Mallorca to Menorca Spain

 The skyline on our walk into the city was very impressive as the sun came up with the massive Bellver Castle high up on the hill and with the La Seu Cathedral nearby. It was nice to walk through the cloisters before all the crowds came. We didn't get to view inside as the cathedral didn't open until 1pm.

Palma in Mallorca is sixty miles of the coast of mainland Spain. We really enjoyed our wanders through the old town full of beautiful colourful buildings and shady streets with endless cafes, restaurants and stalls along the main street. Very hot but pleasant in the evenings once the sun had gone down.

 The harbour in Ciutadella Menorca was another fabulous stop. A much smaller port which meant we were anchored off shore with a short tender ride to land. The medieval streets winding through the old quarter of the town were delightful and I would have to say its the cleanest town we have been to in Europe and possibly will still be the cleanest we saw when we end our trip. The fishing harbour was free from debris, the streets had no litter and the shops were immaculate. Its almost like all the residents had an Obsessive compulsive Disorder because it was so in order and just nothing was out of place.

 We had an evening meal on shore in Ciutadella and it was the nicest meal we have had. We chose a salad which had the most beautiful flavours along with fresh fish topped with a very mild ginger glaze and vegetable skewers which came sitting in a glass of cucumber and mint yoghurt. The vegetables had a fine crunchy noodle like coating on them. Not sure what it was because of the language difficulties. All the flavours blended together really well. We probably would have gone back the next night to try something else but we had an offer to dine on the back of the ship with the back dropped down. We couldn't say no because you don't get the chance to do that very often and it is such a lovely experience especially when its so warm and balmy and you get a beautiful sunset thrown in. Unfortunately I had forgotten to take my camera down.

 Cuitadella at night.

 Our sail into Mahon Menorca early yesterday morning was stunning. We came here last year and loved it, so were really looking forward to coming back. Its the Capital of Spains Ballearic  Islands and has one of the deepest harbours in the world.

 Yesterday we watched a special performance of the the Menorcan Horse Show which was put on for the ship on the dockside. It was wonderful. Im not usually excited about horse events but this was very very good. The equestrian centre here in Menorca is dedicated to the teaching of Dressage with the thoroughbred Menorquina stallions. They had carousels of horses crossing both in trot and canter and disciplines including walking on there hind legs. The breed of these horses has been listed as endangered. They are known for their obedient and elegant temperament.

Tomorrow we will arrive in Tarragona Spain for two days followed by three days in beautiful Barcelona where we will complete the Spanish part of our cruise and sail on to France.

Vigo Spain to Cascais Portugal

One of the pretty bizarre  sculptures and monuments in Vigo. The city had many eye catching exhibits which captured the imagination. This one was pretty out there.

 These photos are all out of sequence. This is a pretty average night shot of the Rock of Gibralter taken last night. It was pretty impressive and we were very happy to see it as last year there was thick fog through the Staits and we saw nothing.

 We took a city tour of Vigo on the double decker open bus. Surprisingly the bus managed to turn into this very narrow and pretty street without any problems.

 This lovely little lady was making her way to the beach in 30 degree heat dressed in heavy layers of clothing and hauling her trolley complete with beach chair and sun umbrella. She must have been a real beach lover but I hope she took a few layers of clothing off or she would have cooked.

 A restaurant bordering a pretty little park where we managed to get a table and had dinner. It didn't open until 8.30pm ( most didn't open until 9pm) We were the only ones there eating until 9.30pm even though most of the tables had a reserve sign on them. We left about 10.15pm and the people were starting to pour in then. Bit different to our life style at home where most people would eat by 9pm. We had a really beautiful seafood meal after trying not to be put off by the terminology describing some of the dishes in English. Funniest example was  Hake loins with Pil Pil sauce served with his Barbels and roasted garlic slices and ginger. I didn't know that fish had Loins and goodness only knows what Barbels are but it didn't sound very appetising.

 Sea water swimming pool on the beach at Cascais Portugal.

One of the many beaches in beautiful Cascais .

Missed the best of the sunset last night. It was really beautiful with all the very small fishing boats dotted around. Most seemed to have only two to three people to a boat with no life jackets to be seen and they were right in the middle of a very heavy shipping channel which is quite dangerous especially as it was coming up to darkness and we were passing many large freight ships. Apparently our ship took out a set fishing  net which the people in the boat were not happy about.


22 July.

Vigo was on the whole fairly unremarkable being a large Port and heavily populated city but we did enjoy a very nice walk up around cobbled narrow streets in the old part of the city during the siesta time so it was lovely and quiet. The city did have some amazing architecture and monuments. The mix of modern and antique in the city centre gave a few surprises. Unfortunately I missed a good photo opportunity when we passed a magnificent and colossal monument of horses. We were going to take a walk back to photograph it after we got off the Bus but got side tracked with other things.

Our last stop before our two days at sea on route to Palma de Mallorca was at the beautiful sea side town of Cascais. We remembered it from last year so were very excited with the opportunity to go back again even though it was only a 36 hour stay this time. The people are very friendly and helpful. Its a very popular holiday spot because of its beautiful and numerous beaches. Even though it was busy it was nothing like San sebastian in Spain where the beaches were so overcrowded that people were almost on top of each other, the beaches in Cascais were not over crowded. We had a long walk along the sea front and past numerous golden sandy beaches. It was very hot but the sea breeze gave us a little respite which kept us going.

Tomorrow we arrive in the island of Mallorca which is sixty miles off the coast of Spain, where no doubt we will find some more walks to expend a little more energy after having two days at sea.

London through to Vigo in Spain

 St Jean-de-Luz in The Bay of Biscay on the French Spanish border. This hotel had a display of Red Chilli Peppers draped above the entrance.

 The beautiful golden sands in San Sebastian. We loved this town. It was so beautiful.

 This was from the lookout high up on Mount Igeldo which we accessed by a funicular railway. Amazingly at the top was an amusement park that was built in the early 20th century. The flume boat ride called The Mysterious river in the photo was on an overhanging concrete water channel. Everyone seemed to love it. However we preferred to watch.

16 July 16

Well finally I think I have it sussed! Ive been putting off getting this Blog started after forgetting my password and a few other issues, but here we go, now I might finally get some short accounts of our travels under way.

London was fairly quiet on our part as we were quite exhausted this time after the long trip. We took a train down to Bournemouth for a day to visit friends. They had made a booking at Rick Steins Seafood Restaurant at Sandbanks ( with some difficulty as it is always booked ahead for weeks ) but they managed to get a 3pm lunch booking. It was fantastic and we had a table by the window overlooking the marina and on out to sea.The seafood was so fresh it could have swam off the plate. Three and a half hours later at 6.30pm we left for the train station. A very enjoyable day.

We did have a couple of trips from Greenwich into London city but with the ship being anchored it meant a Tender ride to shore followed by a train overland to Canary Wharf and then the underground into the city. However it worked well and with having spent a lot of time in London two years ago it meant it was all quite familiar to us, although we did have a hilarious time trying to top up our Oyster cards for the Tube. I kept putting in what I thought was 20 pound note and it kept spitting it back until I realised I was putting in an American $20 note. Then Richard pushed the wrong button for his and it spat out 20 pounds worth of 1 pound coins. Bit frazzled but we got there. The machines are always right of course!!

Belle-lle on the coast of Brittany was our first stop. A beautiful picturesque coastal town surrounded by cliffs and beaches.

Hendaye was very nice but we loved the small towns of St Jean de Luc and San Sebastian the best especially the later. Both were day trips from Hendaye.

Yesterday and this morning we have been at sea so its been good to catch up on laundry etc. Last night we were invited to have dinner with  Captain Dag ( yes thats his real name ) and the ships manager. We were a bit reluctant at first but we had met him before although hadn't spent any time with him so it was great to be able to ask him a lot of questions about the ship and his past journeys. It was a very interesting and informative evening and quite often hilarious. He really enjoyed Richards sense of humour. I don't think he will forget him in a hurry. He had also enjoyed the welcome cocktail party that was held for us a few nights ago and Richard had to say a few words about us. Not our thing at all but he kept it light and told them we had a business in DIY and we sold a bit of striped paint. I could see a few blank faces but then most 'got it' so that eased our tension a bit. Fortunately he didn't introduce me as the girlfriend that he advertised for and was the only one to answer.  (like he usually does.)

Well we are just about to arrive in Vigo Spain. The temperature is to be around 30 deg so we have finally hit the warmer temperatures. Its been around 18-20deg up until now which has been very pleasant.

Will be back with more news in due course.