MIAMI TO LISBON BY CRUISE SHIP

 October 31, 2022 Miami

The Bow of the Norwegian Sun in Miami

When we had originally boarded the ship in Seattle, we were all required to go to our muster stations on
our way to our staterooms, which satisfied the requirement for a safety drill. For some reason, this was not the case in Miami and we all had to participate in the mandatory drill before we could sail. We all gathered at our muster stations and stood there while they scanned our cards and demonstrated how to wear the life jackets. We were relieved when we could go back to our rooms. We ate dinner and spent the evening listening to Devin in the Windjammer Bar.

November 1-2, 2022 At Sea

The sea days between Miami and New York were uneventful. We slept late, ate, read, and played cards. My Kindle had died, so I was glad to have downloaded all my books onto my tablet while we were in Miami. My Mexican phone stopped working after Miami, for some reason, which was very frustrating.

The first day, we passed through squall after squall. We sat in the Spinnaker lounge and watched the rain pelt the windows, alternating with periods of sun and clouds. The weather improved on the second day and it never really grew chilly. We were bracing ourselves for fall in New England, but the weather remained mild.

November 3, 2022 New York, NY

New York Before Dawn

We sailed into the New York Harbor before dawn on Thursday, but it was after 9:00 before we could get
off the ship. We had not signed up for an NCL tour, so we spent a little time using the WiFi in the terminal and then crossed the street to look for something to do. There were no tour vendors, but we found an Uber driver from the Dominican Republic who offered to drive us around Manhattan for $50/hour. He took us on a short driving tour of midtown Manhattan before dropping us at Ground Zero.

Times Square

St. Patrick's Restroom

We drove by Times Square, Rockefeller Center and
Central Park before stopping at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Our driver, Martin, was Catholic and was adamant that we visit the cathedral. It is a beautiful building, but seemed very clean and colorless in comparison with cathedrals in Mexico and Europe. Still, we were happy to use the restroom, which was located in a former confessional. Confession must have gone out of style.

Rockefeller Center

Battery Park

The Flatiron Building

We drove down Fifth Avenue as we headed back south and passed the Empire State Building (not very impressive from street level) and the Flatiron Building, which was covered in scaffolding. Our driver made a quick stop at Battery Park so we could gaze across the river to New Jersey before depositing us at the edge of the World Trade Center complex.

Two large, deep fountains surrounded by bronze plaques, bearing the names of everyone killed in the September 11 attacks, poured into the former sites of the twin towers. One World Trade Center, the tallest building in the United States, had been constructed in one corner of the complex and a large museum covered much of the central area. We took the time to visit the museum. For so large a museum, there were not a lot of exhibits, but some of the pieces were quite large. There was a surviving staircase and several large, mangled, steel supports. Unlike most steel framed skyscrapers, which had support posts throughout the building, the twin towers had utilized a novel construction method whereby they were supported by a steel exoskeleton. This allowed for more usable interior space, but I couldn’t help but wonder if that hadn’t been the reason why they collapsed once the skin was breached.

The New World Trade Center

Ground Zero Monument

The Survivor's Steps

T

Mangled Fire Engine

Tortured Girder

Once we finished with the museum, we went to the bank and did a few errands in the immediate area. I bought four bottles of mineral water, having grown very tired of kiwi strawberry and tropical mango flavored enhanced water, the only two free soft drinks available on the ship. Mineral water was only available for $6.50 from the mini bar and a glass of club soda from the bar was $4.20.

Shopping completed, we caught a taxi back to the cruise ship terminal, used the WiFi for a few minutes and went in search of lunch. We had just missed lunch and had to scrounge leftover pizza. This was the third time we had tried to eat lunch when the buffet had closed and, for some reason, the snack bar which was always supposed to be open, had been closed all three times. This time, it was because the passengers who embarked in New York were having their mandatory safety drill, so all the services were closed.

New York Skyline

I got back to my room at 13:00. All aboard was supposed to be at 15:30, so Karen had stayed in the terminal. Earlier in the day, Karen had tried to leave the terminal without her passport and had to return to the ship to get it. Because the ship was closed to passengers for inspection after 8:00, they had had to send security to the room to get it for her. Not knowing our passcode, they had locked the safe using some other numbers. When I tried to get into the safe, I got an error code. I called guest services and they promised to send security. I had eaten breakfast before dawn and was quite hungry, but I waited, patiently, until 14:00 before calling guest services, again. They were surprised no one had come, but promised to call security a second time. I waited until 14:30 and still no one had arrived. I tried to call guest services, once more, but got no answer. I called every fifteen minutes between 14:30 and 16:00 and did not get an answer until 16:00, when Karen returned to the ship. Once again, they promised to send someone, but no one from security came until Karen went downstairs, in person, to complain. It turned out that security, having been to our room in the morning, thought that the matter had been handled. They didn’t understand that we were continuing passengers and were surprised that the contents of the safe belonged to us. It was beyond frustrating. I was ravenous, but decided just to wait another hour and go to dinner.

Statue of Liberty

We had been scheduled to leave New York at 16:00, but were denied clearance for some reason. We went to the 19:00 show, which was interrupted a couple of times by the captain apologizing for the late departure. After that, we went to see Devin, who was also interrupted by the captain, but still we remained in New York. I went to my room to go to bed at 22:00 and finally heard the announcement that we were to leave. I put my shoes back on and went out onto the bow to watch us steam past Manhattan and out past the Statue of Liberty. It was cold, but worth the wait to see the city at night. Unfortunately, my phone, which was much better at night shots than my camera, was dead, so my photographic opportunities were limited.

November 4, 2022 Newport, RI

There was no rush to get up on Friday as our arrival in Newport had been delayed until noon. It was less than 200 miles from New York to Newport, but we had not made up any of the time lost in New York.

Sailing into Newport

Arriving in Rhode Island was interesting. We sailed between two islands whose rocky shores were dotted with large estates before finally turning into the anchorage off of Newport. Most of the boats had already been hauled out for the winter and the majority of the mooring balls were unoccupied. Still, it was apparent that this was a popular area for sailboats.

Fort Adams

Typical Newport Summer House

Jay Leno's House

We took a tender to shore and just barely managed to book a tour of Newport leaving at 13:00. Despite having arrived five hours late, we were only allowed at extra 30 minutes to spend in Newport and had to be on the last tender by 17:30. We took a 90 minute, narrated trolley ride around the Newport area, visiting the colonial town, Fort Adams, and the homes of the rich and famous such as Jackie O, Vanderbilt, and Jay Leno. Trolley Rob, our guide, was amusing and informative. For an extra $20, we could have visited the Vanderbilts’ estate, the Breakers, but we elected to use the time for lunch and shopping.

Church in Newport

We ate lunch at the Brick Alley Pub, which we chose for its proximity to the ship. The food, however, turned out to be stellar. I had steamed clams with Portuguese sausage, served with homemade bread to soak up the spicy sauce. It was easily the best thing I had eaten in months. Lynne had some delightful fish and chips and Mary Nell had a cup of clam chowder and a bacon burger. We took advantage of the WiFi while we ate and then split into two groups to make our ways back to the ship. Mary Nell was looking for a fleece jacket, while Karen was seeking a suitcase. We didn’t find a suitcase, but we did enjoy looking in a few shops and galleries and I got the chance to take a few pictures of sights I had missed from the trolley. We got back to the tender by 17:00. The weather had been unexpectedly mild and our stay in Newport had been short, but sweet.

November 5 – 9, 2022 At Sea

From Newport, we embarked on our five-day transatlantic crossing. Saturday, we played cards until lunch and then made sure we got pizza before they closed. After lunch, we adjourned to read, nap, or watch TV until dinnertime. I sat down to catch up on my blog. We ate dinner at the sit-down restaurant and spent the rest of the evening in the bar, listening to Devin.

Sunday was a football day for Karen, so my cabin was more or less off limits unless I wanted to watch football (not my idea of fun.) I got up early and went to sit-down breakfast with Lynne and Mary Nell. It was the first time we had eaten breakfast in the restaurant and we found it a pleasant experience. The food was hot and cooked to order. There weren’t many customers, so the service was great. We never wanted for coffee or juice.

Sunset from Deck 11

After breakfast, Lynne and I walked two miles around the promenade deck. Then, we spent the
afternoon in the Spinnaker room, playing cards and reading. I got a chance to practice the mandolin while Karen was eating and then we ate an early dinner and  went to hear Devin from 18:15 to 20:00. We killed half an hour between shows listening to the Show Band play jazz in the Spinnaker room and then went to the 21:00 magic show. The magician was entertaining enough for 45 minutes. After that, it was time to go to bed, as we were changing time zones and would lose another hour of sleep.

I got up early, again, on Monday and went to sit-down breakfast with Lynne and Mary Nell. I had eggs Benedict which were good, although I needed a steak knife to cut the English muffin. Still, it was nice to linger over tea and watch the water slide by, outside.

The Spinnaker Lounge

I went up to the Spinnaker room, after breakfast, as Karen was still sleeping. Everyone eventually joined me and we played cards until lunchtime. Lynne and I went to get something to eat. Then I went back to my cabin to practice the mandolin, watch a movie and write a bit.

Lynne and I grabbed an early dinner at the buffet and then went to see the production cast’s 1980s rock show. It was the same show we saw on the first leg, but it was entertaining. After the 19:00 show, we went to the Windjammer to join Mary Nell and listen to Devin for the rest of the evening.

Tuesday, we went to sit-down breakfast and lingered there, chatting, for quite some time. I went to try

Atlantic Sky

to sign up for a hike on Horta, Azores, but found it already sold out. Lynne and I walked a couple of miles around the ship and then went up to the Spinnaker room. I went back to the tour desk and signed up for a hike on Praia Vitoria and a visit to the volcanic crater on Ponta Delgada. I wasn’t fond of the overpriced tours offered by the ship, but wanted to be sure I got to see the interior of at least one island.

We played Rumikub until lunchtime and then I went to grab a bite before the buffet closed. I spent the afternoon watching the Elvis movie and then Karen and I went to stuff ourselves with grilled meat at Moderno, the churrascaria. We went to see Flip Schultz’s comedy show, right after dinner and then went back to the room to read.

The weather deteriorated by Wednesday morning. Seas were up to three meters, the sky was gray, and the wind was howling. It was still seventy degrees outside. My sense of geography had been out of whack ever since I realized that New York was at basically the same latitude as San Francisco. The Azores were just a little north of Los Angeles. On the map, they seemed much farther north.

We played cards until 14:30 while the weather got worse and worse. By the time we finished with lunch, it had started to rain. With the winds and seas, it was looking as if we might not be able to tender into Horta the following day. We went back to our cabins to read and nap.

Devin was reprising his Frank Sinatra show, so we grabbed a quick dinner from the buffet and went to that. Dinner was Greek food, with leg of lamb, so we were glad we hadn’t missed it. After Devin’s show we went back to our cabins and watched a movie. There was no one else to entertain us.

November 10, 2022 Still at Sea

Stormy Seas

We had already been notified, the night before, that we would not be stopping at Horta, but would be spending another day at sea. A cold front had caught us and the weather had continued to deteriorate overnight. By the time we got up, the wind was howling and blowing the tops off the waves. All the open decks were closed and water had seeped under the doors to the promenade deck on the windward side. The storm built until it was blowing 75 knots with seas at 5.5 meters. It was pretty wild. The ship rocked, but I was glad to be dry on a large vessel. It was raining outside and visibility was very poor. It would have been miserable on the island, anyway. I hadn’t missed anything by not getting a spot on the hike I had wanted to do.

My Mandala

There was nothing much to do. Karen and I were so bored we went to color mandalas. The ship showed *Top Gun Maverick* in the theater. The others went to watch that and I went to my cabin to practice the mandolin.

The storm abated by late afternoon and the seas quickly dropped. We had been sailing slowly south of the Azores. We hoped the wind and seas would calm enough to allow us to dock at Praia da Vitoria the following day.

Sunset After the Storm

November 11, 2022 Praia da Vitoria, Terceira, Azores

Praia da Vitoria in the Morning

We awoke safely moored to the dock in Praia da Vitoria. Praia da Vitoria is located in the Azores on Terceira (Third) Island. It is one of two cities on the island whose population totals 57,000. The island is volcanic and only has two sandy beaches. One of these is in Praia da Vitoria (Victoria Beach.) Praia da Vitoria is a small place. I had signed up for a hiking trip, fearing that such a small island would not have many tour options not affiliated with the ship.

Reflections at Misterios Negros

Japanese Cedars at Misterios Negros

Lava at Misterios Negros

The Road Into Misterios Negros

We left the ship about 9:00 in the morning and drove across Terceira to Misterios Negros (Black Mysteries), a park on the edge of an extinct volcanic crater. Terceira is heavily forested with Japanese Cedars which were planted because their needles collect water from fog. The trees grow to maturity in only 20 to 25 years. We hiked through these trees for most of our tour. The path led through the forest and eventually through fields of black, volcanic rocks. While the hike was not particularly strenuous, the path was treacherous. The previous day’s storm had left the path wet and muddy. Tree roots were everywhere and some sections involved climbing over and through rocks. By the time we finished the hike, we were wet and muddy. The path was so covered with needles and roots that it was completely obscured in many sections. Our guide was bringing up the rear, so we were left to pick our way through the forest from trail marker to trail marker. It was an adventure.

Stone Wall on Terceira

There was no housing in the interior of the island. Even the farmers lived in the villages along the coast. The dominant architectural style was neo-gothic. Nearly all of the houses were painted white with red tile roofs. Only the trim was colorful. Many buildings were constructed from the native basalt and then covered with plaster. Fields were delineated by stone walls built from the stones pulled from the fields when the land was cleared. Dairy farming was the dominant industry on the island. We saw lots of cows, but did see some bulls being raised for the bull runs which are still held during the summer months.

The tour operator dropped some of us in the center of Praia da Vitoria. I immediately went to the bank to get some euros, since I hadn’t brought any and the ship was not exchanging currencies. Then I set out to look for a European SIM card. I found the cell phone store, but it was only open in the mornings.

Praia da Vitoria

I walked across Praia da Vitoria to the beach and marina. I started to climb up to the monument on the top of the hill, but the steps were tall and uneven and I had already exhausted my ability to take large steps on the hike. I climbed up far enough to get the lay of the land. Then I repaired to a cafe by the beach to get some lunch. Our tour guide had told us that the local specialty was alcatra de carne, beef slow cooked in a clay pot, so I ordered that with a side of bread and a small Portuguese beer. The alcatra was delicious and I enjoyed relaxing in the sunshine for an hour.

Waterfront Pathway

After lunch, I walked the three miles back to the ship. Praia da Vitoria had constructed a lovely waterfront path from the port to the downtown to lure cruise ship passengers to the town. The problem was that the path ended at the edge of the port and the cruise ship dock was on the far side of the port. Unlike most ports, this one was wide open and we were left to our own devices to find our way across the parking lots and access roads to the ship.

I was tired and not at all hungry. I did come out of my cabin to go to the 19:00 show, but then went back to my cabin. Watching a movie was as much energy as I could expend.

November 12, 2022 Ponta Delgada, Sao Miguel, Azores

The Pier in Ponta Delgada

I peeked out through the curtains at 7:00 just as the ship pulled into Ponta Delgada. Once again, I had
signed up for a tour of the island. We left the ship at 9:00 and headed out across Ponta Delgada. Ponta Delgada is much larger than Praia da Vitoria. Sao Miguel is the largest island in the Azores, containing half of the population. Ponta Delgada was a real city with a nice harbor, central plaza, large church, and busy shopping area. Nearly all of the buildings were in the same neo-gothic style we had seen on Terceira.

Cistern at Pineapple Plantation

Pineapple Greenhouse

Just past the downtown area, we stopped at a pineapple plantation. The original export from the Azores was wheat and rye. Eventually, the population grew to the point where the inhabitants were consuming all the grain produced. At that point, oranges replaced grain as the principal export. That lasted until the orange groves became infested with mealy bugs. There were no pesticides in the 18^th century, so the orange groves perished. The crops that replaced oranges were tea and pineapples.

Pineapples require warm temperatures to produce fruit. The temperatures in the Azores are not warm enough, so pineapples are grown in greenhouses. The greenhouses had gutters to collect the rainwater, which then was consolidated in large cisterns, Pineapples are grown in three phases. After the fruit is harvested, the roots of the mature plants are replanted horizontally until they produce multiple sprouts. After about three months, these sprouts are separated and transplanted. They are allowed to grow until they are about ten months old and are then replanted in their final configuration where they will remain until the fruit matures.

Giant Norfolk Pine

Antonio Borges Botanical Garden

Australian Fig Tree

Our next stop was the botanical garden of Antonio Borges. Borges made a fortune and the garden was once the yard of his home. Today, it is a 20 acre public park full of exotic trees and fantastic stone follies. I knew that the British navy had planted Norfolk pines all around the world because they grew straight and tall and could be used as replacement masts. I had never really seen one large enough to be used as a sailing ship mast, but the one in the botanical garden was immense. There was also an impressive Australian Fig tree. The trees had been planted around 1857.

After the garden, we continued on to the destination of our tour, the Volcano Sete Cidades. There were two lakes in the crater, one green and one blue. The shallower of the two is warmer and green algae grows in it which gives it its distinctive color. It was very overcast when we visited and both lakes appeared gray.

Lakes in the Sete Cidades Crater

Church of Sao Nicolau

There was a pretty little town in the bottom of the crater centered around the parish church of Sao Nicolau set in a pretty park. The park featured an avenue of trees. The first two were more giant Norfolk pines. The remainder were Japanese cedars.

The bus dropped us back at the port, but it wasn’t far from there to downtown Ponta Delgada. I walked back into town past the fortifications that had been turned into a military museum and the colorful fishing fleet. The whole town was neo-gothic in style. I walked past the city gates, the main plaza, and the big church. Everywhere, the ground was paved with patterned stones in black and white. I found another cell phone store, but it, too, was closed. I walked around, looking for a cafe, but all the cafes were outdoors and it started to rain. I headed back towards the boat until I found a free table in a waterfront restaurant. I stopped there for a lunch of shrimp risotto and champagne. Then I returned to the ship.

Main Square in Ponta Delgada

Ponta Delgada's Fishing FLeet

The Fortress at Ponta Delgada

November 13, 2022 At Sea

The Stern Deck

After a couple of days of exploring islands, it was nice to have a day at sea. We ate a leisurely breakfast and then played cards in the Spinnaker lounge until lunchtime. It was growing warmer as we sailed south and was nice enough to eat lunch on the stern deck. Devin was playing in the Atrium in the afternoon and early evening. We listened to him while Mary Nell and I looked at travel books about Portugal and decided where we wanted to go.

We ate a late dinner at the buffet and then played cards in Lynne and Mary Nell’s cabin until bedtime.

November 14, 2022 Santa Cruz de la Palma, La Palma, Islas Canarias

Santa Cruz de la Palma

We arrived in Santa Cruz de la Palma, the capitol of La Palma, at 8:00 in the morning and were soon allowed to disembark. By 9:30, we had contracted with a taxi driver named Oscar to show us around the island for four hours.

Our first stop was a viewpoint overlooking Santa Cruz. Then we headed for the Parque Nacional Caldera de Taburiente. About the year 1400, the Taburiente volcano blew up and created a huge crater in the center of the island. A smaller volcano, La Cumbrecita, later formed inside the caldera. We stopped at the visitor’s center at the La Cumbrecita overlook. Then we drove up into the caldera. The caldera was filled with Canary Island Pines and the views were spectacular. Rugged cliffs ringed the remaining rim of the caldera.

View from the Visitor's Center

Lynne at the Caldera de Taburiente

Cliffs Surrounding the Caldera

View Downward from the Caldera

Lava Flow at El Paso

Our next stop was the most recent volcanic eruption. The lava began flowing in September of 2021. It took ten days to reach the sea. The lava covered a whole hillside and enveloped homes and businesses. The cinders covered even a larger area in the vicinity of the town of El Paso.

Cinders Covered Everything

The Millennium Cross

View from Brena Alta Overlook

Our taxi driver lived near the village of Brena Alta and knew of a wonderful overlook on Montana de La Brena where none of the tour buses ever went. He took us up there. Every hundred years, a new cross was erected on top of the mountain. In 2000, because it was the start of a new millennium, a special cross was installed called the Millennium Cross. It was a graceful, modern sculpture. The mountain overlooked the airport and the port.

Cat Guarding the Church

Our tour concluded at the Santuario de Nuestra Senora de las Nieves. We found a lazy tabby cat sleeping at the entrance to the church. It was a cute little church with an ornate altar.

The Charco Azul

We were hungry, but also wanted to see the northern part of the island. We asked our driver if he could give us an hour to eat and then take us up the coast. There were four cruise ships in town and the restaurants were crowded. Oscar suggested that he make us a reservation at a restaurant near where we wanted to go. He would drive us there and then give us an hour to eat once we got there. That seemed like a good idea, so we continued on to San Andres y Sauces where we ate lunch at Rompecabos, overlooking the sea. The restaurant was located just above the Charco Azul, a blue pool on the edge of the sea. The coast near there was rocky and dramatic. We ate fish with patatas arrugadas (wrinkled potatoes), the local specialty.

Rompecabos Restaurant

Waterfall at Los Tilos

After lunch, we drove up to Los Tilos, another park where a waterfall fell from a cliff. The canyon was verdant and covered with ferns. We hiked a short distance from where we parked to the base of the waterfall. It was 17:00 and the light was dimming. It was getting hard to see where the path passed through tunnels.

It took us another hour to drive back to Santa Cruz. The north part of the island was cloudy and cool, but soon we drove back into the sun as we headed south. It was still warm in Santa Cruz. We said goodbye to Oscar near the ship and then Karen and I walked back into the historic center of Santa Cruz and spent an hour window shopping before we returned to the ship just in time to catch a performance of gypsy violin music on the ship. It had been a long day.

November 15, 2022 Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, Islas Canarias

The Norwegian Sun in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

We were off the ship just after 8:00 and eventually caught a shuttle to the end of the kilometer long dock. There, we contracted with Javier, a taxi driver, to take us on a tour of the island. Tenerife is a large island and we did a lot of driving. There are a million people living on Tenerife and we had not seen so much traffic since we left New York. Santa Cruz de Tenerife is the capitol and business center of the island. It is not a center of tourism other than for cruise ships.

The Performing Arts Center

We drove through the city on a modern highway. The concert hall was designed by Calatrava and looked like a small Sydney Opera House inside a crescent moon. We stopped at an overlook and then drove for an hour to the Teide Volcano. We stopped at one vista point to view the volcano from afar and then continued up onto the side of the volcano. Like La Palma, Tenerife once had a larger volcano that blew up, leaving a massive crater in the center of the island. The volcano was built up from numerous eruptions over time. The circumstances differed between eruptions, leaving multiple layers of lava in different colors. When the lava contained a lot of gas, the lava was blown high into the sky and rained down as layers of white ash. If a lot of water was present, the lava oxidized and turned orange. If the eruption was slow and viscous, the layer was hard and black. We stopped at a viewpoint on the side of the volcano to see the different layers. The landscape was lunar for miles around.

Teide Volcano from Afar

Different Volcanic Layers

The Teide Crater

The Teide volcano is 3700 meters high and is the tallest mountain in Spain. It was formed after the original volcano collapsed. There is a funicular that runs up to the top of the volcano, but we would have had to buy tickets in advance. We continued on, pausing at a parking area near the edge of the crater that was so lunar that landing craft for interplanetary missions have been tested there.

Our last stop on the volcano was at the Roques de Garcia (Garcia Rocks.) There, lava had risen to the surface through fissures in the surrounding rock and then cooled. This lava was harder than the original rock and remained once the other rock had eroded away, leaving dramatic formations.

Roques de Garcia

Teide Volcano from Roques de Garcia

Garden in Orotava

Once we left the volcano, we drove for another hour or so to the town of Orotava. Orotava was a well preserved colonial town with many lovely houses and beautiful gardens. The oldest building in town was the Casa de los Balcones. We didn’t have time to visit the museum, there, but we did wander around the town, checking out the small botanical garden, a lovely formal garden, and finally meeting our driver at the Iglesia de Nuestra Senora de la Concepcion (Church of our Lady of the Conception.)

A short drive later, we arrived at Puerto Santa Cruz, the touristic center of Tenerife. There, we found black sand beaches with inexplicably turquoise water and big waves tempting surfers. We walked around the town, but there wasn’t much of interest. Everything was modern and we weren’t interested in shopping or dining, which seemed to be the main activities other than the beach.

Surfers at Puerto Santa Cruz

Sand at Puerto Santa Cruz

Javier eventually left us in downtown Santa Cruz de Tenerife where we walked for awhile before settling on a restaurant where we could get tapas and beer. We walked a bit around the city and waterfront and then headed back to the ship. The shuttle had stopped running at 16:00, so it was a long walk back to the ship. We had originally planned to go back out for dinner, but couldn’t see walking at least two miles just to go to dinner, so we stayed on the ship even though all aboard wasn’t until 23:30.

Monuments in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

Flowering Rooftop in Santa Cruz de Tenerife

November 16, 2022 Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

We arrived at Gran Canaria quite early and were off the ship before 8:00. Taxis were waiting right outside the ship to take us wherever we wanted to go. With so much time, there were many options.   We wanted to go to the painted cave, but it didn’t open until 10:00.  We decided to start our day by driving to the south end of the island (the port was on the north side) to see the Maspalomas Dunes. It took us almost an hour to get there in rush hour traffic. Gran Canaria has a million inhabitants and 350,000 of them live in Las Palmas, so it is quite a big city. There were many wind turbines on and off the shore and our driver said they provided 9% of the islands energy.

The Maspalomas Dunes

Our taxi driver stopped at the RIU in Playa Inglesa where there is a nice view of the dunes. It was still fairly early and there were dramatic shadows. We had to dodge workers setting up for a marathon that would happen in a few days, but they had set up temporary walkways across the sand so we could still view the dunes and take pictures. From there, we drove to the beach where there was a tall lighthouse and a nice promenade. Most of the shops were still closed, but we got a chance to stretch our legs and look at the scenery. Unlike Tenerife, Gran Canaria has white sand beaches.

Beach at Playa Inglesa

Lighthouse at Playa Inglesa

The Bandama Crater

Our next stop was the Bandama Crater. There are five volcanic craters on Gran Canaria and Bandama Crater is the smallest one with a circumference of just one kilometer and a depth of 200 meters. We drove to the top of the remaining peak to take pictures and enjoy the view of Las Palmas. Mary Nell and Lynne bought jewelry from one of the vendors, there. Our taxi driver talked to the museum at the Painted Cave and determined that there was a guided tour in English at 12:30, so we aimed to arrive for that.

Park in Arucas

Iglesia de San Juan Bautista in Arucas

Heading back towards the north end of the island, we drove through many banana plantations and then stopped in the town of Arucas to see the impressive Iglesia de San Juan Bautista de Arucas, built entirely of lava stone. We walked a bit in the large park and then wandered through some of the shops. I got a screw tightened in my sun glasses, as I was about to lose it.

The Painted Cave Museum and Archaeological Park is located in the city of Galdar. Galdar covers a hill and we were surprised to find the museum hidden in a warren of steep and narrow side streets. Fortunately, we there were very few people there. We seemed to have missed the bus tour. Our taxi driver, Luis, was able to wait for us in the one available parking space.

The Painted Cave Museum

We were half an hour early and had a chance to peruse the gift shop and take advantage of the free WiFi. I bought a 2023 calendar (hard to find in Mexico) and a pair of earrings. Our tour guide was a cheerful, young woman who spoke good English. She explained that the first inhabitants of Gran Canaria came from North Africa with their livestock and seeds less than 3000 years ago, but no one knows how they got there because they did not possess any knowledge of sailing. It is speculated that some other people brought them there, perhaps intending them to be slaves either there or elsewhere.

 While physically not much different from Europeans, when the Castillians discovered them in the 15^th century, the Canarians had only neolithic tools. They were easily conquered by the Castillians, even though they were physically larger and stronger, because they lacked metal weapons. They held out for a century or so but, eventually, only 200 of the original 20,000 inhabitants of the island were allowed to remain. Arminda, the only daughter of the chief, was given to the Castillians and the rest were either killed or taken as slaves.

Replica of a Canarian House

Sleeping Alcove

The Canarians lived in circular stone houses built of natural lava stone and later of bricks cut from the easily worked volcanic tuff. The interior of the houses was cross shaped with beds built into two of the resulting alcoves. The spaces between the circular exterior and the cross-shaped interior were filled with earth which served as insulation. Wooden beams supported the roofs made of stone and earth. The houses had no windows, so all cooking was done outdoors in communal areas. The doors faced south to take advantage of the light and keep out the cold winds blowing from the north.

The museum covered the hillside where numerous houses had been excavated. Surely, there were more ruins under the surrounding buildings, but this site was preserved because it had been buried under a terraced banana plantation for centuries. The painted cave, itself, must have been a religious center for the inhabitants of the village. It was discovered in 1862, but was not preserved until 1987. Today, it is kept in a locked enclosure and visitors can only view it from behind glass and under supervision. Photos are not allowed.

The excavations are criss-crossed with elevated walkways that allow visitors to see the discoveries. There is also a group of restored dwellings that we were able to enter to see how the Canarians had lived before the conquest. It was an interesting tour and I had been curious about the indigenous people of the islands.

Elevator in the Bell Tower

Cathedral of Santa Ana in Las Palmas

Our last stop for the day was at the Cathedral de Santa Ana in Las Palmas. Karen and I paid 2 euros to take the elevator up the tower to see the view of the city. We didn’t pay the 3 euro admission to see the inside of another church. Lynne and Mary Nell enjoyed sitting in the cathedral square. We drove back to the ship through modern Las Palmas, which seemed quite a contrast to the old town. Our driver left us just outside the gangway.

Modern Mall in Las Palmas

Karen and I walked a short distance to a nearby shopping mall, hoping to find some free WiFi. There was WiFi in the food court. I hadn’t intended to eat, but saw a doner kebab shop and couldn’t resist. We ate a late lunch/early dinner and used the internet for an hour before returning to the ship. I went to dinner a little later with Lynne and Mary Nell, but only had a salad and dessert. After dinner, we all went to see the singer, Ricky Rojas. He was a good entertainer and I enjoyed the show. I went straight to bed, after that.

November 17, 2022 At Sea

I was so tired that I slept in until 8:45. Too many days of getting up early and running around all day with no naps had taken it’s toll. I nearly missed breakfast by the time I had showered, redone my braid and sent my dirty clothes to the laundry. We played cards until about 13:30 and then I lounged a bit, had a snack, and returned to my cabin to write.

November 18, 2022 Gibraltor, UK

Rock of Gibtaltor in the Clouds

It was raining when we arrived in Gibraltor. We contemplated waiting to see if the weather cleared, but were afraid we wouldn’t be able to find a taxi, later, so we headed up the rock in the rain. We couldn’t even see the top when we left the ship. Our first stop was at St. Michael’s cave. The road was so steep that, when we opened the van door, it slid back with such force that it came off the track. Our taxi driver was very unpleasant about it, even though he managed to reattach it.

Angel in St. Michael's Cave

Rock Formations

St. Michael’s cave is large and full of fantastic formations from the minerals deposited by dripping water. The natural phenomena are enhanced with dramatic lighting that changes continuously. It is named St. Michael’s cave because the formations resemble an angel. The cave houses a theater and a seven-minute light show plays on a loop. The light show was very innovative and often made it feel like we were underwater. When we emerged from the cave, macaques had perched on top of our taxi and we had to shoo them off. If it hadn’t been raining, there would have been more.

The Theater in St. Michael's Cave

View from the Skywalk

Macaque on the Roof

We continued up the road to the Skywalk where we had a good view of the landing strip and our ship. We could also see a sunken freighter with an oil boom around it. Then we descended, making another stop at the site of the tunnels dug during WWII. Exploring those tunnels would have required another tour.

Sunken Freighter

Trafalgar Cemetery

After our tour of the rock, we had a few hours to explore the town. We visited the Trafalgar Cemetery where some of the sailors who died of wounds received during the battle of Trafalgar in 1805 were buried. Those killed during the battle were buried at sea. It was a peaceful spot with some graves dating back to the 18^th century. The fortifications at Gibraltor were built over time and varied in age. The weather improved as the day wore on. By the time we sailed at 16:00, the sky was mostly blue.

Entrance to the Fortifications

Gibraltor Town

November 19, 2022 Malaga and Ronda, Spain

Driving to Ronda

The ship docked in Malaga. We wanted to go to Granada to see the Alhambra, but it was Saturday and
there were no tickets available. It would have been a hassle to get there, anyway. We opted to take a taxi to Ronda, an ancient village up in the hills at about 4,000 feet. It was chilly up there, but Ronda was fantastic. The village dates back to Roman times and was later occupied by the Moors for 700 years. It was built on the edge of a dramatic canyon spanned by a spectacular old bridge. We stopped to admire the views and then continued on to the Plaza de Toros in order to save some walking.

The Bridge at Ronda

The Cathedral Square

Ronda has the oldest riding school in Spain. It was started to train cavalry, but evolved into dressage. Bull fighting started as a cavalry exercise, but developed into an art form. Ronda has the oldest bull ring in Spain. It is still in excellent condition and now contains an interesting museum which we took an hour to visit. Our driver, Pepe, was very pleasant and accommodating. He didn’t speak English, but I had fun chatting with him in Spanish as I sat in the front seat and translated for Lynne, Mary Nell, and Karen.

The Canyon at Ronda

The Bull Ring at Ronda

Bull Chute

Arena at the Riding School

Stable Yard at the Riding School

Former Military Barracks in Ronda

We used up most of our allotted time around the Plaza de Toros, but Pepe was kind enough to take us back up to the church square for a few photos of the church and former military barracks. The drive to Ronda took an hour and a half each way and we got to see a lot of the Spanish countryside. There were a lot of wind turbines operating on the ridges.

Old Castle in the Spanish Countryside

Wind Turbines

View from Gibralfaro

The Cathedral in Malaga

Pepe took us on a quick tour of Malaga on our way back to the ship. We visited the castle of Gibralfaro, which offered great views of the city. It was a large castle and we didn’t have time to visit all of it. After a quick visit to the cathedral, we returned to the ship. Mary Nell and Lynne were tired, but Karen and I headed back to town to explore as much as possible before our 18:30 sailing time.

The Alcazar in Malaga

The Pompidou Center in Malaga

The ship was docked near a shopping and dining complex surrounding the Pompidou Center, a semi-subterranean event center crowned by a modern cube of colored glass panels. We hurried through that area and crossed the street to walk through the city park. We bought toasted, blanched almonds lightly coated with oil and salt that were so tasty we bought a second helping on the way back. We walked past the city hall and then found ourselves at the Alcazar. Not realizing that the entrance to the Alcazar was not close to the entrance to Gibralfaro, we had bought combination tickets. Since we already had tickets, we decided to check out the Alcazar. It was an old, moorish fort/palace complex that spread up the hill to the castle. It was all very similar, so we elected to use our time to have a glass of wine and enjoy the view of the harbor. Then we scurried back to the ship before it got dark.

View from the Bar at the Alcazar

November 20, 2022 Cadiz and Sevilla, Spain

Our Brand New Taxi

There isn’t a whole lot to see in Cadiz. It is a small city on the end of a peninsula, mostly notable for its harbor. The last time I had been in Spain, we had stayed with a friend in a nearby town and not even bothered to visit Cadiz. This time, we hired a taxi to take us for a three hour tour of Sevilla, an hour away, and an hour tour of Cadiz. We were leaving rather early, that day. We were the first ever passengers in a brand new taxi and it was quite comfortable.

The drive to Sevilla took us through a lot of empty fields and pine trees. We saw sheep and cattle. All the sheep were shorn and looked cold. Our driver gave us two hours at the cathedral square. It was Sunday and masses were being conducted in the cathedral, so we were unable to see the main altar or the tomb of Columbus. We did take the time to visit the Real Alcazar, a moorish palace where the king of Spain still stays when he is in Sevilla.

The Cathedral Square in Sevilla

Intricate Details

Patio of the Alcazar

The Alcazar was very reminiscent of the Alhambra, with intricate tile work, carving, and stained glass surrounding hidden patios. Karen and I were happy that Lynne and Mary Nell were able to see some of what they had missed when we had to skip the Alhambra. The gardens were even more extensive than those at the Alhambra and even contained a hedge maze. We had limited time, so elected not to get lost in the maze. It was easy to use up two hours exploring the Alcazar and wandering around the cathedral square.

Gallery at the Alcazar

Alcazar Gardens

Guitarist at Spanish Square

Our second stop in Sevilla was at the Spanish Square where government buildings representing every Spanish province were fronted by a moat and curved around a huge plaza. Decorated tiles depicting each province graced the plaza level of the buildings. Vendors and street performers filled the arcades. We heard a couple of guitarists and stopped to watch some flamenco dancers. There was a lovely park across the street, but we didn’t have time to visit the park.

Tile Representing the Canaries

The Spanish Square

Somehow, we had gotten a bit behind schedule, so we didn’t get a full hour tour of Cadiz. We whizzed along the waterfront and stopped at the cathedral square for a few pictures. Cadiz is protected by two castles, but we didn’t stop long enough to photograph them. The city is walled and entered by a single gate as it sits at the end of a peninsula. After the driver dropped us off, we all elected to walk a bit, looking for an ATM to replenish our euros. We walked along the fortifications and admired the monument commemorating the Napoleonic Wars. We sailed early and I did get a chance to snap a picture of one of the castles as we departed.

Cadiz Waterfront

Cadiz City Walls

Cadiz Cathedral

Napoleonic War Monument

Castle at Cadiz

It was our last night on the ship and Mary Nell, Lynne and I spent it in the Windjammer Lounge listening to Devin. We were all sorry to break up our habitual gathering and Devin insisted we take photos together. It was sad to say goodbye.

Devin Provenzano with Renem Mary Nell, and Lynne

The Windjammer Lounge

November 21, 2022 Lisbon, Portugal

The Norwegian Sun in Lisbon

We pulled into Lisbon early Monday morning. There was a bit of a hang up getting the luggage
offloaded, so we had time to eat breakfast before we disembarked. Karen went straight to the airport, while Lynne had time to take a tour of Lisbon before heading to her plane. Mary Nell and I tried to get a cab to the train station, but the taxis didn’t want to accept such a small fare. We ended up having to drag all our luggage several blocks down the waterfront to the St. Apolonia station where we soon boarded a train to take us north to Porto.