Mooning around the Mediterranean

[drron29]

Part of the program for the year.

 

The building grows on you.

 

The rest of the precinct.

 

[drron29]

Now walking to the gardens.

 

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The designer referred to this as feeling like a wave.

 

Though some ;ocals refer to it as the urinals.

 

[drron29]

Heading back to the Moon.

 

 

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This was an excellent excursion. Our guide was helping out filling in for a friend. Normally he is a curator at a Valencia Modern Art Museum.

 

Back on the ship and as usual to Kaiseki.

 

And my selection.

 

Edited April 11, 2023 by drron29

[drron29]

Once again to Atlantide.

 

And the wines.

 

Before the food came our view was filled by this.

 

 

[drron29]

Rojaan started again with the caviar whilst I went for the foie gras.

 

She then had the seabass and I the prawn curry. I asked for extra spicy and it delivered.

 

Rojaan then had the mango trilogy and I the pavlova.

 

When we got back to our suite the Easter Bunny had been.'

 

[jpalbny]

Yum - foie gras! And that spicy curry makes me hungry too. A shame your lovely dinner was interrupted by a view of the MSC Gargantuosa but looks like you had a fun day!

[drron29]

I forgot to mention our points chasing achievements. There were only about half the number of people at trivia than on the previous segment.  We did add an English couple to the team and so reached the allowed 8 members.

 

We thought we would be out of the points as we only scored 15. But surprisingly we won. 
 

Golf on the other hand had changes that totally affected my enjoyment as well as the other fellow who was always there on the previous segment. Numbers more than doubled to 18. Not only that there were several young children who with the teens made up more than half of the players.

 

 The 2 of us did go the following day but independently both decided that the second day was the last for this segment. Sad as for the previous segment it was the most enjoyable time I had had at golf ever.

[drron29]

Today when we awoke this was our view. A very calm Mediterranean.

 

Yes it was a sea day. I decided on something different for breakfast -a panini with smoked salmon and cottage cream heated up.

 

When we had finished breakfast we noticed some people on the deck getting excited so I went to investigate. Dolphins. They didn't remain on the surface for long and were spread out so I just pointed and clicked away. Surprised to see 4 out of 6 shots had dolphins in them including one obviously young one. Not very good shots though.

 

For lunch we went back to Spaccanapoli. My Diavolo pizza was enjoyable.

 

After lunch I went and did a few laps of the walking track. Views from the walk including some unclaimed sun lounges.

 

[drron29]

Not much else that day. We improved our trivia score to 16 but dropped a place to second.

Golf was even more crowded today so it will be my last day until the next segment.

 

Back to Atlantide for dinner with one of the other couples on the trivia team.

So the days menu.

 

Rojaan went with her usual pics with the beef tartare and lamb chops. I went with the seafood medley with caviar, the pumpkin soup and the Wiener schnitzel. All quite acceptable though the schnitzel just slightly dry.

 

Then it was time for sunset.

 

[drron29]

The next day we awoke in Sete,France. Another industrial city. The views from our balcony.

 

I then set off on a 2 hour tour ton Medieval Carcassonne whilst Rojaan stayed on board as they said extensive walking over rough ground and she didn't want her hip playing up more than it already was. After the visit it was quite obvious that she made the correct decision as there was a lot of ups and downs on narrow stairs.

 

Unfortunately on our bus there was an under 2 year old who grizzled,cried, was very loud and threw a couple of tantrums. I wasn't alone not liking the experience. So scenes from the bus. Once again a coal port.

 

Lots of vineyards.

 

 

 

[drron29]

 About half way we stopped at a Rest area for a comfort stop. I immediately thought when I saw the Supermarket nam Hello,Hello.

 

Therewas a patisserie whic had pastels de Nata but I decided against having one. There was also a Hungry Jacks but it was closed.. So off again on the bus.

 

[lincslady]

We used to enjoy just wandering round Sete.  The centre of town is a typical southern French town with a nice market, cafes to have a sit and watch the world go by, etc.

 

I hope Carcassonne was worth the journey - the Citadel sadly is a pastiche from more recent times of what it used to be, though very photogenic of course.

 

Lovely sunsets - and some good looking food too!

[drron29]

 

 

And we arrived at Carcassonne. There was a funny episode as I watched people get off the bus. There was an older couple who preceeded us into Atlantide. It was a formal night but he was only wearing a bright short sleeve shirt with no jacket or tie. The Dress Code is being enforced on this segment so he was asked if he would go back to his room and get a jacket. From then his partner took over and was quite aggressive saying Why should he wear a jacket to the every day restaurant.

 

The Maitre'D remained calm and pointed out that the dress code was formal for the night and that it had been printed in the chronicles. and announced in one of the announcements. She again said she couldn't see why he should have to wear a jacket and said besides he doesn't have one.

The Maitre'D said well you have 2choices. You can eat in La Terraza which does have tables available tonight or have room service. The other option is we can lend him a jacket andtie. After a few more pithy remarks she agreed to the second choice.

But as luck would have it they were on yhe bus I was on. It was quite a cold day and he was wearing a jacket. It was an expensive black leather jacket but would have looked better than many of the other jackets the night before. that night I told the Maitr'D who had agood chuckle.

 

So back to the report. The view of the walled city after alighting the bus.

 

[drron29]

Walking into the city there was a local market though I thought with produce at tourist prices.

 

Now on this walk up to the castle a young Englih couple were tagging along listening to the commentary from our guide. It was to be a slf guided tour so no earpieces. Thet were a lovely fun couple and a couple of us older folk had an enjoyable conversation with them. They will feature in an upcoming post on another day.

 

[drron29]

I had forgotten to replenish my cash reserves so found myself with just 30 euro to pay for entry fees and lunch. Te entry to the castle and ramparts was Euro 9.50. As this turned out to be the best thing to do in the old town I am glad I did it. So off we go.

 

Starts off with an audiovisual display.

A lot of climbing and descending stairs. But some great iews.

 

[drron29]

 

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[drron29]

A museum of some original pieces of the original building.

 

[drron29]

 

[drron29]

You do get great views across the countryside from the ramparts.

 

[drron29]

 

And has already been said this is actually a recent construction from the 19th century.

 

What it looked like before reconstruction.

 

A theatre has been added.