Live from Silver Spirit, November 19-28, Barcelona to Lisbon

[jpalbny]

31 minutes ago, Silver Spectre said:

 I am impressed that you are managing to load so many photos on here JP, are you using the Spirit’s standard wifi?

 

Ha, not unless I have to. It's glacially slow. I'm usually posting from ashore using my international data. Even throttled, it's way faster.

 

1 hour ago, lincslady said:

I hope the sun came out, and you managed to get to the Arts and Sciences area.  Valencia is a city really worthy of two or three days stay - and blue skies help.  Cruise shuttles never seem to go  the roundabout route which would include the Arts and Sciences.

 

Lola

 

We were lazy and didn't do too much else. Next time we will visit by land and spend more time. 

[jpalbny]

Monday, November 22nd, Valencia. 

 

More gray skies. We wanted to climb the roof of the Cathedral but it looked like it wasn't open. So we didn't bother going in.

 

Instead we went behind the Cathedral to Plaça de la Virgen and got better photos.

 

 

Not sure why this guy is there, though. It's the Font del Túria. 

 

 

So that pretty much completed Chris's list. Since it was Monday, a lot was closed, so the list was much abbreviated. All that was left was to choose a route back to the bus.

 

Valencia used to be on a river but at some point the river was diverted and now the riverbed is a park. We wanted to walk some of it, so we detoured a bit south of the bus stop.

 

Porta de la Mar marked the spot.

 

 

And from here we crossed Pont de l'Exposició. The dry riverbed still has a lot of bridges that cross over. 

 

 

From the other side. Is that a touch of blue sky? And backlighting? Miraculous. 

 

 

We took some stairs down to the park, Jardin del Túria. A very pleasant stroll. Lots of paths for walking, jogging, biking, etc. Not sure if it's related to the guy in the fountain. 

 

And a grove of exotic trees that looked just like some we've seen in Madagascar! 

 

 

The old river embankment set us off from the busy streets above us.

 

 

More pretty views.

 

 

We climbed out of the riverbed back to the street, and made the bus stop with time to spare. The 1:00 bus was on time and we went back to the ship.

 

From our starting / ending point near Torres de Serranos, I think we had an OK wander through town. Wish more had been open but better luck next time!

 

 

Now we need to eat!

[jpalbny]

Monday, November 22nd. Valencia. 

 

Finishing up. Forgot to mention that this truck was waiting for us at the shuttle bus stop. Made me laugh a little despite being tired. What better van to send after cruise ship passengers? 

 

 

So we got back to the ship about 1:25. We decided to try Seishin for lunch. Nice setting but the waitress couldn't describe the dishes very well. So we ordered a few sushi rolls, not really knowing how much or how little it would be. 

 

 

Very good, but after no breakfast it felt like an appetizer. We decided to see how it would go.

 

In an hour we were still hungry so we went to the grill for dessert burgers. Then we had a nap until it was time to get ready for dinner. A very odd day for us.

 

We tried Indochine for dinner tonight. The food was great, and the atmosphere very enjoyable.

 

The "exotic" foie gras appetizer. Served with mushroom consommé and a vegetable dumpling.

 

 

Red prawns tartare.

 

 

Stir-fried Kamchatka crab legs

 

 

Lemongrass beef. Very thin slices flavored with lemongrass, chili, garlic, and soy. Excellent. 

 

 

Ginger and lime crème brulée for dessert

 

 

And sesame fried bananas.

 

 

Stuffed after all of that tasty food, and the late lunch. Time for some more sleep. No late night dancing tonight! Guess vacations are supposed to be relaxing once in a while?

[Dolcevita Diva]

5 minutes ago, jpalbny said:

 

In an hour we were still hungry so we went to the grill for dessert burgers. 

 

Love this concept of "dessert burgers."   😆

[jpalbny]

Tuesday, November 23rd. Cartagena.

 

Early to bed last night but still dragging this morning. We finally got up at 8:30 and went to the Arts Café for a breakfast snack.

 

It looked like a beautiful day outside! So welcome after yesterday's cloudy and cold weather. 

 

We went up to Panorama for an overview. Good chance to see it empty. We've spent too many late nights here already! 

 

 

Outside, a very pretty harbor. And very close to town! Could we actually walk from the ship? That would be a welcome change.

 

 

We gathered for our 9:45 tour. After a scenic bus tour around the edge of town, to get the lay of the land, we got out and started walking. 

 

Chris found a friend straightaway. 

 

 

We went to the Roman Forum museum for a guided tour. This was the edge of a bath complex. The rest is probably buried under adjacent buildings. 

 

 

And a Roman Road. Looks pretty good! 

 

 

Near the baths, a taverna and some amphorae. 

 

 

And some nice frescoes.

 

 

A brief visit next door to an old senate chamber. Then on to some more recent tavernas. This was a vintage late 1800s bar which has been restored. 

 

Don't look too closely at the vintage photos in the top left corner. 

 

 

We sat for a tapas and a drink. Ratatouille over toast with a quail egg. 

 

 

And a cerveza. The name of the bar is in the photo if you want to visit.

 

We sat with a couple.from Colorado who were going to Antarctica in February. So we shared some packing tips. 

 

 

After tapas it was time to move again. Near the bar, a detour to see another bit of Roman Ruins.

 

 

We walked to Calle Mayor next. The buildings were impressive! 

 

 

As were the street decorations. 

 

 

Our guide ducked into the city hall. Beautiful marble staircase with a glass skylight. 

 

 

Close up of the skylight. 

 

 

And the exterior of City Hall. 

 

 

Now we had 30 minutes of free time before the bus took us back to the ship at 1:30.

 

We decided to try for the Roman Theater museum. As we entered we saw another SS tour group. We hustled on to the theater.

 

 

You could walk around the area quite a bit. There was a church built next to it, which was explained in the museum as well. More on that later.

 

 

A scurry back to the bus, just making it there at 1:30. We weren't the last ones. But we were back to the ship by 1:40. Time for lunch! 

[turtlemichael]

Love your trip reporting style. Great story and photos. Thank you.

[Lois R]

Hi JP, 😃 things are really coming back----your beautiful photos are such a positive point🙂 and I think I see a theme here...........touring and then FOOD👍😃

[Stumblefoot]

2 hours ago, jpalbny said:

We sat with a couple.from Colorado who were going to Antarctica in February. So we shared some packing tips. 

 

[jpalbny]

OK Stumbles! You post almost made me spit my Americano all over the beautiful Arts Café. 

 

For the record, they saw our SS expedition jackets and asked if we'd been to Antarctica. Then they asked us for tips on what kinds of clothing to bring.

[jpalbny]

Tuesday, November 23rd. Cartagena, afternoon on our own.

 

We got to LT for lunch about 1:45. It wasn't too busy and we were done in about 30 minutes. 

 

Then Chris realized that one of the places she wanted to see in town closed at 3:00. We scrambled to get moving and made it to Casa Fortuna at 2:45. But sadly, they said that it wouldn't be enough time so I guess we will have to come back here too...

 

We continued on, to the Punic Wall Museum. On the way, the streetscapes were gorgeous, and the weather was too.

 

This is a Modern Art Museum. 

 

 

And some pretty streetlights. 

 

 

Made it to the Punic Wall Museum. Cartagena used to be situated on a peninsula, connected to the mainland by a thin isthmus of land. The Carthagenians built a defensive wall across the isthmus in the 3rd Century BC to guard their city, Qart Hadasht.

 

A small section remains here. The Romans eventually conquered the city, despite the wall.

 

We backtracked to the Ascensor Panorámico. This takes you to the top of one of the hills for a small castle, and panoramic views.

 

The bullring. And former Roman Amphitheater. A common theme on this trip.

 

 

Silver Spirit, looking lovely in the afternoon sun. And so close!

 

 

From here we walked down some random stairs and found our way back to the Roman Theater. In later times they built a Basilica along one side. The ruins of Catedral de Santa Maria la Mayor.

 

 

We passed by Calle Mayor again. Fairly empty, and a good photo opportunity was had.

 

 

Having kicked almost all of Chris's list, we strolled along the pier back to the ship. A gorgeous day.

 

El Zulo sits in the afternoon sunshine. He is a memorial to victims of terrorism. 

 

 

What a beautiful waterfront! The prettiest so far, we think. And the ship is within walking distance. This is how cruising should be.

 

 

Back on board, we discovered that the Arts Café serves delicious cakes and other sweets to go with our afternoon coffee. More calories were ingested. Yum!

 

We were supposed to sail at 6:00 but the Captain left a bit early, just after 5:30. We had some nice views from our balcony. 

 

 

 

 

We dined at the grill tonight. On Spirit, it's tucked under the roof of deck 9, but there are also tables along both sides, which are totally sheltered behind glass doors. With the heaters going they actually get quite warm.

 

 

Mexican street corn salad. Not bad. More pasta than I'd prefer but still tasty.

 

 

The ribeye and prawns were great. Just a light sear on each side. Tender and flavorful. 

 

 

We skipped dessert. Then had a bit of dancing in the Panorama afterwards. We were in bed before midnight.

 

Tomorrow, we're on our own in Málaga, so whenever we get there is OK with us. 

[frantic36]

Thanks for all the photos and insight to these ports JP. We are hopefully  visiting quite a few of the same next July and some like Cartagena, Cadiz and Valencia we haven't done before so you are helping with my planning. 

 

As an aside now I see why you and Chris can eat well and still look good...it is all the walking, including hills that you do. 😊

[Host Jazzbeau]

This is probably too late, but...  Malaga is small but pretty.  You will definitely want to see the Castillo de Gibralfaro, built on a hill overlooking the city and
 once considered the most impregnable fortress in Iberia. Also the Alcazaba, a citadel built by the Moors between 1057 and 1063 at the foot of the Gibralfaro Hill using materials from the nearby Roman Amphitheatre (which therefore isn't much to see any more).  The rest of the old town is going to be very familiar from the other cities you have been seeing, so maybe you could spare the time to visit the Botanical Garden, which is quite unlike any other such garden we've seen:  'English style' naturalism, and with plants gathered from all over the world arranged by continent.  Since it doesn't run to annuals, fall is still a fine time to visit.  https://laconcepcion.malaga.eu/en/

[Stumblefoot]

9 hours ago, jpalbny said:

OK Stumbles! You post almost made me spit my Americano all over the beautiful Arts Café.

❤️

[lincslady]

jp - we're waiting to read about Malaga and Cadiz;  hope you had interesting visits and have time and internet access to post some more. It is a lovely substitute to being there oneself, rather than here in stormy England.  My son can't visit today as the main A road from the north-west coast to the north-east is closed due to snow and high wind!

 

Hope all is well with you and you are enjoying your last few days,

 

Lola

[jpalbny]

Thanks Lola!

 

Indeed we have had a fantastic time so far. Málaga and Cádiz were great.

 

Yesterday we were out before 8AM, doing a Chris-guided tour all over the place. 28000 steps, 350 km, and 11 hours later, we staggered back to the ship. But it was a fantastic time and I'll share details when I have a free moment (and some bandwidth). 

Edited November 27, 2021 by jpalbny

[Fletcher]

On 11/25/2021 at 4:09 PM, Host Jazzbeau said:

Malaga is small but pretty . . .  You will definitely want to see the Alcazaba, a citadel built using materials from the nearby Roman Amphitheatre (which therefore isn't much to see any more).  

At the risk of being thought pedantic or overly nomenclatural, there is a big difference between a Roman theatre and an amphitheatre.  The structures in Cartagena and Malaga are theatres.  It's easy - theatres are semi-circular, amphitheatres are roughly oval.

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, November 24th. Málaga.

 

Ten years later... The prologue is that we'd spent a week in Marbella in 2011. We visited Granada and Córdoba on our own during that trip, and tried to visit Málaga too. But every parking garage was full when we drove through, so we'd never actually gotten there.

 

This time, we didn't have to worry about parking! We were excited to have another chance at Málaga. 

 

So we got up after 8:00 and did the usual Arts Café snack for breakfast. There was a shuttle to the port gate, just a few minutes worth of a drive. We caught the 9:30 departure and were in town a few minutes later.

 

First stop was the market. Typical wares on display but too early to eat.

 

 

We headed towards the Cathedral, along Calle Molina Lario,  which was decorated beautifully for the season.

 

 

The Cathedral facade, of course, faces a narrow square which makes photography challenging. I won't add yet another keystoned photo here.

 

Instead, this pretty building adjacent to the Cathedral is a Cultural Center with art exhibits.

 

 

We went to the Cathedral and toured the inside. Very large and quite impressive. But now we had 30 minutes to kill before the climb to the roof at 11:00.

 

The gardens next to the Cathedral were small but pretty. 

 

 

And from here, a nice Cathedral view. Of the back. Close enough. 

 

 

We took a few minutes to scope out our next two stops, nearby. Then back to the Cathedral for the climb up to the roof.

 

Halfway, there was a window through which we could see the interior. A different perspective. 

 

 

On to the roof. "Glorious weather!" to quote Roy Perez. And Silver Spirit in the distance, at the pier.

 

 

One of our next stops - the Alcazaba. Looks like more climbing is in our future...

 

 

The front facade (from behind). Here you can see that there's only one tower. They ran out of funds so there is no south tower!

 

 

 

After enjoying the views in every direction, we climbed back down and headed off to the Málaga museum. 

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, November 24th. Málaga. 

 

Off to the Málaga Museum! We weren't sure what to expect, as it was really cheap (€1.50). But we were impressed! 

 

There are two floors of exhibits. We skipped the art and went directly to the second floor for the archeological exhibits. Very well done. 

 

Just a picture of a Roman mosaic with the birth of Venus. Not Botticelli but pretty, nonetheless. It would look nice in our wine cellar... 

 

 

One other tip. They have nice clean bathrooms. 

 

Next, the Alcazaba. A hilltop Moorish fortress. Yup, more climbing... But nice panoramic views. I think the building over Chris's shoulder is the City Hall, but another source called it an old customs building. 

 

 

A rugged fort but the trees and gardens make it a pleasant place to visit.

 

 

Looking down at the nice gardens near the old customs building (or City Hall). And the port beyond. 

 

 

The view upward reminds us how far we have to climb, to reach the Castle of Gibralfaro. Yikes. I'm tired. And it's past my lunch time! 

 

 

Towards the top part of the fortress, the decor got very nice and the Moorish influence was obvious. Nice archways and gorgeous ceiling work. It reminded me of a miniature Alhambra. 

 

 

 

Now the really annoying part. There's no connection between the fortress and the castle nowadays (they used to be part of the same defensive structure). So instead of just continuing up, you have to go all the way back down, exit the fortress, then turn around and climb all the way up to the castle.

 

 We got one last look at the Cathedral before starting. 

 

 

It's a 20+ minute slog. Luckily there are "photo stops" along the way.

 

 

This traffic circle is adjacent to City Hall. 

 

 

Finally we reached the castle complex. Time to catch our breath. Luckily it had become a bit more cloudy, so the sun wasn't beating down on us as we climbed. 

[TrulyBlonde]

JP and Chris,

Cadiz has a wonderful park and waterfront to walk around. See if you can find this tree. It was beautiful.

[jpalbny]

Wednesday, November 24th. Finishing up in Málaga. 

 

We finally made it to the castle! But look at those clouds. And the flags show how windy it was. 

 

 

A huge area, with lots of walls to climb.

 

 

 

Nice brick work as well.

 

 

The jackets were back on, as the wind had picked up. 

 

 

Another bull ring.

 

 

We headed down the hill and walked along the waterfront, back to the bus stop. It's very nicely done, with lots of shops and restaurants along the way. And this structure, which provides some shade.

 

 

We were in time for the 3:30 shuttle - but Chris had somehow lost her mask with all of the jacket changes. Luckily the shuttle driver had a package of extras.

 

Back on board and time for a late lunch. Pizza at Spaccanapoli to the rescue. 

 

 

After a brief rest, we got ready for formal night #2, and the Venetian party. The castle climbing crew does clean up nicely.

 

 

The Venetian party was subdued but several people got their 100, 250, and 500-day certificates. The top cruisers had over 1500 days. Impressive! 

 

We had a dinner reservation for 8:00 in Atlantide so we went early and chilled at the bar with a G&T to whet our appetites. A cozy and empty spot.

 

Dinner was good as usual. We went with only 2 courses. We had beet salad and Salade Niçoise to start. They were both small and light..

 

Then Chris had a lobster tail,

 

 

and I had shrimp curry.

 

 

Both of us were very happy with our choices. The curry was flavorful but not very hot. I wouldn't have minded a bit more heat.

 

We both had chocolate desserts, and Monteza paired them with a Primitivo from Puglia which went very well.

 

We also used the last of our OBC to get a bottle of 2005 Dom rosé. The price was great and we will probably bring it home to the wine cellar. We still need to drink the 2010 Dom that was provided by AMEX.

 

Off to Panorama for some dancing. Tomorrow we can sleep in, as we arrive in Cádiz at noon. But it's going to be a super busy 2 days there. Chris has an ambitious schedule planned and I'll be doing the driving. Wish me luck!

 

[lincslady]

Thanks  for the updates, jp.  Lovely pics., and you both look pretty spiffy in your evening togs.

 

Obviously you got back from your Cadiz adventure in one piece - at least it was driving on the side of the road you' re used to!

 

Looking at cruisemapper, you did not have a day in Portimao, but straight on to Lisbon?

 

Are you going straight home?  Hope you don't get too tangled up in new Covid tests;  we have two cases of this new variant here already, no doubt many more to come.  Just before Christmas, of course.

 

Lola

[zqtchas]

JP, nice travelog. Y'all are  too energetic for us🙂  

 

 

 

 

[rojaan19]

JP next time we cruise together  we must talk  about this photo  !!  A hat with  horns  AND a moustache !!

[Silver Spectre]

Safe travels home JP

[jpalbny]

On 11/27/2021 at 6:14 PM, lincslady said:

Thanks  for the updates, jp.  Lovely pics., and you both look pretty spiffy in your evening togs.

 

Obviously you got back from your Cadiz adventure in one piece - at least it was driving on the side of the road you' re used to!

 

Looking at cruisemapper, you did not have a day in Portimao, but straight on to Lisbon?

 

Are you going straight home?  Hope you don't get too tangled up in new Covid tests;  we have two cases of this new variant here already, no doubt many more to come.  Just before Christmas, of course.

 

Lola

 

Thanks, Lola. Indeed,, we skipped Portimão and went straight from Cádiz to Lisbon. Disembarked this morning and have been slowly wandering around the city all day. An easy day, only 20000 steps so far. 

 

Negative swabs yesterday. Home very early tomorrow morning. 

 

23 hours ago, zqtchas said:

JP, nice travelog. Y'all are  too energetic for us🙂  

 

 

Thanks. You haven't heard the full story yet...

 

1 hour ago, Silver Spectre said:

Safe travels home JP

 

Thanks Silver! Enjoy the rest of the crossing. 

 

The Emtbsams are coming up behind you. We had a lovely visit with them this morning at our hotel (they were staying there too). They embarked today for the crossing.