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Published: April 25th 2019
CRABS IN CADIZ
These fancy crabs were carefully displayed to show off their beautiful claws.After another sea day we arrived in Cadiz, Spain. It is on the Atlantic coast and is one of the oldest cities in Spain in the Andalusia region of the country. As we approached the dock we saw a very familiar sight. The P&O ship Oriana was in port. We sailed on her in 1997 from Great Britain to Honolulu via the Panama Canal. That was our first time thru that feat of engineering. We met some lifelong Australian friends on that cruise and are still in touch with them these many years later.
In Cadiz we decided to take our own walking tour of Cisco Antigua, the old walled quarter of the city. We have been to Cadiz numerous times and we always enjoy strolling the winding alleys and green plazas and visiting the large public market. The array of fruits, vegetables and every kind of fish is amazing. We found some tangerines that in America are called ‘Uglies” because of their rough looking outer skin. But they are my favorites for their deep flavor and easy peeling. What surprised me the most was how cheap everything is. Clothes, restaurants, trinkets, wine all seemed to be priced so reasonably.
P&O ORIANA
This beautiful vessel was our transportation from London to Honolulu after we journeyed to Egypt in 1996. We haven’t been to Europe in several years and the Euro has lost some value against the U.S. Dollar. But if the rest of the continent is the same, Europe is quite the travel bargain for Americans.
We had planned to have lunch at our favorite Chinese restaurant in Spain but unfortunately it was closed that day so we settled for some local fare. It may seem funny to have Chinese food in Spain, but they really do it well and after all the wonderful fancy food on the ship it is a nice change of pace. Several of the Asian crew members were disappointed also as they were hungering for a taste of home.
Before we left Cadiz, we had arranged to take our Virtuoso members on a tour of the navigation bridge. The Officer on Watch gave us a rundown on the route we would be taking to Barcelona. He also showed us all the redundant features the ship has for safety, navigation and communications. It is no longer allowed to take pictures on the bridge which is too bad. To me the bridge is like a gigantic cockpit with the radars, autopilots, charts and GPS
CADIZ
One of the oldest cities in Europe, Cadiz maintains its old world charm. and sextants. Fascinating!
When we sailed out of Cadiz, Captain Stan gave us our ETA for passing by Gibraltar. As we made our way around the tip of Spain we noticed all the military boat patrols. The Straits of Gibraltar are a heavily traveled route for migrants trying to enter Europe from Africa. Because of the strict shipping lanes in the Straits we were on the Morocco side of the channel but we could still see “The Rock” all lit up and looking very imposing as we passed by.
Fortunately, our last day was at sea, so there was plenty of time for packing and farewells. We arrived in Barcelona on a cool, clear morning just as the sun was rising over the beautiful city.
We had traveled 5218 statute miles (4535 nautical) from Miami to Barcelona from the New World to the Old World over the second largest ocean which covers about 20% of the earth’s surface. The Atlantic Ocean was the first ocean to be crossed by ship and airplane. And that is exactly what we were doing on this trip. Upon arrival in Barcelona we headed to the airport and boarded Norwegian Air for
JOEY
Maitre D' on Regent Voyager. We first met him about 13 years ago when he was a waiter. a non-stop flight to Ft Lauderdale. It took us two weeks to get to Europe and 10 hours to return to the U.S.
We love ocean passages and this cruise was especially nice. The weather, the staff, the ship, the ports and our passengers were all terrific. The sea life is the good life!
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Betty Moya
non-member comment
Love your blogs, and keeping up with you both--What is your 2020 schedule? Mary Courim and I are booked on Voyager, March 27-April 27-Tokyo to Bangk
Bangkock--any chance of sailing with you????????????? Much love, Betty