Once again, multiple photo albums:
- Some of the gay cruise group (including photos by others)
(View the photos individually to see the captions.)
We took a cruise with stops in Barcelona, Tangier, Lisbon, La Coruña, Bilbao, and Bordeaux. We added an extra day at the start to make up for things we missed in 2023 when we were last in Barcelona, primarily Parc Güell. We signed up for the cruise with a gay group; there were 23 folks in the group, among the probably 2000 passengers on the ship.
The weather was warm with rain only one morning, mostly while we were on a bus. There were some long waits at the beginning and end of the cruise, and I lost one of my favorite tote bags (see below), but other than these small problems, the trip went well.
A few annoyances on the ship: The free "basic wifi" was limited to one device, which had to be my laptop and meant that I did not have wifi on my phone (doubly aggravating because they always wanted you to use the app for information). In the main eatery, music was always playing; there were no quiet tables. Three "at sea" days got tiring, particularly since ship entertainment and major activities were in the evenings, leaving too much dead time during the day.
I need to stop getting foreign currency when I travel. I no longer use it, because everyone takes credit cards, even for just a soda. With unfavorable conversion rates plus the fees to use an ATM to get foreign cash and later to deposit it, it cost me nearly $40 USD to needlessly hold €150!
Our extra day in Barcelona met expectations. Now I'm happy with what I've seen of Gaudi's work. For me, our guide talked too much, but all guides do. At Casa Batlló, the old coal cellars of the building now house the exhibition “GAUDÍ CUBE: In the mind of Gaudí”, by Refik Anadol - a 6-sided LED cube completely enveloping us. We had been warned it might be unsettling for some. Early on, I felt I was falling and grabbed onto something stationary - Victor's shoulder. A bit later, I felt I was truly zooming through a surrealistic tunnel.
At our first group dinner on the ship, I ordered Meyer Lemon Cheesecake from the dessert menu. I and the entire table were surprised by what showed up:
I had no idea that this is a famous and popular dessert at this onboard restaurant. It is shaped and colored to look like a bright yellow lemon. The hard white-chocolate shell flavored with Meyer lemon contains a creamy cheesecake center. (The photo above is not mine; I don't generally take photos of my food, so I did not have my camera.)
Victor was particularly happy with our balcony hammock, since he grew up sleeping in hammocks. He used it a lot, both in daytime and at night.
The second evening, we attended one show by The Magnets, an a cappella and beatboxing group.
In Tangier, there was more walking and stair-climbing than I expected. At one high point, our guide said Gibraltar (and more) are visible on clear days, but on our visit, it was too foggy. We visited the Kasbah Museum of Mediterranean Cultures, followed by an oil and spice shop (fun because after almost each description, they would come around with samples to smell or try), then a carpet shop (less interesting than the one in Istanbul in 2023), and finally, the American Legation Museum. Back on the ship, we watched some of a magic show before dinner.
In Lisbon, we visited St. Jerome's Monastery, Belem Tower, and the Monument of the Discoveries. On the ship that evening, we watched some of the drag queen entertainer The Diva.
In La Coruña, we visited the Tower of Hercules and some of the nearby statues (see the photos), some of the city's architecture, and the central plaza. We stayed there as the group dispersed. Later, despite being in the right place at the right time (actually for more than an hour before and more than an hour after), we inexplicably missed the bus back to the ship. The fifteen-minute walk wasn't a big deal, but I had left one of my favorite New Yorker tote bags on the bus, and despite multiple calls by the ship, I never got it back. In the bag were a partly read magazine, one folder with sudoku and crossword puzzles for dead times, one folder with a copy of our marriage certificate in case of emergencies, one pair of sunglasses, my usual travel hat, a ballpoint pen, and a granola bar.
In Bilbao, the Guggenheim Museum, inside and out, did not disappoint. Again, see the photos.
Bordeaux was our final port to visit. At a lunch break, we walked to the river, and the Place des Quinconces, with columns along the river, and the Girondins Monument. Later, we went to Les Bassins des Lumieres, to see digital art focused mainly on Matisse and Frida Kahlo.
