Malaga

Day 10 Malaga

This holiday is passing fat too quickly and here we are at our last Mediterranean   stop before we have a days sailing to get to Lisbon. 

 At this stop we had to be back on board by 7 pm so we had a good days sightseeing planned. 

This was the Castle a the top of the hill and today it was a beautiful sunny day.

The view over Malaga was lovely in the sunshine and we took lots of photos.

You can just see one of the other ships in the distant port

Malaga is the Birthplace of Picasso and of course we had to visit the house.

It was near a very busy square that was bustling with people and a very good place to have a coffee stop

This beautiful building was worth a photo shot but for the life of me I cannot remember what it was...

... but this young man was one of the living statues that we saw in many towns.

He very rudely told me to add money to his cap if I wanted a photo of him.... and I couldn't very well refuse seeing as how I had the photo.

But  he was the only  one ..  out of several of these living statue people that I took ... that was rude about it.

Hugs xx

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Alicante

Day 9 of our cruise in Alicante

We visited the Castle here in Alicante and again had a magnificent view over the port.

It was a lovely place and very warm but we only had till 4.30 pm to look around.

We had a lot to cram in and the best way was to take a tour from the ship.

This was inside the Castle and we had  a lot of steps to climb to get to the top...

...but we were rewarded with this spectacular view over Alicante once we got there.

This is the Bullring but there are not many bull fights held here anymore.

Back down in the town we walked along this beautiful Mosaic tiled floor that runs along the centre of town. 

It has stalls and artists along it and we stopped and viewed many of them as we walked.

And in the harbor is this Galleon ship that you can visit.

It was lovely and as the day went on it got warmer and warmer.

But the one thing I want to show you are the beautiful dolls that are made each year for a festival that is held in June.

When I say Dolls I don't mean little ones that kids play with .... oh no these are very  big .... and this is Griff stood along side some to give you an idea of the size.

These dolls are made by the local people from Papier Mache and are hand painted.  

They start the work on the 21st and  they are placed around the town for everybody to see.

Over  the following days the festival takes place and the Dolls  are then  judged by the towns people.

On the  last few days the Dolls are all burned.... except for those judged to be the very best and these are stored in this museum for visitors to see.

You are allowed to take photos but you must not touch as they are made from paper and can be easily damaged.

Here are some for you to see and they are all very beautiful.... and many hours of hard work must have gone into the making of these Dolls.

But time conspired against us and all too soon it was time for us to leave.

This is another place I would be happy to return too in the future as there is still so much left to explore.

Hugs xx

Palma De Mallorca

 Day 8 in  Majorca

We took a trip from the ship on this day and in the morning we visited the Caves of Drach and it rained here. But fortunately we were underground at the time so it didn't really bother us.... no need for the brollies then !!

It is the biggest underground lake in Europe and went way down ... passing some beautiful scenery as we went.  But unfortunately we were not allowed to take photos and so I can't show you the view.

Once at the lake all the lights were turned off and we sat on benches and waited.... then from one side of  the  lake we could hear classical music and three illuminated boats sailed into view... with the musicians on board.

Because of the acoustics in the caves the sound was wonderful and the atmosphere amazing.

Then came the long walk back,  up lots of steps,  to the  top and by the  time we got there to was into the sunlight.

On the way back to Palma we visited a Pearl factory and watched a lady making the faux pearls from glass. They were very pretty but I didn't buy any as they are not really my style of jewelry.

This was the Cathedral up on the hill and the sky was a beautiful blue.

It was very warm and sunny in the afternoon and we didn't have to be back on board till 7 pm.

We spent the rest of the day wandering around ... after we had had some lunch in a near by cafe.

These were the steps to the top of the hill and it was quite a climb but the inside of the Cathedral was well worth it.

We very much enjoy the sightseeing and Cathedrals, churches, museums and Castles are always top of our lists.

We have a friend who only ever wants to "shop"  wherever she goes and that seems to me to be a waste when there is so much culture to see in strange places.



Imagine going to Barcelona and not visiting the Sagrada Famila ... what a waste.

This is the ceiling inside this lovely place and notice the different colours in it.

The light in here was wonderful and again another sight not to be missed.












The view from the top was overlooking the port where our ship was waiting in the distance

On the way back to the ship we passed many artists sitting in the sunshine, along the centre promenade, creating some lovely paintings for sale.

They where of landscapes, seascapes as well as portraits of  subjects that where willing to sit and be painted.


But we passed by and headed back on board after a very pleasant day in Palma.

And who knows maybe we will go back for a longer holiday here in the future.... but Day 9 is on the way and we are more than half way through our holiday... Sigh!!

Hugs xx

Barcelona

Day 7 October 12th  Barcelona   

Oh! how I loved this place and I could have spent days here.

But  we only  had  hours and we had to prioritize  what we viewed ...  and the one  thing  I wanted to  do was visit  the  Sagrada Familia. 

This is the most iconic sight of Barcelona and everybody instantly recognises it from this building.

It was started by Antoni Gaudi  in 1882 and when he died in 1926 there was only one of the towers completed.

You can see from the photo the new work that is on going to this amazing place.

We had to join the line of people waiting to go inside and it took us almost an hour to reach the door.

The sculptures on the outside are so beautiful and if you click the photos you will get a better look at the intricate work.

It was truly a sight to behold and I was so glad that we decided to  visited it.

But this is one of the places where it rained and we had bought some plastic ponchos to keep us dry... and as we waited in the queue we certainly   needed them.

But some enterprising young people were selling umbrellas to the crowds and so we bought two for $10 .... more on these brollies on another day!!

They must have made a packet that day and here is my Film Crew with his .... to go with his smile... and his new hoody to keep him warm.

We had lots of time to take the photos of the outside  and the wonderful work that is still on going and who knows when it will be eventually finished.

The entrance fee that you pay is used to complete the work but it will take many many years yet.

So lets go inside shall we ????

This was looking at the gorgeous ceiling and these pillars are huge.

There is information around the interior telling you how it was built and the type of stone that is used and I could have read it all I was so ready to learn about this place.

But it would take me pages to add it all to a post ... and of course time was short for us as we had to be back on board the ship by 7 pm ... so we moved on.

This was a spiral staircase that ran along one side and the light shining through created a very ethereal effect.

It was very beautiful but as always the photos do not do things the justice they deserve.

I just hope that one day you all get the chance to visit this magical place and get as much pleasure from it as I have.

The view from another area and again the light was amazing... and there where hundreds of people in there all admiring the work of these great sculptors.

Because of course the work is now carried on by many skilled artists that are still working to Gaudis'  master plan.

 I have so many photos of this place I could go on for ever...

You can go up to the top of one of the towers for a wonderful view over Barcelona but the wait for that was so long we couldn't do it.

Maybe one day I will go back and have the time to explore fully all the treasures that this city holds.

Antoni Gaudi may have died a long time ago but his vision of beauty is being carried on.

He must be really proud of the work that he, and those that follow in his footsteps are creating for the world to see.

Day 8 takes us to  Palma  De  Mallorca

Hugs xx

Monaco

 11th October and Day 6 of the cruise. 

This was the view from our balcony as we approached Cannes and this is another cruise ship waiting to enter the port.

It was very early in the morning and once again it was warm and pleasant.

I had looked froward to visiting the small Principality of Monaco and so we booked a tour from the ship.

It did not disappoint and we were in time to watch the changing of the guard at midday outside the Royal Palace.

It was very ceremonial and there was a huge crowd there to see it all happen.

This was the spectacular view from the top over Monaco and the Arches that are part of the Formula 1 circuit can just be seen in the distance.

We passed the spot where the very beautiful  Grace Kelly had her car accident.

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And we visited the Cathedral where she and Prince Rainier were married... and where there is a monument to her after her death

It was very peaceful and cool inside here and the architecture was lovely.

We wandered around the little paved street and stopped for coffee and then all too soon it was time to return to the ship.

We had a two hour drive back to Cannes and the last tender to go to the ship was at 4 pm.

But at the bottom of the hill as we left Monaco was this huge statue of a baby and my last photo call for the visit.

The next post will be Day 7 in  Barcelona.

Hugs xx

Gibraltar ...

                                9th October ...  Day 4 of our cruise.

This is the Rock of Gibraltar coming into view through the morning mist as we sailed into Port.

It was a beautiful morning and although still early it was very warm.

We planned to go and look around and as the town was not far from the port we walked in and did our own thing.

But the highlight on our sail in was a huge school of Dolphins all following the ship.

I needed to be quick to get the camera and see what I could capture.

Click to Enlarge

They look like little dots ...  but if you click the photo you can see clearly what they are and they were beautiful.

There were literally hundreds of them all swimming past us and we had the same delightful display later in the day as we sailed away from the Rock.

It was truly magical to see them and even though the picture is not very good it is a reminder of that wonderful sight.

Our Captain did a fantastic job of maneuvering  such a large ship into it's place in the dockside and it was quite something to see.

Then once in the town the first stop was to enjoy the sunshine with a  Latte and do a little people watching.

And one of the first things I spotted was this ....

... Arts and Crafts right in the square.

The stature was a real man and when he moved some passing people really jumped in surprise.

He was covered in chain mail and he looked very good sat on his horse.

We had a lovely day here but we had to be bake on board ship by 3.30 pm for the sail away.

This is the view as we sailed away from Gibraltar and the tiny runway strip of the airport can just be seen in the distance.

So the next day was spent at sea as we made our way to Cannes where we planned to take a trip into Monaco to visit the Palace and the Cathedral.

Hugs xx

Dining at Sea ...

This was the Dining Room that was one of many on board, and you can see the three levels to this room.

The bottom part was called the Romeo and Juliette and the middle area was Macbeth.   In these you had a regular table and dining was in two sittings. Either 6 pm or 8.30 pm.

But the top floor was "My time dining" and this was what we chose to do as in here you could go any time between 6 pm and 9.30 pm.

This floor was the King Lear and it was a much paler decor than the lower floor.  We had a table overlooking the sea and it was lovely.

The service is superb and nothing is too much trouble for these hard working and very pleasant waiters.

And after the first meeting they remember your name,  what wine you like to drink, and how you like your fillet Steak cooked.

Most of the dining was casual but  there where three Formal Nights and then it was Dinner Jackets and Evening Dresses and it was a real treat to get dressed up.

Here all the waiters are singing a song to welcome us on board this fabulous cruise ship... click the photo to hear them in full voice.

At the top of the ship there was a self service Restaurant  that had an amazing choice,  every day,  of food from around the world.... and masses of it to fill the largest appetite.

It was open from 7 am until 9.30 pm and this also had huge windows overlooking  the sea.

In my next post I will show you some of the places that we visited on the  Independence of the Seas ...starting with our first Port of Call .... Gibraltar.

Hugs xx 

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More from the Ship

This is the running track on the top deck and all I did was walk around it.

The blue sky was wonderful and of course this became very busy with energetic people running around it several times.

All the sunbeds are stacked neatly every night and then laid out each morning after the deck had been cleaned.

The cleanliness on this ship is second to none.... it was spotless both inside and out.

Here are some more photos of the facilities available on board but some of the photos are a little blurred.

This was the Schooner Bar and in the corner was a large Grand Piano.

Live music was in here and also quizzes that were very popular with a  cash prize to the winner at the end of the two weeks.

This was the Pyramid Lounge and in here there was a rock band, dancing, quizzes and classes.

We had a few nights dancing in here ... well you have to work all that food off somewhere!!

One of our favorite places ... which I don't have a photo of ... was the bar right at the top of the ship called Olive or Twist.

It had large windows overlooking the sea and the lower decks and Dinner Jazz music played by a trio most nights.

The atmosphere in here was very relaxed and it was lovely to sit on the big comfy sofas near a window ... even during the day ... and watch the world float by.

This is the Art Gallery and there were several auctions for some of the beautiful paintings.

The photo is a little blurred but the paintings were not.

There was also a Casino on board but we didn't visit that either.

These cycles in the Gym were looking out to sea and this was the closest I got to them.

There was a piece of equipment for any exercise that you cared to do and lots of it.

Then if you wanted to you could visit the Spa for a massage, Acupuncture  or a beauty treatment ... you could even get your teeth whitened if you wanted to.

 And here is the Boxing ring I told you about.

I am sure that some of the younger men would be in here practising  their Pugilistic Skills.

I preferred to spend my time relaxing and enjoying the scenery outside around the pool.

And on the deck there was the Mini Golf course.

These are just some of the facilities that are available and I think you would be hard pushed to be bored on there.

There was something going on all the time to cater for every kind of interest... and for the first two days we were at sea sailing away from the UK and into some sunshine.

In my next post I will show you some more photos of my adventure at sea.

Hugs xx