. It was a 39 E fare. Next day the airport drive would be 32E. Beware.

 

According to the driver it was a busy weekend as the Irish rugby team were playing the Japanese (who knew) and the pubs would be full of pint swillin' Irishmen. Oh joy!

 

We were in Dublin and had crossed the river Liffey and were heading for St Stephens Green and our hotel.

It would be almost 3 pm by the time we arrived.We would leave next morning by 9 a.m so not long to spend in Dublin.

 

We arrived at our hotel 

The Shelbourne

 

Our bags were carried in, except for my camera bag which I trust only to myself not to drop

Good first impressions

 

[Baynanno1]

The last straw was when the bus came back to Playa Catalunya the cashier announced that it was the last stop and we had to walk  home . . .

 

We had a similar hop on hop off experience in Lyon. Staying out near Parc de la Tete d'Or, we had boarded the bus at the closest stop (not very close) and on arrival in the city centre were told it was the last stop (for a two hour lunch break). It was a very very long walk back to our abode! Since then, I check the fine print very carefully!

 

 

The long way I figured after we were going through small hamlets and had avoided the motorway.

 

Similarly, in Melbourne, where I had lived for several years, our taxi driver was way off, but chose to ignore my directions . . .

 

Edited November 29, 2021 by Baynanno1
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