Galle

There is a 600 yar old Dutch fort here, it predates the British by 300 yar.  We had a nine hour day to check this out with a private driver type tour. The actual driving is shambolic. A combination of blind faith, luck and not going too fast, but we have seen this before in the Philippines and Indonesia. We stopped off at a Turtle Sanctuary. This was the best with a hands on play with lots of turtles. Next was a hand rub at a place that makes anti arthritis oil. It might be snake oil but lets see if I can get it past customs.

3 days old

Full size leatherback

Galle  Lighthouse

Pith and Pomp

The man in charge of the door was wearing a Pith helmet.  England and Empire are gone but Mt Livinia still stands.  A sprawling complex 210 yar old, first existed as the Governor's residence then a military hospital and now a hotel. There is a ballroom that defies description not to mention the massive chandelier.  It was arduous not, today!  We had to decide on drinks and food.   What is the collective name for chefs?  There were tall toques bobbing and weaving.  What about a cauldron of chefs. The beach here is steep with pounding waves, always entertaining.

A Regalia of Doormen?

Strictly

European highlight

Highlights are a hard thing to pick so I will categorise. Scenery wise, Durdle Door is the winner but I would not rate the beach. Best experience would have to be Cartojal for sheer surprise and enthusiasm of the locals but the Spanish are known for their quirky local festivals.Ancient site would go to Maiden's Lair mainly because I have not seen this type of thing before but more for the way I found the over grown sign and broken gate that got us there. Best church and I have seen a few (at least 30 more on this trip) is hands down Sagrada Familia. As well as seeing it in action on the news. The museum winner is also in Barcelona at the  Maritime Museum. Best accommodation category goes to Chateau de Villeray because of its original condition without a single thing changed in its hundreds of years, although we stayed in the Flour Mill. Best town goes to St Malo. We stayed three days and would like to return. Best Beach goes to NewQuay. This town has numerous beaches. We had great weather and ate at cafes twice on the Mistral.

Villeray

Pocket Coffee

I have had a few goals along the way, not just sites and scenery but also culinary.  I had a run in with some snails which made me sick. Recall my post at the start of the cruise. The black pudding wasn't too bad.  The other three items on my list were tasted and tried except for one. The Belem custard tart was delicious. The cornish pastie (Oggly) was plentiful and tasty but the elusive Pocket Coffee was non existent.  This is meant to be an English specialty.  I checked numerous stores, super markets, specialty confectionary places.  I canvassed people in the street, store workers, demanded to see the manager. No one has even heard of it!  The airport here is dripping with chocolate. Every type and kind of choco treat is here, from Hershey to Cadbury and everyone else but there is no Pocket Coffee.

Heathrow

Just making a note to self.  This is the second time I have ventured to Heathrow. It is a big place. Allow one hour to return your car. This includes time to fill it with diesel then get to the Europcar facility and deal with their inspections and paperwork, although we had insurance for 0 excess anyway. Then there is their bus which does the rounds of the terminals. We have another 5 hours before flight time but we are in the airport lounge now so meals and champers are on tap. Emirates are well organised to be able to take your bags 6 hours before flight time.

No 1 Lounge

Durdle Door

Navigation has been tricky in the south of England. Today we were looking for something big from Jurassic times.  We found it along with a few other people.  We went right up to the door but not through it. The Durdle Door is much tougher limestone than the surrounding chalk.  The chalk is very white, made 100 million yar ago by small fish skeletons landing on the sea floor and crushing together over time. We can see chalk cliffs from our hotel.

Durdle Door

Lulworth Chalk

Bournemouth

This town seems to be your typical summer location from the 1900's complete with pier, bathing boxes, amusement arcade and dance hall.  Our hotel room looks down on all of it.  It was a bit cool when we arrived at 4:00 pm but we still had a champagne on the beach.  We took the world's shortest Funicular to get down to the beach and finished off with the tea at Aruba Dance Hall.

First ever bathing box

Funicular

Heritage Sites

We have progressed to our last Europe stop, this time around.  Along the way we checked out the Maiden's Lair.  This is a hilltop fortification established during Roman times.  They dug channels and piled dirt as high as possible to form defensive walls. We found our way to a back road, another one of these single track narrow roads. The navigator said you have arrived.  About 1km from here I spied a broken down gate and fence which was pointing the right way.  We broke into a farmers paddock and parked on his field.  Sure enough on top was the maiden's castle.

Thousands used to live here. Now it's just sheep.

Newquay

This is the surf capital of England.  Nearby is a town called Torquay of Fawlty Towers fame.  We spent the day in town as the weather was beachy and the tide was way out so we walked the various coves and caves and had our first pizza in a high restuarant over looking the Fistral. We stayed on the beach until 8:30 pm sunset then wandered back to the Atlantic Hotel on the headland.

Art Deco Atlantic

Tintagel

King Arthur is meant to have been pulling swords around here. We did see a sword in the mud but it is a spectacular location with almost more dogs than people. We took a few smaller roads to get to NewQuay. They are one car wide, winding and hemmed in by blackberry bushes. We encountered numerous head on situations with much reversing by a column of cars in front of us.  Debbie was driving during all this but we got through to better roads eventually.

Excalibur

It's BathTime

We were all over Bath like soap suds. The actual bath house is a huge complex which we spent hours wandering through.  We drank some of the water which was warm and metallic. Also we checked out the Royal Crescent but the centre of Bath is High Tea heaven.  And now we have a Jane Austen tea pot for the occasion.  The Bath Priory has better gardens than the local Botanic Gardens.

Crescent Moon

Roman Baths

Jane's Biggest Book

StoneHenge

We had a long day today. The boat actually docked a 3:30 am so we thought it was time to get off but we had to wait til 7:00am.  We picked up our car at 8:30 and then proceeded to StoneHenge.  This was relatively clear at 9:30am but when we left at 11:30am it was getting crowded.  I was prepared with internet tickets.  We converted those tickets to Heritage England membership so we can enter other sites.  StoneHenge is an iconic spot well worth the visit. We finished off the day at the Bath Priory.

Some have been unhenged

Sea Legs Land Legs

We have moved back to solid ground. I recommend trying a cruise. It is not a simple thing. In the end our bill was $US 2500 for the on board costs. These were mostly drinks but paid as a pre package of $US 1820. If you add up the actual drinks cost we spent $US 2300 which includes all coffees, water bottles and alcohol so we were well in front.  I can't remember the pre-cruise cost for our room but I think it was about $AUD 6000.  The weather was perfect with calm waters.  14 days was probably our limit but this is the longest that Royal Caribbean runs a cruise.  I think we were the only ones on the boat that did not have another cruise already booked.

Pantheon and Pool

Cruise day Food day

For some people if you are on board all day and all night then food will fill the time available. The game of deck chairs is always fun.  We use the Solarium pool always, unless there is no more room.  Beds do free up, however I observed a new development I had never seen before. A group of two or three were using more beds than they could sit on, perhaps up to five beds.  Their scheme involved two locations, beds in the sun and beds in the shade. They were alternating between sun, shade and Spa pool so you couldn't really see them all in one location.  There are also secret reserved places where deck chair wars are not required. The holiest of holy, Concierge Club and Diamond Club.  One thousand days cruising gets you into the Diamond Room opened by digital code only.
The best show of the cruise was on last night, The Bohemians and they have studied Queen for every nuance. No one can do Bohemian Rhapsody like Queen but they gave it a good try.

Last of the Bohemians

Lisbon

 Lisbon is an interesting navigation challenge.  This is the most complex find your way city I have ever been to including Venice.  We went from the National Pantheon to the Castle of St George and down to the Main Square.  The route has complex switch backs, with dangerous cobblestones jutting at all angles.  A hidden twisting tram route cuts through all obstacles and don't get in the way. The castle is always above you somewhere but you can't see it unless you are in the right street.
 Another navigation feat was demonstrated proving that motivation conquers all. Prior to the trip I thought the Pandora bracelet was full, however with some squeezing and rearranging, new trinkets can be added.  With an unerring skill that Vasco Da Gama would have been proud of (we saw his tomb in the pantheon), Debbie found her way through the commercial district, past a train station, through heat infested crowds, up some steep streets to emerge into a shopping centre with a Pandora store.

Pantheon

WindJammer

Don't underestimate the WindJammer for the evening meal. Yes you have the signature Chops Grille, your Sabor, Izumi and Giovanni's Table, not to mention the Sapphire Dining room but the run of the mill, help yourself breakfast bar also opens for teatime. Last night we had Lobster and a jumbo prawn paella.  Don't think about your dressing up, get here in thongs, shorts and your tongue hanging out. We had a large whole lobster each cut in two halves.  Don't forget dessert. There was a sign up about how the head chef was presiding tonight and particularly at the dessert bar. He had got the team onto making cakes and there must have been 50 huge cakes with choco decorations.

Sugar me Timbers

Cadiz

Some years back we went to Mexico where we took some tours of  the Mayan ruins at Tulum.  The guide there was scathing about the Spanish and in particular Cortez.  Nothing but killers who steal, he said.  Cortez left from Cadiz on two expeditions of conquest. There are huge monuments to him at this end.  This is the oldest inhabited place in Europe, started by the phoenicians 3000 yar ago. There are creepy full size kissing statues in the churches here.

Kiss me

Monument to Conquistadors

Cartojal

You can research a trip and plan it as you want but there will always be a surprise some where along the way and I think Cartojal may the highlight of the trip.  We were going about our business when we turn into a slightly more crowded, more noisier, more inebriated street scene.  Then we could here music of the Mariachi style, from then on it took 4 hours before we could drag ourselves away to the beach for a quick cool off dip.  They walk the streets with bottles of fruit wine called Cartojal. The bottles come with cups like shot glasses. It is a 15 percent proof brew in a frozen state that slides down so easily in the heat.  The whole street erupts in dancing with moves that everyone knows.

Spanish dancers

Three Cheers for Cartojal

1 Picasso 2 Picasso 3 Picasso 4

I've seen better on my kitchen Floor.  Due to the juxtaposition of light and the subjugation of lateral movements at the time not to mention the menstrual affectations requiring an intensity of thought throughout his containment period, I believe many of his works look a bit kindergarten.  I did like the sculpture better especially the Bicycle Bull.  Now that is genius in simplicity.

Book Mayhem

I have still been pursuing my Hugo project during all this fun stuff.  We found a secondhand bookshop in Mallorca where this eccentric Englishman (What other kind?) had moved all his thousands of secondhand books from London to Spanish speaking Mallorca.  The place was a rabbit warren, three floors of books that we had to inch past without knocking any over. I could have spent hours looking for SciFi  Hugos but the boat waits for no one.  I did get a book printed in the 18th century. Someone owned it in 1921 but it was written in year 0 by Titus Livius. That's a round number. The Arab baths were also a highlight.

Arab Baths

Valencia revisited

12 per cent of all travel in Valencia is by bike and they have many bike paths to prove it.  That's how we travelled last time.  This time it was all bus and out to La Vall d'Uixo where there is an underground river you can boat through. Back in Valencia we walked around the Old Town which we had already seen but always good to have a refresher.  This was a shorter day as the boat leaves at 3:00 pm but that's OK as we can have the Spanish siesta.  PS If you ever want to see bull fights or running with the bulls, the smaller towns like Vall d'Uixo do it on a quarterly basis. To them it is tradition and only 5 people have died this year. Bully for them!

River Cave

Neptune Again

Balearic Islands

Mallorca is the population capital but Ibiza is the party capital around here.  We are running out of a few things like toothpaste and sunblock.  We found some potatoe chips at last but they were a bit moorish.  We saw a few things here like the old town and its castle but the best was the Arab Baths. These must have been 1000 yar old and based on a Roman idea of hot room, steam room and cold shower room. There is a good bike track around the beaches that we can try next time.

Moor Moor

Ancient bath house

Barcelona Day 2

Some years back before internet ticket sales we turned up at Sagrada Familia and the queue for tickets was a kilometre long.  This time I bought tickets two months ago and when we arrived there were no queues, just a sign that said sold out today. It was much more relaxed everyone had the same printed sheet.  Inside the church is completely finished and you would not know it was a construction site.  This is a unique place. All the construction is now on the remaining towers only 8 years to go.

Gaudi in full flight

Barcelona Day 1

We have been to Barcelona a few times. No 1 this time was the Maritime Museum. The Spanish Galley preceded the Spanish Galleon. They have a complete Galley except for the masts in this museum.  These were oared ships, 4 slaves to an oar. They were chained to the seat and that is where they lived, slept, ate and crapped.  We took the cable car to Barcelonetta, also a first for us. This beach is an old haunt and we couldn't resist the Seafood Paella and Sangria. We took a taxi to get back at 7 Euros, while the cable car was a 1 hour wait and 8 Euros each.

One cable or two

Galley Slave

Cartagena

This is the easiest town to explore. You hop off the boat and you are in the town.  We spent just 40 Euros for the entire time including lunch. We had spanish omelette and sangria, what else?  The town is famous for Roman ruins. We saw the Forum and the theatre and also a Moorish castle on top. There is no beach in the town so we went back on the boat for three hours of dozing by the pool. We cruised on out at 5:00pm.  We are trying to use every venue on board at least once. Last night we ate at the Indian restaurant.  This was out of our comfort zone but they went to a lot of trouble to make it less hot.

Main Street with Navigator funnel

The Rock

An iconic piece of geography in the world, passing through the straits of Gibraltar.  This is a small place. We went from one end to the other, up over the top and down into the caves as well, in five hours, using foot, cars and buses. One side is very steep, the other sloping. The cable car is inefficient with queues stretching to the distance, so we paid a driver to take us up.  The English have held this place for 300 yar but before that for 800 yar, it was the Moops!

Distant Navigator

Departure view

Daily Compass

The boat has a daily schedule which started out at 4 pages and is now 6 pages of fine print activities from 6:00 am to 1:00 am the next day, everyday.  Yesterday was a buffet type breakfast but don't eat too much because at  10:30 am was our sushi class. This went for an hour and our sushi rolls carried on for our lunch.  We had tickets to the ice capades at 5:00 pm which was an all dancing ice show but out at sea. We were then just in time for dinner but had to make it short to be in time for the 8:30pm show in the theatre.

Ice Rink in the Atlantic

Britannia rules the waves

This is our second full cruising day at sea in a row. There were rumours from all our neighbours, of the whingeing variety about crossing the Bay of Biscay.  We didn't want to listen and the water turned out to be as smooth as a pond.  Managing time zones is another trick. We needed to make sure we moved forward another hour or we may have been late fir the sushi class.  We made our own sushi and have a certificate to prove it.  This was advanced stuff with the rice on the outside of the norri paper.

Abeam of Lisbon

Sushi Sushi

Formality Formality

We dressed up in formalities last night as it was formality night. I bought a jacket just for the occasion.  In most cases there is a latin phrase that applies, Tuxedo Exceedo which means 'can't fit'.
Yesterday's two inch needle that made a new hole in my bum has proved to be a winner. I have no pain in my knee since and had a better nights sleep.  We got a few things organised such as the drinks package which cost us $2000 for drinks from any venue for 14 days. We also added a 3 night dining package which gets us into the specialty restaurants for half price.  Not to mention the internet package but only pay for one device as you can piggy back your phones using mobile hotspot.

Main pools deck

The wine bar is a cosy corner

Did I say Snails?

Took a visit to the medical centre at 2:00 am last night.  I woke up with my eyes stinging and without realising it, I started to scratch at them which then got unbearable very quickly. The prepared traveller reaches for his Visine which I did have and washed both eyes but they were closing over. Then the throat constrictions started and breathing became difficult.  I spent an hour in the infirmary, they injected me with Roids, I swallowed anti-histamines and breathed through the nebuliser mask for an hour. We have to buy the mask and a ventolin spray. This has all been added to the bill at the end of cruise, using US dollars.  No phasements. The doc said it could have been what I ate but could also have been something in the air conditioning.

The eyes have it

Navigator of the Seas

We have found our way on board. It is the biggest ship we have been on however the locals are telling us this is a small one. We think it is big with features such as a Flowrider, an Ice Skating Rink and a street running down the middle of the ship.  The on boarding was quicker as we have attained a platinum status, so skipped to the head of the queue.  I had two culinary firsts today, black pudding for breakfast and snails for tea.

Navigator docked in Southampton

A plate of Escargot