CADIZ

The morning started out with sprinkles of rain and just as quickly stopped and all in all it was a very nice and sunshiny day.  Cadiz is a nice old city with lots of alleyways to poke around in.  Again we took a hop on and hop off bus – they are the best city tours for the money.    We hopped off the bus in the old city centre and wandered up and down the labyrinth of alleyways.  We were never lost as all alleys lead to a square and then another alley will lead you back to the port. 

There are many city squares with lots of people going about their daily lives and a great many of the people speak some English and can help you find your way.  Wherever we have gone, we are finding everyone so polite and happy to help if they can.

They have some truly beautiful beaches here with fine golden sand.  There is lots of big surf rolling in … and there were lots of surfers out enjoying the big waves.  It is probably only about 15 C and with the wind blowing as it was, there is such a chill in the air.  Wetsuits are a must.  Although we saw one brave soul walking the beach in just shorts.  We had our jackets on with the hoods up and drawn close to cover our ears.  I was glad to get back to the ship to warm up.

You know what we saw here?  No of course you don’t.  Black Friday signs everywhere – telling of great sales in the shops. 

What does the small shopkeeper up one of the tiny alleyways in Cadiz, Spain know of black Friday?  How strange that is.  If someone had told me that we should see such a sight in this small port town, I would have said they were nuts as you are probably thinking right now – but I took a picture of one of the signs just to show you.

We are in port for another 21 hours or so.  Then we will take 6 days to cross the Atlantic.  Having to cancel some of the ports of call and then travel north to avoid the worst of the weather has made it impossible to cross to the Caribbean in only 5 days.  I am looking forward to a few days of down time, but not sure if 6 is too much.  I will find out very soon.

 

 

 

 

 

CHANGE IS NOT ALWAYS GOOD

Our ports have been changed due to the inclement weather.  With the pelting rain and the very strong 100K winds, we could hit 10 meter waves if we proceed.  So instead of Casablanca, we stopped in Tangier. Very quickly they arranged a few tours that we could take and I chose the one to Tetuoin.   We had a lovely bus ride through the country and then were guided through the medina and to a restaurant where had delicious mint tea and cookies. 

It was all very interesting.  The only opportunity for shopping was a carpet place that had some pretty pricey handicrafts.  We were unable to find any bargains there.  I was so hoping to see a market with spices and leather goods and such, but it wasn’t to be.

While watching the bad weather approach, I was able to catch the beginnings of a waterspout.  It was interesting seeing the clouds change and the spout forming.  At one point, I was sure that it reached the water, but due to the distance, I couldn’t be absolutely sure.  I was so happy just to have been looking in the right direction at the right time and get the pictures that I did.

 

We were able to see the Rock of Gibralter although it was slightly obscured by the low clouds.  It was enough that we could tell what it was.  Had it been a nicer day I could easily image what a great sight it must be.

 

 

So with the cancellation of Casablanca, then came the cancellation of Funchal, Portugal and Tenerife Canary Islands.  This nasty low pressure area is staying around for 36 to 48 hours with high winds and big seas.  We are going north to escape and will be arriving in Cadiz, Spain at noon and then tomorrow at 2:00 pm we will leave and take the next 6 days instead of the scheduled 5 to cross the Atlantic to the Caribbean.  We should be back on track by then. 

 

We are told that this is unusual weather and is disappointing, but we will make the best of it.  We are rocking and rolling even on this route.  Not sure what the temperature will be when we get to Cadiz, but the skies are bright so I am optimistic.

COSTA MUSINGS

First at sea day – of only 2 in a row – but 9 altogether.

My expectations of cruising on Costa were not very high after reading on trip advisor, however it is leaving me even more underwhelmed.  Even saying that, the itinerary was the big draw and it is proving to be the greatest part of the adventure and even with only 1 stop, I am enjoying that so very much.

The food leaves a lot to be desired and the service is even worse.  Diana’s cod last night was not cooked – quite pink actually… and she was unable saw through her cantaloupe with the non serrated knife.  I had thin filet of beef that was quite tasty and rare – but the same dish was served to a tablemate and was chewy and overdone.  If you want water at the dining table, you must pay for it.  Diana and I have a water package that came with our cruise ticket, but just try and get a refill – you must ask and are lucky if they are back in 5 minutes.  Three packages of butter for a table of 6 yet the bread baskets are full of dry buns. (European way I suspect…I like the warm soft ones – American style).  Thank goodness I have good teeth.

The buffet service is closed for the day at 4:30 and is not available for dinner.  If you desire something other than the dining room fare, you can pay separately for a pizza or a sandwich.  I have definitely been spoiled by other cruise lines.  The only beverage available without charge for 24 hours…is water from 1 of 3 drinking fountains.  You can only get tea or coffee from 7:00 until 4:30 – when the buffet closes.  The coffee last night in the dining room was Nescafe packages.  Nothing brewed.

When we boarded, we were greeted by our cabin steward, Cecille – I have not seen her since.  So used to the happy greetings of “Good morning, April…Good morning, Eileen” we received on Holland America.  Have not seen nor heard from the captain on board.  At least I hope there is one on board – Costa doesn’t have the best reputation for a captain on  board until the last passenger is off.

The daily calendar of events is quite skimpy.  Today there is a lecture on the upcoming cruise ship ports and the excursion itinerary.  I will attend that to be better informed about our destinations.  I would love to see a cooking demonstration or a tour of the ship galley, but nothing yet.  Yesterday Diana made paper flowers and today is jewelry making.  I might go to that one.

We are at sea for 2 days before we arrive at Casablanca.  With the excursion I have booked, I found that a couple we met from Palm Springs are taking the same one.  I am glad of that.  Diana is not looking to do anything while were are in that port – so it will be nice to have someone English speaking and somewhat familiar to walk with.  I think they say that 5% of the ship are from North America.  This doesn’t surprise me, and a great many of the European passengers can speak English well enough to converse.  They say the language of the ship is English…and with the strong Italian accent, it can be difficult for us to understand, but overall, it works.  Everyone tries – even me – that’s what is important.

Today, we will be going through the straight of Gibralter later in the afternoon and I will be sure to be on the deck for that.  I am not sure what time, but I know it will be interesting and our first sight of land in about 36 hours. 

So there you have it.  I will keep you informed.

 

MARSEILLE

So now as I sit looking out at the harbour in Marseille - all is right with the world.  I am enjoying a café au lait avec sucre et un peu de lait froid.   Ahhhhhh.  The old harbour is full of vessels some for fishing and some for pleasure and high above on a hill sits Notra Dame de la Garde. 


We will take a hop on and hop off bus that will take us to 13 stops around the city.  I am looking forward to having a lovely and relaxing tour of the special spots of the old city of Marseille.  The weather is pleasant enough that we can sit outside on the top of the bus so it should be good for picture taking.  We have English translation earphones - and that is a bonus after our little tour in Savona.

What a great tour of the city on the hop on and hop off.  They are a good overview of the highlights if your time is limited and ours is when we are only in port for a day.  Marseille is a good mixture of vielle and neuveau. 


The port as in all ports is picturesque and we were fortunate to see a European Christmas market.  The temperature is quite warm and lovely sunshine.  So it was nice to do away with coats for a bit.  We were also in the midst of a fish market for a while...some of the offerings were not for our taste...like urchin, octopus, snails (or something like it from the sea) and various other things.  I didn't see anyone buying anything, but there were lots of people, including myself taking photos.

Right now I am sitting with une verre de vin blanc and looking out into the harbour.  This charming restaurant has free wifi and I am taking advantage of it to compose while connected.  I will also download some pictures as it is easier to do while connected also.  Diana has gone back to the ship as she has contracted a cold and not feeling like doing more wandering.

So now on my own, I am able to just sit and enjoy the city and all that it has to offer with people passing by - enjoying the view, resting in quaint little cafe's drinking a wine or a coffee.  Love this - a contented smile is constantly on my face.  Travel is truly amazing.  I don't have to be back to the ship for a while yet, so I will just sit, type and enjoy.

And now I will try and find the bus that I prepaid for and get back to the ship.  I almost feel as though Diana has shared her cold with me, I might stop at the apothecary shop and pick up some cold fx for something similar to halt the symptoms.

I will see you on board tomorrow.  We have an at sea day before I venture off the ship in Casablanca to go see Fez.  13.5 hour tour of which 8 hours is the bus ride to and from, but Pam's ramblings in Morocco have interested me enough that I must venture out there, but not by myself - with a tour.



 

SAVONA

Today was a day of exploration in the old port city of Savona.  What a lovely place.  Via Paleocapa is the central shopping street and is complete covered by a plaster and possibly brick underneath archway which protects the wide sidewalk from inclement weather and possibly deadening heat in the summer months.  It was fun wandering around looking in the shop windows.  Prices are very expensive here – so we really did more looking than anything else. 

We saw two of the Costa ships in the harbour and were glad they were both floating upright.  It is a good sign for our embarkation tomorrow.  As our hotel doesn’t have free WiFi, we found a coffee shop where we could sit and relax and putter on the internet.  Then didn’t chase us away from the table so we were able to catch up on any email and facebook.  I was able to put up the blog from the previous day albeit without pictures attached – I only took two pictures that day anyway.  We enjoyed Café Americano and a café latte for me.  What is it about European coffee that makes it strong, but so delicious – never bitter.  Even the prices aren’t terrible.  Latte was 2 euro and a coffee was 1 euro and good to the last drop!

Ports and old cities are wonderful places to take pictures.  I took lots today and will be glad to share them as soon as I can get them downloaded and into the blog.  We took a little city tour on one of three open cars pulled by a small train looking thing.  All set for our 7 euro adventure to and old fort, a beach and a few other significant areas off we went.  So, the tour was in Italian…the beach was obscured from the road …the fort we saw but didn’t stop and the other significant areas….well we couldn’t understand the Italian but it was a delightful 30 minute ride around on a pleasant day.

Back to wander around the city – oh wait – I forgot about parts of Europe.  They close for 2 hours for lunch and sometimes on a Saturday, they don’t reopen.  We wandered around anyway (bad day to forget to wear the fitbit) and hoped to have early dinner downtown.  Oh I forgot AGAIN, this is cosmopolitan Europe – most of the restaurants close at 3:30 or 4:00 and stay closed to reopen for dinner at 7:00.  So we found a little place and had wonderful fresh bread with tomatoes, arugula, mozzarella and olive oil served open face and toasted.  We had this with wine.  Who knew I would find moscato so easily.  It was a delicious repast that would definitely tide us over for the rest of the afternoon.

Finally after more walking and poking around little alley ways, it was time to make our way back to the hotel.  So another walk to the taxi stand and 15 euro later and we were back in the hotel.  The only channel that was in English was the European Bloomberg Channel and 5 minutes in, I was tired of hearing about South African’s need for dependable power and I was surfing the channels again.  I finally settled on figure skating – that didn’t need English interpretation and was way better than the dozens of shopping channels available for viewing.

We watched the skating for a couple of hours and then at 7:30, we thought we should go have something to eat in the hotel restaurant.  It was more than passable, it was downright delicious.  I had spaghetti carbonara and Diana had the pesto gnocchi.  Together with 2 350 ml of wine, the bill came to 26 euro.  Not bad at all and we had the pleasure of enjoying our meal with a couple from a small town near Venice.  Both the husband and wife spoke English very well and with ein bissl Deutsche, and petit peu Francaise, we were able to figure out everything they were telling us.  It was a pleasant evening.

About our room in Savona….it is certainly decent and even had a towel warming rack in the bathroom that was perfect for drying our handwashing – we now have enough clean underwear to stay 3 more days!  There are no drawers in our room – how very odd.  I guess Gideon was out of luck when he approached the Idea Hotel in Italy.  Now the really weird part…there are mirrors everywhere.  At first I thought we were sharing the room with other people.  Mirror headboard, wall mirror, mirror from desk to ceiling with a cutout for the TV to show through.  We just keep the lights off a lot.

So now back in the room it is bedtime once again and then our embarkation tomorrow!

 
 
 
 

OH IT WAS A VERY LONG DAY

Today was everything I thought it would be for a nasty travel day.  It began with a 15 minute walk dragging luggage to the air coach bus stop to get back to the airport.  We were at the airport in plenty of time for our departure time of 11:05.  We landed in Nice around 2:30 – after losing another hour.  Then we had to find our way to the bus to take us to the train station – it was a bit of a hike dragging luggage again, to get to the street bus stop.  When our bus came, we thought we only had a short way to go.  However, time was passing and we were getting further and further along.  Fortunately, with some help from fellow riders, we were able to get off at the correct stop and dragging our luggage, made our way into the station.  Lots of machines, but not so many people.  Tried to print our prepaid ticket at the machine but no luck.  We found a lady to help us and then, tickets in hand we were ready to get aboard Train 3049 to Ventimiglia leaving at 5:15.  Look on the departure board – wtf there is no train 3049 only a train 3051 to Ventimiglia leaving at 5:52.  If that is the only train departing – we will surely miss our connection from Ventimiglia to Savona.  Back to the kiosk I go to speak to the agent.  Oh you should be fine she says.  It is 4:30 so Diana and I go and sit for a bit….but this is still bugging me.  I go back to the kiosk and fortunately there is another agent there.  So I explain the bothersome part of the different numbers and the possible time conflict.  Ahhhh he says, well, there is a train strike in France right now and there is no train #3049 – it has been cancelled.  So you have to take 3051… Yes – you may miss your train – but there is another train at 8:00 and you can take that one to Savona instead of the 7:00 one you will probably miss.  Back I go to relay the information to Diana and sit now to wait for the announcement of the platform number we should go to. 

There it is on the board Track #5.  So we have to go down to cross under the tracks and come up on the other side at Track #5 … dragging our luggage….wtf what do you mean there are no elevators.  STAIRS…you have to be kidding me.  So we bounce our luggage down the stairs and then bump it up the stairs on the other side – I have to admit we had a couple of kind young men that aided us half way up.  Thank goodness.  Then we had to manoeuver it up the couple of stairs and into the train car.  Finally we are boarded on of first train and thank goodness ... there are 2 empty seats – ohhhh - right across from the toilet.  The trains in Europe are not the wonderful trains we have grown up with in Canada.  You DO NOT want to be sitting anywhere near the toilet.  But it is long day and getting longer – just like this story – so we sit and are glad of it.

I was so glad when we were in Nice that the station attendant printed me out a copy of the stops that the two trains would make along the route to our destination.  Thank goodness for that also.  Otherwise we would have no knowledge of when to depart.  So as we passed each station, we crossed it off the list and that way we were prepared when we had to ready ourselves and our bags to disembark.  We met a nice young man at the Ventimiglia station who would be traveling on the same train.   He helped us with the stairs at this station and we had a nice visit with him up until he had to get off in San Remo.  Then finally Savona signs appeared and we were able to get off the train, get into a taxi and then to the hotel.  Now we are getting into bed.  Our dreadful travel day has ended at 11:00.

Tomorrow -  I can’t think – we will just wait and see.

HOPPING ON AND OFF IN DUBLIN

Started our day in Bewley's Café with delicious coffee and a raisin scone with cream and raspberry jam.  It was delicious and such a beautiful setting.  It was the perfect start.  We made our way to the stop for the Hop On Hop Off Bus to have a look at some of the sights that were a little far for our walking sight seeing.  It was great to see the city while leaning a bit along the way. 

 

We got off and had a tour of the Kilmainham Gaol.  Although the historical significance was explained very adroitly, I confess that very little stayed with me.  I remember our guide saying that there were public hangings in the and thousands of people would come from all parts of the country to watch - liquour would be flowing and it was considered a form of entertainment.  In the Irish struggle for independence, many leaders of the Nationalist Party were housed here with several of the being put to death for their efforts.

 

Back on the bus and then we hopped off on Nassau Street - a street of pleasant shops for wandering in and out of.  It was a pleasant outing.  There was some impromptu street music and several flower sellers with the most beautiful and fresh selection of flowers.  The weather cooperated with sunny breaks now and then during the mainly foggy day.  It wasn't raining ... and with an average of 3 inches of rain per month - we were lucky to stay dry for today.

 

There is much richness in the architecture here.  Lovely old buildings that show interesting features.  The windows at the bottom of the buildings are large and then the size decreases as the stories rise.  This serves two purposes:  to give the illusion that the buildings is larger than it actually is; to keep more of the heat in on the upper floors and lastly because of a glass tax in the early 1800's.  Very simply,  the glass tax levied a tax on light and air coming into your dwelling. 

 

Now for the truly amazing thing I saw today....YES Tim Horton's is thriving in Ireland.  The kiosk inside the store was so many more times better than the one that Sandra and I saw in New York - and it was busy in there!  Lots of people enjoying a Timmy's. 

 

Tomorrow we will be traveling to Savona.  We take a plane to Nice, France and then a train to Ventimiglia and another train to Savona.  There we will have a night's sleep, a day to look around and then onto the Costa Mediterranea for our cruise.

AND SO IT BEGINS ...

A perfectly pulled pint of the world's best stout...Guinness in hand and a nap under my belt and now Diana and I are surrounded by all things Irish.  U2 on the music overhead proclaiming that everybody wants to rule the world.  Sitting at the bar on big stools with the Guinness 'stache on - I feel as though it will be me!

 

We had a 2 hour delay leaving Chicago but made up 1 of the hours in the air.  The problem was that one of the hydraulic systems had frozen in the -8 C temps.  So after they found it, then they had to unthaw it and make sure there were no other issues.  Yes it was cold there and we were very glad to leave and get slightly - no make that a lot - warmer at 10 C and some drizzly rain. 

 

We were able to drop bags off at O'Neills and then go out and explore.  My goodness I was so tired - Diana had to wait for me a few times.  Even with all the sitting on the plane though,  we have still managed to get over 7000 steps on the fitbit.  We had a good walk down the shopping area of Grafton Street, and then it was back to our accommodations to get settled in.  It didn't take me long to find the bed!

 

So now we will get our plans ready for tomorrow and try and do some touristy sightseeing.  Maybe a hop on and hop off bus will be in our future.  For now it is good to be settled and enjoying a pint!

Tomorrow will be a better and brighter day

 

 

 

A NEW ADVENTURE COMING SOON....

Diana and I are flying once again!  November 19th, we will begin this adventure in Dublin Ireland and then make our way to Savona, Italy to board the Costa Mediterranea for our cruise across the Atlantic to Miami, Florida.  The itinerary looks pretty neat and includes a few more places I never thought I would travel to.  We have lots of questions that will be answered on this holiday :  What is it like to cross the Atlantic in November....What is it like to be at sea for 5 days in a row.....What is it like trying to pack 1 suitcase with clothes for all types of weather....and WHY AM I DOING THIS?!

The best adventures are when I don't know what will happen next.  There is an excited anticipation and sometimes the frightening discovery!  These also make the best stories.  Please join me again in this new discovery.  Maybe there will be a fascinating fact hidden in the dialogue, but there will be fun and adventure.  Stay tuned....

 

ITINERARY

DAY	DATE		PORT	ARRIVE	DEPART
Sun	Nov	23	Savona, Italy		5:00pm
Mon	Nov	24	Marseille, France	8:00am	5:00pm
Tue	Nov	25	At Sea
Wed	Nov	26	At Sea
Thu	Nov	27	Casablanca, Morocco	8:30am	11:00pm
Fri	Nov	28	At Sea
Sat	Nov	29	Funchal, Madeira, Portugal	8:00am	5:00pm
Sun	Nov	30	Santa Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands	8:00am	5:00pm
Mon	Dec	1	At Sea
Tue	Dec	2	At Sea
Wed	Dec	3	At Sea
Thu	Dec	4	At Sea
Fri	Dec	5	At Sea
Sat	Dec	6	Antigua	8:00am	6:00pm
Sun	Dec	7	Tortola, British Virgin Islands	8:00am	5:00pm
Mon	Dec	8	Catalina Island, Dominican Republic	8:00am	4:00pm
Tue	Dec	9	Grand Turk, Turks & Caicos Islands	Noon	7:00pm
Wed	Dec	10	At Sea
Thu	Dec	11	Miami, FL	6:00am