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

[jpalbny]

Thanks for the Croatia tips, all.

 

We are on a guided tour this time. We will only cross into Bosnia very briefly for the drive from Split to Dubrovnik.

 

I've actually done a virtual tour of Mostar and I've virtually walked over the bridge that Fletcher mentioned. Our treadmill does video workouts through an online service (iFit) and there are a few series of walks/jogs in that region. Seeing Lake Bled and Plitvice Lakes on the treadmill convinced us that we wanted to go there in person.

 

We will probably have some free time in Split and could try to get to the Roman city, though.

[jpalbny]

Friday, November 25th. South of Cádiz, continued.

 

So we finished up the hike around 11:00, and headed south to Bolonia. It took a bit more than 45 minutes to get there, but we found the Museum (Baelo Claudia) and headed in.

 

Chris could not find an admission price on line so we weren't sure what to expect. Turns out, it's free! And, they have bathrooms. So we started with a visit to the ruins, located outside the museum.

 

What a beautiful location for a city! Nice seaside view, with sand dunes off in the distance.

 

 

The first thing we came across was this cute little aqueduct. Not much left of it - no Pont du Gard structure here.

 

 

Am I the only one who sees a herd of elephants? Or was I delirious from driving too much?

 

 

Further on, the main road of the city. Since it was running east-west, it's called the Decumanus Maximus. Those Romans were fairly precise!

 

 

A basilica, along one side of the forum. The emperor Trajan had put his statue in the middle. It's good to be king.

 

 

The Decumanus Maximus from the other end.

 

 

Near the shore lie the ruins of a garum factory. Apparently this was the major industry here. Reading the details about garum production kind of grosses us out. Letting something ferment until it liquifies is much more appealing to us, when it's a vat of grapes instead of a big barrel of fish. I can only imagine how it smelled here in the summer...

 

 

Another shot of the basilica. There is a theater off in the distance as well.

 

 

Is this the first recorded paella pan in Iberia? Looks like it would work after they fix the edges.

 

 

Here, the ruins of a bath complex. 

 

 

And a closer view of the theater. You can't go in at all, so we didn't lose too much time here.

 

 

Opposite the basilica, three temples for the Capitoline Triad - Jupiter, Juno, and Minerva. Only one was restored and you could climb up these steps. 

 

 

Another overview of the site, from the temple of Isis. I love how the Roman pantheon expanded to include deities from other religions. Isis was particularly popular.

 

The stones paving the forum (center-left) are supposedly the original 1st century pavers.

 

 

Now on to the museum to see a few original pieces from the site. 

 

 

This piece is relatively more modern, though.

 

 

All told we spent about an hour here. What a great find! We really enjoyed it.

 

Then it was time to continue onward to Tarifa. From there we should be able to see Africa! Depending on how much time we spend in Tarifa, we may make a stop or two on the way back home.

Edited December 2, 2021 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Friday, November 26th (oops). As far south as you can go!

 

About a 20 minute drive to Tarifa. This is the southernmost part of Spain, and in this city you can find the southernmost point of mainland Europe. We've been getting closer and closer to the Straits of Gibraltar all day.

 

I had scoped out a conveniently located municipal parking lot and by two strokes of good luck, there were spots, and it was apparently free! Saving money by the minute. We started walking into town and passed by the Iglesia de San Mateo (St. Matthew the Apostle's Church).

 

 

We climbed some steps to the Plaza de Santa Maria. There was a cute fountain in the center but there were a few people in the way. So we took pictures of the beautiful library building instead.

 

 

Now the crowd of two moved along and we had a nice picture of the fountain. 

 

 

Onward and upward, to a mirador. In the right of the picture, old city walls. On the center left, Africa. We're less than 10 miles away at this point. We missed sailing through the Strait yesterday morning because we didn't feel like getting up early. This view makes up for it.

 

 

Near the mirador, a park with beautiful tiled benches. But we don't have time to be sitting around. There are a few more places to visit here.

 

 

The Castillo de Guzmán el Bueno was next on our list. We headed there for tickets and encountered the strongest anti-COVID precautions we'd seen yet. 

 

The sign said credit cards only, no cash. No worries there. The ticket agent was behind plexiglass, with her credit card reader wrapped in plastic. But for the payment, she held the reader up on her side of the plexiglass, and asked us to touch the card to our side of the plexiglass. It worked just fine but I was impressed with their creativity to go completely contact-free.

 

Once inside the castle grounds, time to go exploring. They had a one-way circuit marked out for you to follow.

 

 

But we stopped for another panoramic view of Africa first. See the ferry on the right side? It didn't seem too busy but there is a very big ferry touring infrastructure apparent here. Every agency in town advertised day trips to Tangiers. Maybe next time - we have a ship of our own to catch!

 

 

Two items here. The lighthouse on the left seems to be located at the Southernmost Point. It looks far, and it also looks like you have to walk a good distance to get there. I'm not sure that I'm feeling the need for it.

 

The "castle" on the right, the Castillo de Santa Catalina, looks old as well. But it is supposedly a 20th century replica, not the real thing! It was apparently build for maritime signaling purposes.

 

 

We climbed some walls and enjoyed the views.

 

 

For some reason I liked the roof tiles here.

 

 

Outside the Castillo, a statue of Sancho IV the Brave. King of Castile and Leon during the late 1200s, and partly responsible for defending Tarifa against an invasion from Morocco (organized by his brother, in fact, who accused him of usurping the throne). 

 

 

Guzmán el Bueno, for whom the castle was named, was a nobleman of Tarifa during the time of Sancho's reign. Guzmán defended the castle against the siege until Sancho's reinforcements arrived. There is a fairly gruesome story about this siege, though.

 

The invaders captured Guzmán's young son, who had been left in the care of Sancho's treacherous brother. They threatened to kill him unless Guzmán surrendered the castle. In a dramatic act, Guzmán refused to surrender, and threw a dagger from the parapets for the invaders to use for the dastardly deed. They did, but Tarifa did not fall. A link to a painting about this.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alonso_Pérez_de_Guzmán#/media/File:Guzmán_el_bueno_de_Martínez_Cubells.jpg

 

One line of Guzmán el Bueno's descendants became the Dukes of Medina-Sidonia, which just so happens to be another place on our list for today... 

 

We walked around town for a few more minutes, and decided not to bother with the Southernmost Point. So, back to the car to see what else we can get to. We figured we have 3 hours of daylight left so we should be able to get to Medina-Sidonia, or Arcos de la Frontera. Either should be pretty in the late afternoon light. I don't know if we have time for both.

 

Edited December 2, 2021 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Friday, November 26th. The long way back to Cádiz. 

 

So we got back to the car around 2:45. We debated grabbing a bite but sitting down to eat lunch would have been a process, and would have cut into our sightseeing time.

 

Besides, these hunger pangs that I'm feeling are a real novelty. Haven't had one in over a week. Might be good for me!

 

We went back and forth between Medina-Sidonia, and Arcos de la Frontera. Which to choose? We still hadn't decided but luckily both were in the same direction. Eventually we decided on Medina-Sidonia, largely because it was closer to us(1h vs 1h30), and closer to Cádiz. 

 

I made good time while Chris rested her eyes briefly, and we got to a parking area on the edge of town a little after 3:30. We climbed into town and through the main square - Plaza de España, would you believe - looking for the archeological museum. It was closed until 4:30...odd hours!

 

So instead, we hiked further uphill to Plaza de la Iglesia Mayor, for St. Mary's Church. Why are these Spanish hill towns always built on hills? Who would have thought it?

 

 

Extra picture. Or was I resting my legs?

 

 

Nearby, a viewing platform. The sun was shining brightly and the view was back-lit but a nice place to catch our breath. The mountains went on and on.

 

 

Back down through the Arco de Belén (Bethlehem Arch). A last look at the church as we made our way back down the hill.

 

 

There wasn't much else on Chris's list, and we didn't want to wait around for the museum to open.

 

So we were back at the car by 4:15. Arcos de la Frontera is only 45 minutes away. We still had daylight, so we set course and tried to squeeze one last stop into this crazy itinerary!

 

We were both running out of steam. But as long as there was daylight, and places to go, we planned to keep at it. Keeping up with a Chris itinerary is a full-time job. 

 

[mchell810]

4 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Keeping up with a Chris itinerary is a full-time job. 

 No kidding!  It does allow you to see these lovely places (and give us great photos), but I think I got tired just reading about it 😜 

 

Looking at the Roman ruins I did see the "herd of elephants" too!   I can't wait to see how the rest of your day went.

[PurpleTraveller]

Wow, you two really pack a lot into your days!

 

Thanks for your review. I have been thoroughly enjoying following your cruise and wonderful photos! 😊

[jpalbny]

Friday, November 26th. Finishing up the tour.

 

Arcos de la Frontera! We made it by 5PM and parked. The situation here was not as convenient as it had been elsewhere. The garage was about 1K from the area that we wanted to explore. 

 

I hadn't been able to find a closer parking location so we set out on foot. The first half was ok. Then it got steep. These hill towns are going to wear us out!

 

After a good 15 minute slog we arrived at Mirador del Coño. There's a chill in the evening air but the view is great.

 

 

On the other side of the Plaza, the Basilica of Santa Maria de la Asunción.

 

 

I thought I saw people in the tower. Never mind. We are too tired to climb any higher today.

 

 

Nearby, the Castillo de los Duques de Arcos. Lots to see here, and in the evening light, the colors were beautiful. 

 

 

A stroll to the Church of San Pedro. This was closed. Phew. We don't have to try and climb the tower.

 

 

We walked a bit further to the Mirador de Abades.

 

 

Then we turned back and went to the other side of town for the view from Mirador Peña Vieja.

 

 

Now we had to get back to the car one last time. Unfortunately, we had walked downhill again, to get to the miradors. So we had to climb back uphill, in order to go downhill again to the parking garage. Ugh.

 

Some street scenes as we slowly meandered along. It had been a full day.

 

 

 

Finally back to the car at 6:00,  after about a 2 mile walk. Sunset is just a few minutes away. Great timing! 

 

One last push to get back to Cádiz. Maybe we can be back by 7:00? Lots of time to spare, as we don't sail until 11:00.

Edited December 3, 2021 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Friday, November 26th. Back in Cádiz! 

 

We chased the setting sun westward, as we left Arcos to drive back towards the coast. It was dark by the time we reached the outskirts of Cádiz.

 

One last time over the bridge, then a brief stop to fill up the tank. It cost about €45 for all of that driving. 

 

We made it back to the train station 10 minutes before 7:00. Parked and at the Hertz desk with time to spare. The kiosk was still open but nobody there. No time to wait. We dropped the key in the key drop and walked back to Silver Spirit. 

 

On the way, we got pictures of the fountain, all nicely lit up for the night. Oh yes, Spirit is still there, waiting for our return, at the right of this picture. 

.

 

We made a dinner reservation and got cleaned up for informal night. It all fit in our carry-on bags, I promise! 

 

 

Dinner in Atlantide tonight. Chris had scallops for an appetizer, 

 

 

And I had tomato soup with veal meatballs. 

 

 

The course that we were most excited about was smoked duck salad. Chris had the Caesar version,

 

 

And I had the version over sesame noodles. Both so good.

 

 

Now we had made up for the skipped lunch. Time for dinner!

 

Chris had a steak and I had a chicken curry. Tasty but could have tolerated a bit more heat.

 

.

And dessert of course. 

 

 

Minimal dancing tonight. We gain an extra hour tonight so no need to go to bed right after dinner. But we were pretty tired. An 11 hour tour will have that effect on you!

 

I had driven just a bit over 200 miles. And we both had over 28000 steps. Good thing it's a sea day tomorrow! And, we gain that extra hour.

Edited December 3, 2021 by jpalbny

[jpalbny]

Saturday, November 27th. Resting up while at sea. AKA the beginning of the end. 

 

Today was the last full day of the cruise. Interestingly, there had been no Captain's farewell last night, and none tonight either. And tonight's dress code was casual. So, two formal nights - second night, and mid-cruise for Venetian night.

 

Ultimately that was better for us because Chris could "only" fit two fancy dresses in her carry-on. 

 

We slept in until probably 8:00, with the extra hour, and decided to go to the MDR for breakfast. Nice enough and the food was good too. But not an everyday occurrence for us, on any cruise.

 

Plus the brewed coffee was much weaker than the good stuff they make in the Arts Café! I know that I could have had them make me an Americano but didn't bother. I just drank more of it. Hydration is good.

 

After breakfast we went for our covid swab. They didn't assign a time slot, but just said to show up at the card room between 9-11, or 4-6. We went about 9:25 after we finished breakfast. 

 

There was a decent line but it moved along quickly. Once you reached the check-in table, they scanned a QR code which loaded your demographic info into the system. Then they took a barcoded tube and scanned that, which linked your name to that tube.

 

You took the tube into the card room where the swab was done immediately and you were out the other door in 60 seconds or less. I think we waited in line for 15 minutes but were done in less than 20.

 

Back to the room, only to be greeted by this abominable sight. 

 

 

Time to think about it. The only issue is that we have two bottles of Dom to squeeze into the suitcases. There's a 2010 from AMEX, and the 2005 rosé which we bought earlier. Unless we drink one...

 

So that was an easy decision. I had already chilled the 2010 Dom just in case. We poured two glasses, toasted yesterday's successful crazy tour, and set about packing. One bottle should fit just fine.

 

After some packing we sat in the Observation Lounge to try planning tomorrow's itinerary in Lisbon. We didn't get very far.

 

So we went to the Grill for lunch. Service was a bit odd in that all of the food items came at once, after a fair delay. Salad, apps, and burgers all delivered in one big trip. At least we had wine to pass the time while we were waiting. 

 

We went back to the room to finish packing and our test results arrived by email. Mine came first which made Chris nervous but hers followed shortly. Great, now we can fly home on Monday. 

 

A lazy afternoon with some napping and some more Champagne sipping. We checked the dinner menus and decided that Indochine looked like a nice menu tonight. So I made a reservation. 

 

Dinner was delicious. The welcome cocktail was much too sweet so we had wine instead. The white was a Rheingau Riesling which went well with the appetizers.

 

Chicken skewer for me. Delicious thigh meat in a tasty sauce. Reluctantly I shared a bit.

 

 

Chris had a shrimp roll of some sort. Equally yummy when she shared a bite with me.

 

 

The main course was beef char-siu for me. It was served with a Pinot Noir from California. I was a little worried about the match because California Pinots can vary a lot, but this was a good one, and the pairing worked well.

 

 

Chris stayed with the Riesling for her sweet and sour prawns.

 

 

Desserts. I had something that I can't remember. I think the theme was pineapple but I can't be sure.

 

 

And Chris had the crème brulée again.

 

 

The ship was rocking and rolling tonight so we went to Panorama for a while but only danced one song.

 

When the ship is moving, you have to be selective.  Slower dances which take good balance, like Rumba or Waltz, are impossible. A fast Swing is perfect because you never are standing still, so each step can become a balance check if needed. So that's what we did.

 

Back in the room, we made sure that tomorrow's clothes were safety stored in the dresser drawer. Then we packed everything else, and had our suitcases out by 10:30.

 

Since we are checking them, they can be (and were) stuffed full. The Dom fit nicely, even in the box, so I packed it that way for extra protection. 

 

Time to be rocked to sleep. Tomorrow, Lisbon! And, hopefully a meeting with Emtbsam, who are embarking tomorrow for the TA. It will be so nice to see them again.

Edited December 3, 2021 by jpalbny

[Silver Spectre]

Wow JP, wonderful reporting. How do you find time to fit your job in?

[jpalbny]

31 minutes ago, Silver Spectre said:

Wow JP, wonderful reporting. How do you find time to fit your job in?

 

Maybe I secretly retired? Just don't tell Chris!

[QueSeraSera]

8 hours ago, Silver Spectre said:

Wow JP, wonderful reporting.

I totally agree.  Wanted to hit the haha reaction as some of your comments were pleasantly humorous, but then other pictures and comments were striking - anyway, thanks for these posts!

[les37b]

Thanks for taking us along with you on such a busy schedule. You certainly make use of your time to the max.

 

In Jan, we have a 16 night Panama booked. It'll be our first with free laundry.... And the missus still wants 2 suitcases just for her gear! Crazy. That said, I couldn't get to your incredible levels of self control with clothing which is amazing. 

[Bimmer09]

JP, thanks for another engrossing read and the, as always, stellar photos!

Silversea seems to fit you and Chris so well.

 

Cheers,

Norris

[Catlover54]

Relatively young, active cruisers such as JP and Chris, who appreciate a ship that allows them to be physically comfortable and also consume thousands of high end calories per day in fine dining style, after doing 28,000 steps,  may very well be the future of SS!

 

Congratulations on a wonderful trip report, with the photos of sites, foods, and narration, truly appreciated!  I know it's a lot of work.

 

BTW, after your recent Corsican circumnavigation on Ponant report, DH and I bought a few Corsican wines when our local, very limited selection wine shop got them in. I would likely never have tried them (or booked Ponant!) without your report.

 

[Tothesunset]

Great thread, JP.  Stuck in wet and windy Lincolnshire your travelogue is a real tonic. 

[jpalbny]

Sunday, November 28th. All good things must come to an end. 

 

We were up by 7:00 and at the Arts Café before 8:00 for our last meal. We grabbed our backpacks from the room and pouted in Dolce Vita while waiting to be dragged off the ship. 

 

We had been hoping to see our dear friend Camila (Guest Relations Manager) on board, as she had joined up in Barcelona with us. But she had been stuck in quarantine the whole time! She messaged and said that she'd wave to us as we disembarked. 

 

Our tags were called and it was time to go. Monteza was at the gangway to see us off. And as we walked by the bow of the ship, we saw Camila waving to us! So close but yet so far. An air hug and a few own kisses were a for now.

 

 

So that was that. Our time on Silver Spirit was over.

 

It was Sunday morning, a little after 8:30. Time to get to our hotel and drop our bags. The Metro station was a 5 minute walk so we did that, rather than taking a cab.

 

Three stops later, we got out and saw our hotel from the top of the stairs. Perfect. 

 

We walked into the hotel lobby at 9:00, expecting to just drop our bags. But they had our room ready so that was even better! And they said we could have breakfast this morning, since we wouldn't be there for breakfast tomorrow. Loving this place so far! 

 

We dropped our bags in the room and went to grab a second breakfast. Emtbsam were there, just as they had said, so we grabbed chairs at their table. They were staying here too, until they boarded Spirit this afternoon. 

 

It was great to see them after two years! We had a great visit, and finally let them go after 10:30.

 

A brief visit to the room to grab our guidebook, then time to make the most of our one day here (we've been here twice before so no worries).

 

Nice stairs down from the sixth floor. Not climbing back up, though! 

 

 

And a beautiful skylight! 

 

 

We took the Metro one stop south then got out to walk to the Tram.

 

 

Our plan was to take one of the vintage Trams out a ways and walk back, with a few stops along the way.

 

But first, more photo stops to break up the steep hill that we were slogging up!

 

 

We got the Tram and headed out to the Church of Santo Condestável.

 

 

There was also a market there but pretty slow on a Sunday. So that was a quick visit.

 

We walked downhill, towards the City. Next stop was the Basilica da Estrela. We climbed to the roof for the views.

 

 

Oy one other couple here with us, so pretty easy to get pictures with nothing but scenery.

 

 

Since it was Sunday, no visits to the church itself. So we headed to the park across the street instead.

[vagporto]

Hi. Thanks for the wonderful report... Silversea is a bit outside my budget range, but you make the company very tempting. I was puzzled by your visit to Santo Condestável Church, which I know well because my high school was close by, but most people in Lisbon would have lot of trouble pointing it in a map and because it is a fairly simple church and not at all a touristic highlight... On the other hand, I had no idea that you could go on the roof of Basilica Estrela: nice idea... 

[jpalbny]

1 hour ago, vagporto said:

Hi. Thanks for the wonderful report... Silversea is a bit outside my budget range, but you make the company very tempting. I was puzzled by your visit to Santo Condestável Church, which I know well because my high school was close by, but most people in Lisbon would have lot of trouble pointing it in a map and because it is a fairly simple church and not at all a touristic highlight... On the other hand, I had no idea that you could go on the roof of Basilica Estrela: nice idea... 

 

Thanks! Silversea is a favorite of ours.

 

We went to that Tram stop mainly to visit the market (Mercado de Campo de Ourique) but since that was not very picturesque on a Sunday Morning, the church photo was the better one for posting.

 

Do you live in Porto now? We spent time there two years ago on an independent trip. Really enjoyed it, though driving through the city was not the most fun part of the trip... 

[Daveywavey70]

Thank you so much JP and Chrys for the best vicarious holiday Ive ever been on. 

[vagporto]

Yes, I moved to Porto after college and never looked back. Horrible weather, but much better quality of life. Land trips in Portugal are quite nice, because the landscape changes every hour... But Lisbon is fairer. 

[FlyingScotSailors]

JP and Chris,

 

We enjoyed your extremely detailed travel report.  It certainly made our dreary winter days a bit brighter as we are looking forward to our next trip the end of January to the Panama Canal.

It appears from your latest hotel photos that you stayed at the Hotel Avenida Palace in Lisbon. We have stayed there on two separate visits to Lisbon and love the history and opulence of the "palace".  We also were offered breakfast before check in last time we were there.   The hotel is a real gem.

 

Ann & Peter

[jpalbny]

10 hours ago, vagporto said:

Land trips in Portugal are quite nice, because the landscape changes every hour...

 

We had an amazing time on our trip. We started out thinking we'd do a Douro cruise with a few days on our own beforehand but eventually realized that there were way too many great places to visit away from the Douro. So we just spent 10 days driving around on our own.

 

Loved it and now we need to go back and visit all the places that didn't make it into the first itinerary.

[jpalbny]

Sunday, November 28th. Lisbon, Continued.

 

From the Basilica da Estrela, we walked towards the Parliament Building for our next planned stop. Along the way, we saw a walled-off garden complex. But the door was open, and the sign said, "Open to the Public on Sundays." So we went in.

 

Security was tight. Bags scanned, metal detectors, etc. Hm. Turns out that it was the Prime Minister's official residence - but the gardens are open on Sunday. A nice treat. We were pretty much the only ones there.

 

There was art,

 

 

And fountains, with nice pools, 

 

 

And beautifully landscaped gardens too.

 

 

The official residence is called the Palacete de São Bento.

 

 

We explored the gardens, then climbed down to one side of the property for a view of the back side of the Parliament Building.

 

 

The stairs connecting the PM's residence and the Parliament were guarded by two sphinxes. They looked serious.

 

 

And a human guard. Who looked even more serious. He told us that we had to go back out the way that we came. "None shall pass."

 

So we headed back out to the street, and took the long way to the other (front) side of the Parliament building. The traditional view.

 

 

Nice lions.

 

 

From here, a short walk to the next Tram stop, then we were back at our hotel shortly. 

 

We secured a dinner reservation at a nearby seafood restaurant. Unfortunately the one that Emtbsam had recommended was not open on Sunday.

 

We wandered the Christmas Market in Praça Dom Pedro IV, looking for a snack, but decided to sit down and have a real lunch instead. No 11-hour itineraries on the schedule for today, so we have time to spare.

 

Cod baked in a seafood sauce, with delicious fried potatoes.

 

 

And a nice charcuterie board too. I had forgotten how big the portions are here.

 

 

Some Vinho Verde went well with the food. Chris had Rosé. We couldn't decide what was better, so we had another glass. They were both good.

 

Maybe if we finish lunch soon, we'll get motivated to visit the aquarium. 

Edited December 6, 2021 by jpalbny

[Host Jazzbeau]

2 hours ago, jpalbny said:

Some Vinho Verde went well with the food. Chris had Rosé. We couldn't decide what was better, so we had another glass. They were both good.

 

Maybe if we finish lunch soon, we'll get motivated to visit the aquarium. 

I'd say you need a third round of the wine as a tie-breaker.  Then you will have the aquarium in your bellies!

 

But seriously, that cod looks delicious.  Do you remember the name of the restaurant?